Shoot from the Lip by Leann Sweeney

Abby Rose has another case on her hands. This time though she has to work with the TV show called Reality Check. Emma needs help and they want to help her. But when she is told about a missing sibling and she never told them about that. She wants to back out on the whole thing. Abby is her ally and by her side to help her as much as she can. But she has problems to deal with on her own. Her sister Kate is hanging out with a man who Abby does not approve of. Yet Kate seems oblivious to it.

I was thoroughly impressed with Leann Sweeney’s writing. It has been awhile since I read the last book in the Yellow Rose series but it did not matter. I felt like no time had passed and was very comfortable with how it was all portrayed. The emotions experienced are amazing and the trials that the characters are up against seem odd but real. But life is not always normal and the odd does happen quite often.

Abby was quite the character. I could see why she wanted to help and I thought it was great she made sure everyone knew what was going on. She didn’t want there to be any surprises that could hurt. Abby is very protective of her sister which I found very refreshing. Kate just wanted to experience something different for once. I could understand that too. But there was more under the surface than either once could imagine.

I love this series and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. These characters are fun to read and it will be interesting to see what will happen in the next one. This is definitely one mystery series that gives you some good laughs as well as makes you think.
280 pages/Leann Sweeney/Cozy Mystery

I read this book awhile ago but with more hours I have not had a lot of time to post my blogs or reviews. :) So there you go!

September Reads and Stats

For starting a new job, I believe Idid rather well. :) Here they are :

Books:
198. The Quickie by James Patterson 8-31-07 through 09/01/07 A
199. Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow 09-01-07 through 09-02-07 A
200. Shoel by Patricia Robins 09-02-07 through 09-03-07 A
201. Life with Apache by Linda Lattimer 09-03-07 A
202. Vivaldi’s Virgins by Barbara Quick 09-03-07 through 09/05/07 A
203. Midnight Legacy by Dee Tenorio 09-05-07 through 09/06/07 B
204. The Friday House by D.K. Gaston 09-06-07 through 09-09/07 B
205. The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax 09-09-07 through 9-14-07 B
206. 36 exposures by Linda Mooney 9-14-07 A
207. Shoot from the Lip by Leann Sweeney (Cozy) 9-14-07 through 9-15-07 A+
208. Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot 9-15-07 through 9-16-07 A+
209. Come Whatever May by Sandee McCain 9-16-07 through 9-17-07 A
210. Object of Romance Anthology 9-18-07 A
211. Not the Marrying Kind by Hailey North 9-19-07 through 9-20-07 A
212. Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush (Cozy)09-20-07 through 9-22-07 A+
213. The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair 9-22-07 through 9-27-07 B
214. The Sin Club by Rachelle Chase 9-27-07 A
215. Wednesday Night Witches by Lee Nichols 9-27-07 through 9-28-07 A

Stats:
Total Books Read: 18
New Authors: 14
Fiction: 17
Non-Fiction:
Chunksters: 1TBR:
Cozy Mystery: 2
Books Reviewed: 11
From the Stacks:
Books I Bought:Total Pages Read: 5,297

A Little Slow

Okay I have seriously neglected my blog. I am now working 30-32 hours a week. I hope to post some tomorrow. If not today. I just thought I would let you know. :)

The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Feliu Aníbal Delargo Domenech was named wrong. He should have been named Feliz. So from then on he works on being who he is named. The gift of a Spanish bow from his dead father sets things in motion. He is able to learn to play the cello with the help of getting lessons. But it means he will have to leave the small town of Campo Seco to get the help he really needs. Yet it seems like one thing or another always gets in his way. He gets a break under the tutelage of Alberto Mendizábal. It is hard work but he is finally getting somewhere. He joins a school under Don José and that is where his life begins. He goes many places and has many experiences. But the man who changed his life Justo Al-Cerraz is in and out. Feliu goes through many things as he looks back on his life. Yet he seems to be able to survive the all. He has a completely different outlook on it but one that is worth telling.

Ms. Romano-Lax creates a world from history that captivates you. There are a lot of details and it takes time to get through them all. I was impressed with her story telling and to see things through Feliu’s eyes. It is quite the journey.

I really felt for Feliu. He never seemed to understand what was going on but he worked through it. It took a lot of soul searching and figuring out what he truly wanted. But it did seem like he got there. Aviva was quite the love interest and I really enjoyed her as a character. She had some hard times she had gone though. But once she met up with Al-Cerraz and Feliu, things seemed to go better for her.

There is a lot I don’t want to give away but it is a wonderfully told story. I cannot say enough at how much I was impressed. You get to see history through the eyes of a man who does not want to go home. It is quite the long book but well worth it if you love historical novels with some romance and drama thrown in for good measure. This is a book I do recommend and hope that someone else enjoys it as much as I did.

Andromeda Romano-Lax/Historical/ 4 out of 5/ 554 pages

Working as many hours as I do now. My book reading will come to a little bit of a halt. But I will post as often as I can but will not be able to go look at other's blogs as much as I would like. I hope all will understand.

The Mongoose Deception by Robert Greer

I read this book awhile back and waited closer to publication date to put the review up. SO here you go!

CJ Floyd is at it again. This time though he is trying to solve a 50-year-old case of the assassination of JFK. But the thing is that it is more complicated than he could ever imagine. Cornelius McPherson is confused when he finds the well-preserved arm of a fellow worker in the wall of a tunnel. He remembers that this man whispered that he might know who assassinated Kennedy. CJ feels like he needs to figure out what is going on because a dead body and part of a dead body that are linked is too much of a coincidence. But it is not until he realizes that there are two prior attempts on Kennedy’s life. Now it is not only a race for time to be able to find out what really happened.

Mr. Greer truly knows his stuff. I was impressed with the intricate details he put in this story. I am not a fan of the mafia or such things but I could see how it could be true how they could still have power because of past influences in our society. The characters often have to make split second decisions and that was very realistic. Mr. Greer truly lets you see the whole picture even though it is only in pieces. But he does a very good job of wrapping it up all in the end.

CJ was a complex character. I did not always understand his motives but he seemed to look for the good in things. He was one to help out his friends. He also will do anything he can to get to the bottom of things. He seeks the help of Mario Santini who used to be involved in the mob to help get him names of key people. It could not hurt anything that is his thinking. He also has the help of his partner Flora Jean. Even though he is told to keep out of it.

The comings and goings in this book were numerous. Mr. Greer keeps you busy but everything is easy to follow. There is a chain of command and it is very present in this book. But also the consequences of not keeping quiet were very prevalent. I found the book interesting and the theories in this story about the assassination of JFK were something to think about. I enjoyed this book a lot and would be interested to read the rest of this series eventually.

Robert Greer/ Mystery/ JFK/ 432 pages/ Chunkster/ 3 out of 5

The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwedge

Lauren Stillwell’s heart stopped when she saw her husband Paul kissing another woman. She decided to even up the score with a man who has been eyeing her for a long time. But nothing turns out the way she wants. She ends up looking out the window only to see her one time lover get killed in front of her. That secret threatens to not only pull apart her marriage but her career as well.

Mr. Patterson and Mr. Ledwedge have written another great book. There were surprises in this book that I never have seen coming. It was a very suspenseful book that had me guessing some things till the very end. They both are able to create an amazing world.

Lauren had a lot of things to process. She knew that her and her husband Paul had problems but could never imagine to what degree. I felt awful that they were not able to have children. Yet that was just the tip of their problems and only where it began. Careers were important but it seemed to be their focus because of the other underlying problems. I wanted them to work out their issues. But it certainly would not be an easy time of things. Mike is Lauren’s partner at the police force. He is a good guy and helps look out for her. He is something she can look for to talk to about anything and he will make sure it stays between just the two of them. He truly is a good friend.

This is one book that I found difficult to put down. I kept wondering if Lauren would be able to keep things worked out or not. She was in some surprises that would change her life forever. When they were finally revealed, I then wonder how she would handle things. It was a good suspense book and I can’t wait to read more by both authors together and separately.

James Patterson and Michael Ledwedge/Suspense/ 357 pages/ 4 out of 5 stars

I finished this book last night and got busy doing other things. :)

August Reads and Stats

Books I read:
U-43A by Bernadette Gardner 08-01-07 B
Dancer’s Delight by Anny Cook 08-01-07 through 08-02-07 B
Mademoiselle Victorine by Debra Finerman 08-02-07 through 08-03-07 A
Runner’s Moon: Jebaral by Linda Mooney 08-03-07 through 08-04-07 B
Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian 08-04-07 A
The Debutante’s Second Chance by Liz Flaherty 08-04-07 through 08-05-07 A
The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann jaffarian 08-05-07 through 08-06-07 A
High Noon by Nora Roberts 08-06-07 through 08-08-07 A+
The Dead Room by Heather Graham 08-08-07 through 08-09-07 A+
Canyon Wolf Bride by Alisha Page 08-09-07 A
Beyond the Night by Sharon Long 08-09-07 through 08-10-07 A
Forgive Me By Amanda Eyre Ward 08-10-07 through 8-11-07 A+
Hooked by Jane May 08-11-07 through 08-12-07 A
Thistle and Twigg by Mary Saums 08-12-07 through 8-14-07 A+
Samson and Delilah by Megan Rose 08-14-07 A
Second Sight by Debbie Mumford 08-14-07 through 8-15-07 A
Embraced by Darkness by Keri Arthur 8-15-07 through 8-16-07 A
The Mongoose Deception by Robert Greer 8-16-07 through 8-21-07 C
Too Much Hennessy by T.T. Henderson 8-21-07 through 8-22-07 B+
Too Good To Be True by Marie-Nicole Ryan 8-22-07 through 8-23-07 A
Judgement by Fire by Lydia 8-23-07 A
XIII by D.K. Gaston 8-23-07 through 8-28-07 B
The Devil’s Labyrinth by John Saul 8-27-07 through 8-29-07 A
Forbidden Passion by Dee Dawning 8-29-07 A
Don’t Close Your Eyes by Mary Eason 8-29-07 through 8-30-07 A
Lady Irina by Josh Lockwood 8-30-07 through 8-31-07 A+

My stats:
Total Books Read: 26
New Authors: 22
Fiction: 25
Non-Fiction:1
Chunksters:1
TBR:0
Books Reviewed: 19
From the Stacks: 0
Books I Bought: 0
Total Pages Read: 7.055 pages

There you go!

The Devil's Labyrinth by John Saul

Ryan McIntyre had a hard time as it was with losing his dad in Iraq. Now his mom had met a new guy and he was not too happy about it. Things only seemed to get more unusual when Ryan goes to St. Isaac’s. Father Sebastian has just joined the school and it seems two boys have come to tragic ends. And there seems to be a lot of disturbing thigns going on and so Ryan wonders what is really happening. Then Ryan gets to find out firsthand by spending a lot of time with Father Sebastian. He witnesses the transformation a couple of his fellow students go through and tries to fight it. Supposedly Evil is being cast out but slowly Ryan comes to see that it is being called forth. That ritual has not happened since the Inquisition and starts to draw the eye of the Vatican. It may finally bring Hell on Earth.

Ryan keeps thinking about his dad and the crucifix that was given to him. He hopes things will go well for him. He knows his mom is just looking out for him but he is afraid to leave her because he thinks her boyfriend will move in then. Even though Ryan just lost his dad, he is just not ready for a whole lot of change. Once he gets to know some kids it seems to go better. Though there are a lot of weird things going on and he just hopes to study and do well. He has no idea how wrapped up in it all that he will become.

Of the ones I have read so far by John Saul this one creeped me out the most. Not just it became close to home but that the whole controlling of others part was too believable. I could see something that happening in real life. I was pleased with how well in depth Mr. Saul put things together. It was scary but I knew going into this book that it would most likely be high on the creepy scale for me. Yet his writing style keeps me coming back for more. That is why I give this a 5 out of 5. I can’t wait to read more of his books.

368 pages/ John Saul/Thriller/ 5 out of 5

Okay so I have not posted in awhile but things have been crazy! I hope to read some more soon. Having a three year old and the terrible threes is stressful! lol Well off to read books for review. :)

Thistle and Twigg by Mary Saums

Jane Thistle is a widow who has come to Tullulah, Alabama looking for a home. She has no idea what she will find. Her new best friend Phoebe Twigg is also a widow, who has lived in Tullulah all her life. Both ladies stumble across a dead body on a walk in the woods behind Jane’s house. It seems that someone is threatening Jane’s neighbor who is a recluse. He cares more about the land than the inhabitants. Then things get worse when a firebomb goes off in Phoebe’s kitchen. Jane and Phoebe are determined to figure out what is going on and so partner together to work on it.

Mary Saums has written wonderful characters in this book. Now even though the town of Tullulah does not exist, it is a wonderful place to be and live in. There is a lot of history and you get to see it through the lives of the people in the town. It is rather remarkable how Ms. Saums can weave the story and pull you into it. It is fun to learn about other cultures and just the way she presents them on the page.

Jane and Phoebe are two wonderful women. They are at times complete opposites from each other. Jane, who is the most recent widow of the two, is working on getting out there and building a new life. She sees Cal Prewitt and accepts him while getting to know him. Phoebe, since she has lived all her life there, is unable to see how Cal could be innocent of any crimes. She just is too close to the situation to see otherwise. Cal Prewitt is quite the character. He is set in his ways but wants to preserve his land and not see it taken apart by developers.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was full of laughter, small town life, and a good mystery to boot. I was not sure I would enjoy the book because I could not really relate to the main characters. But those ladies were very interesting and I had to find out if they could clear the name of the accused. I hope there are more to come because I would love to see what Jane and Phoebe try to solve next.
279 pages/Mary Saums/Mystery/New Author/ 5 out of 5

Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward

Nadine Morgan travels all the time as a journalist. Tragedy and regret was all she found in Cape Town. So she has decided to never go back. Yet the death of an American, John Irving, pulls at her heart and she decides to go back to South Africa. As she goes on the journey, she is overcome with memories of when the pull to adventure and intrigue left her with a broken heart. She hopes to lose herself in the case but starts to goes close to John’s mom as well as the mother of one of the killers. Yet there will be consequences. Nadine finally has to face long buried demons and come to terms with the pieces of her own past. Learning to love and forgive is something she has to do.

Ms. Ward puts new themes to the page that just come alive. Her way with words can truly touch your heart. It is very clear how passionate she became for forgiveness. I also admired the way she showed that it is not always easy to ask for it either. But when it is done that you’ll be better for it.

Nadine truly felt that the further she ran, the better it would be for her or so she thought. Her life had changed and she was not the type to just sit still. Yet I kept wondering if she could settle down if only for the right reasons. Her best friend Lily was one to tell her that she was making mistakes and to get her head on straight. Nadine just couldn’t picture any different life than the fast pace one she loved to live. It was going to take a lot to change her mind.

Forgive me is a poignant story that will leave you knowing both sides. I really liked the fact that she never picked a side that was right. She let us see the whole picture of what is still going on even today. I was swept up in the emotions and truly felt I was listening to a story of a friend. So I give it a 5 out of 5 because it makes you look at the reasoning of others. It is a book that I will not soon forget.

Amanda Eyre Ward/Fiction/South Africa/236 pages/ 5 out of 5

I would have got this online sooner but we had a power failure this past weekend so I am slowly catching up. :)

The Dead Room by Heather Graham

Leslie MacIntyre is still getting over the loss of her fiancé one year later. She loves her job as an archeologist. But she still is learning to come to terms with the fact that she now sees the dead. Now she has come back to Hastings House, where her fiancé Matt died. She is looking at uncovering the past at an old burial ground. The ghosts in the house can tell her secrets about the past as well as the present where women are disappearing at an alarming rate and never being seen again. Matt comes to her in dreams only but his cousin Joe can help her now and hopefully keep her safe. But she knows that she has to face the evil around her and not even the men she loves can help her then.

This one pulled at me more than most of Heather Graham’s books ever have. The idea of a lost love and secrets are something that keeps me turning pages. I had to find out who was behind the disappearance of all the women as well as who had it out for Leslie. I also liked the fact that she brought back some characters from a previous book. The setting for the story was so perfect because there truly is a city under the city. It really gave it a depth of believability that I find lacking sometimes in other authors. But not with this author’s stories!

I really loved Leslie as a character because she had to know the truth even if it was not a good. She just had to know and lay the past to rest. Joe, Matt’s cousin, was there for her every step of the way once they met. Joe seemed to be falling for her and was not sure that was such a good idea. He was going to be protective of her no matter what cause he could tell there was something going on that was pure evil. I also really liked Greta the woman who kept watch over the Historical society in New York. She became very helpful and I truly enjoyed her. She was a sweet woman who wanted to protect the historical buildings.

This book was so good. I enjoyed it as well as the past characters coming back. It was quite the page-turner. This paranormal story was a good one and full of secrets and history. I can’t say that enough. I give this story a 5 out of 5 because it truly held my interest and kept it for the entire run. I do have to say I didn’t like the ending. But well you never truly get satisfied sometimes. Endings are never the same for books and that is what makes each one unique. I cannot wait to read more of her works.

379 pages/Heather Graham/Suspense/Ghosts/ 5 out of 5
The books I recommend to read are not in a series but do have recurring characters. The books should be read in this order Haunted, Ghost Walk, The Dead Room. Well no off to read two books to read and review.

High Noon by Nora Roberts

Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her job in life when her mom was dating a man who became violently unstable. Now she is a top negotiator for Savannah, but someone has a beef for her. She has her hunches who it could be but she really has no clue. She protects her family as best she can. With Duncan Swift by her side, she has a lot of help. He watched her talk one of his employees off the roof and completely fell head over heels in love with her. She wants to keep him at a distance but Duncan won’t let her do that for long. Phoebe has no idea how to deal with an opponent who won’t look her in the eyes.

Nora Roberts keeps bringing out these books faster than I can read them. But they are always very good. These characters pull you in and don’t let you out till the book is done.
She brings situations that people read about in the news to real life in a book that makes is captivating.

Phoebe had been though so much. I could understand why she wanted to shelter her daughter. They both had been though so much so didn’t want her daughter to get her hopes up. Duncan was a total sweetheart but would not back down easily. He wanted to talk things through and make sure he was heard. He didn’t go after something that he wanted without true intentions. That is what I loved about him the most. He was honest, he knew what he wanted, and went after it slow and steady if that is what it would take to convince Phoebe.

This book had me from the beginning and even from the very first sentence. I was very impressed with it. I give it a 5 out of 5! I hope to read more by her soon! I loved the characters and was cheering for Phoebe and Duncan the whole way through the entire book!

Nora Roberts/Romance and Suspense/ 5 out of 5/ 467 pages

Now off to The Dead Room by Heather Graham. Then 2 books to review.

Mademoiselle Victorine by Debra Finerman

Victorine Laurent comes to Paris to join the Opera Ballet. She expects to be the mistress of a wealthy man. That is the only way she can survive in the city. When the artist Degas introduces her to Manet, her live changes forever. She agrees to pose for him and the result is a painting that shocks Paris. Eventually she becomes the favorite of the Duke de Lyon. But he wants her undivided attention and so bans her from seeing Manet. And things go from bad to worse when she finds out a secret about her past that could bring her world crashing around her.

Ms. Finerman is a fabulous writer. She really takes a society and brings its decadence to light. She also is able to take great creative license with the people of that time and present it like it is true. I found the story enchanting cause a lot of it I could see really happening. Her take on the little bits of history were captivating. A deeper look at society was weaved wonderfully in this book.

Victorine was not a woman just out for fortune but she wanted to find security as well. The truth she came to believe would shatter around her and it would be interesting to see how she would deal with all of it. I loved her friend André Montpelier. He was beside her side throughout all her conquests and relationships. He was a true friend to her. The other characters famous like Georges Bizet. Edouard Manet, Monet, Louis Pasteur, and Empress Eugénie just to name a few were fun to read about and see how she painted them. They often did not have much of a roll in the book except for Manet and the Empress but just the mention made me smile.

This book was full of history and life. I was enthralled with the characters from the very beginning. Though at times Victorine did irritate me, she did seem to get her head out of the clouds eventually. It was not an easy time to live in for some aspects but the frivolous spending upset me. I forget how the royalty and other celebrities spend their money. But it was very true to things are even now. If you love history and love seeing how art could have been created than I highly recommend this book.

4/5/ New Author/ France/ Historical/Debra Finerman/304 pages


I really liked this book. Now off to go to a park! later gators!

By The Sword by Richard Cohen

This comprehensive history of Fencing was amazingly done. I knew nothing about fencing at all before I read this book. I learned about dueling and what fencing means to people. It is interesting how there used to be crafters who would make the sabers and other types of swords. Now they are pretty much manufactured all in one place. Which is a bummer but that is how things progress. It also surprised me like any other sport there is scandals in the world of fencing. But that is life.

Richard Cohen told about his personal experiences as well as how the world of fencing started. That was so interesting and how it spread throughout the world. He told things very well and I found myself laughing a few times at certain instances in the book.

There is a lot of information in the book so it is one you need to savor. I had only a short amount of time to read it so I hope to pick it up again. It was a wonderfully written book and I recommend it for not only the history aspect but also how fencing has affected almost everything today.
Richard Cohen/519 pages/Fencing/ Non-fiction/ 4out of 5

Unfortunately the copy I had obtained from my library was missing pages. I made sure they knew when I took it back. All in all it was pretty good.

My July Stats and Reads

145. The Mars Imperative by Mark Terence Chapman 07-01-07 A
146. The Distant Shore by Debora M. Coty 07-01-07 A+
147. Tides of Time by Sonya Kate Childers 07-02-07 through 07-03-07 A+
148. The Diary by Adriana Kraft 07-03-07 A
149. I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark 07-03-07 through 07-05-07 A
150. Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber 07-06-07 A+
151. Dead Connection by Alafair Burke 07-06-07 through 07-08-07 A+
152. The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag 07-08-07 through 07-09-07 A
153. Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada 07-09-07 A+
154. A Nail Through The Heart by Timothy Hallinan 07-09-07 through 07-11-07 A
155. Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steele 07-11-07 through 07-12-07 A
156. Journey to Forever by Carol Steward 07-12-07 through 07-13-07 A+
157. A Promise of Grace by Bonnie K. Winn 07-13-07 through 07-14-07 A+
158. Cross My Heart by Carly Phillips 07-14-07 through07-15-07 A
159. The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson 07-15-07 through 07-16-07 A+
160. Brides and Bouquets by Laura Hamby, Deb Kinnard and Lynne Kingdell 07-16-07 A
161. Evening by Susan Minot 07-17-07 through 07-18-07 A+
162. Whoever Fights Monsters by Iryna Bennett 07-18-07 A
163. The Manny by Holly Peterson 07-18-07 through 07-20-07 A
164. Ladies of Class by Marjorie Owens 07-21-07 through 07-22-07 A
165. Eliza’s Hope by Vicki Gaia –7-22-07 A+
166. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr 07-22-07 through 07-25-07 A+
167. Settling by Joan L. Cannon 07-26-07 B
168. Scandalous Profession by Elaine Lowe 7-26-07 through 7-27-07 A
169. On Writing by Stephen King 7-27-07 through
170. The good guy by Dean Koontz 07-28-07 through 07-30-07 A+

Total Books Read: 25
New Authors: 19
Fiction: 25
Non-fiction:
Chunksters:
TBR:
Books Reviewed: 14
From the Stacks:
Books I bought:
Books Sent To Me:
Books I won:
Total Pages Read: 7012

I didn't get By The Sword finisned in time. Oh, well. I would have posted these yesterday but I was glued to the TV due to the collapse of the bridge of 35W in Minneapolis. We are okay.

The Good Guy by Dean Koontz

Tim Carrier is at his favorite bar when a man comes up to him and gives him an envelope. Not only that it is full of cash, a payment for someone to be killed. Tim is most definitely mistaken for someone else. He tries to get the real guy to back off and not kill this woman but the guy just won’t go for it. So now Tim is on a mission to save this woman’s life. A woman he does not know and he must keep the killer at bay. But he must find the willingness to do this as well as find the courage within. So he can be the good guy.

Dean Koontz does it again! I was pulled into this from the beginning. His books only get better and better. He keeps you in suspense by only giving little information at a time. So you keep on reading. He gives just the amount of details that you enjoy them all and still feel like you are there. He doesn’t overload you with them.

I really liked Tim and Linda. Tim wants to save Linda’s life. He is willing to do anything that he can in his power. Some things I was not sure he could do but they worked out.The main killer character that went by the name of Krait, I was never sure of his name. Boy, I don’t ever want to cross paths with someone like him. I also appreciated Tim’s friend Peter. He was a nice guy and really put himself on a limb.

This was a great book so I give it a 5 out of 5. I have truly come to appreciate this author’s writing. While not always scary, it sure keeps you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to read more by him. This has become one of my favorite authors.
386 pages/Dean Koontz/Fiction

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Aislinn had always been able to see fairies. Her Grams taught the rules to keep her safe. Yet when a fairy comes after her, she is unsure of what to do. Worst of all, he is the Summer King looking for his queen. Now she truly questions what she wants for her life. Plus she does not want to lose her freedom so she must keep Grams in the dark.

Ms. Marr tells a new story about the world of the Faire Folk. With quotes from different fairy books you get pulled into a world that feels real. The emotions and conflicts feel real and each character must leave up to their decisions. It is not an easy thing and I felt Ms. Marr portrayed every character very well.

Aislinn is a stubborn young woman. She hates being kept in her Grams’ house so she keeps things a secret. She hates doing it but needs to find out what is wanted of her. Keenan, the Summer King, just wants life back to the way it was before his father died. He has no idea how difficult of a task it will be. These two fight to see eye to eye. Aislinn relies on her best friend Seth. Seth wants to protect her and keep her safe. He decides to do his own research to understand what Aislinn is dealing with.

This story is wonderfully written. I got swept up into it and couldn’t believe how awful some fairies can be. I have read enough stories but it still gets me every time. I want everyone to be good and that is not so. Ms. Marr truly impressed me and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

5 out of 5/ New author/ Young Adult Fiction/Fairies/ 328 pages

Evening by Susan Minot

Ann Lord is finally dying. She is remembering her life and her one great love Harris Arden. She met him at her best friends wedding forty years ago. So much happened in that one evening. She also remembers bits and pieces of when she was married to her different husbands and the lives she had with her five children. She is a woman who gave up her love of singing to take care of her children.

Susan Minot presents a story written in stream of consciousness style. One thought leads to the next but they are all connected. I have not read something like this in awhile and I really enjoyed it. She weaves a beautiful love story that changes one woman and one man forever.

Ann Lord has had quite the life. She has been married three times and has five children from them. She has cancer and has become complacent. She is not sure what is happening anymore. It is all coming back through her dreams and she has a difficult time placing memory from reality. Her children are there to keep watch over her but were smart by hiring a couple of nurses to help take care of her. Some things we just cannot do on our own.

This story was beautiful. It could be confusing at times if you are not used to this style. I have not read anything similar since Mrs. Dalloway in college and then I did not read the entire book. I recommend this book as a challenge. It is fairly short but it is so well done. I had a difficult time putting it down. I will certainly look at her other books.

264 pages/New Author/ Fiction/ Love Story/ 5 out of 5

I have two books to review but not sure I will get anything more posted review wise till I get back on Sunday from my cousin's wedding. :(

Promise of Grace by Bonnie K. Winn

Grace Stanton has to learn to start over again. She survives a serious accident only to lose her fiancé. He is not strong enough to stand with her. She can’t believe that this is all happening to her and makes her question her faith. She has a long way to recover and the only miracle in her life seems to be Noah Brady, a small town doctor. Noah sees that Grace needs more than TLC to heal her wounds. Can he reach her broken heart and restore her shattered faith as well?

Ms. Winn is a fabulous inspirational author. This story may happen to a lot of people after being in terrible car accidents but having faith helps us step up and get through things. At least that has been my experience. Ms. Winn does not make it an easy road and no one is perfect. There are a lot of doubts but things can progress slowly. That is the best way of doing things.

Grace is a normal girl in most ways. She lost both her parents and finally started to feel better when her world is turned upside down once again. She does not want to go to her Aunt Ruth’s house but then she does not have other options. Having someone accept her is the most important thing to Grace. But having a male doctor who goes beyond the call of duty surprises her most of all. Noah fights getting involved personally after things that happened in his past. He does not want to repeat any mistakes. But finding the joy that Grace does by slowly getting involved in the community warms his heart. He begins to wonder if he should share his feelings or keep them to himself.

This is a beautiful love story of how two equally yoked people can find joy after the storm. Ms. Winn really gets to the heart of things and shows that it truly is the inside that counts. Beauty will fade but changes in life can make your life better in the long run. I can’t wait to read more by this author! It was an uplifting joyful story.

251 pages/ Inspirational Romance/ New Author/ 5 out of 5

Well off to read two books for review and then back to my own pile. :)

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. :)