RIPPER / Isabell Allende / 478 Pages

A compelling new novel from the author of MAYA'S NOTEBOOK, ISLAND BENEATH THE SEA, and ZORRO. This time Allende takes on the crime genre presenting the reader with a classic thriller featuring Amanda Martin, a brilliant, teenage sleuth.

Amanda is a high school senior heading toward MIT  who is obsessed with crime and the online mystery game Ripper. She has convinced her fellow players to use the game to solve a string of murders which have recently occurred in her home town of San Francisco. Amanda is enjoying leading the investigation into real-life mysteries until her mother Indiana, a holistic healer, suddenly disappears and may just be the killer's next victim.  (Advance Reading Copy; publication: February 2014)

RIPPER is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller which should appeal to adults and teens.

SHOTGUN LOVESONGS / Nickolas Butler / 306 Pages / Christmas Challenge: 12 Drummers Drumming (muscian)

A farmer and his wife. An alcoholic, ex-rodeo star. A former commodities broker. And a high-profile, rock musician.

Five childhood friends, four guys and a girl, from a small Midwestern town in Wisconsin, tell their individual stories of growing up together and dealing with the trails and tribulations of life in the 21st Century.

SHOTGUN LOVESONGS is a character-driven, engaging, and moving saga that considers the question of whether or not one can ever, truly come home again. (Advance Reading Copy, publication March 2014)

THE MARTIAN / Andy Weir / 367 Pages

Astronaut Mark Watney, specialist in biology and mechanical engineering for the Ares 3 mission, is stranded on Mars. He has no communications equipment and very little food. His crew were forced to evacuate due to a sand storm and believe him dead. Back on Earth, he is being mourned as a hero.

But Mark is not dead and determined to find a way to survive, communicate, and ultimately, to get back home! He logs his efforts, both successes and failures with snarky humor for any future Mars explorers ... just in case he doesn't make it.

A fast-paced, cinematic, adventure, THE MARTIAN will have readers rooting for this wise-cracking, futuristic Robinson Crusoe.(Advance Reading Copy; publication: February 2014)

THE GHOST OF THE MARY CELESTE / Valerie Martin / 304 Pages / Christams Challenge: 5 Golden Rings (marriage proposal) & 6 Geese-a-Laying (pregnancies/babies)

The author of MARY REILLY and THE CONFESSIONS OF EDWARD DAY, relates a haunting historical fiction centering on the puzzle of the Mary Celeste, an American sailing vessel found abandoned and adrift in in Atlantic Ocean in 1872.

Martin's novel combines historical facts surrounding that mystery with the Spiritualist movement of the late 19th century. Featured players include a young Arthur Conan Doyle and a journalist named Phoebe Grant who is investigating a medium named Violet Petra.

THE GHOST OF THE MARY CELESTE is an intricately plotted, descriptive, ghost story based on real events and individuals. (Advance Reading Copy: publication:  1/28/2014)

FURIES OF CALDERON / Jim Butcher / 440 Pages / Audiobook / Christmas Challenge: 8 Maids-a-Milking (animals) & 2 Turtle Doves (flying)

FURIES OF CALDERON, read by Kate Reading, is the first in the epic fantasy series 'Codex Alera' by Jim Butcher, also known his urban fantasy series featuring Chicago wizard Harry Dresden.

Everyone in the land of Alera, except a young farm boy named Tavi, can control Furies, elemental powers of wind, earth, water, fire, and metal. Tavi and Amara, a spy pretending to be a slave, must work together to defend their country against not only invading barbarian Marat but also from scheming nobles wanting to overthrow the aging High Lord of Alera.

Narrator Reading gives each character their own personality and enhances the author's convincing storytelling style. Fans of Butcher's Dresden Files series or the Inheritance Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin should enjoy the great world-building in this fast-paced, epic fantasy.

THE LAST STORMDANCER / Jay Kristoff / 125 Pages / Christmas Challenge: 2 Turtle Doves (flying) & 8 Maids-a-Milking (animals)

THE LAST STORMDANCER is a limited-edition, novella set 100 years before the events in Kristoff's Lotus Wars series, a dystopian, steampunk fantasy set in Japan. I was so excited to be one of the fortunate few to receive a copy!

The story is told from the point of view of Koh, an Arashitora (half eagle, half white tiger), more commonly called a thunder tiger. Koh relates the, here-to-for, unknown history of the Imperium which lead up to Yukiko, the heroine of STORMDANCER (2012) and KINSLAYER (2013).

A descriptive, atmospheric and moving introduction to the story behind the Lotus Wars.

Golden Day, The / Ursula Dubosarsky / 149 pages

  Eleven young girls are students at a private school in Australia. They come from all walks of life but always move as a group during the school days. Their teacher Miss Renshaw walks to the beat of a different drum. She exposes the children to art, music and poetry all the while keeping the reality of the Vietnam War at bay. Miss Renshaw takes the children to the local park to commune with nature and begin writing poetry. On one of their outings they meet the garden's caretaker, Morgan who catches the teacher's eye. One day a field trip is proposed to see some cave paintings down by the sea. The girls are unnerved by the walk and the cave itself.
   Miss Renshaw keeps acting strangely and Morgan keeps urging everyone on. When the girls are inside the paintings are invisible and the darkness is impenetrable. The girls panic and leave, waiting outside the cave entrance for Miss Renshaw to appear. But she doesn't. When the students return to school she still isn't there. They remember what Miss Renshaw had written on the board Not Now Not Ever. So they don't say anything and soon a new teacher is assigned to their classroom. What follows is how the girls cope with the disappearance and its implications.
   The book feels like it is written from a distance. The characters and events feel far away and impersonal. The girls don't individualize clearly in this reader's mind. Though in the starred review this was considered a "stunning feat of perspective." The ending is a stumper for me. I am unsure what to make of it and would love a conversation with someone to bounce ideas around. I did enjoy the author's style of writing and the way she evokes surroundings without a ton of words. Haunting book.

Six Degrees of Reading: Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff, Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal, The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata.

The Burgess Boys / Elizabeth Strout / 11 cds / 336 pages

  When challenged to read Literary Fiction what do you do? Most of the published lists are from the popular mainstream and don't include the offbeat or below the radar writing. I suggest to begin looking at what the Pulitzer Prize committee or Mann Booker Award committee has long listed. Using those lists as a jumping off point, I believe Burgess Boys falls into the category of Literary Fiction. We have family issues galore, a not so positive ending, and several characters that do not 'grow' during the unraveling of the story.
  The Burgess brothers grew up in Shirley Falls, Maine and escaped as fast as they possibly could. Unfortunately Shirley Falls never let them go. Their sister calls with the news that her son, Zach has been arrested for a hate crime. Susan needs their help and with that phone call all of their carefully constructed lives begin to unravel. Jim and Bob who are New York lawyers arrive and begin to find their legendary status isn't going to make the trouble go away.
  As we follow the course of Zach's troubles we find out about the beginnings of the Burgess brothers, their life choices and the women they have loved and/or lost. This isn't a book to find a redemptive ending. Several of the characters are downright unlikable. Is the situation resolved to our satisfaction? I think Strout dodged what could have been an excellent novel exploring family relationships by choosing to have a character leave for a while. I also think the narrator chosen for the audio has a voice that really didn't catch my interest and it was a struggle to keep pushing ahead. But hey, its Literary Fiction, what did you expect?

Six Degrees of Reading: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. 

Becoming Josephine: A Novel / Heather Webb / 320 pages

  Who doesn't know about Napoleon's love for Josephine? But who was she really and how did she manage to catch the eye of someone who would become feared by the known world? Rose Tascher is from the island of Martinique and is sent to France to wed Alexandre de Beauharnais. She has visions of attending court with a handsome and attentive husband. Unfortunately this was not to be so. She did marry the handsome Alexandre but found herself abandoned for the next several years. Her sister in-law gave Rose the necessary courage to approach a judge to ask for a divorce. Even though the scandal would ruin her, Rose was determined to have a fresh start. She renamed herself Josephine and began her climb from the bottom of the social scale.
  With the French Revolution catching everyone with the tiniest connection to the royal family or the new Republic, Josephine was sent to prison to await her execution. It is from these months in the barest of conditions that Josephine finds out who she really is. After her release, she begins once again her climb back up the social ladder and eventually catching the eye of an uncouth general named Napoleon. This is quite a fun and quick read. Events are seen through new eyes. The open and legal gun running, the back stabbing even in the servant's quarters and the power of the tarot cards. One last thing, we find out the height of Napoleon is 5'6" and not the tiny man Looney Tunes has made him out to be. Entertaining story.

Six Degrees of Reading: Girl on the Golden Coin by Marci Jefferson, Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak, The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland.

Jane, the fox & me / Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault / 101 pages

 A graphic novel disguised as a children's picture book is an interesting twist. A story of a young woman Helene who is bullied by her classmates. She finds solace in reading Jane Eyre. The class is given a surprise camping trip as a reward and Helene is forced to go. She places herself in a tent with other girls who don't fit in. While reading one evening a fox walks out of the forest. There is almost a connection and then a tent mate scares the animal away.  Soon after a young woman, Geraldine appears who has been kicked out of her tent. She immediately makes everyone feel comfortable and important. These two become the best of friends and Helene finds confidence in herself, leading to many more smiles aimed at the world.
 One of the interesting parts about this graphic novel is the art. There are colored pencils with dark lines when Helene is lost in the world of Jane Eyre. Lush scenes with vivid colors and fully drawn characters. But when Helene is thinking about her reality, the colors are dreary and pencil lines with little to no color. What a striking contrast! This is a perfect book to help children understand the effects of bullying and that one person can make all the difference. A New York Times Best Illustrated Book.

6 Degrees of Reading: Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, Advice to Little Girls by Mark Twain, The Dark by Lemony Snicket.

I'll Be Seeing You / Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan / 313 pages

  Set in the later years of World War II, two women forge a friendship through their letter writing. Glory Whitehall lives in New England and has seen her husband march off to war. Rita Vincenzo lives in Iowa and has seen her husband and son head off to save the world. These women have just this one thing in common when they begin writing to each other. We see their loneliness eased by the growing friendship, recipes passed to help with food shortages, and sage advice involving love, neighbors, and what their future will hold.
   I loved The Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when it was published and was curious to see if this could stand up to the comparison. In a world where letter writing is a lost art, I enjoyed rediscovering the excitement of waiting for the arrival of the mail man. Rita and Glory have to figure out their new friend's strengths and weaknesses and that creates an underlying tension through the book. A perfect book to curl up with while a fire is roaring and a steaming mug of tea. Get lost in a world where the war hits close to home every day and yet these women are determined to face it's challenges with all their combined strength.

Six Degrees of Reading: The Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harld Fry / Rachel Joyce / 320 p.

The description of this book did not hook me in at all, but I grew to love Harold--his pain, his unlikely mission and what he learns along the way.  Set in England, this is a tale of a man who has allowed life to happen around him for many years. A brief note from a dying woman sends him on a sudden quest across the country. The story behind Harold's pain and stagnation is teased out in the pages of this lovely book.

The Second Siege / Henry H. Neff / 476 pages

In this 2nd book of the Tapestry series, the battle continues between the good guys at the Rowan Academy and the bad guys, principally the demon Astaroth.  The forces against Astaroth are divided as Bram's promise to the Witches is not honored and the Workshop decides to put its faith in science and technology.  In the end, the Book of Thoth which includes the secrets of life is handed over to the evil Astaroth after being recovered through brave deeds and cunning by Rowan Academy students David Menlo and Max McDaniels.  Readers are left wondering what the evil Astaroth may do with his new powers.  Keep reading to find out what happens next in the 3rd book: Fiend and the Forge.  Recommended for all Harry Potter fans and readers in grades 5 & up.

Truly, Madly, Deadly/Hannah Jayne/262 pages/2 December Challenges Met

Sawyer Dodd's life is falling apart. Her parents divorced, and her father has remarried and has a child on the way (6 geese a-laying.) Her boyfriend was just killed in a drunk driving accident. She's even feeling watched while she runs during track practice (7 swans a-swimming.) Then she receives a note implying that her boyfriend (who was secretly abusing her) was killed for her. When other people who abuse her in different ways start dying, Sawyer must convince everyone she's isn't responsible.

This was a fairly predictable, but still relatively entertaining, YA book. It would be a good first thriller for that audience.

The Story Sisters/Alice Hoffman/325 pages/Four December Challenges Met

The Story sisters--Elizabeth, known as Elv, Meg, and Claire--are close in age and almost identical in looks. They are extraordinarily close. Elv has developed a new language for just the three of them and fills the youngest, Claire, with stories of another world where they truly belong. Elv and Meg grow apart and each tries to win Claire over.

This is a very strange and strangely hypnotic story. It's a story of betrayal, tragedy, forgiveness and redemption. I'm not sure I can say I liked it, but I definitely will remember it. 

There are multiple trips to France where much of the story takes place. There is a marriage and wedding. There is a pregnancy and baby born. Elv works with both horses and dogs during her times of incarceration.

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can Eat Diner / Edward Kelsey Moore / 320 pages

What a fun book!  Three African American women Odette, Barbara Jean, and Clarice grow up together and remain friends for life in a small town in Indiana.  Together they survive the racial tensions of the 60's, an interracial love, a philandering husband, lost dreams, cancer, alcoholism and other trials as they remain fast and true friends.  Throw in the fact that Odette can see and hear ghosts (including those of her mother and the tipsy Eleanor Roosevelt) and you have yourself a hilarious but poignant story about love and enduring friendship.  There are plenty of laughs and uplifting moments that will make you happy you've made the acquaintance of these three women, affectionately known in town as "the Supremes." 

Inferno / Dan Brown / 461 pages

Dante's Inferno serves as the basis for Brown's latest historical suspense novel featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.  Brown's writing is complex and detailed and the reader ends up learning about Italian literature and art as well as taking in an adventure that leaves your head spinning.  Inferno also addresses the use of science to save humankind from destroying itself.  Brown uses the words of Dante, "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis"  to challenge readers.  If you like dense writing and non-stop action, you will enjoy this thought-provoking book.

Hound of Rowan / Henry H. Neff / 414 pages

Give this book to fans of Harry Potter.  This is the first book of the Tapestry trilogy in which Max McDaniels discovers that he has special talents and is sent to a secret school called Rowan Academy.  In addition to regular classes, Max also learns about magic and mysterious creatures.  Eventually he learns that he and his friend David Menlo will need to face the demon Astraroth to save humankind.  Lots of action, intriguing creatures, and a touch of humor make this a fun read.

Far Far Away / Tom McNeal / 369 pages

Great creepy book for teens.  This original fairy tale takes place in the town of Never Better where there lives a boy named Jeremy Johnson Johnson who can hear the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm who is trapped in the inbetween world.  Jeremy supports his father who never leaves the house or his bed after his wife runs away with another man.  There is something quite strange going on in the town of Never Better and Jeremy, the ghost of Jacob and a feisty girl named Ginger discover the identity of the vicious "Finder of Occasions."  The ghost is the narrator if the tale and it is sometimes confusing as to who is speaking but all in all, this is a book that will have teens turning the pages to discover the fates of Jeremy and Ginger.

The Reluctant Assassin / Eoin Colfer / 341 pages

This new series (WARP) by the author of Artemis Fowl is nonstop action and adventure.  Chevron Savano is a 17 yr old FBI agent who is sent to England after an unfortunate incident in the US.  There she discovers the W.A.R.P. (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program) which sends witnesses to the past for their protection.  Riley is an orphan living in Victorian England who is apprenticed to Albert Garrick, a professional and deadly assassin.  Eventually Chevron and Riley both travel in time and save the day.  I listened to the Reluctant Assassin and the narrator, Maxwell Caulfield, does a great job.  This book would appeal to middle school readers.

Curtsies & Conspiracies/Gail Carriger/310 pgs./December challenge--Turtle Doves

This is the second entry in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series. Sophronia continues her lessons at the Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality--learning to be a spy, what poisons are most effective in different circumstances, while also learning the art of being a "lady." In this "adventure," Sophronia ultimately tries to discover who is trying to kidnap her good friend Dimity, and Dimity's brother, Pillover. There is much intermingling with some of the boys from the School of Evil Geniuses--which just adds to some of the humor in the story. All of this takes place in an alternate Victorian England--so entertaining! I can't wait for the next installment!

Etiquette & Espionage/Gail Carriger/307 pgs./December challenge--Turtle Doves

Gail Carringer starts the "Finishing School" series with this title. Sophronia Temminnick, the fourteen year-old daughter of a middle class Victorian family, is being sent to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. What Sophronia's mother doesn't realize is that in addition to learning the ways of acting like a lady, Sophronia will also learn the art of espionage and assassination! Their brother school is the "School of Evil Geniuses" which should tell the reader something! There is humor, vampires, werewolves, dirigibles--and action. I really enjoyed the strong female characters, and highly recommend this book!

Cutting Loose/Susan Andersen/379 pgs./December Challenge--Gold Rings

Jane Kaplinski,  Ava Spencer, and Poppy Calloway were school friends. They also became something of  a family to Miss Agnes Wolcott--an eccentric older women who owns a mansion. Years later, upon her death, Miss Wolcott bequeaths the mansion and its holdings to the three friends. Jane's job is to catalog the items in Agnes's mansion in order to create an exhibit for the museum for which she is a junior curator. The mansion is undergoing a major renovation while the cataloging is going on, and this is where the "love" interest takes place. Jane had met Devlin Kavanagh in a bar, and her first impression of him wasn't the best. This is unfortunate since he is integral to the renovation of the mansion. There is attraction between them, but both have family issues. In addition, items begin disappearing from the mansion. Both the thievery and family issues are resolved, leading to a "happy ever after." It's an enjoyable romance, and I look forward to Ava and Poppy's stories!

L Is for Lawless / Sue Grafton / 384 pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is back!  This time she is helping a neighbor find out why the government has denied an elderly relative his veteran's benefits, including a veteran's burial.  The government can find no records for the man's service.  His belongings are burglarized and old friend of his is assaulted.  What is going on?  Kinsey uncovers a robbery from the 1940's impersonating a maid to ferret out information.  Although this is entertaining, I thought at times it was just a bit slow.

Daddy's Little Girl / Mary Higgins Clark / 336 pages / USA Today Bestsellers Challenge

Ellie Cavanaugh has never gotten over her sister's death.  The murder destroyed her parents' marriage, contributed to her mother's death, and led to the estrangement of her father.  The convicted murderer is now up for parole and Ellie is waging a massive campaign to prevent this from happening.   Now an investigative reporter for an Atlanta paper, Ellie returns to the scene of the crime to prove her sister's murderer guilty beyond any reasonable doubt.

God Got a Dog / Cynthis Rylant / 34 pages

What a find!  If you need another Christmas gift...for anyone...or any kind of gift, this would be an excellent choice.  God visits the world he/she created in the guise of various humans...eats 37 snickers bars in one day.  That's probably too many even for god!  What a wonderful, warm-hearted, personal depiction of God, a reminder that we meet him/her daily in others.  Marla Frazee's watercolor illustrations add depth and nuances to Ms. Rylant's creative, thought-provoking verse.   I was a bit put off by God being pissed... but I got over it.

Raven Boys / Maggie Stiefvater / 409 pages / Bram Stoker Award Nominee Challenge

This is the first book of the quartet that will comprise the Raven Cycle.  We meet sixteen year old Blue Sargent who comes from a family of psychics but is not psychic herself.  She does possess a most unusual gift, however.  She amplifies the gifts/energies of others.  Her mother predicted that when she kisses her first true love, he will die.  This, of course, makes her reluctant to do so.  When she meets Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah, the Raven Boys from the prestigious Aglionby Academy, she is sorely tempted.  The Raven Boys, and Gansey especially, are in search of ley, or energy lines, in an attempt to awaken the legendary sleeping king of Owen, Glendower.  Someone else is also searching, someone quite unexpected. ...And, what is Noah's secret?  "This fantasy rises to the level of serious literature leaving the  reader hungering for more."

No Place Like Home / Mary Higgins Clark / 555 pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Celia Foster Nolan, formerly Liza Barton, was the child the tabloids dubbed "Little Lizzie Borden."  She had been acquitted, not exonerated, of deliberately killing her mother and trying to kill her stepfather.  In reality she had been rescuing her mom from her stepfather.  Her second husband of six months, Alex Nolan, has just inadvertently gifted her with the scene of the crime home for her birthday.  When they move in, the home is vandalized and murders begin anew.  Who is responsible?  Once again, Mary Higgins Clark has written a work of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat, rooting for the heroine, and booing the bad guys!

Life Rages / L. L. Soares / 386 pages / Bram Stoker Award Winner, October Challenge

"Other people's rage had rewarded him well over the years."  Sam Wayne was a psychologist dealing with anger management, apparently including his own.  His wife, Maggie, has begun missing work to drink herself into oblivion.  When he discovers this, he realizes he should stage an intervention, but Maggie dies before this can happen.  The medical examiner says Maggie died of a heart attack.  The reader knows this in not true.  She was killed by Viv who took her soul during intimate relations.  (I know - weird, huh?)  There are at least two serial killers on the loose.  One of them violently dismembers his victims.  A mass grave has been discovered in the park.  Detective Ben Carroll thinks "the sheer numbers made him think of old newsreel footage he'd seen of the concentration camps.  But this was different.  It was happening now,  under everyone's noses and nobody seemed to know how or why?"  Detective Carroll is unable to forget about Sam Wayne, whose two patients were among the deceased.  "Something strange about the man set off his radar."  This Bram Stoker Award nominee will keep you on the edge of your seat.  It is most definitely not a feel good kind of book.

The Affair / Lee Childs / 578 pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Jack Reacher is sent on a secret mission to a small Mississippi town, host to a ranger military base.  The base houses a unit that rotates to Kosovo, secretly, in a one-month-here-one-month-there ratio.  Jack is not to investigate the town but merely be a liaison with local police.  The base is on lock down and several individuals who approach are gunned down.  Jack discovers that there were previous murders as well.  Who is behind the mayhem and who is involved in the cover up?  You might think you have it figured out...but...you're probably wrong...

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

The day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die."

"All that needs to happen for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

Unnatural Exposure / Patricia Cornwell / 388 pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is investigating what appears to be an international serial killer.  Five dismembered, beheaded bodies were found a decade ago in Dublin, Ireland.  Now four similar victims have surfaced in Richmond, Virginia.  Are these copy-cat crimes or the work of the Ireland killer?  What are the strange eruptions on the skin?  Can it possibly be smallpox?  Has Dr. Scarpetta been infected?  Riveting, suspense-filled, with just a hint of romance, Unnatural Exposure is an intriguing read.  Patricia Cornwell worked for six years with the Virginia chief medical examiner and as a volunteer police office.

On the Street Where You Live / Mary Higgins Clark / 387 pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Criminal defense attorney Emily Graham has just purchased her ancestral home, a Victorian house in the seaside resort town of Spring Lake, New Jersey.  Intervening owners had contracted for an in ground swimming pool in the backyard.  As the pool is being dug, a skeleton is found and Emily is "haunted by two grisly murders separated by more than a century, yet somehow inextricably linked..."  Three murders in the past, two in the near present, and the anniversary of the third past murder is looming.  The past and present are obviously linked.  Is another murder imminent?  As always, Mary Higgins Clark has given us a captivating, suspense-filled read, raising the possibility of reincarnation.  There is an excellent Q & A discussion at the back of the book with the author.

"If you want to be happy for a year, win the lottery.  If you want to be happy for life, love what you do."

Daddy's Gone a Hunting / Mary Higgins Clark / pages / USA Today Bestseller Challenge

Kate Connely is seriously injured when her family's antique museum and replication business explodes.  She is able to escape the fire and drag the injured Gus to safety, but Gus dies and Kate is in a coma.  Fire marshal investigators determine that the explosion was deliberately set.  Who is responsible?  Could Kate and Gus have conspired for revenge or insurance reasons?  Add to this mystery several missing girls, a homeless mentally ill decorated vet, and family secrets and you have a mesmerizing who-dun nit, another gem by the queen of suspense, Mary Higgins Clark.

Bossypants / Tina Fey / 277 pages

Although I am sometimes put off a bit by Tina's colorful language and some of her humor that I consider a bit "over the top," I was often laughing out loud as I listened to Tina read her book.  Not quite a memoir--even though she includes many biographical stories of her life. Not quite a "how-to" for aspiring female comedians because so much of her advice is tongue-in-cheek. But some of it IS good advice. And even through the humor, the reader can see that determination was as important as her talent in helping her succeed.

the Spirit Keeper / K.B. Laugheed / 341 pages

 

 

This book is by a new author that came to KR.  It is about an Irish teen that is taken by Indians in 1747.  It is not the usual captive story.  Her captor is actually a visionary who rescues her from a life of abuse and misery.  How she survives and comes to love her new life is this book.  Quite good and different from many other pioneer/native books.

Lookaway, Lookaway/Wilton Barnhardt/359 pgs./December Challenge

Jerene Jarvis Johnston and her husband, Duke, of Charlotte, NC, represent "high society" in modern North Carolina. Jerene presides over her family's legacy of paintings at the Mint Museum. Duke, once the college "golden boy" and on the path to a political career, instead puts his energy into Civil War re-enactments. Then there is Jerene's brother, Gaston, a dissolute historical fiction novelist. Added into the mix are Jerene and Duke's children: Annie, the smart realtor, with several marriages under her belt; Bo, a minister at odds with his congregation; Joshua, the gay son; and Jerilyn, the dutiful daughter expected to follow in her mother's footsteps. It is one dysfunctional family; and while there is humor, there is an undertone of sadness for the "Old South."

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling / Michael Boccacilio / 296 pages / Bram Stoker Award Nominee - October Challenge

Charlotte Markham, governess - and nanny after the violent death of Nanny Prum, to the two Darrow boys, had lost many people in her life - her mother to cholera, her father to heart attack, and her husband to fire, and when they died, they did not come back.  So it was with jealous curiosity that she questioned the alleged Lily Darrow at Darkling House.  Lily Darrow is the deceased mother of Paul and James Darrow, her charges.  On an outing in the woods, Charlotte and the boys cross over into The Ending - "the place for Things Above Death - where humans are a fascination because they do die."  Charlotte discovers sinister connections between this odd world populated by its sinister beings and Blakefield.  This Victorian Gothic novel reveals truths about "family ties, the realm beyond the living, the price you pay to save those you love."

I Hunt Killers / Lyga Barry / 359 pages / Bram Stoker Nominee - October Challenge

Joe Hill, author of Horns and Heart-Shaped Box, said "It's the best thing in YA fiction since the Hunger Games."  Although I do not agree with this statement, I do agree with Cassandra Clare that "the mystery pulls you in from the first pages, and Jazz is a  chillingly charming protagonist..."  Jazz is the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, having over 100 gruesome deaths to his credit.  Unfortunately, Billy taught his son the tools of his trade.  Billy is serving several life sentences when someone begins a reign of terror mimicking Billy's style.  Who is The Impressionist?  Several plot twists, including one at the very end, keep the reader guessing.  Although I had a hard time accepting GW's reliance on Jazz's knowledge and skills, I found this to be a captivating read.

The 9th Girl / Tami Hoag / 517 pages

"When Nikki Liska first came to homicide, Kovac had drilled into her that he person they worked for...was the victim.   They had to become the voice for the voiceless, the avengers for those who couldn't avenge themselves."  They are investigating the New Year's Eve murder of a local high school girl and fear that she is the ninth victim of a serial murderer called Doc Holiday.  Liska is also dealing with her recently turned taciturn teenage son, bullies, and wealthy influential people who believe that they are above the law.  This nail-biter deals with family dynamics gone awry and insists that "people can be selfish and people can be evil, and even if your only real desire in the world was to be accepted, life could [mess] you up in the blink of an eye for no reason that made sense to anyone."

"Contemporary teenagers.  It's Lord of the Flies in designer labels."

"Name calling is the last resort of an ignorant mind."

"No one dies in a vacuum.  Everyone's life touches someone for good of ill."

Dark Witch / Nora Roberts / 352 pages / USA Today Bestseller - November Challenge

"You can't just hope for happy endings.  You have to believe in them.  Then do the work.  Take the risks.  Slay the dragon..."  "For love and friendship, for family and friends, we'll stand together in the right time, in the right place, and fight with each other.  Fight for each other."  So says American-born Iona Sheenan.  Her Irish grandmother, Nan, encouraged her to return to her roots in County Mayo.  She leaves everything behind, including her indifferent parents, and seeks a new life in what immediately becomes her homeland.  She completes the three who will forever vanquish the evil Cabhan from the earthly plain.  Her cousins, Branna and Connor, and friends, Meara, Boyle, and Fin, work together to defeat Fin's ancestor.  Romance abounds, as does the magic of Ireland, its history, and its folklore. First in a trilogy.

Silverfin, a James Bond Adventure / Charlie Higson and Kev Walker / 160 pages / 11 Pipers Piping Christmas Challenge

In this graphic novel, young James Bond travels from Eton to Scotland to visit his aunt and uncle.  His parents were killed in a mountaineering accident and his aunt and uncle have raised him.  His uncle is very sick and reveals to James that he was a spy during the war and although he was captured by the Germans, he insists that a Bond cannot be held.  He also cautions James to not ever become a spy.  James is able to thwart an evil American arms manufacturer at his castle in Scotland.

Golden Girl / Sarah Zettel / 308 pages / 10 Lords-a-Leaping Christmas Challenge

Callie Leroux "was the Prophecy Girl and the Bad Luck Girl, but before that [she'd] been the Dust Girl, and before that [she'd ] been just plain Callie Leroux."  She and her mother had made a life for themselves running a hotel in Kansas.  The dust storms has decimated the small town, however, and tourism had dried up.  After Callie's mother disappeared (in Dust Girl), Callie and Jack head for California and the motion pictures.  They are searching for Callie's missing father, and, of course, now her mother.  Her father is fairy prince who abdicated his right to the throne to marry her mother.  Callie is heir to the throne, her magic powers are growing, and she is seen as a threat to various fairy factions.  As in Dust Bowl, we are treated to an insider's look at American history as we accompany Callie on her heroic quest.  We meet William Randolph Hearst, who is not portrayed in a favorable light, and Paul Robeson, who was an all-American football player, lawyer, singer, actor, and political activist, who is not incidental, but is instrumental to the plot. 

American Fairy Trilogy Book 2

Wild Born / Brandon Mull / 202 pages / 8 Maids-a-Milking Christmas Challenge

In Erdas, all children must drink the elixir to determine if they are to receive a Spirit Animal.  Although Connor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan seem to have little in common, and most little to recommend them, they each summon one of The Fallen - a wolf ,a leopard,a  panda, and a falcon - Spirit Animals of legend who have great powers.  These great powers and the innate talents and abilities of the four children must band together to defeat a dark force from the past.  Author Brandon Mull, who gave us The Beyonders and the Fablehaven series, has once again crafted an adventure story destined for must-read status.

Spirit Animals Book 1

Heartbeat / Sharon Creech / 180 pages / 6 Geese-a-Laying Christmas Challenge

Annie "likes getting everything in the right place and knowing there was plan for how to do it right."  That's why she liked, and uses, the concept of footnotes introduced by her English teacher.  She is also a runner and an artist intrigued with the wonder of life and the new baby growing inside her mother.  That's why she loves the thesaurus.  It enables her to express her complex feelings more accurately.  She is also struggling with her live-in grandfather's failing memory.  "If you forget, is it as if it never happened?"  Annie's best friend, Max, is also a runner, but he wants to run competitively as did Annie's grandfather.  She wants to run for the fun of it.  Her drawings of 100 daily apples and her responses to family and friends illustrates the circle and rhythms of life.

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro / Jen Bryant / 229 pages / 4 Calling Birds Christmas Challenge

"Doesn't everyone say that love makes you do a lot of strange things - stuff you thought you would never do."  Ryan Sweeney's new found talent for bending the truth proves that.  He is a junior at Valley Forge Military Academy and his father hopes he will follow the family tradition and attend West Point.  His brother is serving a second tour in Afghanistan.  When he meets fiery gypsy-like Carmen at the Quickmart, everything changes.  Ryan BFF, Will, and Carmen's BFF, Maggie, caution Ryan and Carmen about the romance.  Carmen has plans for stardom.  (She is an excellent singer, performing with the Gypsy Lovers.)  She is living with and supporting her abuelos after her mother abandoned her.  Maggie is attending tech school to become a veterinarian's assistant. Will and Carmen make pocket change selling contraband cigarettes.  Told in four voices, The Fortune of Carmen Navarro is a retelling of the opera Carmen which was based on a novella from the mid 1800's written by French author Prosper Merimee.

Mudbound / Hillary Jordan / 328 pages / 2 Turtle Doves Christmas Challenge

This is a rather depressing, anger-inciting story depicting prejudice in the South during the 1940's.  Told in alternating chapters by the McAllans and the Jacksons and read by a multitude of actors, Mudbound tells the story of Henry McAllan who works hard to provide for his family, and his irascible pap, his wife Laura - who prefers the city but must live in a rather destitute farm house, and their tenant farmers, the Jacksons.  The Jacksons are good, hard-working, capable people who struggle to make a success of their acres.  Their son Ronsel is in Europe with a tank division.  Henry's brother Jamie is in the Air Force flying bombing missions in Europe.  When the two return home, they strike up a friendship which arouses bigotry, hatred, and violence.

Starry Night / Debbie Macomber / 243 pages / Patridge in a Pear Tree Christmas Challenge

Carrie Slayton works as society editor for the Chicago Herald.  She wants to cover regular news stories and perhaps become an investigative reporter.  Her editor tells her that if she can track down the elusive, reclusive author of Alone, a bestselling book on survival and get an interview with him, she can have her pick of assignments.  Carrie succeeds where others have failed...in more ways than one.  Finnegan Paul Dalton steals Carrie's heart in the Alaskan wilderness.  Resolution of past hurts and reconciliations bring special meaning to this particular Christmas Day.

Not Simple/ Natsume Ono/ 316 pages

This graphic novel is about the sad, sad life of Ian.  It's told backwards through time, which is especially interesting since it is Manga and you read it starting from the "back" anyway.  But, overall very depressing.  Ian is telling his story to a friend, who wishes to right a book about his dramatic life.  We know he has promised to meet a married woman 3 years ago and that his sister was missing for time.  The story is about his separation and search for his sister and the events that transpire to lead him to meet with this married woman.

Winter's Bone / Daniel Woodrell / 193 pages

Set in Missouri (seems as far away as "France"), Winter's Bone is about a brave Ozark teen who goes on a mission to find her father so that they will not lose their house due to him jumping his bond.  Her father has the distinction of being a really good Crank chef.  (Crank being a form of meth).  Ree is seventeen, a drop-out, and raising her two brothers and caring for her mentally ill/depressed mother.  Losing the house would be catastrophic.  Her journey begins at her uncle's house.  Her Uncle Teardrop is not the kindly type - he is meaner that anything and difficult to talk to especially when he is high (which is most of the time).  In fact, all the men she visits are relatives of some sort and all are part of an abusive, patriarchal brotherhood.  Their women can only offer token of their desire to help her.  I won't say more about the plot, but a lot happens and none of it is fun.  I do not know what would help people who live in Ozark areas of Missouri.  It is violent, dangerous, and clearly sad to be a woman down there.  It is like a third world country.
This book has won awards and the author is from the Ozarks and escaped to the marines at seventeen so he knows what he is writing about.  He was in the renown Iowa Writer's Workshop so just reading some of his descriptions and sentences are worth the read.
Highly recommended.

Camelia save yourself by telling the truth / Camelia Enterkhabifard / 245 pages

This is the story of a young woman in Iran and how she now lives in the United States.  I don't want to live in the Ozarks, but I really, really don't want to be a female in Iran.  Minor things like not dressing properly in hajib or even wearing pink or red can cause a woman to be stopped by the "Guidance Patrol" who can warn you, hit you, or even arrest you. Worse things can happen like lashings or stoning.  Camelia had grown up during a free-er era when the Shaw was the king.  Women has some freedoms.  She became a teen under the Ayatollah Khomeini.  That was when women lost many rights.  She was a reporter and poet.  She really tested the edges of what was allowed during that time.  She was actually in the United States for a while, but returned to Iran.  It was then that she was arrested and taken to prison where she spent three months.  Most of her time was spent being blindfolded and interrogated.  She was threatened with torture, but was wise enough to "confess" to whatever they wanted her to confess to which was a ridiculous list of "crimes" including sleeping with her uncle since they just took all the names from her address book.  The worst thing was to have to make a false accusation about someone else which did not go well for that person.  Ultimately, she agreed to spy for the government at her place of employment as a reporter.  Her friend, the editor, of course knew this, so she put her on unimportant jobs so she wouldn't have to "know" anything really important.  Finally, she got permission (yes, women need permission of a man to travel) to go back to the United States.  She lives in New York City, but is either brave enough or crazy enough to report from Afghanistan.

The Cinderella Deal? Jennifer Crusie / 278 pages

I chose this book to be a light and humorous book since I have been reading so many grim books that are reality.  This didn't disappoint.  Daisy is an artist and a carefree spirit.  Linc is serious and organized.  Can this ever work?

In the world of Romance, of course it can.  It can also earn bonus points.  Daisy's ex boyfriend is a musician. (cha ching)
She is afraid of flying on a plane, but does so with Linc (cha ching) and she is proposed to and gets married (Yes!)
and finally, they "celebrate" Christmas, but you must read the book for those details (ha!)

And it all ends well.  :)

Leap of Faith / Jamie Blair / 234 pages

I chose this YA book as a stress relief book after reading about oppressed women.  HMMM.  Faith's mother is an alcoholic, drug addicted, abusive, manipulative woman who is trying to get pregnant as a surrogate mother for a drug dealer.  Faith is her 17 year old daughter who marginally exists on whatever she can find.  She doesn't even own an entire bed; just a mattress.
Her sister, Hope, is going to start college in the summer and that will leave Faith alone to face her mother. 
Suspend the belief that it could happen like this, but Faith is able to steal the baby that her mother delivers by simply taking it to the car to put into the carseat and then, supposedly to drive up and get her mother which she doesn't do.  Instead, Faith drives to Florida to start a new life as Leah with her baby Addy.  Many realistic problems come up with the baby and what to do with no money.  Leah also encounters incredible luck with the people that she meets in the book.  They are really wonderful characters that you really want to have work out for her.  But reality is still there.  The baby is still stolen. and ultimately, Faith has to fix the problems. The author cheats at the end with a "lady or tiger" ending at the door.  I would rather have had a sequel.

Sum of All Kisses / Julia Quinn / 373 pgs. / Dec. Challenge - Gold Rings

"Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words "shy" or "retiring", she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, even if Hugh did grow to enjoy her company, it wouldn't matter. a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now, unable to run, ride, or even waltz, he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her." - from Catalog

This is a pretty standard, run-of-the-mill romance novel.  The "excuse" that keeps the two protagonists apart is so lame and over dramatic that it's almost laughable.   The book really slows down midway with long passages about the main characters mooning over each other and not saying or doing anything about it.  I finished the book only because I had already put in a lot of my precious reading time and I want to get my blog points!  :)  Final Verdict: Fair, quick read.

Saga, Vol. 2 / Brian K. Vaughan / 144 pgs. / Dec. Challenge - Geese-a-Laying

Star-Crossed parents Alana & Marko are on the run with their newborn Hazel.  Prince Robot IV as well as
Bounty Hunter "The Will" are still hot on their trail.  In this volume, Marko's parents join up with the runaways, which lead to heated discussions and lots of family drama!

I love, love, LOVE this series.  Exciting, thoughtful, and the artwork is gorgeous.  But due to adult content, this is a series for mature readers.  

The Knight at Dawn / Mary Pope Osborne / 65 pgs. / Dec Challenge - Lords a Leaping

Jack and Annie use their Magic Tree House to time travel past to the Middle Ages.  Even though their journey was filled with peril, the two explored a Castle and witnessed a Royal Feast.  I like that the book is
filled with little facts like did you know that in Medieval times they ate Peacocks?!  Recommend for beginning readers K-3.

Accidents of Providence/ Stacia Brown/ 257 pages

Awesome historical fiction!   A baby is found dead in the woods.  Was she stillborn?  Was she murdered by her own mother?  Does it matter, because according to the laws in London in 1649, an unwed mother need only hide the death of her newborn child to be condemned to die for her crime.  We find Rachel accused of murdering her infant at the beginning of the story.  What follows is the testimony of those involved and close to her.  I'd love to re-read knowing some of the thing I now know, and I am eager for book club next week.

Far, Far Away/ Tom McNeal/ 371 pages

This is the story of Jeremy Johnson Johnson, who is haunted by the ghost of Jacob Grimm.  (Yes, of Grimm's Fairy Tales.)  I thought this was a horror novel when I picked it up, so I'm not the best judge.  This is a mystery and there is a little creepiness, but it is definitely not horror.  That said, it's a mystery and there is some humor.  And I liked learning a few tidbits about the life of the Grimm brothers.

December's Reading Challenge

It's the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge!!!!

This one is based upon the Christmas carol 'The 12 days of Christmas'. Here's how it works...
Below is a theme related to each 'day' in the song. Your challenge is to read a book to satisfy each of the criteria. You will receive "2" points for each themed book: Here ya' go....

On the First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me......

12 Drummers Drumming - Musician as a main character 11 Pipers Piping – set in or visit to Scotland 10 Lords-a-Leaping - involves royalty 9 Ladies Dancing - Main character a dancer 8 Maids-a-Milking – involves characters that work with animals 7 Swans-a-Swimming – sportsmen/women as a main character 6 Geese-a-Laying – includes pregnancy/babies 5 Gold Rings – includes a marriage proposal 4 Calling Birds - a main character that is a singer 3 French Hens – set in, or includes a visit to, France 2 Turtle Doves – includes scenes involving flying And a Partridge in a Pear Tree – involves Christmas day scenes

The Substitute Millionaire/Susan Mallery/192 pgs./December Challenge--Geese-a-Laying

This is the first book in the  "Million Dollar Catch" trilogy. Julie Nelson loses a bet to her two sisters, which results in her going on a blind date with Todd Aston. What Julie doesn't realize is that she is really on a date with Todd's cousin, Ryan Bennett. When Ryan confesses his duplicity, Julie wants nothing to do with him. However, Julie soon discovers that she is pregnant. When she tells Ryan about her pregnancy, he surprises her by wanting to be an active participant in the raising of their child. Both Julie and Ryan have "trust" issues but they work through them to a happy conclusion. The dialogue is entertaining, and the characters have more depth than in a typical romance.

Dirty Blonde / Lisa Scottoline / 358 pgs /

Cate Fante is a character that has everything going for her.  She young, beautiful, and intelligent; she is also one of the youngest women to be appointed to serve as a federal judge.  However, because of her prodigious job, she tries to keep her private after hour activities a secret.  When a high-profile court case turns into a murder-suicide; Cate's life is scrutinized and thrown out to the masses by the media. 

There were some problems with the mystery elements in this book.  For example there must be some really lazy police work going on if it's "completely obvious" for one cop to determine that someone was murdered while the rest of the force determines it was a suicide and calls it a day.  Also, a known offender is sending threats and breaking into a character's house, but the police are "positive" that this person will not attempt to hurt the character, and does not provide any protection.  I was also bothered that no clues were left to let the reader know who the killer really was.  The villain just reveals themselves which made all the previous (and wrong) detective work the main character went through meaningless. 

The Ultimate Millionaire/Susan Mallery/192 pgs./5 Gold Rings (Dec. Challenge)

This is the third entry in Susan Mallery's "The Million Dollar Catch" trilogy. Marina Nelson has agreed to help plan her sister Julie's wedding while Julie is out of the country. The only catch is that she'll be working with Todd Aston III, the bane of the Nelson girls' existence. Their grandmother Ruth had offered a million dollars to whichever of her granddaughters would marry Todd. They all declined, and since Julie and Willow are engaged, Marina is the only remaining candidate. However, the sisters think there must be something wrong with Todd if their grandmother has to offer money for someone to marry him. As Marina and Todd start working on the wedding together, each realizes neither is what the other expected. Sparks fly, but as is the case in most romance novels, the road to a happy ending is not without its bumps. The characters are entertaining, as is the dialogue. It's a fun trilogy!

The Unexpected Millionaire/Susan Mallery/192 pgs./5 Gold Rings (Dec. Challenge)

Willow Nelson wants revenge against Todd Aston III, but instead of showing up at his house, she ends up at Kane Dennison's house--security expert for Todd's company. Wanting to give Todd a piece of her mind, Willow, instead, ends up hurting herself, and being cared for by Kane.  Kane wants nothing to do with women, and Willow has a tendency to fall for guys needing rescuing. Of course, the two are attracted to each other, but both are coming from different places in their lives. This is part of a trilogy, with each book centering around one of the sisters: Willow, Julie, and Marina. The girls had recently learned that their grandmother Ruth, who they thought was dead, is very much alive, and wants one of the girls to marry Todd Aston--her great-nephew by marriage. To sweeten the deal, Ruth has offered a million dollars to the one that does. None of the girls wants the money, but they do want to establish a relationship with Ruth. This is the second book in the trilogy, and an enjoyable read. The characters and dialogue are entertaining--a nice, light, read!

The Rosie Project / Graeme Simsion / 292 pages

This little book is great.  It is funny, poignant, and satisfying.  Don Tillman, professor of genetics at a University in Australia, has Asperbergers and he knows he is lacking in social expertise.  He decides he wants to find a wife and develops a survey with questions that are vetted to provide statistically accurate results.  He plans the "wife project" with all of the best scientific approaches and then Rosie Jarman who definitely cannot pass most of the qualities of a compatible wife walks into his life.  The book is populated with characters who try to help Don in social situations but also use him and sometimes make fun of him.  You will be pulling for Don all the way as he discovers what love really is.  You can't help but love this book.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic / Emily Croy Barker / 563 pages

A debut novelist, Barker does a commendable job of creating a parallel world in which magic plays in important role in everyday life.  Her main character Nora is the "thinking woman," a graduate student stalled in her dissertation on English literature who accidentally stumbles through the portal into another world and discovers her potential as a magician.  This is really a long book that I mostly enjoyed.  It seems is though there might be sequels to continue Nora's story.

The Thing About Luck / Cynthia Kadohata / 270 pages

I am so happy I read this book!  The Thing about Luck is the winner of the National Book Award for Children's Literature.  Hmmm, I thought, you should probably read that book.  Hey this time doing the "right thing" turned out to be an awesome thing.  Kadohata gives us a great story about Summer, a 12 year old girl discovering who she is, her Japanese grandparents who are a real hoot, her special needs brother Jaz, and the life of a "custom harvester."  The characters are very enjoyable...especially Summer and her grandmother.  The setting of the Texas and Oklahoma wheat fields and the work of the customer harvesters is informative.  Definite recommend!

Cross My Heart/James Patterson/419 pgs

This is the 21th title in the Alex Cross series and I would say probably one of the best.  There seems to be a crime spree in Washington DC and both Bree and Alex are working long hours.  On top of that they are remodeling the family home.  Alex is working on a series of murders at massage parlors and Bree is working a series of child kidnappings.  What they don't know is there is someone else out there who wants to take down Alex in a way that will hurt the most.  You think you know from the start how it ends and I can't wait for the next one - it will be a continuation.

Sushi for Beginners: a novel / Marian Keyes / 426 pages

Genre - Chick Lit, Humor, Romance included

Plot overview - Set in the British Isles, magazine editor Lisa Edwards is a career climber, striving for a high profile spot in New York City, when her corporation instead sends her to start up a magazine in Dublin, Ireland. Her assistant there is Ashling Kennedy, native Irish girl with an unspectacular life, a strong sense of duty and an attractive best friend who is bored with life as a married mom to the near-perfect man. Lisa's boss is a handsome, laid-back manager who seems short on pizazz.

Over the course of this novel, lives change and lessons are learned. Friendships and marriages fail, while the magazine flourishes. But, most of all, the reader is treated to wry observations of everyday life, every day insecurities and pointed pokes at the humor in the average person's life. The plot moves along well and never seems to drag despite the book's length, but the true highlight of this novel is the author's wit.

Analysis/Recommendations

This is not Marian Keyes' first novel. She has drawn praise for the humor in her previous books, but she has not missed a beat in this one. Her humor is over-the-top funny and left me laughing out loud with no one else around (I hope). But she also weaves a many-faceted storyline that leads to unexpected places and surprise outcomes.

Keyes is hilarious while,a t the same time, weaving a storyline that deals with some issues that are not funny at all. She adeptly shows her characters as they deal with the consequences of choices they make and provides one of the most accurate depictions of emotional turmoil that I have read in a very long time. I will stop there so as not to spoil anything.

A great read, this book will especially be enjoyed by women from 19-60. But, it's also a good read for men like m who aren't afraid to be seen with chick-lit in their hands. I give it a strong recommendation. 
If the reader is seeking a romance novel, this may not fill the bill. Although there is plenty of romance here, it is not the end-all of the plot line. Some of its romantic encounters lean a little bluer than I prefer, but that is the only criticism I can make of this book.