Journey to Forever by Carol Steward

Nikki Post is learning how to stand on her own two feet without any help from her family. She agrees to work at the Denver Gazette to do just that. She starts at the bottom to work her way up to the position she really hopes to have. She hears about this project to raise money to build another shelter for the homeless as well as Collin Wright who will be participating in it. She is not sure what to expect but decides to take it one day at a time even though she has fought her grandfather on it. Collin is not sure what to expect but wants to help as much as he can. He finds a young intern in the meeting and wonders what she is doing there. To find out later that she will be his companion for their journey, he is very surprised. He learns to rely on his faith and press through the best that he can. They share a kiss and that sends them into confusion and uncertainty not only for themselves but also for the project. Can they make it through with God’s help or will they only be frustrated after it is over?

Ms. Steward shows how faith must be relied on at all times no matter what stage you are in. Whether it is new to you or not, seeking God’s face is important. I really liked that and I found it to be very encouraging. Mind you I am not taking a 300 mile journey any time soon, but in my every day life I find I am not doing that enough. She makes you feel for the characters and helps you see how life is not perfect but we need to make it through every day.

Nikki was a sweetheart. She was really trying to better herself in a way that would not rely on money. Her faith was not strong and her grandparents wished more for her. She was not sure how to find what they wanted for her till she met Collin. Collin used to be cocky but an injury made him take a second look at his life. He loved being a dj for the Christian radio station and embraced it completely. He didn’t want to do any more stunts but the idea that they gave him was not one he could pass up. They both had growth to do in their lives and found that they could talk to one another pretty freely. It created a bond right away that they needed to figure out what it meant.

This story was a wonderful read. I could not put it down and it showed me what this kind of line looks like. It is nice to see a publisher like Harlequin publish something for everyone. I truly enjoyed it and have one more on the stack. Ms. Steward is a fantastic writer who I read more of down the line.

252 pages/ New Author/Romance/Journeys/5 out of 5

Well I have afew more things to do and then I plan on picking up Promise of Grace by Bonnie K. Winn. :)

A Nail Through The Heart By Timothy Hallinan

Poke Rafferty is trying to start a new life for himself. He has fallen in love with Rose as well as a girl from the street named Miaow. Miaow has a friend who goes by the name Superman and Poke wants to help him as well. It all seems to go awry when he is contacted by Clarissa Ulrich to find her uncle Claus. Because another woman wants to find the man who is haunting her life and things can’t seem to get better even though Poke is trying to adopt Miaow. He has way too much going on that he has a difficult time handling it all. He needs to step back and look at the big picture in order to tackle anything.

Mr. Hallinan is an expressive man who knows how to get you to feel. Some of the things are horrifying to believe that it really happened. Now mind you it gets graphic but sometimes too much even for me. He did really well with such a delicate topic with pornography and children. It is not a subject that is easy to take by any means. Yet you are left to wonder who really are the criminals and who are the good guys.

Poke Rafferty is still learning to get use to where he is at. Rose is trying to get him to understand that life is not as simple as he would like it to be. The whole goal is to build a family but there are a lot of secrets and trust is not shared. Poke has to truly figure out what is important before he loses the one thing he wants to attain for his life. Miaow is a trusting girl who has been through a lot of hardships but finds solace in Poke and Rose. Superman is there too but he is a child formed by hardships even worse than what Miaow even can being to understand. It’s a struggle to get through the past but it will only be good for all involved.

This is one emotional book to be read in short amounts. Once you find out what is really going on, it will break your heart. It will also open your eyes to keep a tight rein on your children for as long as you can to keep them safe from this stuff. It is only cruelty that is expressed in a harmful way and Poke does his best to find how to gain trust in the people close to him. It is a hard lesson learned by all and detrimental if it is not learned. I found this book compelling and informative. Though a bit too descriptive, if it had gone any lighter it would not have had an impact on me at all. Please pick it up and give it a try. You will not regret it.

328 pages/ New Author/Fiction/ 4 out of 5

I finished this last night and was too tired to post. :) I finished Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steel and found I rather liked it. :) Now off to read Journey to Forever by Carol Steward. :) Have a good day!

The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag

Elena Estes is trying to forget why she had to leave the police. But it all comes back when she finds her friend Irina dead in a canal in a most gruesome way. Now she not only has James Landry at her heels but she is trying to stay out of the awful spotlight she dealt with twenty years ago. Yet she has to know what happened to her friend and finds her ex-fiancé Bennet Walker knew Irina. She assumes he did it but needs to find out the truth no matter what.

This is my first book by Tami Hoag and I was impressed! She keeps you spell bound and turning pages so that you can find out what happens. I do not know a lot about Russians but I found those characters fascinating. She is able to tell a well-written story. I am looking forward to reading her other books.

Elena had been through a lot and I felt awful for her. She only had a couple people to support her but she still seemed to push people away. James Landry was a sweetie but just could not touch Elena no matter how hard he tried. Irina’s best friend Lizbeth was a complex woman trying to make her way in the world. If this portrays any part of the area that it takes place in, it is not a place I want to be. But then I am not rich so would not be accepted anyways.

I was bummed to find out on Tami Hoag’s website that I read this book out of order. Dark Horse is the first book that mentions this character so now I will have to read it. Oh, well. I am sure I will still enjoy it.

351 pages/ Suspense/ New Author/ 4 out of 5

Okay did not mean to post so much today. But I could not post Dead Connection till today. For some odd known reason Blogger won't let me put in titles. Go figure! So there you go. Off to start A Nail Through The Heart by Timothy Hallinan.

Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada

This picture book is a series of letters between Peter Rabbit, The Big Bad Wolf, The Wolf’s cousin, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, and The Three Little Pigs. The Three little Pigs are having a house warming party for their new house. The wolves decide to crash the party and ruin all the fun.

This is my first book by Alma Flor Ada but it certainly won’t be my last. The way she weaves her story through letters keeps this book moving. The pictures by Leslie Tyron were fantastic! They really helped you get a picture of what was going on.

The pages were not numbered so I counted the pages as best I could. Knowing the stories of The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Peter Rabbit. It was a wonderful expansion on these stories and I am going to have to look for Dear Peter Rabbit done by the same author and illustrator. It is a great book and fun to read with kids of all ages. My son is still too young but this is one I would love to own.

27 pages/ Children’s book/ New Author/ 5 out of 5

Dead Connection by Alafair Burke

Ellie Hatcher’s father was a cop while he got killed even though the Wichita police never confirmed it. That led her to become a cop herself and onto a high profile case. The two women killed lead by to FirstDate.com, a very successful dating website. What really gets her is when the killer mimics the man who killed her father. She has to work hard to catch him before he kills his next victim. But at the same time puts her in harms way to take the fall.

Alafair Burke is a wonderful composed author. I found her characters to be determined and her story full of twists and turns. There are so many ways people can get your information and it is sad to see them put in this book. The reality of it is that it could happen to anyone at anytime for any grudge that is held.

Ellie had some tough stuff to work through but I could see a real progression. She was a sweet woman who had her heart broken as a child. Her brother Jess was trying to find his way in life and not getting too far.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I had no clue who the killer was and was rather shocked at that. Ellie truly had a lot to go through and I was rooting for her to find someone. I can’t say enough about how much this book was so good. Once they started to put the pieces together, I was able to follow along but it took me awhile. I just don’t figure out thrillers or whodunit type books very well. But that is why I keep coming back to see if I can figure it out. Now I want to go back and her other series.

336 pages/New Author/Thriller/5 out of 5


I am now reading The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag. My review would have been longer but I poked the under the nail of my left thumb with a fork prong and it is still sore. lol

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

A new shop has come next door to A Good Yarn. It is a flower shop called Susannah’s Garden, and the owner Susannah has hired a widow named Colette Blake. Lydia creates a new knitting class making a prayer shawl. Alix comes to take the class as well as Susannah and Colette. Yet worries still plague Lydia. Her niece Julia was the victim of a random car jacking. So between that and all the happenings of her friends, she has a lot to get through as well as focus on the store.

Ms. Macomber keeps the series going! I was thoroughly impressed with this. It tied up quite a few loose ends that were left in the last book. I would love to see more in this series but the impression I got was that it is the last one in this series. The characters were so real that I cried through the book and laughed too.

Alix had to work on her temper. She is a sweet woman and very happily settling in her new life. Yet she keeps quiet instead of standing up for herself. That infuriated me but I have done it myself. Lydia is another sweet woman who still has fears of her cancer coming back which I found completely natural. Jacqueline made an appearance in the story and I loved seeing how her life had changed. She may be affluent but she is one of the warmest women in the book.

I felt like I had come home again! I did think about taking up knitting but I tried at one time but could not sit still. But give me a book like this and I can read it in one day. I know silly but true. Some people love one thing while others engross themselves in books. I look forward to reading her other series. She impresses me so much with her faith and her writing. I would love to see more with these women but then who knows.
393 pages/ Women's Fiction/ 5 out of 5

I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark

Kay Lansing is confident of Peter Carrington’s innocence in the death of a local girl named Susan Althorp. Now over 20 years later, the mother Gladys is dying and wants to see her daughter get the justice she never got. Well with Kay marrying Peter, people think she is the next one to die. She is out to prove that Peter really is innocent even if that means she gets her help from anywhere she can. Kay’s grandmother Maggie thinks Kay has lost her mind.

Ms. Higgins Clark has done it once again! I had ideas of who the killer might be and I was wrong. Suspense is so thick that I thought I would never it out. I was in for a real surprise. Of course, it is rare for me to know who the killer is before all is revealed.

Kay is a true trustworthy person. It takes a lot for her to start doubting. She just wants to make sure she knows what is going on. Her grandmother Maggie was a sweet woman but couldn’t get past the suspicions the town held on Peter. She just couldn’t see her granddaughter with a killer. My other favorite character was the private detective Nicholas Greco. He wanted to know what the truth was even if that meant Peter was guilty. He was hired by Susan’s mom to find out the truth.

This book had me from the beginning and the flashbacks gave you a glimpse into the past that really helped carry the book. Having someone neutral asking the tough questions was smart on the author’s part because he could get answers that even Kay could not get. It was a wonderfully written suspense story and I hope to go back and read other books of hers.
318 pages/Mystery/ 4 out of 5

Tomorrow I will start Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. Night all!

A Taste of the Forbidden by Tambra Kendall

It had been four long years but Izanna Tremayne wanted to finally enjoy Jason Devon, all of him. Though someone is out to destroy them both. Razi, the Overlord, had wanted to crush Izanna for the longest time. Her thought was since she had made Jason a vampire, she was not allowed to touch him in any way. But both of them are so enthralled with each other, they can’t just let the desire they share alone. But will they find it to be worth it even though it could cost them their lives forever?

Ms. Kendall keeps you focused on Izanna and Jason. Her descriptions leave you reaching for cold water. She can write vivid pictures that keep you reading and wanting more. She is an author that knows the power of words and does not mess around with them. Ms. Kendall also lets you get to know the characters and experience their feelings.

Izanna just wants one man only and that is Jason Devon. She considers him her soul mate and everyone else can just deal with it! The air around the two of them is heavy and they do not deny their feelings. Jason can’t believe how forthright Izanna is even though she is reigning Queen of Darkness. He just knows there is more to their feelings and hopes to express all of them to her.

I love reading about vampires and I was immediately drawn to this one. Everyone has a little bit of a different take and Ms. Kendall’s is sure to please. You are drawn into the world from the very first sentence. It is one story that I found compelling and erotic. I hope to read more by this author and can’t wait to see what other worlds she decides to take on and tell her own version.

10 pages/New Author/Erotic Romance/4 out of 5

My June Reads and Stats

My Stats:
Total Books Read: 31
New Authors: 26
Fiction: 27
Non-fiction:
Banned:3
Chunksters:
TBR:1
Books reviewed: 17
From the Stacks:2
Books I bought:7
Books Sent to Me:
Books I won: 1
Total Pages Read: 6736

Books I read:
115.Artifactual by Alyssia Brio and Will Belegon 5-31-07 through 06-01-07A
116. Artistically Inclined by Alessia Brio and Will Belegon 06-01-07 A
117. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie 06-01-07 through 06-02-07 A+
118. The Last Summer by Ann Brashares 06-03-07 A
119. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseni 06-04-07 A+
120. When Evil Loves by Sylvia Rochester 06-04-07 through 06-05-07 A
121. One Bashful Lady by Brenda Williamson 06-05-07 A
122. Sisters by Danielle Steele 06-06-07 A
123. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 06-06-07 through 06-07-07 A
124. Haunted by Ann Jacobs 06-07-07 through 06-09-07 A
125. The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney (Banned) 06-09-07 through 06-10-07 A
126. The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Green (banned) 06-10-07 through 6-11-07 A
127. Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss 06-11-07 through 06-12-07 A
128. On Bliss by K.S. Augustin 06-12-07 through 6-13-07 A
129. A Love that Never Dies by Penny D. Owens 6-13-07 B
130. The Screaming Room by Thomas O'Callaghan 6-14-07 through 6-16-07 A
131. Sink or Swim by Alexis Fleming 06-16-07 through 06-17-07 A
132. The Odyssey and Other Stories by Jennifer Mueller 6-17-07 A
133. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd 06-17-07 through 6-19-07 A
134. Murmurs of the Past by S. R. Frazee 06-19-07 A
135. Devil’s Due by Rhobin Courtright 06-19-07 through 6-22-07 B
136. The Sheikh’s Ransomed Bride by Annie West 06-22-07 through 6-23-07 A
137. For The Sheikh’s Pleasure by Annie West 06-23-07 through 06-24-07 A
138. His Very Own Wife and Child by Caroline Anderson 6-24-07 through 6-25-07 A
139. Oasis of my heart by Tara S. Nichols 6-26-07 through 6-27-07 A
140.Where One Road Leads by Ceri Hebert 6-27-07 A
141. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier 6-27-07 through 6-28-07 C
142. Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy 06-28-07 through 06/29/07 A+
143. The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinski 6/29/07 through 6/30/07 A+
144. Taste of the Forbidden by Tambra Kendall 6-30-07 A

There you go! :) It was a good month!

The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinskit

June Parker decides to complete a to-do list left by a woman Marissa. So one by one, with the help of her friends she checks them off. She even makes the decision to finish them by Marissa’s 25th birthday. June does not seem to realize how fast time passes and so she starts wondering what to do. Will she complete the list in time or just give up?

Ms. Smolinski is a fabulous writer. She had me laughing or crying through the entire book. The dreams this one woman had for her life were simple but resonated within me. Now mind you, I am a mom of a young child, but I could even understand why they were chosen. I had to keep turning the pages to find out if she completed all of them in time or not.

June is a sensible girl and had no ideas of trying to get herself ahead in her world. But she realizes that she can do something for someone else and so sets out on her journey. Not all of them go well but that is to be expected. She really has her heart in the right place and I was pleased with her committing to such a daunting task. Her friends at work were awesome. They cheered her on and really did their best to help her figure out how to complete the tasks.

I don’t want to give much away. I was impressed with the book with the fact that I know people who have not been able to finish it. That can happen with any book and I have had my share. But when it came down to the end, June truly had to rely on herself to complete the tasks. Yes, friends helped and that was a wonderful thing. But at the same time, she had to make quite a few tough decisions for her life and then figure out if she could stick with them. I hope to read the other book by this author cause I hope it is just as good if not even better than this one. She has a newfound fan in me!
288 pages/New Author/Chick-lit/ 5 out of 5

Well I am off to read Taste of the Forbidden by Tambra Kendall. I do not know if I will be able to post my review tonight but we'll see. :) Have a great night all!

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

The new computer game coming from Monkeewrench has a lot of people dying. Grace McBride and her eccentric partners are trying to keep their past a secret. The new game Serial Killer Detective is being acted out in real life. So the cops are breathing down their necks to find out what is happening. But if they keep stuff to their selves 18 more people could die.

P.J. Tracy are a fabulous writing team! I could not believe all the twists and turns that kept me turning pages. It was never a slow pace book. It kept going and going and going. Yet it was easy to follow along cause once they started adding up all the clues they had to figure out who the killer was. Everything was explained really well and things that were not essential to the case was not touched. That was nice.

Grace McBride was always thinking her past problems were her fault. And the current killings based off her new computer game were once again her fault. Her friends Harley, Roadrunner, Mitch, and Annie all tired to get her to where she would know it was not her fault. They wanted to go on the run once the killings started, but Grace knew there was no point to running. At least, she had her head on her shoulders about most things. I was impressed with her even though she was a little paranoid. I could understand why she was now because of the things that had happened long ago. I really liked Harley and Roadrunner because they both had their eccentricities but were fun loving guys that anyone would want on their side. Officer Magozzi was a sweetie. He wanted to solve the crimes and did his best with the powers that be breathing down on him. He also seemed to have a soft spot for Grace.

This book was awesome! It was fun to read a book set not to far from where I live now. It really helped me get in the mindset of what was going on. Now mind you anyone could read and enjoy this book. I am sure other people feel the same way about books set in the town where they live. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more in this series.
404 pages/New Author/Author of the Month/ 5 out of 5

Off to reading The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. :)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Jerry Renault is having a tough time adjusting to the new school. His mom died from cancer and is trying to find his place now. He wonders if he should finally stand up for himself. When the chocolate fundraiser starts, he decides he does not want to sell anything. First the Vigils, the school’s secret society, decide to turn against him. Who will survive this one?

This is the second Cormier book that I have read. I can see why this could be a challenged book not only for how the secret society deals with stuff as well as the torture brought upon the students and teachers. His writing style is one I enjoyed. It has been awhile since I have read one of his books but I was a little disappointed.

Jerry was not a kid who just took things sitting down. He fought back for himself. Also with losing his mom, he had a tough time getting to know the kids. Making his dad proud was one of the top things he wanted to do. The secret society was not so secret. Everyone knew about it but did nothing to stop it. That bothered me to no end. Now mind you some of the assignments made for the boys to carry out were not harmful. But at the same time, some of them were down right mean. I could not believe some of the ideas that the boys came up with but then I am not a boy nor do I think like one.

It was an interesting read. Though I was not impressed with the book, I do intend to read more by this author. It opened my eyes to a lot of things that are dealt with in school systems. The book may have been written over 30 years ago, the ideas and themes are still relevant. I am hoping I will like the next book more but that is not a definite.
253 pages/Banned Book/Young Adult Fiction/ 3/5

Taking on more responsibilites at Coffee Time has cug my time of reading through my library and my stack of books. But I'll be okay. Just learn to take time for it all. :) lol I just started Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy.

Mermaid Chair Movie

I watched the movie earlier this afternoon and really liked it. They changed a lot of things but other than that they kept the general theme going. It was cool to see Sue Monk Kidd as a extra in the movie. She is in the second hospital scene and I will leave it at that if you have not read the book. :) I highly recommend seeing this one. Now Lifetime plays it once in awhile but you could also check their dvd secon on their website to see if it is in DVD yet or not. :)

The Screaming Room by Thomas O'Callaghan

Alright this did not want to post the first time around so I am hoping it will go better this time.

John Driscoll is finally moving on with his life until tourists start getting killed all over New York City. Then he is stuck trying to figure out who is doing the killing before the whole city becomes completely panicked. With the city breathing down his neck, he pulls in a team he think will help even though he is unsure of a few of the members. The papers are leaking information and John has to go up against a very powerful man and try to keep the guy quiet. It is not an easy job when someone is one step ahead of you all the time. But somehow John seems to be able to stay focused. He is the man for the job.

Mr. O'Callaghan's second book is surely a hit. It is not nearly as gruesome and I really liked it. It was still just as creepy which made me keep turning the pages. I had to be careful of when I read it or I would get rather jumpy. The details of the crimes were so precise and the information shocked me with how people come up with the ideas due to the things that have happened in the past. Mr. O'Callaghan really gave a new spin on the sins of the father revisits the son complex.

John truly is growing a little bit. He is seeing things they way they are and trying to be as helpful as possible. He struggles with the crimes that happen and is completely baffled because he does not quite understand how they are happening under their watchful eyes. With the help of Cedric Thomlinson, things get to be a bit clearer. Cedric is usual happy go luck self. He knows what he knows and works very hard to prove his theories. He makes me laugh! I was also happy to see Magaret back and to see how she was changing and seeking things out. She is one tough cookie but this case was even driving her nuts. And in my opinion it was rightfully justified, this brother sister team were doing things that I am glad were never truly described in detail but you got the just of what was going on. To be able to write characters like that was pretty darn good. I was impressed even though I hope there is no one close to being like those two out there. I would fear for my life.

This book continued the story from The Bone Thief very well as focused on the case at hand wonderfully. It was a great combination and I can't wait to see what is coming out next year from this author since it appears he is going to continue with the same main character. I give this book a 4/5 because it held my attention and I had to find out what was going to happen. If you can't handle the littlest of details then you probably want to read it just during the day. It is well-written and I can see why it is well recieved by authors. But please make sure to read The Bone Thief first. I know it is not required but it makes a lot more sense if you do.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Jessie Sullivan is trying to figure out where her life is going. Her marriage to her husband Hugh and taking care of their daughter Dee has been her main focus. But now with Dee off to college, she is wondering what she will do now. Getting a phone call from her mom's best friend Kay, Jessie goes back to Egret Island to take care of her mom. But when she gets there, she is finding out that the death of her father Joe was not as simple as she thought. Along the way she meets a monk by the name of Brother Thomas and finds she has feelings for him. She is getting confused and needs to know what she truly wants for her life. Jessie has some very tough questions ahead of her and wonders if the answer she needs will be found sitting in the Mermaid chair.

Ms. Kidd knows how to express emotions in a way that grips you from the beginning. She never says what is right or wrong but shows you the process that the characters have to go through. I really liked that! Now mind you, her characters express their beliefs but I really felt like she left it up to me to decide what to think. Her descriptions put you right there beside the characters.I was truly impressed with how she worded everything.

Jessie was truly struggling with everything. Going back to the island almost seemed to make it worse. There were a few timesthat I wanted to hit the woman up side the head for not talking to her hubby. But I know so much was going on inside her that she could not think clearly if she tried. I really liked her mom's friends Kat and Hepzibah. Kat ran a gift shop and Hepzibah did Gullah tours. They were both so different from Nelle but the three of them really were great friends! Kate and Hepzibah wanted to see Nelle get out again and try to recover her lost spirit.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to watching the movie that was done on Lifetime since I recorded it. I give this booka 4/5 because it kept me turning pages. I thought it was a very insightful book and I look forward to reading The Secret Life of Bees.

338 pages/TBR Challenge/New Author

Well I have another two books to read and review so off to reading I go. :)

Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss

If you are working on reading this book I don't recommend reading it. I also hope I am not giving too much away. :)


Katie Hollis wanted to get the closure she never got with her ex-boyfriend Jake Sharpe. Problem is that he is a famous rock star and she can’t get near him. Until she gets a phone call from her best friend Laura to say he is back in their hometown. So Katie hops on a plane to see him one last time. She has no idea what kind of a circus she will find when she gets there.

Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Krauss show us that nothing ever turns out like we hope but it is still worth it in the end. Friends are what truly matter because family can’t always be relied upon. These two women authors give us every girl’s dream by showing an ex-boyfriend what he is missing out on.

Katie had this dream life of being with Jake. She was finally seeing the reality of it. She is a sweet person but was always curious about how life would have been with Jake. Jake sold out on his friends, which really made me want to throttle Katie because she never saw it at first. Jake was a sweet guy but got caught up in the fame and popularity not realizing what it would cost him. Laura put up with a lot from Katie but was still a true friend. She really wanted Katie to be happy so that is why she called and told her about Jake being back.

I liked this story. I also appreciated the flashbacks because I got better feel for what was happening in present day life. Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Krauss are quite the team. I was impressed with how the story flowed. The ending was good because Katie did get a glimpse of real life. It was not easy for her to see but she had to make a decision about what her life was going to be. She was not selfish wanting a real life yet she felt horrible for having to do what she did. I hope to read more by these two because it sounds like they have some great books that they have written and I would love to see more of what they can do.

I give this book a 4/5 because it was well written. The characters drove me nuts but I never threw the book across the room. Jake was not selfish but used to the fame while Katie didn’t know what to do with it. She just wanted quality time and never seemed to get much of that. She wanted to know the feelings ran deep more than just a roll in the hay from the past. I can emphasize with her because I had to deal with some of the same feelings at one time or another. I never had the roll in the hay but wanted to be liked for who I was and my deep feelings about things. Not just to have someone roll his eyes at me and tell me I have completely lost my mind.

278 pages/New Authors/ Chick Lit

Now off to send the review to Simon and Schuster as well as off to bed. Been a long day. :)

The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene

Patricia Bergen has an interesting summer when she turns twelve. The town of Jenkensville, Arkansas becomes the home of a camp for captured German soldiers. And on one of their trips into the store that Patricia’s family owns she meets one of them named Fredrick Anton Reiker. He is the translator for the bunch so that they can buy hats. Little does Patricia know that the time she spends with him that day will not be the last. After he escaped from camp, she hides him in her background and brings him food. He is the only friend she has and that friendship will cost her everything.

The story that Bette Green writes is full of emotions. I could tell it was a dated story but at the same time she wrote the characters very well. The storyline was great and easy to follow. She had a difficult topic to talk about but I found it very interesting. One of my favorite things was that she would write how a person would talk for the colored folks as they were referred to in the book.

Patricia really did not have an easy life. Between the fact that her parents didn’t care for her since they thought she was ugly to being a Jew who wanted to help a German soldier in hiding from the authorities. She always seemed to find herself in some kind of trouble. Her housekeeper Ruth was a sweetie. She really looked out for Patricia while her parents seemed to have more important things in mind. Her sister Sharon was the favored one since she looked so much like her mother and I found that to be rather harsh. Anton was a sweet heart and so civilized. I was completely impressed with him.

This was a great book but again I could see why it would be challenged since it had a lot of foul language as well as repeat use of a slanderous word towards African Americans. I was appalled at how much it was used but that is what it was like during that time. I give this book a 4/5. I was upset with the ending even though I knew it was not going to be happy. I think things should have been different but then again I was not born during that time. I could have had a completely different reaction. But all in all, I was impressed and look forward to reading the sequel, Morning Is A Long Time Coming.

199 pages/Banned/Young Adult/ New Author

Well I was hoping to finish up Dedication today but was not possible. I will most likely finish tomorrow evening and will post my review then and then after that I have 2 romance stories to read and review. :)

The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney

Laura Williams worked on living the most normal life that she could in London. Going to school at London International Academy is not an easy thing to do for her or her brother Billy. They have to keep their opinions to themselves and try to figure out where they fit in the whole world. Billy takes the tube while Laura takes the bus to school. They have had bomb drills all the time but Laura can’t believe what happens when she gets off the bus to meet Billy and he never shows. All she hears is something about a bomb and her world changes in one instant!

Ms. Cooney is a fabulous writer who writes about many things. She takes this topic on with the tenacity that I am familiar with. She never says who is right or wrong but describes the workings of a terrorist. She also lets you get to see how grief can affect a family and what they need to do to move on.

Laura was a sweet girl who should have not had to experience grief so early. She was just trying to be a teenager and adjust to being in a different country. Her parents even went so far as to truly trust her. Though she had never done anything to make them think otherwise. Billy is a sweet boy who just makes people love him no matter how annoying he is at that time. He is an innocent boy with dreams. Even the students of L.I.A. are trying to figure out who they are but completely sheltered because of who their parents are, who their parents support, or if they had to leave their country for some reason or another. It is surprising how well these kids do at all and just want to be kids.

I could see why this book would be challenged since it deals with terrorists. This type of thing has always been a touchy subject to cover and even more so since 9/11. I thought it was well explained and well told. I think this book could teach a lot of kids things like how sheltered we are and how we truly need to give it our all to try to know other people before making irrational judgments. I give this book a 4/5. I love this author and have read other of her books and will continue to do so.

198 pages/Challenged Book/ Young Adult Fiction

Now off to start The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Green and then after that Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicole Krauss. After that to books to review, I have 6 new ones. :)

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Dean Robilliard’s world gets hit when he sees a woman in a beaver costume. He helps her and then finds her in his house in the country. Finding out who his housekeeper is another surprise he has to deal with. Yet Dean soon finds his heart stolen by Blue Bailey. But she is used to traveling the world and never looking back. She loves to paint but was stifled by her teachers in college. Now she is unsure of her talents and Dean wants to help her out in any way that he can. Blue doubts that he could even love her. Will these two ever realize what they mean to each other?

Ms. Phillips does a great job with this book. There is so much that both characters have to come to grips with. She really shows how family dynamics can or cannot work and how that can affect relationships. She knows how to present real people in her stories. Yes, she created them but I always able to really feel a part of the story.

Dean is a real sweetie if he would just get over the fact that he can be happy with anyone he wants. He kept driving me nuts about that kind of thing. Blue was a sweetie but didn’t want to give her heart away too easily so that she could walk away when she needed to. Both had commitment issues but then looking at both sets of parents, I could completely understand. They seemed to need each other more because of the hurt that they shared. I found myself laughing at the silly things that they would do in order to get what they wanted. I also really liked the character Riley. She was only 11 years old but wise beyond her years. She could be a little stinker but when shown the right way to fuel her energies she was a great girl! She just needed a little encouragement from her dad.

This book held my attention though I should not have waited so long to write this review. A lot of my enthusiasm for the book is gone but I do recommend it highly. Some of the characters from Match Me if You Can are in this book so I recommend reading that one first even though this is not a series. I give this book a 4/5 and look forward to reading more from this author.

Now off to read one more review book and then Terrorist by Caronline Cooney. :)

Sisters by Danielle Steel

Four sisters finally get together over the Fourth of July weekend or face their mother’s wrath. Candy is a supermodel who goes all over the world. She is young and inexperienced. Though she seems to think she knows it all. Annie is an artist spending time in Florence Italy. She thinks she has finally met someone she can settle down with. Tammy produces a show in L.A. and loves her job most of the time. She has a lot of headaches and feels like she only attracts weird men or divorcees. Sabrina, the oldest, has a loving relationship with her boyfriend Chris. She is a lawyer who mainly focuses on divorces and child custodies. But they will never know how much their lives will change on this trip home. Can they handle what will happen and how will it affect their lives?

Ms. Steel did it again. I found her writing style refreshing. It was a book that had me from the beginning. I don’t know how she does it but she just makes her characters come alive and they show their insecurities somehow through out the book. I think having her daughters probably influenced the book a little.

I felt sorry for Candy. Yeah so she is 21 but I could not believe how sheltered she was. I almost wanted to throttle her myself. Sabrina was the most stubborn but she could take over when things needed to be done. She fought with commitment from day one. Tammy wanted to be loved but never seemed to find the right guy. She wanted children and was willing to go to any lengths. Annie was passionate about her art. It was a true blessing how much her parents supported her in her dream.

This book was wonderful. I give it a 4/5. As much as I really liked it, there were parts of the story that were over done and a little over the top. Now I have never been what those four women went through. I just couldn’t imagine it. I will continue to read Ms. Steel’s novels cause she has a wonderful way with words that keeps me hooked.
341 pages/Fiction

Now I am going to start Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and then I have another romance to review. :)

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni

This story is told through the eyes of two women Miriam and Lilia. Miriam is an illegitimate child and is eventually married off to Rasheed who has his own shoe shop. She endures life with him as her mom Nana did on her own with not much help. Miriam and Rasheed take in Lilia after she loses her family. Miriam and Lilia have to figure out their relationship to each other as well as how it will work with Rasheed. With the Taliban starting to take power, the women also need to decide if they feel safe to stay or if they must flee to save their lives.

Mr. Hosseni is a talented and very wonderful writer. His writing got better and it was more emotionally involved. He showed all aspects of his characters extremely well. The depth that he took his writing truly amazed me.

Miriam was my favorite because she endured the most of both. She really had to bounce back from situations multiple times. Yet she never seemed to stay bitter. Lilia was a woman who got thrown into a marriage for no other reason than her reputation. She thought no one was left around to save her or take care of her.

This book took me on a wonderful experience. It taught me more about that culture and what was expected of both men and women. I give it a 5/5. It is difficult to write this review because I am grasping for words to tell you how great it is. I don’t want to give anything away! Please check this book out and if you have not already read Kite Runner they are not linked in any way. Mr. Hosseni is an amazing author and I look forward to his next book.

372 pages/ fiction

I finished this one before I posted The Last Summer. It took me the longest time to write the review for the current book mentioned. Now off to read a romance novel. :)

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Riley and Alice, who have grown up, come back to the island and who shows up but Paul. Paul was best friend with Riley but always seemed to pick more on Alice. Alice realizes what he was really doing and throws out a challenge to Paul. But yet with that comes another realization that their world is not the same anymore. The girls have to deal with feelings that they have for each other, their parents, and Paul. Paul must come to terms with his feelings towards the aforementioned. But will it turn out like a fairy tale or is there more than meets the eye?

Ann Brashares of Sisterhood of Traveling Pants fame decided to write her first adult book. The characters were gripping; emotion filled and had conflict all around them. I enjoyed her expression of all characters and how she could really distinguish between each one. Yet she took her writing to another level by being able to describe things in more depth and have more soul searching in this book. She was really able to step up and write a good book.

Riley and Alice truly had to deal with how things had changed in their world. Alice wanted things to stay the same in some ways yet she also wanted to experience new things. She knew Riley had a difficult time handling change. Riley loved to swim and was best as a lifeguard. She knows something is going on and has secrets of her own.
Paul is just battling with his feelings, his friendships, and even memories of his father who died when he was just a child. It is not so much realizing that the world isn’t what they thought but more of embracing reality. There are sacrifices that are made because of guilt yet it is all part of figuring out what life holds for each one of them.

Ms. Brashares has a talent in writing and really gets emotional with her characters, the situations, and the events happening all around the story. I enjoyed that emotion and it is what kept me turning the pages. I give this book a 5/5 because it kept me finding out whom the romance was going to be with, what the secrets were, and how it was all going to turn out in the end. I found it to be very well written and it expanded on the great stories she had already written.


306 pages/ Fiction

This was a great book! I really enjoyed it! I will post my review of A Thousand Suns later today and then I have 2 romance novels to review. After that, not sure what I am going to read yet.

My May Reads!

Deep Storm by Lincoln Child 4-30-07 through 05-03-07 A
Torc’s Salvation by Melany Logen 5-03-07 A
Blackberry Pie by Bonnie Dee 5-04-07 A
Savage Shores by Emma Wildes 5-04-07 A
Cupid on a mission by Laura Hamby 5-05-07 A
How to lose an ET in 10 Days by Susan Grant 5-05-07 through 5-06-07 A
Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky 5-06-07 through 5-07-07 A
The Innocent Man by John Grisham 5-07-07 through 5-09-07 B
The Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce 5-09-07 through 5-10-07 A
10. The American Heiress by Diana Bold 5-10-07 through 5-11-07 A
100. Cake, a fairy tale by Dina Keratsis 5-11-07 A
101.Simple Genius by David Baldacci 5-12-07 through 5-14-07 A
102. By the Book by JoAnn Carter 5-14-07 A
103. Don’t Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub 5-14-07 through 5-15-07 A+
104. Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retelling by Lee Borwood 5-15-07 through 5-16-07 B
105. Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian 5-16-07 through 5-18-07 B
106. Step on a crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge 5-18-07 A+
107. Paradise Road by Connie Kennan 5-18-07 through 5-19-07 A
108. Alien Seduction by Jenna Leigh et all 5-19-07 through 5-23-07 A
109. Considering Doris Day by Tom Santopietro 5-23-07 through 5-26-07 A
110. The Girl Hunter by Sandee McCain 5-26-07 through 5-27-07 A
111. All Work and No Play by Julie Cohen 5-27-06 A
112. Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy 5-27-07 through 5-30-07 A+
113. Deadly Apprasil by Jane K. Cleland 5-30-05 through 5-31-07 A+
114. Thief of a Goddess Heart by Colleen Love 5-31-07 A


My stats:
May-
Total Books Read: 28
New Authors: 19
Fiction: 26
Non-Fiction: 2
Chunksters: 2
TBR:
Books I bought: 1
Books Sent to me: 6
Total Pages read: 5584

And for fun! I have quite a few reviews up on my page for Coffee Time Romance. :) Here is my link:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Reviewers/Krista.html

I love that group! We are like a family and I get to meet so many cool authors. :)

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

Abby is trying to find her way in the world. She loves the house she owns even though it is not in tiptop shape. She is a psychic who embraces her gift and helps other people. Though more often than not she blurts things out and has no idea where she got them. She gets herself in trouble when describing some ideas she has about a kidnapping case to her date. Her date turns out to be Detective Riches and he does not know what to think of what she does for a living. He is convinced she is making things up or is involved in the kidnapping. Abby does not know why she signed up to help on the case but doubts whether she can help solve it. Though someone else has other ideas.


Victoria Laurie is an amazing author. She also writes from her personal experience since she does readings herself. Since she has probably experienced some of the things that Abby went through first hand, it made the character more realistic and believable. Ms. Laurie really knows her stuff obviously and I was impressed with how she was able to turn that into a character that even I could relate to even though I am not a psychic.

Abby Cooper is a real woman though the only thing that makes her different is the gift she has for seeing the future. She is a woman who doubts herself but when things get her really down she looks to herself for the answers she needs. Someone needs to have confidence in her and that person is Detective Riches. Dutch is a man with a hurt past and needs time to turn things around. I also liked Dutch’s partner Milo. He is hilarious. He is always saying things to Abby behind Dutch’s back and just a regular jester. But when he is needed is someone you can count on for anything.

I give this book a 5/5. I can’t wait to read more in this series. This subject has intrigued me for the longest time. And since Ms. Laurie really writes from experience makes it that more intriguing to me. The characters were real, the conflicts were real, and I recommend this book to anyone who not only likes psychics but a good mystery. The twists got me for a loop. It seemed to get Abby as well before she figured everything out. I hope to read more in this series soon!

434 pages/ Large Print/ New Author

My library, the one that is near by, only had it in large print so I am not counting this as a chunkster. Well off to bed! I am wiped out.

Deadly Appraisal by Jane K. Cleland

Josie Prescott is settling into her new life. She loves her business and has great employees. When she offers to do sponsor a Gala event for the Portsmouth Ladies Guild, she has nothing but great hopes for it. That all falls apart when one of the main members, Maisey dies suddenly on the stage before they can announce the winners of the different items auctioned. Josie is looked at as the prime suspect in the murder so she once again has to battle to clear her name. With her only support being her lawyer, she desperately does her best to hang in there. She has little successes throughout with her business but she wonders if she is just trying to do too much on her own.

I enjoyed the second book in the series by Ms. Cleland. She has a wonderful way of portraying the characters that emotions are felt when you are reading it. I was swept up in this book and didn’t want it to end. Boy I hope there is more!

I loved seeing past characters finding their way into the story like Sasha, Gretchen, Eric, and Fred. They are wonderful employees to have and I loved seeing the relationship between them and Josie deepens further. I got really irritated with Detective Rowcliff. I know he was just doing his job. Max put it wonderfully when he said the Detective had a problem of “persistent jerkitis” on page 245. I could not have described it better. Max really came to the top for Josie. He had done so in the last book but I really felt you got a better sense of whom he is. Josie is a sweet person but gets overwhelmed easily but when uncertainty is all around it makes complete sense.
I give this book a 5/5 because it carried the storylines from the previous book very well. I felt like I was coming home and I hope there are more to come. It was wonderfully written and expressed. I loved seeing how things changed and how Josie did get some more confidence. Great series and one I highly recommend but do please read Consigned to Death first.

Now I have a romance story to read and then Pyschic Eye by Abby Cooper. :)

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

In the small town of Rossmore, Ireland, they are talking about putting in a new road to help direct lorries and trucks. But not everyone is okay with this because the new road not only will end up going through Whitethorn Woods but also right through were the statue of St. Ann and her well are placed. People don’t want the new change because of the St. Ann statue and all the miracles that it brought to the town.

Maeve Binchy does it again! I was very impressed. I normally do not care for short stories but I loved this one. I loved how each story connected to the other. The characters were wonderful because not only were they not perfect but the town had misconceived notions about certain people that were not true. Ms. Binchy weaves such a wonderful story that I had a difficult time putting this book down.

Father Brian Flynn was my favorite. He really was of two minds of what to do about the new road. He didn’t want it to be there but at the same time didn’t see the power in St. Ann. Plus the fact that Rome had never acknowledged what the well and the statue could do. My other favorite character was Neddy Nolan. He was thought to be soft in the head or something like that. The truth was he just let people believe that about him and took his own time at things. He was rather smart. The town made me laugh and cry.

I had not read a book I liked by her in awhile. I was nervous to pick this book up but I had to give it a try. I loved it! The characters were great and everything tied in with every story. You really got a full picture of the town. I give it a 5/5. I hope to go back and read other stories by her.
339 pages/Fiction

Off now to read Deadly Apparaisal by Jane K. Cleland then a romance novel and not sure what after that. I am pretty sick so plan to rest a lot! :)

Considering Doris Day by Tom Santopietro

Being a big fan of Doris Day, I have always wanted to know more about her. I was impressed with the very professional way that this author took on her life. I found sometimes that he over commented on some of her early movies. But then some of them I liked! I also liked getting more insight into how some movies were done and to learn that she even did a movie with Alfred Hitchcock titled The Man Who Knew Too Much.

I may be a young person by most people’s standards but I was raised to appreciate Doris Day. My mom almost met Doris when they both were in Paris the summer my mom turned 16. My all time favorite movie is Pajama Game and loved the comments that were written about that movie.

There were times that I felt awful for Doris because of choices that were made and contracts that were signed by her manager husband Marty. It was almost too little too late in some aspects but she seemed to take it all in stride. The one thing I never knew about Doris was that she is an animal lover and started her own animal foundation. That really impressed me! I loved seeing how humble she was about her acting career and it was almost to the point of her forgetting it. But I know with all the fan mail she gets that forgetting it is impossible. I am sure she has lovely stories she could tell but after reading this book I know that won’t happen. I also know that there were other books written about her life and I would love to read them. See what someone else has to say. But then there is a point where you can only read so many books about a person.

I give this book a 4/5 because it was truly fascinating. I loved it and enjoyed hearing more about her life in the movies. It was a great book and one I recommend.
383 pages/new author/non-fiction

Well off to read and review two romance novels. I would be more on top of things but feeling a little under the weather.

Step On A Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Michael Bennett is called in to go to the First Lady’s funeral because there has been a hijacking during it. So he must leave his 10 adopted children to help solve the crime and keep people from being killed. He struggles between helping save lives and keeping an eye on his children as his wife is dying from cancer. He gets help from his grandfather Seamus and is giving breaks but it never seems to be enough. Can he pull through it or will it end up being one big mess?

I have always liked James Patterson and most of his novels that I have read. Being that this is the first in a new series really led me to read it. The characterization is phenomenal and you get a really good picture of both sides whether it is the cops or the criminals. I have no idea who wrote what parts but it blended well together and was impressed by the extent of knowledge that had to be known in order to write this story.

Michael Bennett is a troubled soul but he is going through so much at one time. He feels the stress from his job as well as dealing with the death of the love of his life. I could not think of a more understanding woman than his wife. Though it appears that she has always been like that with him. The kids are so wonderful and I loved getting the little glimpses of each one and can’t wait to see how they end up dealing with everything. Seamus was a wonderful old man and he was my favorite character. He was a priest only because his wife died and he could never see himself getting remarried.

I give this book a 5/5 because it kept me turning pages till the very end. I couldn’t believe that I read it in one day but it was that compelling to me. It seemed like it was the first in the series so I hope there is more. I would love to know what happens next and how things are dealt with. I can’t wait to read more by this author and I hope they just keep getting better.

383 pages/Mystery

I didn't mean to finish two books in one day. It just happened. lol Now off to read two romances. :)

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

Laurel Eastbrook is attacked while a sophomore in college and her life is forever changed. She delves deep into photography and doing her best to help others. But when one of the clients of the center she works for dies, she learns that he was telling the truth that he was a famous photographer. So she works on finding out what led him to come to Vermont. She is afraid someone will take the pictures and keeps them with her all the time.

The story presented by Mr. Bohjalian is off the wall and sometimes odd. I found the descriptions done well and I really felt like I was feeling what Laurel was. He got into depth on a lot of things. The words were well put together. I thought the story was well done until the end shocked me.

Laurel was trying to get to back to her life. She was trying to reclaim it and thought she could if she only she could figure out what the pictures she had represented. She went all over the place and even went to see her assailant in jail. Her roommate, her boyfriend and her boss all tried to help her to comprehend what was really going on.

I give this a 3/5 because the psychiatrist’s notes along the way had me questioning from the beginning of what was going on. The twist at the end truly surprised me. I am not sure I could recommend this book cause it was weird! It was well written but my opinion your mind will change by the end of the book. I think this will be the only book I read by this author and that is not normal for me.

Off to read Step on a Crack by James Patterson than 2 romances.

Don't Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub

10 years ago, Rachel Lorent died on her birthday with her four closet friends nearby. She had jumped off a cliff and the four girls decided to make a vow to keep it all a secret. Now strange things seem to be happening that start with a birthday card from Rachel. It seems to the now women that someone else knows what happened that night but no one knows who that could be. They all hope and pray that it ends soon without too much more trouble. But they have no idea that before it is over that they all might be dead.

Ms. Staub does it again! I love this author and how creepy she can make the books. The book is so good that I had the most difficult time putting it down. She captures you with her lovely style of writing. I really felt like I was there with the characters. I even started to get a little jumpy myself.

The women came across as very real. Some focused on family while others focused on their careers. I have to say my favorite was Brynn Costello. She had two boys and her hubby was one of her former professors. She was focused on her family and really wanted a third child. She was the one who was the most freaked out by things. All four women really wanted to make sure that they had kept their secret safe since everyone else thought Rachel was dead. They start to question that fact and wonder if she might have made it. That was creepy in itself.

I give it a 5/5 because I just love how this author weaves a story. It kept me spell bound and captivated the entire run. I never lost interest and as I said before found it difficult to put it down. I liked how it was connected to Most Likely To Die but you could read it without the other book. It was well written and I can’t wait to read more by her.

Off to go read a review title and then after that Double Bind by Chris Bojhalian.

Simple Genius by David Baldacci

Sean King has to figure out how to make some money fast. His partner Michelle Maxwell is in the hospital after getting in a serious bar fight. She ends up going to a psychiatric hospital to not have to face criminal charges. Meanwhile, Sean gets a great opportunity of looking into a case near Williamsburg, Virginia. He has to figure out whether the genius was murdered or committed suicide and doesn’t seem to be getting much help from the people living in Baggage Town. So he really wishes Michelle were around but knows that is not possible or so he thinks.

David Baldacci does it again! I enjoyed this story even though I know little about the theme covered. I am not a genius and math was my least favorite subject. Everything was explained really well and I followed along wonderfully. I was impressed with how well he keeps you on the edge of your seat but carries the story along as well.

Sean is a hard workingman and stubborn to a fault. Michelle can be reckless at times and not think things through. I also liked the psychiatrist Horatio Barnes. He was quite the guy and very eccentric. It made the story even more enjoyable. Horatio was a very caring guy but would stick to his methods cause he knew that they would work. The other minor characters like Viggie, the autistic daughter and Ian Whitfield were interesting to read about.

The process by which they got things done was new to me. I enjoyed reading along. I give this book a 4/5 because it really kept me going and it was a wonderful read. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

I am off to read another short story romance novel and then after that will be Don't Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub.

The Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce

Lili Marino is starting to settle into the peacefulness of Walden Corners. She is teaching Connie Lovett how to work with gourds. But it all seems to come to a halt when a rifle drops from her bathroom ceiling. Lili becomes a suspect in the murder of Marjorie Mellon, the most out spoken person for the casino to come to town. Now Lili not only has to clear her name but take care of her brother Neill while he recuperates.

Ms. Bruce does it again in the second book in her cozy mystery series. The story line keeps you going and her characters come across as very real. She puts real emotions and real challenges to overcome and I really enjoyed all of them.

Lili is a wonderful person but she also has to figure out whom she really cares about. She wants a new relationship but has a few options. I also liked Elizabeth and Nora. These gals have been friends for a long time and it really shows. Neill was a great brother and a total sweetheart. He really was a big help to her and what a charmer.

I liked this book a lot but was difficult to write a review because I don’t want to give anything away. I give it 4/5. I hope the next one comes out soon. I hope there are more because I am dying to find out what happens next in Lili’s life.

Off to read 2 romances. :)

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

The deaths of women are always difficult to deal with. Not more than most but when life is taken in its prime in a small town, life changes for the whole town. And most of all life changed for two men, Ron Williamson and Denis Fritz. They were convicted of a crime that neither committed. The thing that was most mind-boggling was how they couldn’t prove either way of their guilt or not. Too many snitches got involved and it was 15 years later that they both were exonerated. The process taken was long and drawn out but surprising to read.

This is the first book I have ever read by John Grisham. I enjoyed it a lot. It took me awhile cause there was so much information to pass along so that you could understand the undertaking not only of the men to try and prove themselves innocent but the process that they had to follow. Mr. Grisham had a lot of resources after the fact that he could look at to be able to write his book from letters to transcripts to even personal testimony from a lot of people involved. I was pleased how he didn’t bash the wrong doers for what they did yet he made sure to point out where they went wrong in their quest for the truth. I have seen with living in a small town how crime rarely happens of this magnitude but when it does there is serious pressure to get it solved.

I was thoroughly appalled by what happened to the men in this book who were not guilty and not just Ron and Dennis. Other men were mentioned of other cases at the time as side notes and it surprised me that people could get away with so much. I give this book a 4/5 because it seemed a bit slow. But there was so much information that he had to present and I am sure he left quite a bit out to make sure the book was still interesting. It could also be that I have not read Non-Fiction in quite some time. I recommend this to people who think the justice system has no faults. Nothing is perfect and I have come to realize that but when justice is truly served than one can only hope things will get better.

360 pages/ non-fiction

Now off to read Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce and then two romance novels. LOL Oh joy! :)

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

Dana Clarke was looking forward to the arrival of her baby with her hubby Hugh. But when the baby is born, they are surprised by the baby’s complexion since it is darker than both Dana and Hugh. So Dana is determined to stifle the gossip that she had an affair by looking for the father she never knew. She is only hoping that she can do so in time before her husband might do something irrational.

Barbara Delinsky is a good author. I have read some of her other works and this one was certainly emotional. She really tackled the issues presented in the book very well. I found it to be all resolved or the majority of it anyways. The writing just flowed and I kept turning pages to find out what truly had happened.

Dana was a stubborn woman and held her ground. I truly appreciated her response to everything going on around her. I have not been in her particular situation but as a mom I could begin to imagine what it would be like to be accused of something that didn’t even happen. She took to her daughter Lizzie immediately and that was wonderful to see. Hugh had grown up in such a prominent family that he had to look at all sides even though it looked to Dana like he didn’t believe anything she was telling him. He frustrated me at times but then seeing that it all stemmed from his brother and father most of all helped me realize he was just trying to find answers for them. I didn’t think it was necessary to do so but then I guess I was never that privileged and never had to have unfounded worries.

This book was a wonderful read and I loved the knitting aspect to it as well. I look forward to reading more by this author. I give it a 4/5 because the story really told it self and the ending was a surprise for me. I love surprise endings! I recommend this book to anyone who wants a story with controversial subject matter.
360 pages/ Fiction

Now off to write another review and then to reading The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Then Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce and then to two more romance novels. LOL

Deep Storm by Lincoln Child

Dr. Peter Crane gets called to an oilrig in the ocean to help figure out the illness that is spreading among the workers. When he gets there, he finds out there is an advanced research facility called “Deep Storm” built two miles underneath the ocean. They have found something that they think is the lost city of Atlantis. But it turns out to be so much more and Dr. Crane tries to slow them down but no one wants to listen to him. Will anything good come of this?

This is my first by Lincoln Child and was impressively pleased with it. It was suspenseful, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I found it to be very easy to follow. A lot of the technical things that were going on were explained very well. That made the book more enjoyable to read when I could understand what was going on and what they were trying to do.

The characters were great! Dr. Crane was really trying to help even though he seemed to be stopped at every turn. He really did all he could in his power to help the people. My other favorite character was Hui Ping. She was a scientist and ended up taking over the encryption of the codes that were sent to them from the ocean deep. Stubborn as the day is long but struggled to work through a few situations. I don’t blame her, since no one is perfect.

I enjoyed this book and will look for other titles by this author. I give this a 4/5 because it was intense and well written. But it took me a long time to get through it because there was so much information to process.
370 pages, Thriller

Next three romance novels. lol

Books for the Month of April/Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Here is my totals for the month of April:
Total books read:22
New Authors:17
Fiction: 21
Non-Fiction:1
Chunksters: 1
TBR:
Fresh new books I bought:6
Fresh new books sent to me:2
Total pages read: 5006

List of books:

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day 4-01-07 through 4-02-07 A+
The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill 4-03-07 through 4-04-07 A+
A Blessing in Disguise by Shereen Verdam 4-04-07 A
One Wild Weekend by T. Sue Versteeg 4-05-07 A
The Witches by Ronald Dahl (Banned Book) 4-05-07 A
The Hard Core Diaries by Mick Foley 4-06-07 through 4-09-07 A+
A Knight in Halycon by Diana Bold 4-09-07 A
Marion’s Train by Lisa Dawn McDonald (73) 4-09-07 A
Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson 4-10-07 through 4-11-07 A+
In My Dreams by Elyssa Kyle 4-11-07 A
In a Heartbeat by Donna Richards 4-12-07 A
Earthly Joys by Phillipa Gregory (Chunkster) 4-13-07 through 4-18-07 A
Hide by Lisa Gardner 4-18-07 through 4-19-07 A+
The Tsarina’s Daughter by Helene Spence 4-19-07 through 4-20-07 A
Affinity by Viola Grace 4-20-07 A
Skin Deep by Selah March 4-21-07 A
Compromising Situations by Carolynn Carey 4-21-07 through 4-22-07 A
The Bone Thief by Thomas O’Callaghan 4-22-07 through 4-23-07 B
Sweet Surrender by Pam Marshall 4-24-07 A
Lisa’s Gift by Makenzie McKade 4-25-07 A
Unseen by Mari Jungstedt 4-25-07 through 4-28-07 A
Blood Price by Tanya Huff 4-28-07 through 4-29-07 A+

Review for Blood Price:
Vicki Nelson is trying to start a new life after leaving the Police Force in Toronto. Her first few cases as a private investigator are boring. But when she sees a man being killed, Vicki begins to see wonder what is going on. With the help of a vampire Henry Fitzroy, she hopes to get to the bottom of the case before anymore get killed. Yet with her old partner Mike Celluci getting in the way, she is not sure how much she will be able to do.

Tanya Huff has an amazing writing style. I truly believed everything that was happening. The research she had to do for this book must have been a lot. I really appreciate that the characters don’t just go in headlong. Ms. Huff really knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. You are not sure if they are going to be able to figure things out in time or not. I loved how she weaved history into the book by making Henry the bastard son of Henry the 8th.

The characters were amazing! They were not all perfect and they had their faults. Yet when it was needed, they all worked together. I really enjoyed Vicki’s spunk. She was a woman who would not let her eyesight get her down and still worked her butt off. Henry was just hot!! It was not that he is a vampire, but that he could really be a help to Vicki and wanted to as well. Occasionally it took some persuading but he finally came along. I found Mike to be the biggest pain. He didn’t want anything to happen to Vicki but was completely blind to what was going on around them until the end of the book. Though knowing him, he still might deny anything can be out there.

I was impressed with how well this story was kept in the first episode of the series Blood Ties. This book is the first in the series and I look forward to reading the rest. I give this book a 5/5 because it kept my attention to the very end.
272 pages/Mystery

Now off to continue reading Deep Storm by Lincoln Child and then three romances. LOL

Unseen by Mari Jungstedt

The island of Gotland is about to be full of tourists for the celebration of Midsummer, the Swedish Fourth of July when a woman is found murdered along with her dog. The panties of the woman are stuffed in her mouth. This crime keeps the police force very busy. Will Johann Berg, a journalist, be able to help Inspector Anders Knutas in his case or will he be brushed aside?

Ms. Jungstedt is a new author to me and unfortunately this is the only book of hers that is translated into English that I could find. I was pulled in by it being a Swedish author because I have Swedish ancestry and was curious to see how she would write and weave her story. I found it dark and sinister but wanting turn the next page to find out what was going to happen. The translator Tiina Nunnally did a very good job in keeping the suspense building. I was thoroughly impressed.


Johann Berg came off as arrogant. But once you were able to see through that you realized that he just wanted people to be safe. He finds love in the oddest of places yet he is still astonished by it. Inspector Knutas is a man with a mission. He really wants to prove himself to other people. He already has done so to his wife and so keeps plugging on. The other minor characters were wonderfully written and they all had their place.

The twist at the end surprised me once you found out the link to all the victims. You got glimpses of it throughout the entire story but it never made sense to me till the very end. I usually do not have sympathy for the killer but this is one time where I truly did and didn’t condone his killing but could see why he would lash out. This is one book I highly recommend and I hope to find more of her work translated very soon.
243 pages/mystery

I just started Blood Price by Tanya Huff which the TV series Blood Ties is based off of. :) After that I am not sure what I will read. :)

The Bone Thief

Lt. John W. Driscoll is having a tough time with the latest case. All the victims are brutally murdered and their bones are taken out. There is no connection that anyone can see. It all seems puzzling to him and he has people pestering him to solve this case since all of New York City is living in fear wondering who will be the next victim. He still has to deal with the tragedy in his own life and needs all the help he can get. Can he figure it out in time or will The Bone Thief get away?

Thomas O’Callaghan gives you vivid details and descriptions that will make your blood run cold. I was shocked at how vivid it was and had to not read the book while I was eating. That someone can have the imagination to write this just boggles my mind. It was a gripping story and I had to keep turning the pages to find out if the killer would ever get caught.

Lt. Driscoll is a flawed man and I really felt for him. He was trying to put together his own life while trying to solve the horrible crimes. Overloaded and wiped out, he was really doing his best work. He had a lot of help from other people and even a young girl. She was one bright thing and her name is Moira. I was thoroughly impressed with how much knowledge she had and how much she taught Lt. Driscoll. There was a lot of drama.

I was impressed with how the killer was able to keep his identity a secret. It was not easy but he was very intelligent. Mr. O’Callaghan is an ingenious writer who really knows how to write a page-turner. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series to review. I give this one a 4/5 and it had a nice ending that gave a great segue way into the next story.

377 pages/Mystery

Now off to read another romance. Yay! LOL

Hide by Lisa Gardner

Annabelle Granger is used to packing light and being on the run. She has been hidden for so long until an underground grave is found with six bodies in it. The problem is that one of them has a locket she got as a child so they are claiming she is dead. Annabelle knows otherwise but is she willing to come out of hiding to help solve a case? Bobby Dodge now works for the state police in Massachusetts. He needs to figure out who killed the six girls but the only person he has to help him is Annabelle. Not only is that tough but he has to team up again with D.D. Warren who he used to be lovers with. Can everything work or is someone in danger?

Lisa Gardner does it again! I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. I had to find out what was going to happen. Ms. Gardner knows how to suck you into a story till the very last sentence. Once the whole plot was laid out, I was frustrated that I had no clue that had done it. No unnecessary words were used but the time it took to figure out things seemed very real. That is one of the most important things I like about this author, she knows how to keep things looking real to me. It takes forever to get something researched but that is how it is in real life.

When I started this book, I had a feeling of deja vu. But then I realized I knew some of the characters because I read the book Alone. Once I figured that out, I felt like I had come home again. I loved these characters and it was great to read how things had changed for them and how they were moving on. Annabelle was my favorite. She really was trying to rebuild her life but circumstances beyond her control were keeping her back. Bobby Dodge was a man who still wrestled with things. But that is one of the best things about him; he really wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing. Other times, instinct kicked him and he just moved as fast as he possibly could. D.D. was her old stubborn self but it was nice to see that she had not let anything go to hear head.

You have to read Alone first because there is a ton of referencing back to it but it was a great book! I give it a 5/5 because this author never ceases to disappoint me. I was very impressed and I can’t wait to get through her other books. I highly recommend this one even though it is gruesome.

Now off to try to read 2 romance novels! AHHHHHHHH!

Earthly Joys by Phillipa Gregory

John Tradescat is a gardener for Sir Robert Cecil who is the advisor for King James I. He is given free rein on what he can put in his garden. He travels around and brings back rareities for England. He ends up marrying the woman he is betrothed to Elizabeth. Their relationship is a complex one because he feels so duty bound to his master. With all that is going on around them, they need to figure out their life together to make things grow and blossom.

Phillipa Gregory is an amazing author. This is the second book that I have read by her. This one seemed to drag a little more because there was so much more going on during the time of 1603-1625 in England. It was well described and sometimes too well with a lot of words I found unnecessary. The characters stuck to their beliefs but I think that they took some things too far. The picture was interesting and the relationship John had with someone in the book completely shocked me! I knew it was part of that time but didn’t expect it to involve the main character.

As I said before the characters were very belief oriented. With King Charles marrying Henrietta Marie from France and the battle between the Catholics and the Protestants was very interesting. John really became a man of some one else and not so much for his family until he was faced with some tough decisions. I disliked him through out the book and was furious with how he treated his family. But by the end of the book, he finally saw what was important but bowed to the nobility when it was needed.

Liberties were taken with history but the main things that were going on had to be true. I had a tough time getting through a lot of it because so much was happening in my life. I look forward to reading the sequel Virgin Earth to see what happens to John’s son John in Virginia and to find out the outcome when he returns to England. I give it a 5/5 because it really did captivate me but at times was slow.
440 pages/Fiction

Now off to reading Hide by Lisa Gardner and then two romance stories. :)

Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson

Goldy is at it again but this time her world really seems to be falling apart. She got a contractor to work on her kitchen but it was left in a mess. There is a second caterer in town that seems to be getting all her work and her hubby is at it again being a jerk behind bars. The only person that seems to be able to help her is her old teacher André. Will she be able to make things work because not much money is coming in or will she lose her business after all her hard work?

Diane Mott Davidson does it again with book 8 in the series. I love all the jokes and watching Goldy’s son Arch grow up. There were a lot of recurring characters and I felt like I was being with my family again. I love looking at the recipes she comes up with. She certainly knows how to keep your attention to find out who committed the crime in each book.

Goldy forever surprises me as a woman with resources. She certainly knows how to keep things afloat in times of trouble. Goldy figures things out faster than I can and I am always surprised at who the dangerous person turns out to be. I liked seeing Arch and boy is that kid growing up. Tom Schultz was back and he is my favorite cop. He doesn’t seem to mind pressure and somehow keeps Goldy in line. This time even his head is on the chopping block. Poor guy.

I am sad that I only have 5 books left in the series but this is one I truly enjoyed and loved the recipes! I can’t wait to see how the cliffhanger at the end of the book turns out. I give it a 5/5! This is one series that has grabbed me and I enjoy every book I read.
305 pages/Mystery

Now off to read two more romances and then I hope to squeeze in Eartlhy Joys by Phillpa Gregory. :)

Book Winners and Hard Core Diaries by Mick Foley

I am going to start out the post by telling who the winners are:
Kris- I'll mail you out Madonna's of Leningrad maybe tomorrow. :)
Amanda- At Long Last Love is yours. :)
Booklogged- Exile is yours as well.
So would Amanda and Booklogged email me off my blog for your snail mail addy. :)
As for Herself it is still up for grabs so the first person to respond to this email who has not already won, I will mail it out to you. :)

Here is the review for Mick Foley's book:
Mick chronicles his most recent experience with the WWE from 2005-2006. The storylines that happened and how it all came to take place. His ideas, working with the creative team and Vince, and how he wanted to show the fans what he does besides wrestling when it comes to charities and his family.

I was thoroughly impressed with the writing. It was not anything fancy but then Mick does best when he keeps things simple and straightforward. All the different events he did and all the people he met really surprised me. I am not saying I didn’t know how in demand he is but more than anything I had no idea how much he gives back to the community. Yeah, he broke records with a lot of his matches but he would rather spend time with impaired children and help them feel better than anything else. He is proud of his wrestling, as he should be, but he has a full heart and loves to help others.

I had no idea he had written children’s books and will most likely see if I can find his Wrescal Lane book. I wish I had a way to contact him because this was a good read and I was laughing and crying. Some of the trips he took to Iraq and the medical facilities for the wounded soldiers really left me in awe. I know other WWE wrestlers and Divas do the most they can in giving back. They do show some of that on the show but getting a behind the scenes look was fun to see. I even enjoyed this book more than Bishoff’s because it came across as down to earth and not so much of a namedropper. It was truly Mick’s experience and this is the third one so now I may go back and read the other two. If you are a wrestling fan, this one is for you. Or if you want to get a better idea of what they do and have kids that are fans, please pick this book up. I give it a 5/5 because I learned a lot more and truly enjoyed it all! Well except for the porn star bit but then I am sure there are a lot of guys out there that are jealous that he met the woman.
371 pages

Well off to read some romance novels. :)

My March Reads and The Witches by Ronald Dahl

Here is my review:
A little boy visits his grandma in Norway, but once his parents die in a car crash she has full custody of him. So he has to go back to England where he goes to school and she tells him more about Witches and how to tell who is a Witch. They go on a short holiday to the coast and spend some time there. And he goes off to train his two mice but finds himself in the Witches’ convention. Will he make it out and if he does can he get rid of them?

Ronald Dahl is an imaginative writer. I first was appalled by the way Witches were described and how they wanted to get rid of children. It was a little over the top and scary as well. That part that cracked me up the most was the way the Most Grand Witch wanted to do in order to wipe out all the children of England. I just rolled my eyes. The story followed very well but the one thing I would have liked was to have a name for the narrator.

The little boy who told the story was very sweet. He really truly loved his grandma and she wanted the best for him even though it meant leaving her home country. The grandma was very wonderful and told interesting stories. I found it intriguing how she knew what she told but I’ll leave that up to you to find out.

I give this story a 4/5. It is my first banned book in a long time. I can see why people would challenge it because of the spells and the way that witches are portrayed in it. They are seen as evil and want to take your children away. I found it fun and enjoyable once I was able to get a clear picture of Dahl’s portrayal of Witches. I definitely want to read more by this author and very soon too I hope.

208 pages/Banned Book

I hope to get another one or two done this month and then maybe I'll read more. lol

Here is my stats and books read for this month. It took me awhile cause I had the number of pages messed up.
Most Likely To Die by Lisa Jackson, Wendy Corsi Staub, and Beverly Barton 3-01-07 through 03-02-07 A+
Dear John by Nicolas Sparks 03-02-07 through 03-03-07 C
The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer 3-03-07 through 3-06-07 B
A Much Younger Man by Veronica Wilde 3-06-07 A
A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber 03-06-07 through 03-07-07 A+
Lying with Strangers by James Grippando 03-07-07 through 3-08-07 A+
In the Wash by Rebecca Benston 03-08-07 A
Trouble by Jesse Kellerman 03-08-07 through 03-09-07 C
Savannah’s Hero by Diana Bold 03-10-07 through 03-11-07 A
Beguiled by Shannon Drake 3-11-07 A+
The Ghost and the Wolf by MC Scout 03-12-07 through 03-13-07 A
Slightly Psychic by Sandra Steffen 3-13-07 through 3-14-07 A
My Angel by Denise Shelton (178) 3-14-07 through 3-15-07 A
Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland 3-15-07 through 3-16-07 A+
Bogeyman by Gayle Wilson 3-16-07 through 3-17-07 A
The Enemy Stalks by Betty Sullivan La Pierre (TBR Challenge) 3-18-07 A+
Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne 3-18-07 A
Castle in Spain by Kate Hofman 3-19-07 A
True Evil by Greg Iles 3-20-07 through 3-22-07 A
The Defense by Stacey Lynn Schlegl 3-22-07 A
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult 3-23-07 through 3-25-07 A+
Calamity Claresta by Irene Estep 3-26-07 A
Nettleflower by Teri Beckett and Chris Power 3-26-07 A
The Will by Reed Arvin 3-27-07 through 3-30-07 B
Not Another Dateless Valentine’s Day by Veronica Tower 3-30-07 A
Bewitching The Bachelor by Suzanne Marie Calvin 3-30-07 A
Blood Rite by Melanie Atkins 3-31-07 A

My stats:
Total Books read: 27
New Authors this Month: 22
Non-Fiction read this month:0
Fiction:26
Chunksters: 6
From the Stacks:2
TBR:1
Fresh New Books I bought: 5
Fresh New books sent to me:1
Pages read:7,647

Well off to get some writing done and maybe some reading too. :)

The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Judas Coyne is a man who collects odd things. Things most people wouldn’t collect. When his manager Danny tells him about a ghost for sale, Judas can’t resist. Little does he know that the ghost is after him to kill him. The ghost doesn’t want the past to come out. And before he knows it, the ghost is everywhere in his house and follows him wherever he goes. Judas wants to live and wants his girlfriend Mary Beth to live. But what lengths will he have to take to make sure that happens or as the book puts it the dead claims its own?

Joe Hill is an amazingly twisted writer. The idea of a ghost following Judas around had me pretty freaked out. I have read other paranormal novels before this but this one had me freaked out because the descriptions were so vivid. Joe Hill is the pen name of the son of Stephen King. I have to say that I was very impressed with this book. I have yet to read a Stephen King novel but if it is half as scary as this well I’ll really be freaked out. The whole idea of this book of buying a ghost just blew my mind.

Judas had a real attitude of not caring about anything. He had lost his wife; he had tossed his last girlfriend aside, and was about to do that to his current girlfriend. I could understand why he didn’t want to attach himself to anyone for very long but it didn’t seem to help in the long run. Mary Beth was a very strong woman who refused to leave even though she knew she might not live to see anything come of it. I couldn’t believe how perverted Craddock was once we saw his whole past revealed. He was one very sick man as well as scary. I really felt sorry for Anna, Judas’ past girlfriend who we see in a lot of flashbacks. She was a sweet woman but had no way out once she went home.

Creepy but good is how I would describe this book. I give it a 5/5 because it was exceptionally written and had me turning pages as fast as I could read them. I don’t normally like being as scared as I was while reading it but it was so fascinating I had to find out if Judas and Mary Beth would survive or die. There were a lot of secrets in Anna’s family or as Judas calls her Florida. Yet through it all she is the one who ends up helping them the most. This is a great book and one I recommend but don’t read it before going to bed. You may not get much sleep.


374 pages 5/5

Well off to read a much needed romance as well as watching American Idol and the results show for Dancing with the Stars. :)

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day

Riley Dawson is a woman of many talents. She is a social worker doing her best to save one child at a time. Little does she know the mind connection she shares with her sister Quinn is actually something that the people of Atlantis share with each other only. Prince Conlan comes out of the water to get back Poseidon’s Trident, he feels a connection to Riley unlike he has ever known. Will they be able to figure out what is going on between them while finding the Trident or will their worlds cease?


Alyssa Day is an amazing author for writing what I consider a fantasy romance. You have shape shifters, vampires, and people from Atlantis. This book is my first by this author and I was very impressed. The passion and the heat were off the charts but then that is a romance. The thing that impressed me the most was the honesty and caring that they had for each other. It was wonderful to see and watch it grow.

Prince Conlan is not just a hot guy but he is someone who is willing to risk it all for love. But the thing is, he truly wanted to be with Riley and spend the rest of their lives together however long that was going to be. Poor Riley just couldn’t believe that she could share that kind of connection with anyone. It is not easily found but when it is, it is worth it. I really loved those two most of all. I also liked Alaric. Even though he was the high priest, he had his faults. He wanted to fight right away and jump into things without really thinking about them. Yet Conlan constantly had to pull rank. I didn’t like it but I could tell it was needed.

Good characters are in every book but these to me were exceptional. I love fantasy and the paranormal. This book kept me turning pages to find out what was going to happen and if Conlan and Riley were going to end up together as husband and wife. That is what they both wanted but because of the rules Conlan had to follow, it was not very likely that it would happen. This book rates a 4/5 for me because I couldn’t put it down. I cannot wait for the next story in the series, which unfortunately doesn’t come out till November. But I think I can wait till then. Please go look this up because it will be worth it!

280 pages

Now off to do a load of laundry and figure out my stats for last month. :) The page numbers got a little off. Yay fun!

Give a Friend A book WEEK

I saw this over at Booklogged's site and I loved it so now I am going to do it. I have 4 books to give away cause 2 of them are ARC's and two other ones I recieved for Reviews.

They are:
The Madonna's of Leningrad by Debra Dean. I want to keep this one but I jus don't have the room. It is really good about a woman's memory journey in Germany ikn 1941. It was a wonderful book.

At Long Last Love by Judy Bagshaw. This book is 7 short stories about BBW women overcoming challenges and finding love. They are really sweet.

Herself by Leslie Carroll. Another romance but this woman goes back to Ireland to find herself and finds so much more. It is beautiful but I just cannot keep it cause I don't think I'll ever read it again. lol

Exile by Richard North Patterson. It takes you on a thrill ride to Jerusalem and back to Washington D.C. I also enjoyed this one and you can find my review on this site.

Please note in your comments which one you want and I will draw names on the 9th. That way you have a week. :) Okay back to reading!

The Will by Reed Arvin

This one is the author of the month for my yahoo group. Here's my review!

Henry Matthews is working on a prestigious career at a top lawyer firm in Chicago. He gets a call to come back home to read a will his father put together 25 years ago. At first, he goes down to just read the will but soon it becomes more than just that. The son Roger wants to contest the will. Henry begins to doubt what he wants to do in life. He doesn’t want to see the person who benefits the most to get hurt because it was not only a shock to the town but to Henry as well when it came to who was named. So will he give up everything he has worked hard to get or will he just let things go and continue on with his life?

Reed Arvin is a fabulous writer. The story dragged in places but once everything was known about the connections that were made 25 years ago and all the players involved I had to find out what was going to see if justice would prevail. He is able to write very suspenseful scenes that make you turn the page. I was surprised how corrupt the town in the book is made out to be even though he did fictionalize it. I know there are people out there that are similar to the characters in the book but it still shocks me.

I really felt for Henry. He not only had to deal with his past but he had to learn to work through it. He had some tough decisions to make and figure out what was really important to him. There was someone helping him through the entire process and that was Amanda Ashton. I really liked her because she was fighting for what she believed in and showed him how good it felt to do so. Henry had to make the final decision but Amanda was there to support him when he needed her the most. Dealing with the skeletons in the closet is not an easy thing to do but Henry was a great man. He did have doubts but he made sure to call the one person who could help through it. I was really impressed.

In the beginning of the book, I was not sure if I would enjoy it. About half way through when the novel really started to pick up, I couldn’t put it down. I give it a 4/5. I really enjoyed this book and will read more by this author.

This makes my 15th Chunkster but I have only read 2 on my list. lol Need to work on it more. :)
Off to read 2 romance novels, one is really short so I will start with that one. :)

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

Ross is a ghost hunter who has never seen a ghost. He has been searching to reconnect with his dead fiancée Aimee. He never thinks he will feel anything again until he goes to Comtosook, Vermont and helps out a developer trying to find out what is going on at an ancient Abenaki Indian burial ground. The truth behind the events of this town will be nothing that anyone expects in this life or the next.

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and have met her in person 3 times. This one was different than all over books that I have read of hers. The writing style was the same and I enjoyed how the story flowed. This was one of my favorite types of stories dealing with the paranormal and that some of it was based on fact just made it that more interesting and appealing. She always is able to put true events in a way that pulls you in and you have to find out how the book is going to turn out.

The characters in this book were amazing. They all had hopes and dreams but I really didn’t have a favorite. I was rooting for all of them. They were different than any of the other characters that she had written and I really liked that a lot. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Ross. He really wanted to get some closure but he didn’t feel he had anything left to live for. I have known moments like that but I was impressed with how well he was able to deal with it.

This book was shocking from beginning to end but one of the best ones I have read so far. I can see why she said this was her favorite to write. It is so different but so enjoyable! I give this a 5/5 because I couldn’t put it down. It was that great! I can’t wait to read more by her cause I have quite a few to go still. Jodi is a wonderful writer and I enjoy everything she writes! She is a true fan in me!


That says it all right there. :) Off to read another romance. LOL

True Evil by Greg Iles

I read this and really liked it!

Alexandra Morse is going through tough times. She lost her dad and then while her sister was dying she had to tell her that she was murdered. Alex couldn’t believe her ears but decided to check out what her sister said and that leads to her approaching Dr. Chris Shepherd. He’s even more difficult to convince than herself but he is the target. So not only does Alex have to dodge the FBI but also she has to convince Dr. Shepherd of what is going on and get his help. Will she be able to before the next killing happens?

Greg Iles does another wonderful book. I have only read two other books of his and enjoyed them just as much! He has a way of writing that keeps me going. I was impressed with the medical thriller.

Alex is a beautiful person who really wants to help people. Her superiors doubt her often but she works hard to find out the truth. I really liked Chris as well. He couldn’t believe what was going on in his life but he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. The few other minor characters like Alex’s nephew Jamie and friends of Alex from FBI really helped round out the story very well.

I enjoyed this story a lot for being a chunkster. It is 512 pages of intrigue and suspense. I felt awful for how it ended in some ways because it was not good. At the same time, I was pulled in from the first sentence to the end of the book. I will need to read more of this author’s work. I give it a 4/5 since it not only seemed plausible but something that could happen down the line which is scary to think about really.

Now off to a much needed romance! lol