Friday, August 31, 2012

Step-Ball-Change/Jeanne Ray/226 pages

Caroline and Tom have just sat down to a hot meal together, just the two of them, when the phone rings. Their only daughter, Kay, is crying on the other end. While Caroline is trying to calm her down, the "kid's line" (remember those? before everyone had their own cell phone?) rings. Caroline's sister, Taffy, is on that phone, hysterical because her husband is leaving her for a much younger business associate. Since Caroline and Taffy have never been close, Taffy's decision to stay with her and Tom for a while puts Caroline in a bit of a tizzy. Kay, on the other hand, was crying tears of joy. She had just become engaged to the very handsome and extremely rich Trey Bennett. But, is Trey really the one she wants? Add to the mix a contractor who started out building a Florida room and is now a permanent fixture while he repairs a cracking foundation, and it is funny, realistic story about how families cope with life.

Such a fun and down-to-earth book! There is a scene where seven people are eating dinner together and the dialogue across the table and between different groups of people is so realistic, it is a delight to read. Caroline is the owner of a dance studio, and dance plays a big part in the story. After all those years of sitting through and listening to my daughter's dance classes, I know what a Step Ball Change is, and I can even do that plus a Shuffle Step and a Shim Sham and more. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick / Joe Schreiber / 190 pages

"Crammed with car heists, hits, henchmen, Russian mobsters, prom night, and even a bear fight," Au Revior Crazy European Chick is a "pedal-to-the-floor, rapid-fire thrill ride that will hold you captive to the last page."  The Stormaire's host a foreign exchange student from Lithuania, Gobi Zaksauskas, during Perry's senior year in high school.  Gobi is a strange duck, to say the least, and suffers from epilipsy...and a past.  Perry has a band, a parttime job in his father's law office, and college applications to complete.  His goal is to attend Columbia.  His mom suggests he take Gobi to the prom even though his band has a gig that night.  At the prom, Gobi sends several bullies to the hospital, then hijacks Perry and his father's red jag for a special asassination mission in the Big Apple.  Each chapter is prefaced with a question pulled college application essays from around the U. S. that have direct bearing on the chapter contents.  This book was a total surprise from start to finish.  Are we so desensitized to violence that the muder and mayhem that  occur within the story only serve as backround?

Secret Daughter / Shilpi Somaya Gowda / 358 pages / R. T. Reviewer's Choice Award 2012

The St. Lake City Dessert News says that "Secret Daughter is spellbinding...readers will have a hard time putting this novel down." ...Too True!  Featuring quick shifts between protagonists and cultures, Secret Daughter is a touching story of maternal love, self-determination, and the fragility and intricacy of marital love.  Kavita spirits her second born daughter to an orphanage in Mumbai to spare her from death - the fate of her first born daughter.  Somer is an American doctor married to an Indian doctor in San Francisco, California.  When she suffers two miscarriages and discovers that she will never be able to have children, she decides to adopt.  As fate would have it, she and Kris adopt Asha (Usha), Kavits's daughter.  Secret Daughter is an "awesome story of the unforeseen ways in which our choices and families affect our lives and the indelible power of love in all its forms."

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."  Ghandi

The Sea of Monsters/Rick Riordan/279 pgs.

This is book 2 in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series.  Percy Jackson's 7th grade school year was pretty uneventful until some monsters show up to engage in a deadly game of dodge ball.  On top of that, the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been compromised, leaving the safe haven for demi-gods in danger. There is plenty of action, humor, and adventure. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

The Devil Colony, a sigma Force Novel / James Rollins / 480 pages

If you read one of James Rollins' novels, you will be compelled to read them all.  Knowledgeable, insightful, and inspiring, they feature historic and/or biblical events and personages in cataclismic modern day adventrues.  Did Thomas Jefferson commission the Lewis and Clark Expedition to spy on the native Americans who knew the secets of one the lost tribes of Israel?  Was Lewis's death murder?  This is an amazing book written by a Missouri native.

Something Like Hope / Shawn Goodman / 193 pages

"Because no one is faithful.  Not parents, teachers, guards, boyfriends, or girlfriends.  No one.  What's it feel like to know that someone in your life is faithful?  Is that what real love is?"  Seventeen year old Shavonne is in a correctional facility for juveniles.  She had a baby when she was almost 16 who was placed with a foster mom.  Shavonne is always angry and afraid.  An inner voice tells her to "run away, hit somebody, curse somebody out."  She's compelled to follow the inner voice...until Mr. Delpopolo tells her she can "either choose one way or the other.  And the choice sets you in a certain direction."  This heartbreaking story of frightfully abused children stresses the importance of forgiveness, faith, and hope.

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Close to Famous / Joan Bauer / 250 pages

Foster McFee's brain closes up when she opens a book.  She almost flunked sixth grade because of it.  She is an excellent cook, however, develops her own recipes, and hopes to star in her own cooking show.  Her dad died in Iraq and her mom just broke up with an Elvis impersonator.  She and her mom fled Memphis when Huck hit her mom and broke their window.  They arrived in Culpepper, West Virginia.  Here she meets a famous& difficult movie star, a runner, a doc-maker, the daughter of the hardware store owner, et al.  She is "going to make the world a better place one cupcake at a time."  Excellent read!

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 21013-14

Sparrow Road / Sheila O'Connor / 247 pages

Twelve year old Raine O'Rourke has come with her mother to Sparrow Road, a former orphanage.  The grounds now host an artist colony with strict rules for silence.  Raine's mother has been hired as maid and cook, but receives lots of help from the artists.  She has taken the job to meet with Raine's dad, Gray.  He and her mom had met in Amsterdam where they both were singers and musicians.  Gray's drinking shattered the family and Raine hasn't seen him since she was three.  Raine learns much from the artists of Sparrow Road, including to think in terms of what if or what could be.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Iced: Reagen Reilly Series, Book 3 / Carol Higgins Clark. 369 pages

Reagen Reilly becomes embroiled in an art heist investigation as she visits her parents in Aspen, Colorado.  Their caretaker allegedly absconded with artwork from two homes and is now missing.  He has been abducted by the real thieves and is being held captive.  The case is solved on the night of the grand opening of her friend Louis's inn.  Iced is humorous but a bit too predictable and the real criminals not very believable.

Trapped / Michael Northrup / 232 pages

"This isn't about boy meets girl.  It's about survival."  Eight people are left stranded at Tattawa Regional High School when a week long nor'easter blizzard brought 8 feet of snow.  One teacher, Ms. Gossell, went for help, but the kids don't know what happened to him.  He never came back.  The power fails, the heat doesn't work, pipes burst so there is no water, food is only available in limited supplies through dark runs to the cafeteria...and the roof is collapsing.  Scotty Weeks builds a pair of clumsy snow shoes after the sled Jason built flips.  He sets out to help Pete...but "you get mean pushing yourself past exhaustion in the freezing cold on the day your friend died."  Is Scotty a hero?..

Occam's razor - The simplest solution is usually the best one.

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Exposed / Kimberly Marcus / 260 pages

"Like an unprotected photograph, some friendships fade.  People grow apart, lose touch, unravel."  This is not what happened to BFF's Kate and Liz.  Their friendship is torn asunder by the rape of Kate by Mike, Liz's college age brother, at a sleep-over at their house.  "Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse,"  Exposed explores the aftershocks of the rape accusations and trial as Liz's world shift out of focus and everything she thought she knew about - photography, family, friends, and herself - is called into question.  This is an amazing cautionary tale with resources.

"When you trust your point of view, that's when you start taking pictures."

Best of the Best 2012
Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Vanished / Sheela Chari / 330 pages / August Challenge - Asia

"A veena is a stringed instrument from India dating back to the 11th century.  It's made from jackwood and played by plucking the strings...All veenas have some kind of animal decorations.  It's for luck." Neela has her grandmother's veena.  It is the maya veena - a cursed instrument that keeps disappearing.  It is stolen when Neela runs into a church to get out of the rain...And then is stolen several more times.  Each person involved with the veena engages in some form of deception.  Neela had "lied, spied on people, and broken into a church computer, just to get closer to the veena."  Neela and her friends solve the veena's mystery and Neela's altruistic gift is heartwarmingly commendable.   "Vanished isn't just a story about the balance between good and evil, but also how we can sometimes overlook the very things that we love."

"Sometimes when you have something precious it interferes with the rest of your life."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Barely a Lady / Eileen Dreyer 418 p.

Jack Wyndham divorced Olivia Grace years before, but finding him wounded on the battlefield, dressed in a French uniform, she is goaded into action to save him being named a traitor and to haul him back to a makeshift hospital in the home of Lady Kate. Jack awakes with only the memory that Olivia is still his wife nothing of the past five years. These five years have been horrific for her-- very limited opportunites for work, cast out by her family, and hunted by his family. To aid his recovery she pretends to be his loving wife. With a cast of interesting characters, she seeks to clear his name and perhaps hers, too. His cousin Gervaise seems to be around when there is trouble…whisperings of her gambling problem, flirtations and love affairs. Will Jack remember all? Clear his name? Find love again?

Monday, August 27, 2012

Walking Dead: Days Gone By (Vol. 1) / Robert Kirkman / 144 pgs.

In the introduction to this first volume of "The Walking Dead" series, writer Kirkman explains that rather than a simple gorefest, his goal was to create a character-based storyline which realistically shows what one person might face when civilization collapses.

The story's main character is police officer Rick Grimes who wakes up from a coma and finds that his whole town has been turned into Zombies.  He desperately wanders around trying to figure out what happened, what's going on, and where his friends and family went.  Along the way he picks up information and a few survival tips from the remaining survivors who have yet to be zombiefied. 

A bit of a slow start, but there is plenty of gore and the details of the zombies with their flesh rotting off and body parts missing is enough to gross out even those with the strongest of constitutions.  The end of the volume sets up a larger storyline so you know that this series will have a lot more coming. 

On a side note: I have watched a few episodes of the TV series from the first season, and the show follows along pretty closely with only a few sequence changes here and there. 

The Divining / Barbara Wood / 373 pages

Rome, 54 C.E.  This book takes place during the reign of Nero.  Ulrika, the daughter of a Roman citizen and a German barbarian, is a healer.  She has her bag of medicines and herbs which she learned to use from her mother.  She also has a gift for seeing visions.  she doesn't know how to control it at the beginning of the book and thinks it is a sickness to be dealt with.  the story is her journey in which she learns about her visions and how to control and use them . along the way, she travels with caravans, meets the barbarians, finds her true love, and completes herself.  It is a good Barbara Wood book, but not her riveting best.  It is a good panorama of early Roman world from Germany to China.

Little Night/Luanne Rice/321 pgs.

This is the story of Clare Burke's life, and that of her sister, Anne.  In the first chapter the reader learns that Clare has tried to rescue her sister (and niece and nephew) from Frederick, Anne's abusive husband. This results in Clare being sent to prison for attempted murder. The book then skips ahead to the present, in this case 2011, when Anne's daughter, Grit, appears on Clare's doorstep wanting to spend time with her. Clare hasn't seen Grit in 18 years, and hasn't heard from Anne since she had been in prison. The story is told sometimes in Clare's voice, and sometimes Anne's voice. It is a great story about family dynamics, the secrets that exist in families, and how the family members cope. I highly recommend this book--it would be a great book discussion title.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Line of Fire/ Stephen White/ 371 pages

The latest in the in the Dr. Alan Gregory series finds no new homicides. Instead, Alan and Sam, his Boulder police detective friend, have to deal with the possibility that an old secret may come to light. Set against the backdrop of Colorado wildfires, White's story-telling gift brings many of his previous books together in tense story of two friends trying to cover their tracks. Sam made a decision years earlier to protect his and Alan's family from a real threat. Now a previously undiscovered witness and a blackmailer may bring down both men.

I was so excited to get this book that I actually waited 2 days to start it because I knew it wouldn't last long enough. I wasn't disappointed. I am sorry to report that White has announced that this is the second to last Alan Gregory installment. He wraps up many stories in this one, and I'm expecting everything to be tied up in the next one. I just wish he would write faster! Although, knowing we are nearing the end, I'm glad to draw it out. Hopefully, there are other stories to tell from White. And, oh, his Boulder is somewhere I'm dying to visit.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Sunday Morning Quilts: 16 Modern Scrap Projects: Sort, Store, and Use Every Last Bit of Your Treasured Fabrics / Amanda Jean nyberg/ 144 pg

I loved this book. There are some many great ideas. I personally am a fan of Modern Quilts that don't take a lot of time and this book delivers. I already saved a few to make for the holidays.

Baby Times: 24 handmade treasures for baby & mom: quilts, soft toys, gifts/ Abby Lane Quilts/ 144 pg

Really cute projects here and very low level of skills needed. Perfect for quick homemade gifts.

Immortal in Death/ JD Robb/ 32 pg

This series continues to hold my attention despite reading 3 in a row. Dallas' flashbacks to her brutual childhood are getting worse and harder to read, but I am hoping this is the last book that they appear in. In tis installment Dallas investigates the murder of a fashion model and her best friend Mavis is the accused. At the same time she is prepping for her marriage to Roarke. I wish Robb had held off on the love and larriage bit a while longer, I would have liked to see their relationship develop a little slower rather than leaping forward. I guess that's the Nora Roberts way though. Overall great and I can't wait to start the next one.

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine/ Marjoru Sharmat/ 80 pg

Again, with the nasty comments from Nate. This ones ends with him hiding in the doghouse to avoid a valentine Rosamond sent him-not nice at all. Plus I have had to read every night for the past 2 weeks-yikes.

Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize/ Marjorie Sharmat/ 80pg

I don't think I like Nate the Great so much. He's kind off a rude kid. He calls the other kids strange and says he never wants to go to there houses. Unfortunately I am overruled by an almost five year old. I am happy that she loves the odd girl Rosamond the best and doesn't seem to notice how rude Nate is.

Doughnuts:simple and delicious recipes to make at home/ Lara Ferroni/ 128 pg

I will admit that my family eats way too many doughnuts so I thought I would give this cookbook a try. The recipes are pretty simple but you need a doughnut maker for most. The few that don't require that are great though.

Hot Sauce!: techniques for making signature hot sauces/Jennifer Trainer Thompson/ 192 pg

I come from a family that loves spicy food and homemade gifts, so guess what everyone's getting for xmas? The recipes are pretty easy to follow but some do call for odd ingredients. There is a section on how to prepare the sauces and how to bottle them to last for up to a year. The pictures are great too and that always counts in a cookbook.

Brave/Elle Risco/64 pg

Picture book version of the movie. I don't think my daughter enjoyed the movie as much as I wanted her too, but this book has renewed her interest. And it's way better than Barbie.

Defending Jacob / William Landay / 421 pgs.

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. When a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. As the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own-- between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he's tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

How far would you go and what would you do for your child?  What is your responsibly to society if you know that a loved one has a mental condition that requires monitoring?  This book delves into the issues of nature vs. nurture, genetics, loyalty and ethics.  It alternates between the courtroom trial and the Barber's family history.  The courtroom dialog style makes this a quick read, and the plot line brings up some ideas to really make you think.  Highly recommended. 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans/ W. Bruce Cameron/ 319 pages

W. Bruce Cameron writes this story of one dog who lives multiple lives. The dog keeps being reborn as a puppy, but he retains the lessons he learned in the previous life. Along the way, he/she learns to be a very good dog to each of his owners. His owners aren't always the best humans, however.

This is a Gateway Readers Award nominee for 2012-2013. If it's a nominee and there's a dog in it, then you know the dog must die. But this is like reading Marley and Me three times and Tuesdays with Morris to top it off. These Young Adult titles are killing me! But now I'm ready for Book Club this month!

Slightly Dangerous / Mary Balogh 415 p.

Mary Balogh completes the Bedwyn saga with the romance of the Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle. Bewcastle is known for his icy reserve, control, and aloofness. He has been satisfied with his mistress; but she has died. He accepts a invitation to a house party of friend, where he meets Christine Derrick, the impoverished widow of a viscount's brother. Two more unlikely lovers, yet when they meet, he realizes that he needs a mistress...her. She still feels the after effects of her loss. She puzzles over how her love match went awry. She tries to stifle her outgoing friendly nature. Even though, she piques his interest. She declines becoming his mistress. He finds himself thinking of her. His family is amazed that he goes to the length of inviting her family so she can come to his home. They sense romance and rally around to give him opportunities to be with her alone. Told with wit and humor, Balogh finishes the Bedwyn's with a flourish.

Scarlet Thread / Francine Rivers 462 p.

Sierra Madrid seems to have the happy life-- married, two children, nice home in their hometown. Then her husband, Alex, comes home and says he is taking a new job where he can fully use his talents. Sierra is a homebody. She moves but with loads of resentment. Alex never discussed this move. Alex seems to miss her concerns about money. This new company is young. He's going for all the perks, big house, top interior designer, and private schools for the children. The family starts to fall apart, she and her husband separate, and divorce is eminent. She comes to read her ancestor's diary and study the ancestor's quilt with scarlet thread. Mary Kathryn, too, had to move against her will with her husband. Sierra has several personal revelations that drive her to changes as she moves towards faith and redemption. Rivers works scenes that seem so authentic. A worthwhile Christian fiction read, one that bears re-reading.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Cool, Calm and Contentious/ Merrill Markoe/ 269 pages

The title of this book just grabbed me, so I grabbed it without really knowing who Merrill Markoe was. I thought her name sounded familiar, but I just couldn't place it. Sue B. reminded me that she was once in a long-term relationship with David Letterman. Obviously, that little fact was something she didn't put on the back flap, but it was one of the many things she wrote about in the book. Of course, she changed the name to protect herself from litigation. Markoe touches on many aspects of her life. Her relationship with her parents (her mother in particular) is really a lesson on how not to raise a child. Unless, of course, you want the child to go into comedy. Markoe has a theory about that.

This was a very entertaining read even though it sometimes deals with some heavy subjects.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Ransom River/Meg Gardiner/357 pgs.

This is a stand-alone novel by Meg Gardiner, and quite a riveting one. Rory Mackenzie is a juror in a high-profile murder case in her old hometown of Ransom River, California--a place she had hoped never to see again. The trial goes badly, and old history is dug up. It's a fast paced story, with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this if you like thrillers and mysteries (with a little romance) all rolled into one.

Summer Nights/Susan Mallery/378 pgs.

This is one of Susan Mallery's "Fool's Gold" romances. If you are unfamiliar with this series, it is comparable to a Debbie Macomber series: the characters live in the same town, and they each have a "story." In this case, the local librarian, Annabelle Weiss,  is trying to raise money to procure a bookmobile for the town of Fool's Gold. This results in her meeting Shane Stryker, who becomes involved in teaching her how to ride a horse. Sparks fly, but each has baggage to deal with before becoming seriously involved with the other. The characters are fun, and the reader knows that there are plenty of stories left to be told of the people of Fool's Gold.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Grave Mercy / Robin LaFevers / 549 pages

What drew me to this book?  It's about a convent of assassin nuns.  Turns out it was a great story that takes place in Brittany in the late 15th century, a time of arranged marriages, nobility, political intrigue, and belief in the old Gods.  At age 14 Ismae escapes from a brutal father and arranged marriage to the local pig farmer.  She escapes and is taken to a convent of nuns who train novitiates in the art of death since they worship Mortain, the God of Death.  At age 17 her assignment takes her to the court of Anne, the young Duchess who is struggling to save Brittany from the clutches of France and her own politically arranged marriage.  Here you have romance, political intrigue, a castle with secret passages, knights, traitors, spies, courtesans, feminism, and lots more to keep you reading.  Ismae must decide whether to follow her own heart or the directions of the convent.  Does she see herself as an instrument of vengeance or mercy?  Dark Triumph, the next book appears in spring 2013.  With so many adults reading YA lit, I wonder if writers are trying to make their books appealing to both audiences by using more mature characters?

Summer at Forsaken Lake / Michael D. Beil / 330 pages

I am such a sucker for stories about kids on vacation at the ocean, a lake or at camp.  Michael Beil fills the bill with Summer at Forsaken Lake in which Nicholas (age 12) and his "annoying" twin sisters (age 10) are sent from NYC to a small town in Ohio to spend their summer on the lake with Great-Uncle Nick and his dog Pistol.   Nicholas gets to stay in the tower room which is the same room is father stayed in as a boy.  He learns to sail, meets and becomes good friends with a girl named Charlie who can throw a wicked curve ball, and solves the mystery of why his father never came back to Forsaken Lake.  A good wholesome story.  Besides, the town librarian is awesome. May appeal to fans of the Penderwicks.  Enjoyed listening to this one on CD narrated by Thomas Vincent Kelly.

The Glass Castle/ Jeannette Walls/ 288 pages

I read this book for book club and had no idea what to expect.   What a heartwrenching story.  This takes place over the author's lifetime starting when she was 3 years old and caught fire cooking for herself.   Her parents do nothing to try to really provide for their children.  The father is an alcoholic and the mother longs to be an artist.  Despite it all the children remain close.  I recommend this book to anyone--I think it's good to be aware of how differently people might choose to live.

The Age of Desire / Jennie Fields / 352 pages

This is a moving account of author Edith Wharton's life in turn-of-the-century Paris, New York, and Lenox, Massachusetts (The Mount).  Interwoven are Edith's real letters and diary entries as she attempts to come to terms with her difficult mother's legacy, her mistaken marriage to Teddy, her disastrous affair with Morton Fullerton, and her lifelong friendship with Anna Bahlmann, her governess/ secretary.

Graffiti Moon / Catherine Crowley / 259 pages / August Challenge - Australia

Lucy wants to meet Shadow.  He is a graffiti artist who paints with The Poet who accompanies his illegal drawings with poetry.  Unbeknownst to Lucy, she has not only met Shadow, she has broken his nose - on their first and only date.  She has built an impression of Shadow making him a legend in her own mind, and fails to reconcile Ed, a drop out with hidden reading difficulties who worked in a local paint store so that his mom can go to nursing school, with his true identity.  Lucy is  an apprentice glass blower and their mutual interest in art gives common ground to explore a relationship beyond friendship.

Jefferson's Sons / Kimberly Bradley / 360 pages / Notable Children's Recordings 2012

This is an excellent fictional account of the invisible children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.  Jefferson promised to free each child upon their 21st birthday.  Since they were 7/8 white they were legally white, but since they were born to a slave, they were slaves.  They were not to call the master Pappa.  They did, however, receive favorable treatment, but often resented their father's negligence.  How could the man who wrote " all men are created equal" own slaves?

Blending Time / Michael Kinch / 254 pages / August Challenge - Africa

Jaym Johansen is approaching cut-off.  If he does not find a job, he will be sent to work in the canal...or go in to the infantry.  It is 2069.  Everyone must wear a breather outdoors, electricity is spotty, and water is rationed.  "The Global Alliance has replaced the United Nations, but with a much stronger hand to enforce peace."  Seventeen year olds - s'teeneers - are assigned jobs by the government.  Jaym, D'Shay, and Reya elect to be colonists/blenders in Africa to escape less favorable options.  Life in Africa, and their assignments, prove to be intensely problematic in this riveting dystopian tale.

Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom / Tim Byrd / 186 pages / August Challenge - South America

Although this is not a graphic novel, it reads very much like a comic book.  It has all the action and thrills and quick plot twists and even strategically placed word balloons.  Doc Wilde, Brian and Wren Wilde, Phineas Bartlett and Declan Mac Coul fly their autogyro, Colibri (French for hummingbird) to the the " republic of Hildago, a South American country nestled in the vast region between Brazil, Columbia, and Peru.  It is a land of rain forests and mountains with the mighty Amazon River rushing west to east through its heart."  Their mission is to rescue Grandfather Wilde from the mysterious Frogon and dark matter forces, and ultimately to save the world.  Great fun and nonstop adventure and great literary quotes throughout make this a most  enjoyable read!

The Antacrtic Scoop / Lucy Jane Bledsoe / 168 pages / August Challenge - Antarctica

"Antarctica, the southernmost continent, [is]a land of ice and sky."  Twelve-year-old Victoria has won first place in the Wild X-Plorer science contest.  The prize is a trip to Antarctica where the student will be the "the protagonist for the launch of [a] new on-line adventure travel series."  Even though Vicky had hacked into the school's database and changed the grades of a school bully and re-written a counselor's report on Vicky and the principal declares her ineligible, Ms. Madeleine Sinclair insists that Vicky will go.  They are both "renegades, innovators, on the cutting edge, pioneers, explorers."  Unfortunately, the expedition has ulterior motives - to open Antarctica to tourism.  Victoria and Alexander, the contest runner -up, engage in a plan via e-mails, to thwart Wadco and Madeleine.  Great information on Antarctica, orcas, Adelie penguins, the South Pole telescope.

Antarctica "felt just like herself, sometimes flat and cold, but a gateway to the stars, a place of aching hurt and beauty."
"You have to be able to imagine something before you can prove or disprove its existence."

Pun-ished! / David Lubar / 96 pages

Benedict settles for "friend of the century" when he fails to qualify for "student-of-the-month".  He pretended his pants were on fire to save his friend, Logan, from getting in trouble in school.  Caught misbehaving in the library, Logan is pun-ished.  He is given three quests.  He must find 7 oxymorons - a phrase where the 2 parts have opposite meanings.  He must find 7 anagrams - take a word and use all the letters to make another word.  And he must find 7 palindromes - a word spelled the same backwards & forwards.  If successful, he will be released from his pun-ishment of speaking in puns.  Fun read!!

Crossed by Ally Condie/367 pages

"Crossed"  is book 2 in the  popular Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie. Cassia, the main character, has made her way to the outer provinces to find Ky, who has escaped from the "society" into the treacherous canyons in search of the rebellion. Cassia and her small group of rebel friends scale canyon walls, delve into caves and traverse rivers in search of Ky and the rebellion. Then they find Ky and scale a few more walls, delve into some more caves and traverse some more rivers. I was expecting more from this author after  enjoying the story and the characters in "Matched", but this book was pretty boring. We still don't know who the society is, why Ky's name was in the pool, are there any rebels out there, where are the other provinces, etc. Lots of poetry and reflecting,  no action.  "Reached" is the final book in the trilogy, due out in late 2012, hopefully that's when the action will start.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Point to Point Navigation / Gore Vidal 277 p.

Gore Vidal presents a sequel to his popular memoir Palimpsest for the years 1964-2006. In the Navy during World War II, Vidal used point to point navigation when compasses failed. And this memoir went from interesting point to another, not necessarily in chronological order. A fascinating self-portrait of a writer whose knew such luminaries as JFK, Tennessee Williams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Orson Welles, Greta Garbo, and others. He mastered not only historical writing but also screenwriting and novels. He enjoyed talking politics. His politics may have been influenced by his grandfather, Senator Thomas Gore. The senator was blind so Gore read for him. His father established 3 airlines; one with Amelia Earhart. So he knew many people. The account of the death of his long time companion Howard Austen is particularly moving. Johnny Carson seemed to hit it off--they laughed at the same things. Some labeled him a political and literary troublemaker.

I went for something very different from my normal readings for this selection for my North America Continent entry.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Next Always / Nora Roberts / 341 pages

I read the second book of the Boonesboro trilogy and this is the first.   Three brothers are restoring an old inn to become a family owned bed & breakfast.  Of course they are all very competent and handsome, etc.  They do cuss, but I sure that it's because they are "blue collar" workers.  In this book, the romance is between Beckett and Claire.  Claire is a widow with three boys of her own.  oh, yes, there is also a ghost at the inn who figures as an important character.  It is classic Nora Roberts and will be quite satisfying to her fans.

New Reading Challenge!

August's Reading Challenge:

Pack your bags Readers!!   I LOVE to travel, so for this challenge try to read one book from each of the 7 continents.   The book can be set in, be about, or the author can be from one of the seven continents (ie. Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, & Australia).  You will get "5" bonus points for each book read in this challenge (you can only do this list once) for a total of 35 points!  Happy Travels!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Otherwise Engaged/Suzanne Brockmann/291 pgs.

This is the third in the "Sunrise Key" trilogy. Molly Cassidy has inherited the Kirk Estate, and hopes to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. Billionaire Preston Seaholm owns the biggest resort on Sunrise Key, and wants to buy the Kirk Estate. Molly, however, looks at the Kirk Estate as a new start for her 10-year-old son, Zander, and herself.  Of course, sparks fly between Molly and "Pres" but each has her/his past to overcome. It's an enjoyable read, and Brockmann gives more depth to her characters than one usually finds in a Harlequin-type romance.

Mummies in the Morning/Mary Pope Osborne/80 pages

Well if nothing else, this series is helping me with this months challenge. This one was actually pretty good. The kids meet a queen of ancient Egypt and they help her find her way to the underworld.

Dingoes at Dinnertime/Mary pope Osborne/96 pages

We had to read this one out of order because it was the only one in the series available when my daughter turned in her summer reading sheet. The usual suspects, the usual plot. Apparently that never gets old if you are 4.

Girl in the Arena/Lise Haines/336 pages

This book reminded me of reality TV. It would make a great movie and I am surprised it hasn't been made yet. Set in the near future, the sport of Gladiator has returrned and their is an entire culture built up around it. Lyn is the daughter of seven gladiators, meaning her both has married an dburied seven gladiator husbands. She is a minor celebrity on her own but when her last father dies in the ring and his opponant picks up her dowry bracelet (thus engaging the two) she becomes a media sensation. She is torn between the life she wants and the one she is expected to want. Overall a great read.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Loose Ends / Tara Janzen / 389 pages / R. T. Reviewer's Choice Award

The violence in this book is reminiscent of Grendel in Beowulf.  Randolph Lancaster, a Washington, DC politician and director of LeedTech, has been selling top U.S. soldiers to labs in Southeast Asia to create super killing machines.  One of the experiments, Conroy Farrel, a.k.a, J. T. Chronopolous, escaped without his memory and is a prisoner to an assortment of pills which keep his death at bay.  Lancaster has come to Denver to recover his prize.  J. T. has been lured to Denver by the SDF - Special Defense Force - a conglomeration of old chop shop friends and super soldiers, who want to help him.  This book has nonstop, edge-of-your-seat action and something for nearly everyone - muscle cars, Dickensonian pickpockets, dedication, valor...and romance.

"Politics and war were just different names for power, and the price of power was predictably high and could be precisely measured - in dollars, yen, euros, rubles, riyals, and blood."

Thunder Over Kandahar / Sharon E. McKay / 260 pages / Notable Children's Recording 2012

Educating girls is against the law of the Taliban.  Women are considered inferior beings who must always be covered and accompanied by a man when outside the home.  This is the culture in which Yasmine and Tamanna find themselves.  Yasmine's parents felt the call to return to their native Afghanistan.  Her mom attended Radcliffe and her dad attended oxford.  In Afghanistan they are called spies, ostracized, and her father loses his teaching position.  Tamanna is hired as companion to Yasmine and briefly escapes her cruel uncle.  The tale of their miraculous escape and reunification in horrifying and gratifying.  A most recommended read!!

Michael Phelps, Swimming for Olympic Gold / David P. Torsiello / 48 pages

This book is part of the Celebrity Biography series.  It tells of Michael Phelps's extraordinary rise to Olympic stardom.  Life has not been especially kind to Michael.  He endured bullies, the divorce of his parents, grueling practices, and his every mistake closely followed and documented by the media.  His success story is a must read for would be champion swimmers.

Darkness at Dawn / Elizabeth Jennings / 294 pages / R. T. Reviewer's Choice Award

This is a post 9/11 tale of intrigue, death, weapons of mass destruction, an almost mythical palace, extraordinary dedication, and true love - something for everyone.  Islamic Jihad has engineered a bio-weapon, a virus, that kills within 24 hours and disintegrates the body.  A three-pronged attack has been instigated - the U.S., Israel, and India.  Simultaneously, a power-mad general in Nhala - a small kingdom in the Himalayas, is killing the king and plans to marry his sister to become king.  It was he who gave permission for the bio-weapon plant to be built on Nhalan soil.  The CIA operative who managed to get word to the States died of the disease but left a flash drive on his body.  Lucy Merritt and Captain Mike Shafer are sent to retrieve the flash drive and save the kingdom of Nhala.  I really enjoyed this book!!

The Unforgotten Coat / Frank Cottrell Booyce / 42 pages / Notable Children's Recordings 2012

Two brothers from Mongolia come to Julie's school near Liverpool, England.  Julie serves as their Good Guide.  Genghis insists that his little brother must stay with him in fifth grade.  He is afraid that a demon will make his brother vanish.  He makes a cookie in the shape of a boy to fool the demon.  When the cookie is gone the next day, Genghis hopes his ruse has been successful.  Great information on Genghis Khan, the steppes of Mongolia, and school in England.

Natural Born Charmer / Susan Elizabeth Phillips / 394 pages

This is a fun, almost too predictable read.  Blue's mother is a famous philanthropist who is too busy with her causes to give her daughter her time and attention.  Blue Bailey is a would be artist who accepts a ride, dressed in a beaver suit, from Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard.  They travel across country to Dean's country home which is currently being renovated by none other than April, Dean's estranged mother.  Also arriving at the house, is Jack, a charismatic rock star and Dean's dad, and Dean's eleven year old half sister.  Add to this eclectic mix a old woman who holds the town's fate in her hands and you have the makings of a humorous, slightly unbelievable, happily ever after tale.

Into the Darkest Corner / Elizabeth Haynes / 400 pages / August Challenge - Europe, Great Britain

Although this book was a tad confusing at the beginning with its flip flopping between two different time periods, it was an indescribably captivating, edge-of-the-seat, page-turner.  Catherine Bailey had met a mysterious police officer, Lee Brightman, who seemed too perfect to be true.  He almost kills her.  Years later she meets Stuart Richardson who understands her COD and is ultimately her savior.

Fifty Shades of Grey / E. L. James / 716 pages

Who would have thought to use pseudo multiple personalities as a literary device?  E. L. James does in her 50 Shades trilogy.  Young, naive Anastasia Steele, a literature student about to graduate college, is asked by her roommate and best friend, Kate, to interview a wealthy CEO for the school newspaper.  Kate has the flu, but has scripted the interview.  Ana finds Christian Grey to be domineering, a control freak, and quite handsome.  She is drawn into his unusual sex world, and her reactions to him and his world are recorded through her own thoughts, her subconscious thoughts, and her inner goddess - apparently a sex maniac.  Although this literary device is amusing, the book has been described as soft porn.  Although I don't know if this is an accurate assessment , it is far, far too graphic...is depraved too strong a word ?!

The Help / Kathryn Stockett / 721 pages / August Challenge - North America

This is an excellent, heartbreaking account of race relations in the 1960's United States as told through the eyes of the help - the maids hired by wealthy families in the South to care for their homes and their children.  Young Eugenia (Skeeter) wants to be an author and she embarks on writing articles of advice on household maintenance even though she knows nothing about this.  She must rely on the knowledge of a maid to answer questions posed to the column.  She also undertakes the process of interviewing maids on their life and experiences serving the white folk of the South after being the go ahead by a New York publisher.  This cautionary tale, encourages all to view, treat, and respect people as people, regardless of color...also...watch out for chocolate pie.

On the Blue Comet / Rosemary Wells / 329 pages

Wow! This book is quite literally a ride - on the Blue Comet.  Rosemary Wells, noted for her children's books featuring Yoko and Max, has written an excellent, imaginative tale dealing with time travel, trains, the Great Depression, and World War II.  Within the pages of this awesome read, we meet John Wayne, Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Crawford, Joe and John Kennedy, etc. as real characters not merely mentionables.  This is a great adventure starring Oscar, a boy who rises above seemingly insurmountable odds to right the wrongs of the past...and the future.

The Risk Agent / Ridley Pearson / 420 pages

Ohhhh  yes, Ridley Pearson is the master of intricate plotting with plenty 'o twists & turns.  In Risk Agent, he introduces two new characters, John Knox (exporter, true blue, clever & violent) and Grace Chu (forensic accountant and former Red Army) and kicks off a new series of books.  Pearson spent a year with his family teaching writing in Shanghai and apparently he left no stone unturned when it came to understanding politics, police, culture, corruption, construction and day-to-day life in Shanghai.  20 million people in a city and face recognition technology so sophisticated that you can't go anywhere without being on camera.  The story is great, the plot is great, the characters are winners...so read it already.

Stone Cold/ Robert Parker/ 218 pages

Jesse Stone is back for another adventure. This time he is trying to figure out who is killing random people with two gun shots to the chest. The evidence points to a team, but they are smart and leave little evidence. When they kill someone close to Jesse, it becomes personal. Jesse is also trying to find justice for a teenaged girl who was gang raped by three classmates. As always, his relationship with his ex-wife is part of the story.

I enjoy the Jesse Stone series for the actual crime and the police work. His character is somewhat annoying with his Gary Cooperish dialogue, but I can overlook that as well. But his relationship with his ex-wife really bothers me. He should have kicked her to the curb a long time ago. In this book, he seems to be realizing that she just uses him, but then he backslides once again. On another note, this is the third book in a row that I've read that deals with the rape of a young girl. I need to choose my next book carefully. I don't want to extend my streak.


Friday, August 10, 2012

Have a New You by Friday / Kevin Leman / 247 pgs.

This is a very quick read.  You are suppose to read a section a day and use the exercises to help you think about why you do the things you do.  Then by Friday you are given some suggestions on how to change your thinking and behavior.  This book was so groundbreaking and overwhelmingly useful that I cannot even remember any of the helpful tips on how to change my behavior *insert sarcastic look here*.  Basically, the things Dr. Leman says I have heard before from various other self-help books (Phil McGraw, Stephen Covey, etc.).  Also, the author uses so many anecdotal stories about famous people like Oprah & Jim Carey that some chapters get a bit repetitive.  Plus, since this author goes on self-help speaking tours and has other books with the titles: "Have a new kid by Friday", "Have a New Teenager by Friday" and "Have a New Husband by Friday"; I bet he repeats these stories and his material over and over without adding much new content. 

Th1rteen R3asons Why/ Jay Asher/ 288 pages

Clay Jensen finds a package on his front porch. When he opens it, he discovers seven cassettes tapes. He's startled to discover that Hannah Baker, his secret crush, had recorded the tapes. Hannah had just committed suicide a couple of weeks before. On the tapes, Hannah claims to explain the 13 reasons why she did what she did, and if you are listening to the tapes, then you have played a part. Clay can't imagine what he might have done since he had worshiped Hannah from afar and had very little direct contact with her. He listens to the tapes and learns what Hannah's life had been.

 Another heavy duty young adult selection. It shows how perceptions are different depending on what side you are on. High school seems to be a virtual war zone these days. I'm so glad to be past that.

Pieces of Us/Margie Gelbwasser/323 pages

Alex and Kyle are brothers who visit their Russian grandparents in the Catskills every summer. Katie and Julie are sisters who also visit their own Russian grandparents right next door. The summers are so far removed from their "real" lives during the school year that they even go by their Russian names. They have known each other forever, but as they grow up, their relationships change with Alex and Katie becoming a summer-only romance. Julie would like the same with Kyle, but he is resistant to the idea. Their lives back home are very different with Alex being an angry and abusive young man toward his brother, his mother and every girl who crosses his path. Katie's life is changed when she gets drunk at a party and suffers a humiliating attack.

This was a disturbing look at two dysfunctional families and how they treat each other. Young adult fiction may be too much for me!

Pirates Past Noon/Mary Pope Osborne/80 pages

Jack and Annie end up on a beach that Pirates land on in search of buried treasures. Will they escape? Oh the drama!

Glory in Death/JD Robb/320 pages

Darn you Kathy @ GA for getting me hooked on a new series...In the second book Eve has to find a serial killer who is killing high profile women. She follows a few false leads but gets her man at the end. Along the way she breaks up with Roarke and (tries) to use herself as bait. I am really enjoying these but wish the future was more fuuristic and that Eve's past wasn't quite so creepy.

Naked in Death/ JD Robb/314 pages

I will admit that I was avoiding this series since Robb is really Nora Roberts and I am not a fan of Roberts. But Kathy at GA said it was good so...And it was. Eve Dallas is a strong woman and after reading that horrible 50 Shades it was nice to read something where a woman can fall for a man and not be an idiot. It was written in the late 90s and set in 2058. Robb's "futuristic" setting isn't that futuristic anymore but they do have flying cars. Definitely going to keep reading this series.

Insurgent/Veronica Roth/544 pages

This is such a great series. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this after finishing Divergent. The plot twists and turns and goes places you don't expect. The characters continue to develop and the cliffhanger ending will leaving you wanting more. The tone is darker here than in Divergent, but there always seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. My one disappointment is that Roth may have enjoyed City of Ember too much.

Fire/Kristin Cashore/480 pages

Against my better judgment I decided to read the second book in the Graceling series. First, this is not a sequel, it's a companion to Graceling. Second, it's not any better. I think my problem is that the writing seems juvenile compared to other YA series like Divergent or Hunger Games. I will say that the plot here was better. But it was just as contrived and still not developed enough. I will not read Bitterblue. I will not read Bitterblue. I will not read Bitterblue. Okay, I probably will...

Death and Judgment/Donna Leon/ 304 pages

If you have never read the Commissario Guido Brunetti series of mysteries you really should check them out. Leon is a terrific writer and she has created a fully developed character in Guido. He is both a police commissioner and a family man and in each title you see how those world tear at him from many directions. He is by no means perfect and you love him for his flaws as well. And the Venice setting is incredible. In this third book in the series Guido tries to solve the murder of a high profile attorney and the case takes many unexpected twists and turns. I can't wait to read the next one.

Spell Bound/Rachel Hawkins/336 pages

This is a great series and this was a great end to it. Sophie is a great, character, perhaps a little too snarky. And I love Cal. The students have been summoned back to Hex Hall but have lost all their powers. Sophie and friends fight to stop the castoffs from turning everyone into demons. Of course they succeed, but there is a shock at the end.

Graceling/Kristin Cashore/480 pages

The premise of this series is really intriguing, but I found myself disappointed in this effort. The plot needed to be developed more. The characters are too two dimensional and concepts like the fact that Gracelings are feared are never fully explained. Katsa is a great character but she needs more substance. I know people who love this series but I am not sold.

Relaible Wife/Robert Goolrick/305 pages

I'm not really sure if I liked this book or not. It was very dark and at times the actions was slow, but you wanted to keep readinging. There are NO nice characters in this book either, which is depressing as well. It would be a great Book Club selection though and part of it does take place in St. louis.

Crossed/Ally Condie/367 pgs

This is book 2 of a trilogy. I was a little disappointed by Matched (book 1), it lacked the tension of say Hanger Games, but I enjoyed it enough to pick this one up. At the end of MAtched Ky, Cassia's "soul mate" has been sent to the Outer Provinces to basically die. Crossed picks up with Cassia working her way to the Outer Provinces to find and save him. I don't think it's a spoiler to say she finds him. This sequel was far better than its predecessor with real tension and action that moved quickly. I can't wait book #3

Other Half of My Heart / Sundee T. Frazier 296 p.

Bahni Turpin performs this audiobook superbly. What fun to listen to all the characters.
Minny and Keira King are biracial twins. Minny resembles her father--white; while Keira her African American mother. Grandmother Johnson enters them into the Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America. Grandmother is a serious-minded former teacher who dictates how they are to look and to perform. There Minny learns how life treats Keira back their hometown in the Pacific Northwest. Sundee Frazier demonstrates that tension and unfairness still exist between the races. The scene with the dog and its spit will make you LOL. And the trick they play on Grandmother Johnson backfires.

2012 Notable Children's Recordings

This Heart of Mine / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 370 p.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips continues the Chicago Stars series with the story of Molly Sommerville, sister to Phoebe, owner of the Chicago Stars (It Had to Be You). Author and illustrator of the Daphne the Bunny books, Molly nurses unrequited love for Kevin Tucker, Chicago Stars daredevil handsome quarterback. When she gets restless, her hair suffers. Her sister fears what Molly will do now. In the past she's pulled fire alarms, gave away $15 million, and now staying under the same roof as Kevin, who knows what will happen in this contemporary romance. Add a birth mother searching for her son, an aging campground cum B&B, and characters like Benny the Badger and Celia the Hen and Phillips melds laughs with romance.

Girl Who Chased the Moon / Sarah Addison Allen 287 p.

Emily Benedict, orphan, comes to live with her giant 8-ft. grandfather in Mullaby, N.C. There she finds acceptance troublesome from the Coffey's, except for high school senior Win. Neighbor Julia Winterson, a classmate of Emily's mother Dulcie, befriends her. Julia's staying in town just long enough to turn her late father's BBQ Restaurant around before she returns to Baltimore to open Blue-eyed Girl Bakery. Meanwhile she bakes delightful cakes, always leaving the window open--only she knows why. There is history between Julia and Alexander Sawyer, now she gives him a cold shoulder. Emily keeps running into secrets, secrets about her mother that her mother never ever shared. Magic is the only explanation as wallpaper changes to suit Emily's mood, Sawyer's has the family gift--a gifted sense for sweet, and the night lights of Mullaby.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Delirium by Lauren Oliver/ 480 pages

In this society, everyone is cured at age 18. Before scientists found the "cure" everyone thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love - deliria - bloomed, you could not escape it's hold.  Lena has looked forward to her procedure, a life without love was a safe, predictable life, a pain-free life. Then Lena became infected. Delirium is the first book of a trilogy and should be added to your list of must-read dystopian young adult novels. Think of a cross between Uglies by Westerfeld and Matched by Condie, a dystopian romance. The pace is a little slow but the author's writing is  descriptive and very poetic. The love story was a little ho-hum but things did pick up near the end of the book and I must tell you, I've already started Pandemonium, book 2 of the series!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Stones for my Father / Trilby Kent 170 p.

Corlie Rous is still mourning the loss of her beloved father as the British troops move in with their scorched earth policy for Boer families who continue to support the commandos fighting for independence. Corlie's mother seems harsh in her dealings with her. As the story unfolds, the reader learns why. Her friend is Sipho, an African native. The family joins a wagon train of other Boer families as they evade British 'khakis'. Soon, they are captured and sent to a concentration camp. There British try to force the commandos to give up by starving their families. Corlie's mother explodes the home truth about her when she loses of her beloved son. Cast out without a ration book and ostracized by the camp inmates, Corlie faces near death until the soldiers step in. A telling novel of the Boer War. A war observed by Winston S. Churchill.

Book of Vegetarian Cooking / Louise Pickford 120 p.

Louise Pickford features recipes drawn from around the world. Vegetarian cooking is growing in popularity as a more healthful life style. Nine sections offer a wide selection of soups, appetizers, pizzas, pastas, pies and breads, as well as light brunches and suppers. It includes recipes for both vegetarians and vegans.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Language of Flowers / Vanessa Diffenbaugh 529 p. ALA Rusa Reading List - Best Adult Genre Fiction Award

Abandoned at birth, Victoria Jones has lived in 32 foster homes by the time she emancipates at age 18. Homeless, she sleeps in a park among flowers she has grown. Flowers and their meanings are the only connection to the real world she has. She realizes her talent for healing and helping people through the flowers she chooses for them. Her own world of hurt proves more difficult as she faces single motherhood, attachment issues, homelessness, and anger. Told, alternately, by Victoria, age 9, living with Elizabeth, and 18 year old Victoria, homeless, eating half finished meals left by tourists.

Book Discussion Guide Available from NoveList.


Rusa Reading List - Best Adult Genre Fiction Award

Monday, August 6, 2012

Summer Days/Susan Mallery/378 pgs.

This is a "Fool's Gold Romance," and is Heidi Simpson's story. Heidi raises goats, and sells milk, cheese, and home made soaps to eke out a living for herself and her grandfather. Her grandfather sold their ranch in order to help out a sick friend. The only problem is that the ranch wasn't his to sell. Heidi can't repay the money to the new owner, May Stryker, and her mega tycoon son, Rafe, is out for blood.  Rafe had left Fool's Gold, CA, years ago, and hoped never to return. There's instant attraction between Heidi and Rafe, and a complicated relationship develops. The characters are fun, the story line entertaining, and all-in-all, an enjoyable read.

The Kissing Game/Suzanne Brockmann/277 pgs.

This is Brockmann's second entry in the Sunrise Key Trilogy. This is Francine "Frankie" Paresky and Simon Hunt's story. Frankie is embarking on a career as a private investigator, and has been hired to find a man named John who is to be the recipient of some property in Sunrise Key.  Simon Hunt, a long time friend to Frankie, offers his services as her assistant--he has discovered a depth of feeling for Frankie, and wants to see where it leads. It's a short, entertaining read.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The Next Best Thing/Jennifer Weiner/386 pages

Ruth Sanders is a writer on a television series. She's also writing a script that she is hoping to pitch as a series to network executives. The name of the series is The Next Best Thing and is loosely based on her life with her grandmother. She imagines it as an homage to The Golden Girls which she watched over and over again while she recovered from her many surgeries in the hospital. Seriously injured in a car accident that killed both of her parents, Ruth is cared for and raised by her grandmother from the age of 3 on. Now in her late twenties, the two of them have moved to Los Angeles so that Ruth can pursue her dream of being a writer. Nana jumps right into the industry making a living as an extra. Ruth spends six long years before she realizes her dream of getting a show "picked up." She thinks the hard part is behind her, but dealing with the network, the studio, the stars (the actors she didn't want) and the rewrites makes her realize that the show she wanted to do bears little resemblance to the show she ends up making. 

This was my first Jennifer Weiner book, and I enjoyed it very much. It was fun trying to decide which star she was describing even though "the names have been changed to protect the innocent." She does a fair amount of name dropping as well.

Gone Girl / Gillian Flynn / 415 pages

Wow, this author has you right where she wants you throughout this psychological thriller.  She very cleverly develops her characters and reveals each in alternate chapters.  In the first part of the book, we get to know Nick whose wife Amy goes missing on their 5th wedding anniversary.  His story covers the present as the police start looking at him as a possible murderer while we see Amy's viewpoint from the past.  Eventually their two stories merge, and we get a better picture of who Amy really is.  Believe it or not, the book takes place in Carthage, MO.  By the end of the book, you will be looking at your spouse and thinking, who is that guy?  Highly recommended.

Size 12 and Ready to Rock / Meg Cabot / 361 pages

Heather Wells is a cool singer-songwriter whose career is over.  Her dad was arrested for tax evasion and her mom took off with Heather's manager and her bank account.  Heather has her doll collection to remind her of the good old days, and new, secret, fiance, and a job as assistant director of a resident hall at New York College.  Her resident hall is referred to as the Death Dorm...and now another murder has occurred...during a Rock Camp moved from the mountains to the college campus to keep all the teen girls and the rock star, Tania, safe.  Heather, with Cooper's help, is able to save the day...and move along her relationship with Coop.  This is a fun YA read, dealing with domestic abuse and several other edgy themes.

In Search of the Rose Notes / Emily Arsenault / 369 / R. T. Reviewer's Choice Award

Nora resents Charlotte's attitude toward the paranormal as delineated in the Time-Life books, and her obsession with applying facts printed within those books to the disappearance of Rose, their baby-sitter - "like we were all characters in one of [her] mother's PBS mysteries, jolly and clever even though someone was always dead."  Nora is so deeply affected by the disappearance and her mother's reticence, that she attempts a failed suicide.  Nine years later, Rose's body is discovered and Nora returns to her home town and discovers what really happened.  This is an intriguing, thought-provoking read!

"The best way to stop being desperate is to stop waiting for other people to see it and take care of yourself instead."
"We all take leave of our senses at some point in high school."
"If not this, what?"

Nick's Journey / Sue Fineman / 127 pages

An introduction to the Donatelli series, Nick's Journey tells of Nick's journey from New York and an abusive, negligent single mom, to his Aunt Sophia in California.  Sophia is also a single parent raising her 5 kids alone on little more than social security.  She is protecting her children and must be especially vigilant due to L. A. gang activity and her daughter Gina's unwise choices.  When Nick joins the family, he saves Gina from the gang and becomes the glue to re-cement Sophia's family.  Fast forward several years and Nick is still rescuing damsels in distress.  Included in this book are chapters introducing other books in the Donatelli series.

Ashes / Ilsa Bick / 465 pages

Michael Grant, author of the Gone series, says, this book is "a haunting and epic story of survival in a shattered world.  Ashes is a must read."  I would wait for the sequel, however, if I were you, because many of the story's problems and plot lines are left unresolved at the story's end.  Alex has an inoperable brain tumor that is slowly killing her.  She decides to skip school and hike a distance to spread her parents' ashes and perhaps to solve her own problem.  While in the woods, an electromagnetic pulse flashes, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killlng billions.  It seems the very young and much older folks with brain anomalies are spared.  Who can be trusted?  Will Alex reconnect with Tom and Ellie?

Fatal Destiny / Marie Force / 377 pages

Nick Cappuano and Sam Holland have hired a wedding planner to orchestrate their wedding.  Without Shelby, the event would probably be overlooked by Sam as she is much too busy investigating crimes...including murder, and dealing with the after effects of multiple miscarriages.  She uncovers a threat to an assistant attorney general which led to the acquittal of the man responsible for rape and the loss of her last baby.  She also uncovers the identity of the man who shot her father and left him a quadriplegic.  This is a heartwarming, suspenseful story portraying the universal importance of family.  It also contains several very appropriate scripture passages for weddings, i.e., Book of Ruth & Corinthians.

The Amber Room / Steve Berry / 519 pages

This book has an excellent afterword from the author detailing the historic significance of the Amber Room.  It was a room constructed and decorated with thousands of pieces of amber in the Catherine Palace in Russia.  It survived the Bolshevik Revolution but was lost sometime during World War II.  Now a club calling itself Retrievers of Lost Antiquities is searching for the missing room.  The group is composed of ruthless treasure hunters to whom murder is but a means to an end.  Judge Rachel Cutler's family is significantly impacted by this search.  This is an excellent read!!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Thunder over Kandahar / Sharon E. McKay 260 p.

Fourteen-year old Yasmine only knows Britain when she and her Western educated academic Afghan parents return to Afghanistan. Rather naively they ignore their country's customs. After Yasmine's mother is brutally attacked for travelling out-of-doors without a male family member, they flee to their grandfather's country home. There Tamanna and Yasmine become best friends "sisters of the heart". Thrilled they attend a near by school for boys and girls. The Taliban burn down the school and threaten the teacher and students with death. The village believes this Western educated family to be spies. With Tamanna facing an arranged marriage to an older man and Yasmine and family targets of the Taliban, the girls must flee unaccompanied. They face land minds, suicide bombers, Taliban bands.
This emphasizes how hard life is in Afghanistan, especial for women.

2012 Notable Children's Recordings

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Unforgotten Coat / Frank Cottrell Boyce 42 p.

Sarah Coomes narrates with story of two boys, immigrants from Mongolia. Julie becomes their "good guide" through the soccer, British slang, school dress-down days. The brothers are fleeing a demon who makes you vanish. They takes different ways home every night. They have piqued her interest in Mongolia, so she studies up. Though Julie tries to learn where they live, she fails until her mother helps when Julie needs to return a coat. A very telling happening occurs when Julie cannot get anyone to answer the door. Finally after pounding and pounding, a brother appears to take the coat. Julie sees fear in everyone's face. Poignantly, one brother calls to say goodbye when the authorites find them and send them back to Mongolia.

Woman Who Rides Like a Man / Tamora Pierce 238 p.

Continues the series Song of the Lioness, the story of Alanna of Trebond, knight of Tortall. Alanna seeks adventure in the southern desert where she is accompanied by Faithful, her psychic cat and her man-of-arms, Coram. The Bazhir desert tribesmen capture her. By her wits and her sword, she turns the captors into friends. They call her "Woman Who Rides Like a Man". She trains two outcast girls to be shamans. Jonathon comes back into her life assuming she will become his queen. He works to become the Voice of the Bazhir. Who will she marry: Jonathan, the Prince, or George, the King of the Thieves. When she returns to Tortall, she observes strong magic happening, her twin, Tom uses her power. All report he is working to raise the dead. Alanna grows in her knighthood and in her womanhood. She continues to seek to do good with her powers.