The Dead Town / Dean Koontz / 402 pages

This is the fifth and final volume in Koontz's Frankenstein series. Sorry to see this series end. Koontz does a fine job of creating both vile and saintly characters. In this final volume Victor Immaculate, the Clone of Victor Helios, nearly succeeds in creating his Communitarian society by using flesh-devouring Builders to kill nearly 4000 people in the little town of Rainbow Falls, Montana. Victor's goal is to annihilate every living thing on earth. Strong quirky characters join forces with Deucalion to save the town, destroy Victor and save the earth. Koontz uses humor, horror, action-filled plot, and the bizarre to hook readers. Recommended series.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart / Sarah MacLean 370 p.

Juliana Fiori, Italian, finds it easy to break the ton's society rules. Her scandalous nature makes her the talk of the town. Way far on the other side is Simon Pearson who goes the extra mile to avoid scandal. Is his life turned around when Juliana stows away in his carriage. He's ready to teach her about propriety and she thinks he needs to learn about passion. Both are surprised as they realize that opposites really do attract.

RT Reviewer's Choice Nominee

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This Old House Salvage-style projects / Amy R. Hughes 144 p.

This Old House magazine editor, Amy Hughes shares do-it-yourself projects utilizing salvage items. My favorite is the pot rack made from an iron window guard—very very easy. Need an outdoor bar, Amy’s got the project for you. And wish I had a shed out back to recycle into a delightful garden retreat. Each project has a supplies list, work time, cost and skill level, along with step-by-step clear instructions. Be ready to head out to the nearest salvage yard.

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Beastly by Alex Flinn/304 pages

Since this seems to be the year for retelling fairy tales, you might want to go back and read this Beauty and Beast remake by Alex Flinn. This book has been around for a few years and they even made a movie.  We did it again for our young adult book discussion and overall, gave it a thumbs up. Flinn has given the fairy tale a modern twist with a handsome, popular, rich boy living in New York City, Kyle Kingsbury. Kyle is superficial and believes that looks are very important. After making fun of the wrong person, she casts a spell on Kyle that seems impossible to break. The author  keeps some of the original themes, living in the castle, the roses and "Beauty's" father handing her over to the Beast. The group liked the modern twists, each chapter started with chat room dialogue from a support group for teens that have been transformed, i.e. mermaids, frogs, a little far-fetched but hey it's a fairy tale. Flinn has recently released a new novel "Bewitching" that tells the story of Kendra, the witch that put the spell on Kyle and turned him into the beast.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles/303 pages

Even though this novel was somewhat predictable, I did like it. I liked the characters and I liked the story. Caleb is returning home after  doing time in juvenile detention for driving drunk and then leaving the scene of an accident after he hits someone. The someone just happens to be his neighbor and his twin sister's best friend. Maggie survives, but has become a social outcast, mainly because of her disability and struggles to find a place to fit in with her so-called friends. The author does a good job showing how the accident affects Caleb and Maggie and  all the areas of their lives; school, home and romantic relationships. I didn't realize there was a sequel while I was reading this book,  the first book did not end with a "happily ever after", but I was satisfied with the ending. So I will definitely be reading the sequel Return to Paradise.  I would recommend this for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.

Undead and Unworthy/MaryJanice Davidson/285 pgs

In this book, the seventh in the series, Betsy discovers that it is not all marital bliss in the suburbs as her husband, Sinclair, takes up reading The Book of the Dead, she is hounded the ghost of her evil stepmother and she is as insufferable in death as in life, and a pack of once feral vampires decides to pay an unwelcome visit. She is still trying to adjust to being Queen of the Vampires plus trying to figure out what some of the new powers she seems to have acquired are and what they mean.

The Knitting Diaries/Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Christina Skye/347 pgs

This is a set of three short titles all with a basis of knitting and romance.

In the first one, "The Twenty-First Wish" by Debbie Macomber,
Anne Marie Roche and her adopted daughter, ten-year-old Ellen, have each written a list of twenty wishes. But Ellen has quietly added a twenty-first wish: that her mom will fall in love with Tim, Ellen's birth father, who's recently entered their lives. Of course Anne Marie is dating someone else but has had a crush on Tim. Will Ellen's wish come true??
The second title is "Coming Unraveled" by Susan Mallery. In this one, Robyn Mulligan had dreamed of becoming a Broadway star but when that doesn't work out, she returns to Texas, running her grandmother's knitting store. But the handsome, T. J. Passman isn't making it easy on her. If he can learn to trust and overcome his tragic past, they just might find a way to make all their dreams come true.

The final title is "Return to Summer Island" by Christina Skye. Caro had left Summer Island for the big city and to become a victims advocate but after she is hit by a car and is left with a terrible break to her arm, she returns home, unable to knit. While there she meets Gage Grayson, a marine who is returning to duty in Afghanistan in one day. She falls in love and help to take care of his pets and correspond with him while he is gone.

They are all very good romances and there are also knitting patterns with each story - if you knit - I don't.

Chocolate Covered Murder/Leslie Meier/249 pages

Winter in Tinker's Cove, Maine can give anyone the blahs, and Lucy Stone is no exception. She's feeling a little down and the realization that she's put on more than a few pounds doesn't help. She's looking forward to the Valentine's Day Ball that will headline the local winter travel promotion, Love is Best on the Coast. The new chocolate shop in town has created a stir by winning the title of Best Candy on the Coast, a title long held by another local shop, and by the behavior of the sexy, if somewhat trashy, manager. Lucy has her suspicions about the death of a local fisherman even after it's declared an accident. When another person ends up murdered, Lucy looks for the link between the deaths.

A couple of cozy mysteries in a row, so it's time to move onto another genre. It's time for vacation reading!

Breaking Stalin's Nose / Eugene Velchin / 150 pages

This children's book is a well-written, fascinating look into the past. It only spans two days in the life of Sasha, but they are life-changing. The author does set up all the background knowledge needed for reading the book, but it may be difficult for children today to grasp what that communist culture of the late '40's was really like. For me, reading it, was affirmation of what I had always heard and believed about the Soviet Union. People betraying each other and living in fear of the secret police.

I loved how he showed indoctrination in progress in the classroom and the deep need and desire to be a Young Pioneer. I think this book would be a great book for children and all ages to read and discuss. It only took me an hour to read the book so it would not be a burden to read. The author left Soviet Union when he was 27 so he knows what he is talking about. There is also a great website: www.breakingstalinsnose.com

I can't imagine what it would be like to never be free to say or do what you want for fear of being watched and arrested. This is a must read. It is also a Newberry Honor Book.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder / Joanne Fluke / 336 Pages

This is the first book featuring Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar, a local business in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Early one morning she discovers a body, that of her milk delivery man, Ron. He was shot in the alley behind her store on the way to deliver her daily dairy items. She finds herself involved in the case when her brother-in-law, Bill, needs her help in solving the case so he can get his big promotion to detective. She gets into lots of trouble along the way but always manages to get out of it, especially when she brings along her famous cookies to share with those she needs to "interrogate." The book is full of delicious-sounding cookie recipes that were mentioned in the book. Overall, this was a nice cozy mystery with enough going on to keep you reading. I look forward to reading the second of the Hannah Swensen mysteries.

Victims/Jonathan Kellerman/338 pgs.

This is another "Alex Delaware" featured novel which usually guarantees a fast, puzzling mystery--this one is no exception. A murderer is loose--his signature kill involves removing his victims' intestines. Lieutenant Detective Milo Sturgis brings Alex Delaware, a psychologist, in as a consultant. Trying to figure out the connection of the victims to the murderer comprises the heart of this mystery. This is another solid entry in the Alex Delaware series.

Damned: Life is Short. Death is Forever / Chuck Palahniuk / 247 p.

A strange story about a 13 year old girl named Madision who dies and finds herself in hell.  There really is no plot just the character rambling around and making a place for herself in hell.  In Palahniuk style there are moments of prickly satire and genius observations, but mainly this book suffered from long winded descriptions of the disgusting landscape or the unsavory actions of the people who inhabit the underworld.  There were quite a few times that I wished I was not listening to this book while trying to eat during my lunch break.  The book also gets a little redundant, with every chapter starting out with, "Are you there Satan? It's me Madison..."  After the 20th time I just wanted to roll my eyes and scream "ENOUGH ALREADY!!"

If you like snarky comments and have read Chuck Palahniuk before, you might want to give this title a try.  Otherwise...pass.

Homeport/Nora Roberts/456 pgs

Dr. Miranda Jones, an art historian, comes home and is mugged in her driveway. The same day, her mother calls her from Florence Italy and needs her to come right away and check out a bronze 15th century statue of the Dark Lady, one of Michelangelo's mistresses. But soon her reputation is in shambles and she meets a very handsome art thief, Ryan Boldari, when he wants to know why the bronze statue he just stole is a fake. Miranda and Ryan are soon involved in a plot to bring Miranda down, which includes stolen statues and murder.

Sacred and Profane/Faye Kellerman/311 pgs

This is the second title in the Decker/Lazarus series. While on a camping trip with Rina's 2 sons, Decker finds the bodies of two young women. His investigation into the murders leads him into the world of snuff movies and pornography. All the while, he is going thru training for converting to Judaism. Stories are little slow.

Only Mine/Susan Mallery/379 pgs

This is Dakota Hendrix's story. She has been loaned to the production company of a reality show - True Love or Fool's Gold and she is screening eligible bachelors. Two of the contestants are twins and their older brother Finn Anderssen will do anything to keep his twin brothers off the show. He ends up staying in Fool's Gold as the pilot for the show and romance ensues. Another good Fool's Gold story.

Chime by Franny Billingsley/361 pages

Briony has a secret. She thinks her secret killed her stepmother, damaged her twin sister's mind and now her secret threatens all the children of Swampsea. I thought it was hard to get into this story, hard to like Briony and her guilt ridden dialogue. But after awhile, she grew on me. I liked the setting, a magical swamp where Boggy Mun can strike people dead with the swamp cough and Mucky Face, a monster from the swamp calls Briony mistress. Takes place at the turn of century and witches, and those thought to be,  are hung for sport. Briony is convinced she is a witch and will be hung for her past secrets. Then comes Eldric, the swamp drainer's son, a very likeable and handsome young man who finds Briony and her twin sister enchanting and makes Briony forget to hate herself.

As one reviewer said, "large parts of my brain checked out as I tried to grapple with the sequence of events, none of which are tied together by traditional means. Chapters abruptly begin, abandoning the locations, focus, or characters of a previous chapter. Things happen suddenly with no explanation. Someone loses a hand at one point and I'm still not entirely clear how it happened. "

I am Half-Sick of Shadows / Alan Bradley / 293 pages

I love these Flavia de Luce mysteries set in Buckshaw, a crumbling British manor home. The books are quaint, humorous, alive with interesting characters, and all round satisfying. Flavia, the 11 year old youngest daughter in a poor aristocratic family, is a chemist and loves poisons. She has insatiable curiosity and never seems to quail when discovering dead bodies. Half-Sick of Shadows is the 4th book (and one of the best) in the series. While these books are in the adult collection, teens and those precocious young readers who are looking for good books that aren't too "mature" would also enjoy reading about Flavia, her family, her passion for chemistry and her logical approach to solving mysteries. Can't wait to read the next Flavia de Luce mystery.