Friday, February 28, 2014

SANTA VERSUS DRACULA / Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power / 167 Pages

How could I resist a graphic novel with the title SANTA VERSUS DRACULA! Dejesus (artwork) and Power (story) have created a hilarious, beautifully illustrated tale where the symbols of Christmas (quite literally) face off against famous fictional monsters.

When Dracula invades the North Pole, who do you think will win in the match-ups? Jack Frost versus the Invisible Man? Wintry the Snowman versus Frankenstein's Monster? Mrs. Clause (not the one you might expect) versus the Hunchback? Rumspringer the Reindeer versus Mr. Hyde? And last but hardly least (especially with a twist ending) Santa versus Dracula?

Read at your own risk, you may die laughing but you just might like it! :-)

THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY / Gabrielle Zevin / 258 Pages

Received an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of this title from the publisher. Gabriell Zevin is known for her YA novels, including the science fiction 'Birthright' series. Her newest book, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is a heart-warming story of a despondent and self-destructive bookseller coming to terms with what live can offer when an unusual package is left in his store.

Loved the personalized shelf-talkers which introduce each chapter. Made it feel like I was wandering the aisles of a small but cozy bookstore and brought a number of stories to my attention as well. My personal reading will continue beyond Zevin's book ...  :-)

Fans of literary fiction and the world of books should enjoy this.

CAPTIAN'S FURY / Jim Butcher / 451 Pages / Audiobook

Captain's Fury, fourth title in the 'Codex Alera' fantasy series from Jim Butcher, author of the 'Dresden Files' featuring Chicago wizard, Harry Dresden. Kate Reading provides the narration, giving a personalized voice to each character.

Two years after the events of Cursor's Fury, young Tavi, now Captain of the 1st Aleran Legion, is still dealing with the Canim invaders. He will learn the long-hidden truth about his heritage and have to figure out a way to deal, not only the betrayal is uncovers, but also all the consequences of that revelation.

For fans of epic fantasy and well-read audiobooks.

CURSOR'S FURY / Jim Butcher / 442 Pages / Audiobook / Recommended by a FRIEND (two actually!)

CURSOR'S FURY is the third title in Butcher's 'Codex Alera' fantasy series. It follows the developing story of young Tavi, a farmboy turned intelligence agent for the crown, now serving as a junior officer in the new and inexperienced 1st Aleran Legion. Across the continent, a rebellion has begun which threatens to spill over into a full scale civil war and endanger the lives of Tavi's family.

Narrator Kate Reading continues to enhance Butcher's storytelling with her deft voice characterizations. I am thoroughly enjoying listening to Reading and owe a BIG Thank You to the two (2) co-workers who kept telling me to give this series a try!

FIND MOMO: My Dog is Hiding in This Book. Can You Find Him? / Andrew Knapp / 140 Pages

This dog can hide! Take a look at Knapp's delightful photo essay, reminiscent of the Where's Waldo picture books for children. The photographs are primarily locations in Ontario (Canada) and the North Eastern United States, with a few set in Illinois.

For those who love dogs, puzzles, or photography! Give this a try and see if you can FIND MOMO

The author has created a website for those who wish to continue following the photographic adventures of Momo: http://gofindmomo.com/

Seven (7) Books Read / Six (6) Readers / 2,379 Total Pages / Literary Fiction

RAteam Reads for January 2014

The RAteam learned about LITERARY FICTION in January, with book talks being presented on Wednesday, January 29th. There were seven (7)  participants for the Literary Fiction book talks (one person read two books!) with the following titles being read:




The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey / 389 Pages
       




   The Art of Fielding / Chad Harbach / 512 Pages 




  Swamplandia! / Karen Russell / 315 Pages




This Is How You Lose Her / Junot Diaz / 213 Pages




  The Tragedy of Arthur / Arthur Phillips / 368 Pages




The Forgotten Waltz / Ann Enright / 263 Pages 




  The Dog Stars / Peter Heller / 319 Pages






Annotations for these seven (7) titles will be posted on the Tales from the RAT Queen blog.

RAteam Reading for January 2014 / Literary Fiction

4 - Readers
4 - Books
1,772 Total Pages

The House on the Cliff/Charlotte Williams/338 pgs.

Jessica Mayhew is a psychotherapist treating Gwydion Morgan, a young, successful, actor. He begins by telling her of his phobia concerning buttons, but then relates a recurring dream he has about being in a box. As Jessica becomes more involved in his treatment, she learns of a mysterious death that occurred when Gwydion was a young boy. In addition to her practice, Jessica is dealing with home issues--her husband admits to being unfaithful on a business trip, and her 16 year-old daughter, Nella, makes some poor decisions, causing additional stress. The book's setting is Wales, and is told in Jessica's voice. This is Charlotte Williams' debut novel, and is quite intriguing!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Betrayal / Diane Noble / 280 pages

This is book 2 in the Brides of Gabriel  series.  The first book set up the problem of polygamy among the mormons and for Mary Rose, in particular, as her true love Gabe marries her best friend Bronwyn.  Enter a third wife, Enid, a childhood friend of Gabe's.  How can this heartbreaking problem be resolved for all of them?  More important, the institution of Blood Atonement and "watch lists" make it increasingly difficult for anyone to be safe.  It is like "thought police" looking for apostates.  How can these rebel women escape and where can they go in the 1840's wilds of Nevada territory?
     It's a great mix of difficult emotions, decisions, and history.  I hope there is a third book to make it a trilogy.

A Place to Belong / Lauraine Snelling / 376 pages

This is the third in the Wild West Trilogy by Christian author Lauraine Snelling.  Cassie, who was left alone after the wild west show she starred in went broke, arrived with her two companions at the ranch in South Dakota.  She is living with the Engstroms and actually owns half of the ranch, an inheritance from her father.  She is engaged to Lucas, but doesn't love him.  What should she do?  
Ultimately, she will end up with the other brother, but he seems to hate her.  How will this come about?  It is an interesting time in the west.  The early 1900's were a transition between the old and new ways. It is a great setting and Lauraine Snelling has specialized in this era of history and culture so it is a great way to time travel.  (I just wonder how these people could eat that many cookies, gingerbread, and apple cake without gaining a ton of weight.)  I also would like to see another trilogy based on these characters as she has done in the past.  Ransom has definite anger issues and is very rigid.  Cassie might marry him, but that won't resolve his basic problems.  I would like to see how he handles marriage and how he could possibly change.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Ruby Notebook / Laura Resau / 373 pages / 3 French Hens December Challenge

16 year old Zeeta and her joi de vivre mother are constantly moving from place to place, country to country. "When you're constantly moving to a new place, adapting to new ways of life, it takes extra work to make sense of it all." Zeeta does this with a rainbow collection of notebooks - the only sentimental things she brings from one country to another. "They're brimming with interviews, musings, observations, questions, and the occasional rant." She has chosen a ruby notebook in which to record her experiences in Aix-En-Provence, France. Here she searches for her long lost father, the fountain of youth, and true love. What a great atmospheric piece! The reader is transported to France and immersed in French culture and language. There is a most awesome glossary of French terms with pronunciations and definitions.

"We all make mistakes, have regrets, miss opportunities. Maybe the best we can do is learn from the past. Fix things if we're lucky enough to get a second chance."

"Don't build yourself a prison of ifs."

"At the darkest times, that is when you find your treasure."

"Make your day a song."

"You are what you love."

Hollow City: The second Novel if Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children / Ransom Riggs / 400 pages / 8 Maids a Milking December Challenge

The peculiars are children with most unusual gifts. They live and move through various time loops and are protected and mentored by ymbryne - humans who transform into birds. They are pursued, and often killed, by hollows and wights. After their island refuge is destroyed, this particular group of peculiars escape with their ymbryne, Miss Peregrine. After the harrowing escape and pursuit, the children spend time with a most peculiar menagerie of animals and a band of gypsies. Arriving in 1940's London, they continue their quest to find the other ymbrynes, resuscitate Miss Peregrine...and save the world. Interspersed with most unusual photographs, this most peculiar story resonates with timeless themes, quirky plot, and even quirkier characters.

"The blessings of surviving precludes a great many things, exploring and falling in love not least among them."
"Prior to 1863, there weren't any underground systems in London."

Ripper / Isabel Allende / 478 pages / 7 Swans a Swimming December Challenge

This is a compelling, full of surprises read. It is not about Jack the Ripper as the title might suggest, however, it is about a potential serial killer. Ripper is the name taken by an on-line group who play at solving crimes until a real crime spree in San Francisco is predicted by a local astrologer. Ripper was "inspired by one of the great puzzles in the history of crime: Jack the Ripper, the legendary murderer who terrorized London neighborhoods in 1888. There are more than 100 theories about the Ripper's identity - including one that he was a member of the royal family." Young Amanda Jackson and her on-line friends, her grandfather, and her police officer father switch from on-line role playing to real life crime solving. Sprinkled with horrifying flashbacks of a hero CIA agent/ex Navy seal's tours of duty in Afghanistan, this thriller deals with the myriad complexities of relationships and belief systems, and the motivations and compulsions spurred by love, hate, and co-existence.
(Amanda's not so faithful boyfriend is a member of the swim team.)

A Match Made for Eden / Jennifer Zwaniga / 427 pages / 7 Swans a Swimming December Challenge

Eden and her friends, Mark and Rebecca, are not part of the in-group at high school. Josh who is, however, is attracted to her and is matched with her for a computer date dinner dance. There are several seemingly insurmountable problems that will need to be solved if their relationship has a chance. First, there is Josh's steady girlfriend, Victoria, who is mean and a bully to boot. Second, is the fact that Josh works for Vicky's father. And third, neither friend set seems willing to accept a new member. This is all about first love, high school cliques, friendship, and doing the right thing at the right time. One of the major protagonists, Josh, plays on the high school basketball team and is frequently shown shooting hoops with his best friend, Chris, so this book satisfies the 7 Swans a Swimming challenge.

The Darkness Dwellers / Kirsten Miller / 403 pages / 3 French Hens December Challenge

Kiki Strike #3
"According to the Paris police, the Darkness Dwellers are a mythical organization. There's no solid evidence that any group by that name has ever existed. However, many Parisians believe that the organization was formed to protect the catacombs - a network of bone-filled tunnels deep beneath the city. The Darkness Dwellers claim the group secretly repairs national treasures above ground as well." Kiki Strike meets two perspective Darkness Dwellers when she is entrapped in the tower of St. Maurice. She was on her way to claim the throne of Pokrovia, but got waylaid by her evil aunt. Her friends, the Irregulars, have been working on something she might be able to use as a bargaining chip with her enemies. This is a fast-paced tale filled with daring exploits and strong female characters.

"Manners aren't about impressing people. They're about being considerate. And a four letter word for considerate is kind."

"Luck is for the ill-prepared."

"Evil will triumph if good people do nothing."

Monday, February 24, 2014

Fear Nothing/Lisa Gardner/404 pgs.

This is one of the most suspenseful Lisa Gardner books I have read! The story is told through the eyes of  Dr. Adeline Glen--a pain specialist, who, herself cannot feel physical pain. Detective D.D. Warren becomes a patient of hers when she sustains a debilitating  injury while revisiting a crime scene site.  Adeline has an older sister, Shana Day, who has been in prison since the age of 14--she was charged with killing a young boy. It turns out, Adeline and Shana's biological father, Harry Day, was an infamous serial killer. He's been dead for years, but someone seems to be copying his style of murder--skinning the victims after they have died. It's a pretty gruesome read at times, but the reader is well into the book before discovering who the "Rose Killer" is. It's a real page turner!

Weapon of Choice/Patricia Gussin/312 pages

Dr. Laura Nelson has a lot on her plate. She's a widow with 5 children and chief of surgery at a large Tampa hospital. When she's asked to perform a biopsy on a patient, she discovers that he's showing all the signs of the newly-named disease that has been striking fear into the gay community for years. Now known as AIDS instead of GRID, this is the first case seen in Tampa. Laura knows she has to tread lightly while giving Matthew the best care available and protecting her staff at the same time. When an antibiotic resistant staph infection starts killing patients in the ICU, Laura's staff and family are all pulled into a deadly situation. Hopefully, Laura's friend at the CDC can help isolate the infection and provide some help.


This book had me washing my hands more than Lady MacBeth. Set in 1985, it shows how far we've come in the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS. It also brings up some alarming questions on the research and application of biological weapons.

Steal Like an Artist / Austin Kleon 149 p.

Interested in creativity?  Austin Kleon shares 10 things nobody tells you about being creative.    The first being Steal Like an Artist.  One needs inspiration.  He says, "Nothing is original".  So look around.  Carry a notebook and pen with you.  Jot down your ideas.  Keep a file of things of interest.  Draw upon it when you need ideas.

Kleon says, my favorite quote,

"Always be reading.  Go to the library.  There's magic in being surrounded by books.  Get lost in the stacks. Read bibliographies. It's not the book you start with, it's the book that book leads you to."

Some of the other rules are:

"Don't wait until you know who you are to get started,
The secret: do good work and share it with people.
Be boring (it's the only way to get work done.)"

His style is easy to read, understand, and to apply.


Sunday, February 23, 2014

Run: A Novel / Ann Patchett / 295 pages

   I read this on the recommendation of Lisa Kimmel at Kisker Road. We had been talking about how much we enjoyed Bel Canto when Lisa said I must read this novel. I tried something different this time. I read the book at home and listened to it when in the car. I will repeat this experiment in the future.
   Bernard Doyle is the former mayor of Boston and he has two sons named Tip and Teddy. They were adopted at birth and 18 months. Tip is the older one. Doyle has decided his adult children will have a role in politics and towards that end he has brought them to hear Jesse Jackson speak. On a very snowy night, the Doyle family meet in an auditorium. Tip is looking for a way to get back to his job. He doesn't want to attend the reception and begins walking away, not watching where he is going. The next thing he knows there is an SUV and an unknown woman pushing him out of the way. With the appearance of this woman, the life Tip and Teddy and even Doyle know begins to unravel in ways they can not imagine.
   I was drawn into this story. It takes place over a 24 hour period. The characters and their individual stories were very compelling and heartbreaking. I felt I could go and see these people, sitting down in their living room and picking up the story. The older brother Sullivan and his life was a plot line that could have been filled out a little more - making the reader understand why he reacted the way he did. That really is my only quibble with the book. Coincidence and fate in one's life are discussed - why the choices we make effect other people we don't even know. I think this is a great book for a discussion group.

Six degrees of reading: The Dead by James Joyce, The Color of Water by James McBride, Hood by Emma Donoghue.

Shadow Woman: A Novel / Linda Howard / 8 disks / 336 pages

   Lizette Henry is going through her regular morning routine when she looks in the mirror and realizes she doesn't recognize the person looking back at her. Almost immediately she is violently ill and the strangest impulse comes over her: destroy her cell phone. And from that beginning Lizette realizes there is more than just two years missing from her life. It is quite possible there is someone out to kill her. Little does she know there has been someone watching out for her during those lost years. In fact two someones. As Lizette begins to put the pieces together those people come out of hiding and the hardest part is to figure out which one to trust, with her life.
   This was a recommendation from a patron and I have to admit this is a little out of my reading comfort zone. I do enjoy a good suspense plot but in this one, there is a lot of sex, a LOT of sex. Howard has a great plot here. She makes a convincing story of just what happened to Lizette and why it had to happen that way. I was aware of huge plot holes and the ending just had me rolling my eyes. Was it a nice and tidy ending? Yes. Did it neatly answer all the questions? No. I have a feeling there may be a sequel but I am not holding my breath. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the bad guy was but other than that, not much appeal for me to read another one by this author.

Six degrees of reading: Shiver by Karen Robards, River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz, The First Prophet by Kay Hooper.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Bones of the lost / Kathy Reichs, 324 p.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan once again finds herself working separate cases that end up being woven together.  She and her sidekick Det. Slidell put the pieces together just in the nick of time.  I find Reichs' characters a little flat, but she writes a good mystery.

Six Years / Harlan Coben, 351 p.

Coben offers up another page turner.  Professor Jake Fisher is just going through the motions of living, after having  abruptly lost the love of his life to another man six years before.  Everything changes when he happens upon the other man's obituary.  Hoping to get a glimpse of his former girlfriend, he impulsively attends the man's funeral, only to discover another family and no sign of Natalie.  As Jake tries to find out what happens to Natalie, he encounters one threat after another, each of which leads down a an intricate trail of lies and denial.  Just as the story grows seemingly more implausible, the page turns and Jake begins to make sense of the situation - only to find himself fighting for his own life as he gets closer to the truth.  A great read!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Private L.A./James Patterson/425 pgs


This is the sixth title in the Private series and was a very good read.  It is about Hollywood's most famous couple - think Brad and Angelina.  They are great philanthropists, have adopted their children from around the world and make meaningful movies.  One day after returning from making a movie in Vietnam the entire family is kidnapped and no one knows where they are.  Jack Morgan from Private is called in to find out where they are.  Meanwhile (because you know there is always something else happening during one of Patterson's books,  there is a serial killer who is calling himself No Prisoners terrorizing LA.  

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Prisoner of Tehran / Marina Nemat / 306 pages

     I did not think that I could read one more book about bad things happening to women in Iran, but I was wrong.  This is a very compelling book and worth reading since there are many levels to think about in this true story.
     Marina was taken to Evin prison when she was 16 years old during the reign of the Ayatollah khomeini and was there for close to two years.  Her crime?  Attending rallies, speaking out at school, writing, reading Western books.  
     I was able to read this only because the torture described in the book wasn't the most extreme forms.  However, I could only read this book in the daytime and play "Candy Crush" before bed to do  it. 
     She marries her interrogator.  What!  Yes.  There in lies the great book discussion materials.  What is wrong? What is right?  Is Ali evil or a savior?  How does she cope with her circumstances?  Is she betraying anyone herself?  What would you do in her place?  Is this still going on in Iran?  (Clearly, yes to that one) There are discussion questions at the end of the book.  She lives in Canada and was unable to even write or talk about her experiences for fifteen years.  She is a survivor.  There are many more; not just in Iran.  Multiply the injustice to women and political prisoners all over the world.  I don't know what can be ultimately done.  I want to "not see" it just like everyone else.  However, she is a witness.
      This would make a good book discussion especially for teens.  They could be reading something real and compelling instead of the "Hunger Games"  They will ultimately be the ones to deal with the world.  What kind of world do they want?

The One and Only Ivan / Katherine Applegate / 300 p.

Sweet, sweet story that tugs at the heart strings. Ivan is a silverback gorilla who has lived a sad and solitary existence for decades in a cage in a mall. But he has a few other animal friends with whom he has bonded. The introduction of a new baby elephant to the mall's odd menagerie spurs Ivan to a bold move to work toward a better life for them all. This would be a great read-aloud--a couple of chapters at a time--for children around 7-10 years old. 2013 Newbery winner.

Ivy and Bean / Annie Barrowe / 113 pages

This is a pretty good book for first and second grade girls.  The characters are seven and very believable.  I wish that they were a little nicer to other people in the book, but they certainly have personality.

The 113 pages includes black and white illustrations which were quite good in that the illustrator actually read the book and coordinated the pictures with the text.  It is a good step into chapter books with text that flows unlike the JX easy reader books where the reader knows that a lot more could be said in the story.

This is a good book to recommend to first, second, and even third grade girls.  Boys, not so much.

Complete Guide to Finishing Basements / Black & Decker 239 p.

Take your basement from an storage area to a dazzling functional living space.   Lovely full-color pictures illustrated each step.  Includes heating and cooling improvements, resurfacing and laying floors, installing walls and ceilings, installing egress windows, creating bathrooms, kitchens, or bedrooms.  Great for the DIY'ers.  Amateurs will find the directions easy to follow.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

December & January Winners -- Finally!!

Yes, Here I am finally posting the winners for December and January!!

I know, I know I'm a total slacker!  I totally blame it on the weather.  So to make up for it, I have combined the scores for Dec & Jan and our winners are:

1. Judy B - for Highest Page Average!
2. Sandy G - For Overall Awesomeness!
3. Sarah H. - For 2nd highest number of Bonus Points
*They will receive a $10 gift card to Walmart - thanks to our sponsors The Friends of the Library!!

And our random winners who get the awesome stuff that is festering in the grab bag under my desk are:
Whitney Z, Sandy M, Darol B, Maggie P, Brian B, Margaret C, & Sue D!!  

Keep up the Good work all!!!!

Unwholly/ Neal Shusterman/ 402 pages

This is the second book
 in the Unwind Trilogy by Neal Shusterman.  It has been at least 4 years since I read the first book the in series, but I was able to pick up with Conner, Lev & Risa fairly quickly.  I love these characters.  Dystopian fiction at it's best!  Society has decided that the answer to the war on abortion is to allow parents to have their children "unwound" between the ages of 13 and 17.   Advocates claim the child is not killed, but living in a "divided state" -- their bodies are essentially separated into various parts and used for transplants to heal others.  Those slated to be unwound don't feel the same way.  This book picks up after the explosion and riot at one of the "Harvest Camps".  There are parts pirates, and we are introduced to Cam, a teen who never existed. 

Goddess of Vengeance / Jackie Collins / 516 pgs

*sigh* what can I say about this book.....  Well, I read it because I never read a Jackie Collins book before and I wanted to just see what it was like.  If you like to read stories with mega-rich characters that live glamorous lives throwing their endless supply of money on whatever frivolous thing then this book would be for you.   It read like a soap opera or like watching an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  The characters problems are trite, and not a single one of them seemed to be a decent human being.

Collins style is a bit raunchy with way to much talk about hookups, one night stands, prostitutes, past sexual histories, etc. etc.   And then there was the story line.  Now I love a good revenge story, and this one started off okay.  There is this mega-rich jerk who feels very entitled and hates women.  He wants to buy the mega successful hotel that the main character, Lucky, but she tells him no.  The guy then proceeds to whine and cry like a toddler and then try to find a hit man to kill Lucky.  All of the story lines converge on a single night in Las Vegas and as far as the Vengeance goes well that was a real let down too.

The strangest thing is that Sidney Poitier is one of the readers on the audio version.  Its very distracting/disturbing to hear him narrate the inconsequential thoughts of a vapid 17 year old.  Ugh!

Insurgent / Veronica Roth / 525 pgs

War has broken out between the factions.  Tris Prior must figure out who is creating the Mind Control serum and why.  Its a race against time as Tris and her friends bounce from one safe house to the next with the enemy on their tails.  Tris is also dealing with the loss of her parents and figuring out her identity and where her loyalties lie.

A lot of action without much discovery or actual plot points to move the story along.  However, this is a very popular book, and is safe to recommend to any age teen that wants to give it a try.

PS. Anyone who thinks these books are better than "Hunger Games" are on crack.

Learning not to Drown / Anna Shinoda / 352 pgs

"Family secrets cut to the bone in this mesmerizing debut novel about a teen whose drug-addicted brother is the prodigal son one time too many." - From back of Book

Anyone who has lived in a situation where they have a family member who makes poor/illegal choices will identify with this book.  The main character Clare has a brother who has been in and out of prison due to his drug addiction and illegal activities.  The members of her family all deal with the situation in different ways; with her mother being in complete denial and trying to ignore the truth of the events.

The book is about family, loyalty, and that thin line one walks when they given their loved one many chances and have gotten burned each time.  When is the right time to just let them go so you don't drown with them?

This book is appropriate for all teens.  Book is due out: April 1, 2014!

Waiting to be Heard / Amanda Knox / 463 pgs.


Written (and Read) by the Author, Amanda Knox; this is her account of her four year ordeal when she was tried for the murder of her roommate in Perugia, Italy.

Knox, sounds like a very young girl, who was naive and immature and was thrown in a very tense and unusual situation.  I like how she included a lot of background about her life and her day-to-day activities while she was in the Italian prison.  Unfortunately, I felt like she kept repeating some of her points and stories more than a few times.

I didn't follow the case while it was in the media, but I remember thinking that with all this media attention she must fit the profile of a killer.  After reading her account, I really feel bad with the way the media and prison system treated her; because they really railroaded a young vulnerable girl.

Monday, February 17, 2014

A Short Guide to a Long Life/David B. Agus, M.D./190 pgs.

Dr. Agus divides his book into three sections: What to Do, What to Avoid, and Doctor's Orders. In a concise and highly readable fashion, Dr. Agus advises the reader in steps to improve and take charge of his/her health (and health issues). It's an informative read!

Dark Witch/Nora Roberts/352 pgs./ December challenge

This is book 1 of the "Cousins O'Dwyer" trilogy. Iona Sheehan never felt like she "belonged." Her maternal grandmother had told her about her cousins and "roots" in Ireland, so Iona  throws caution to the wind, leaves the United States behind, and starts her adventure in Ireland. Did I mention that Iona, her cousins, Branna and Connor O'Dwyer are witches? The three will need to bond together to defeat the evil sorcerer, Cabhan. There are non-witches involved, Boyle, Fin, and Meara, who also are also integral to the story. They will become more important in the remaining two books. It was an entertaining read, although I did find both Iona and Boyle rather irritating characters. I like the other characters better, and as a result, will probably enjoy the remaining books in the trilogy more!

The Resistance / Peter Steiner / 311 pages / 3 French Hens December Challenge

During the years of German occupation of France during World War II, the French "lived in a state of absolute moral anarchy. The only way you knew right from wrong was to examine your conscience. And yet, if you did so - examined your conscience - you found yourself in mortal danger. Examining your conscience was, in effect, a crime. What had been evil was now the law, and what had been good was now punishable by death." More than 60,000 million people had been killed. "Great swaths of civilization lay in ruins..." This is the story of the courageous French Resistance in the small town of Saint-Leon-Sur-Deme. The bravery, determination, and self-sacrifice exhibited by the average citizens serve as an example, a mandate, of the heroism upon which freedom, self-respect, and morality is based. This is an awe-inspiring read and a cautionary tale.

"The personal moral compass is an extremely unreliable instrument. Convenience, opportunism, greed, malice - all these things and more exert a stronger magnetic force than virtue ever could."

Tribute / Nora Roberts / 799 pages / USA Today Bestseller November Challenge

This blockbuster novel is "the story of a big-screen legend, a small town scandal, and a young woman caught in the secrets and shadows of both." Cilla McGowan is a former child star who even had Katie dolls modeled after her TV series roll. Dissatisfied with movie life and her relationship with her showbiz mom, she returns to buy the Little Farm of her grandmother - also a star, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cilla is a woman to be much admired and envied with her spectacular talents in rehabbing and flipping derelict homes. Can she accomplish a miracle with her grandmother's run down property? Can she withstand the violent assaults upon her property, person, and friends? Can she survive her attempt to solve a decades old mystery suggested by some hidden letters? Can she find happiness, home, and family with her comic book/graphic novel writer neighbor? This is a most satisfying read, frought with plot twists, multiple suspects, romance, and a strong female protagonist.  It should find a spot on most must-read lists.

The Beautiful Mystery / Louise Penny / 697 pages / January Challenge Book Recommeded by co-worker

This 8th Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novel finds the inspector and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Surete du Québec investigating the murder of a monk at the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Enter-Les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec. Two dozen monks live in peace and prayer here, singing Gregorian chants and making chocolate-covered blueberries. Dissension has disturbed this peaceful life, however. A recording was made of the chants and boosted the monks to international notoriety. They have sworn vows of silence, yet some monks believe they should record additional CD's. The buildings are falling apart.  Additional revenues could save the monastery...  This inspiring detective mystery resonates with my current situation. I have just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where we were accompanied by a Dominican, our spiritual advisor. (A Dominican arrives from Rome in search of the monks who have been missing for over 400 years.) I was recently prescribed Oxycontin when I broke my arm. (Jean-Guy Beauvoir was addicted to it.) And I love chocolate!

This book was recommended on the blog by Margaret from our own St. Charles City-County Library District. Thanks so much for steering me to an awesome read!

The Final Cut/Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison/455 pages/3 December Challenges

Nicholas Drummond, a former spy and now a chief inspector for New Scotland Yard, travels to New York to investigate the murder of his former partner, Elaine York. She was helping guard the Crown Jewels during a exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art. Now the main diamond in the Queen Mother's crown, the infamous Koh-i-Noor Diamond, is missing. Nicholas teams with FBI Special Agent Michaela "Mike" Caine to help recover the diamond and uncover Elaine's part in its disappearance. The chase includes trips to Switzerland and France. FBI Special Agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock are on hand to assist.




This is a the first in a new series featuring Nicholas Drummond. It was a fun, exciting read. I'm looking forward to more. Three December challenges: 10 Lords a Leaping for the Crown Jewels, 3 French Hens for the trip to France and 2 Turtle Doves for the flights to get there.

Devil's Web / Mary Balogh 437 p. 5 Gold Rings

Lady Madeline Raine, twin to Dominic, Lord Eden (Web of Love) was rejected by James Purcell five years ago.  She has had many court her but cannot forget Purcell.  When he returns from Canada, she finds the attraction is still there.  They spark off each other; yet, come to grief with each meeting.  He resigns to returning to Canada when his father dies.  When he compromises her, he offers marriage.  She accepts because she knows she would rather be unhappy with him than married to another.  What a gulf exists between them.  He is bowed down with guilt from his first encounter with love; complicated by his mistress' brother.  This caused a lifelong break with his father.  This guilt and unhappiness has clouded his relationship with Madeline. When Balogh explains what each is thinking, it is clear that there is a really failure to communicate.  They seem to be unable to bridge this gap.  Only when Madeline flees and he follows, are they able to truly communicate in this sensuous Regency romance.

This is the third in her Web trilogy.

Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit / Jennifer Wenger 142 p.

Teens are coming to knitting!  Jennifer Wenger and others discuss yarns, gauge, texture, color, and weight.  The directions for casting on and the basic stitches are easy to follow.  There are many illustrations as well as photos of teens wearing the projects (both boys and girls).  There are pictures of teens knitting, too.  I enjoyed the ten top problems and what to do about them.  Projects include scarves, hats, bags, ponchos, tank tops and shells, sweaters, one day projects, and blankets.   I plan to knit a horizontal scarf.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

A Diamond in My Pocket / Lorena Angell / 395 pages / 7 Swans a Swimming December Challenge

Calli Courtnae is a member of her high school track team and has just set the school, and the men's world, record in the 100 meter dash.  Her friend joined the team last year when he was a sophomore from the encouragement of his Algebra teacher, Coach Simms.  He joined because an extracurricular sport was better than being home alone after school.  His father is a brain surgeon and his mother is a psychiatrist.  Calli's fascination with the medical field started when she was deafened by a firecracker prank in middle school.  She regained her hearing and retained her lip reading ability which made school very interesting and frustrating   She is invited to train with the U.S. Olympic team.  Except that's not where she is taken.  Instead, she becomes a new, much maligned member of The Compound, a group with cosmic powers who must defeat demons and death...

Free Falling / Susan Kiernan-Lewis / 195 pages / 8 Maids a Milking December Challenge

Book 1 in the Irish Endgame Trilogy
"The bad thing happened on their second day of vacation.  Although they would end up calling it many things in the coming years - The Crisis, The Blackout, The Incident - the event would always be defined by one important feature: in a flash, it changed everyone's life forever."  In early September, 2011, Sarah, David, and their 10 year old son, John, rented a cabin in rural Ireland.  Their vacation was much more than they bargained for.  It takes months for them to discover what happened.  They encountered murdering gypsies, honest, God-fearing, hard-working, multi-talented friends, and grew in ways they thought unimaginable.  This is a riveting read - not quite post-apocalyptic, but very scary.


Semi-Finalist Best Indie Books of 2012

Man of Her Dreams / Tami Hoag / 265 pages / 5 Gold Rings December Challenge

This book is not your typical Tami Hoag.  Missing are the nail-biting suspense and the intriguing plot twists present in her thrillers.  Instead, we have a romance - a delightful, light-hearted, unique romance that will warm your heart and make you chuckle.  Maggie McSwain has always loved Rylan Quaid, but she rejects his proposal outright.  What he proposes is a business arrangement.  Maggie wants much more.

The Art Forger / B. A. Shapiro / 355 pages

Readers are quickly drawn into the arrogant and shady side of the art world in this novel about a young, very talented but starving artist, Claire Roth, who makes her living creating forgeries for a company that legitimately sells them as copies of famous paintings.  Claire has been unfairly ostracized by the art world when she is approached by a famous gallery owner who asks her to copy a famous stolen Degas painting in a very squishy feeling deal in return for getting a one woman show in his gallery.  Readers get good insight into the "art" of creating forgeries that can pass for the real thing plus some historical background on Degas and his paintings.  Well done and intriguing.

Gulp: adventures on the alimentary canal / Mary Roach / 348 pages

I listened to this on CD and it is a totally en"grossing" non-fiction book on the alimentary canal from the mouth to well the other end.  Roach shares research, science, history, taboos, treatments, and all matter of very interesting facts and thoughts about the alimentary canal and how it works.  She interviews scientists currently engaged in studies and shares stories of historical research that will leave you gasping.  If this is narrative non-fiction, I love it.  The CD version is read by Emily  Woo Zeller who uses just the right amount of humor and correct tone to imbue the feelings of the author.  All together a very interesting book.  Wait until you read about Elvis....

Peach Pies & Alibis / Ellery Adams / 294 pages

Ella Mae LeFaye can bake emotions into her pies.  She is the owner and proprietor of the very successful Charmed Pie Shoppe, soon-to-be divorced wife of a cold, rich man, daughter & niece of three magical, mysterious women, and the person who will soon discover the source of her own magical powers.  It's a cozy paranormal romance which is not what I was expecting, but  you will definitely get hungry reading about all of the fruit pies, cream pies, frozen pies, breakfast pies, lunch pies, and wedding tarts.  The author's first book is Pies and Prejudice but you needn't read the first to enjoy Peach Pies and Alibis.  Recipes included.

Storm Front / John Sandford / 376 pages

Storm Front features one of Sandford's well known characters, Virgil Flowers.  Flowers the son of a Lutheran Minister, covers the southern portion of Minnesota for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.  Flowers' heart though belongs to fishing and his approach to crime solving is laugh out loud comical and down to earth.  Throw in a dying Lutheran minister who steals an ancient artifact from an archaeological dig in Israel and brings it back to Mankato planning to auction it off to the highest bidder...Hezbollah, an archaeologist who really wants to be a movie star, two bumbling Turks and assorted other crazies and the sexy and Ma Nobles who has an "itch" she wants Flowers to scratch, and you have a great and satisfying story.  John Sandford, you are amazing!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

How To Be a Good Wife: A Novel / Emma Chapman / 276 pgs

   A debut novel from an author who is a bit of a free spirit. Emma Chapman went to school in England then decided to backpack around the world and now lives in Australia. Marta is married to Hector and has a grown son named Kylan. They are living in a small village in a relatively cold nameless country. Marta has always tried to be a good wife - having dinner ready when Hector came home, cleaning the house until it shone, raising her son. But recently she has begun slipping - hiding cigarettes in planters, seeing visions of a bedraggled young woman and isn't sure Hector is who he says he is. We learn her family isn't around and could have possibly been killed in an auto accident and Hector wanted to care for her himself in the aftermath. We also learn Hector has been giving her medication to 'help' Marta to cope with life. With the visions becoming stronger and Hector's behavior beginning to alarm Marta, she decides it is time to find out the truth.
   A great psychological thriller. The questions and doubts about who to believe and what their motivations are color everything. This is a fast read - something that could be knocked out in an evening. The plot turns fast and it tightens with every passing scene. You begin to wonder who is Marta and what has happened. I was a little let down with the ending with such a great story behind it. Maybe we could discuss it together. But overall this is a good recommendation for patrons who like thrillers without all the gore.

Six degrees reading: Room by Emma Donoghue, Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.

First Horseman / John Case 325 p.

In 1918, the Spanish flu killed millions of people world-wide.  In North Korea, an entire village all but decimated by a plague then exterminated by soldiers.  The sole survivor reports that it was due to a Spanish woman (aka the Spanish Lady = the Spanish flu).  Fearing a return, a scientific expedition is funded to retrieve specimens from victims preserved deep in the Arctic ice.  For Washington Post reporter Frank Daly, it's a story he wants to cover; but a brutal storm keeps him from joining the expedition.  When he meets the returning ship, no one is willing to talk.  That is like waving a red flag at Daly, so he pursues the story.  He discovers that the bodies were gone by the time the ship got there.  And this science fiction thriller is off and running.  The fast action part of discovering the who behind the plot to become the "First Horseman" bearing the plague and stopping him was good.  However, the setup, for me was the best gripping part.

Lord Carew's Bride / Mary Balogh 286 p. 5 gold rings

Almost 6 years have past since Samantha Newman was cruelly used by Lord Lionel Kersey in his feud with the Earl of Thornhill.  Both Samantha and her cousin Jennifer were victims of Kersey.  Samantha has lasting scars, she no longer believes in love; it is just passion. Jennifer's forced marriage with Thornhill  has grown in to a very happy one. Samantha is visiting when she makes a new friend who she believes is a disabled gardener (badly injured in a riding accent caused by Kersey).  She finds his conversations interesting and their silences companionable.  When she returns to London, she catches herself thinking of Hartley Wade and his quiet ways that so suit her; while being pursued by Kersey.  And Kersey is so persuasive that Samantha is fearful of being pulled back into his world.  So when she sees Wade in London she is so delighted.  He is so drawn to her and still has not revealed that he is Lord Carew.  Kersey is still planting seeds to damage Sam and Hartley's relationship.

Dark Angel / Mary Balogh 308 p. 5 Gold Rings

When Gabriel Fisher, the Earl of Thornhill, returns to London for the season, he sees a way to revenge the harm done to his step-mother by Lord Lionel Kersey.  Kersey is soon to announce at last his betrothal to Jennifer Winwood.  Jennifer has been engaged to Kersey for some five years and believes Kersey to be an honorable man even though she has met him only a few times.  The feud begins with Jennifer as a pawn.  She is so drawn to the incredibly handsome Kersey and is surprised by her innocent friendship with Thornhill.  The feud escalates and others, including Jennifer's cousin Samantha Newman, are used.

Little Elvises / Timothy Hallinan 347 p. Co-worker recommendation

Junior Bender is the person crooks turn to when they cannot go to the cops and they need a private investigator.  As a competent burglar, he is familiar with the territory.  This time Bender is intimidated by Vinnie DiGaudio, an aging music industry tycoon, to clear DiGaudio of the murder of a rather offensive tabloid journalist.  Digaudio made his fortune discovering 1960's era singing sensations collectively known as "Little Elvises".  It doesn't help DiGaudio's case that he had threatened to kill the journalist.   The deeper Bender digs, the stranger DiGaudio's life looks.  Complications pile on as the dead journalist's widow takes an strong personal interest in Bender, his landlady begs him to find her missing daughter, and both his ex- and his 13-year old daughter have new boyfriends.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Flora and Ulysses / Kate DiCamillo / 231 pages

Newbery Winner.  What else should I say?
     Very engaging book about a girl, Flora, a squirrel, Ulysses, a neighbor boy, William Spiver, and other assorted people, including her divorce parents.
     At first it seems like an entertaining fantasy about a squirrel that can type poetry, but there are many more layers to the story.  This book has the relationships questions and shifting feelings about parents, divorce, and how kids feel about it.  William Spiver has his own issues beyond Flora's and while unresolved, he is at least heard.
     The vocabulary is a big part of this book.  kids will definitely know what "malfeasance" is by the time they are through with the book.  It is rather like her Tales of Despereaux.
     The ending is awesome, but no spoiler alert here!

Whispers in the Wind / Lorraine Snelling / 348 pages

     This second book in the Wild West Wind trilogy is another satisfying book about Cassie
Lockwood, a star of a small wild west show.  when her father died, she was left alone to live
in their Wild West Show until it went broke.  Her "Uncle" Jason gave her some money and
the show wagon and good wishes.  Cassie traveled to South Dakota to find the land and valley that her dad always dreamed of.  In fact, it was more than a dream.  Cassie discovers that her father actually owned half share of a ranch.  Enter the conflict.  People live there and the two brothers were never told by their mother about this possible claim to their land.
     This problem is central to this book.  How will Cassie  and the Engstram family resolve this problem?  What about the Indians who are with Cassie? 
     The setting is the early 1900's and the two young men will make for an interesting love mix although in this Christian novel it will not get anywhere close to Nora Roberts romance.
Anyone could read this book.  Uff dah!

How I, Nicky Flynn,finally get a life (and a dog) / Art Corriveau /. 249 pages

I chose this book because it was the first one to come up on my new Kindle.
It is about a boy whose life has derailed when his mom and dad get divorced.  He
moves with his mom to a small apartment near Boston.  It is in a run-down area and
his new school isn't as nice and he must start over for friends.  That isn't going well either.

To cheer him up, his mom gets him a stray dog adoption from the pound of a former
seeing-eye dog which is a German Shepherd.  He is not amused.  However, the story is
about his slow acceptance of his new life and growing bond with the dog as he is on a quest
to find out about the former owner and why the dog came up for adoption.

It was pretty good and amusing as well as a good divorce book for those who have been in
the same situations.;

The Blue Dahlia / Nora Roberts / 552 pages / 6 Geese a Laying December Challenge

This is the first book in a trilogy. Stella's husband was just killed in a plane crash and she has two young sons to raise. She takes a job as manager of a family-owned nursery/landscaping business and finds the second love of her life, Logan...and a ghost. Roslyn, who owns the enterprise takes in a pregnant relative who shows up on her doorstep.  The reader is intrigued and entertained as Logan and Stella realize their mutual attraction, and Hayley progresses with her pregnancy,... and something else. Everyone works to discover the identity of the ghost.

Sizzling Sixteen / Janet Evanovich / 371 pages / USA Today Bestseller November Challenge

This is yet another in the randy series starring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. In this installment, Stephanie's Uncle Vinnie has been kidnapped and is being held until gambling debts he has run up can be satisfied. Stephanie, Connie, and Lula, with the somewhat doubtful assistance of Mooner's Hobbit Con, and Uncle Pip's lucky bottle - not to mention Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Moreli, the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger, work to free Uncle Vinnie and rectify his somewhat tangled situation. Humorous, but contains graphic scenes and inappropriate language.

The Impossible Knife of Memory / Laura Halse Anderson / 391 pages / 7 Swans a Swimming December Challenge

"A quick lesson.  There are two kinds of people in this world: 1. Zombies 2. Freaks. Only 2. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. That person is a lying zombie. Do not listen to zombies. Run for your freaking life. Another lesson: Everyone is born a freak...Every newborn baby, wet and hungry and screaming, is a fresh-hatched freak who wants to have a good time and wants to make the world a better place...The baby freak will grow into a kid freak and then a teen freak. That's when it gets complicated. Because most teenagers wind up in high school. And high school is where the zombification process becomes deadly."  At least that's what Hayley Kincaid believes after 24 days at Belmont High School. She has been home schooled by her truck driver father, a decorated, wounded vet who has decided that it is time to settle in one place and for Hayley to attend traditional school. Her dad has serious, life-threatening issues and Hayley's life centers around him. Hayley's old friend, Gracie, and her new friend, Finn, become her lifelines in an insane existence.

(Finn is the editor of the school newspaper, Hayley's tutor, and a member and lifeguard for the swim team.)

Smokin Seventeen / Janet Evanovich / 402 pages / USA Today Bestseller November Challenge

Bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum has some serious problems: dead bodie keep appearing or being dumped on the construction site of the new Vincent Plum Bail Bonds office; Stephanie is in fear of being run over by one of her clients known for taking out her exes with cars; Joe Moreli's Grandma Bella puts "the eye" on Step causing her a plethora of ills; and Stephanie's family thinks it's time for Stephanie to settle down and choose between cop Joe, Ranger, or David, an ex football hero who loves to cook. Working out of Nooner's camper and beset by a self-proclaimed vampire and a dancing bear, Stephanie's escapades entertain, causing one to shake one's head at the chaos that seems to stalk her.

The Truant Officer / Derek Ciccone / 839 pages / 4 Calling Birds December Challenge

Airline pilot Darren McLaughlin loves his wife, Lilly. She calls him from a gas station and sends him a picture of herself smiling just before she is abducted...or is she? McLaughlin discovers, along with the rest of the world, that his wife was having an affair with Brett Buckley, one of her high school English students and has run away with him. Brett, however, is not what he appears to be. He is Nick Zellen and is in the witness protection program, due to testify in a trial involving the Russian mafia and was a law student at NYU. Lilly isn't who she appears to be either. Nick's murdered girlfriend is very much alive. There are so many twists and turns in the plot, and so many suspects, the reader is kept off balance, wondering what can possibly happen next.

(Nick's supposedly murdered and mutilated girlfriend has received plastic surgery and has been refashioned into a pop singing star, Natalie Gold.)
(At times the setting moves to Israel.  I read this book while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land so that made it a very time &place appropriate read.)

Alex / Pierre Lemaitre, 362 p.

Police Commandant Camille Verhoeven of the French police is reluctantly drawn into the apparently random kidnapping of a young woman.  Reluctant because the crime is eerily reminiscent of his own wife's disappearance and death 10 year before.  Is there a connection, or is this kidnapping just a random coincidence coloring his thinking?  Alternating chapters with the investigation, we follow the capture and torture of the young woman, left to her death suspended in cage in an empty warehouse, baited for rats.  Is she truly innocent, or was she targeted for a gruesome past?  You'll have to read to find out!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Truly, Madly, Deadly / Hannah Jayne / 262 pages / 6 Geese-a-Laying & 7 Swans-a-Swimming December Challenge

Someone is taking care of Sawyer Dodd.  Her boyfriend, Kevin, was recently killed in a drunk driving accident.  Their relationship had been rocky recently as Kevin had begun abusing her.  She had broken up with him that night and now she feels grief and guilt. Was the accident somehow her fault? She had been on medication for anxiety and depression after the divorce of her parents and her lawyer mother's move across the country. The police think someone was with Kevin when he died. Two other murders and much vandalism occur. Who is responsible? Filled with suspects, suspense, and suspicion, Truly, Madly, Deadly is a riveting excursion into blended family dynamics, friendship, bullying, high school trauma, and first love.

Counting By 7's / Holly Goldberg Sloan / 380 pages

Willow Chance has 3 major obsessions:  the number 7, medical conditions, and plants.  She was born on the 7th day of the 7th month and her new parents drove 257 miles to pick her up.  She visits the local shopping mall and keeps field notes and diagnostic flashcards of the diseases she finds there.  She loves plants and nature and insists that we pay attention always as they communicate what it means to be alive.  Her impressive garden is her sanctuary.  When Willow's parents are killed in a car accident, her life is radically changed.  She loses herself for awhile, but her mutant counselor, a Vietnamese family, a taxi driver, and her own gumption resurrect her spirit and show that determined, hard-working, strong-willed people can accomplish miracles.

"All reality is a blender where hopes and dreams are mixed with fear and despair."
"It's possible that all labels are curses, unless they are on cleaning products...It's not a really great idea to see a person as one thing.  Each person has lots of ingredients to make them into what is always a one-of-a-kind creation. We are all imperfect genetic stews."

Love Anthony/Lisa Genova/309 pages

Beth's life with her husband and three girls on Nantucket is turned upside down one morning when she receives a card in the mail. Suddenly aware that her husband is having an affair, Beth must try to find the person she used to be before she became a wife and mother. Trying to go back to writing is at first difficult, but then she feels compelled to tell a story about a boy who sees the world in a different way.


Olivia has moved into the family cottage on Nantucket to try to forget that her attempt at a normal life didn't work. Her beautiful little boy was diagnosed with autism at age 3. After years of denial, frustration and hard work, Olivia had just started to find a way to be happy with who he was. Then Anthony died. Olivia's marriage died along with their son. Now Olivia is looking for the meaning of her son's short life.


These two women live separate but intersecting lives that finally come together in a spiritual and meaningful way. Genova's description of how Anthony sees the world is a moving and eye-opening experience into the world of autism. I'm looking forward to reading her other titles.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Language of Flowers / Vanessa Diffenbaugh / 322 p.

Victoria was abandoned as an infant and determined that she was unlovable after a serious of disastrous placements.  She then sets out to prove how unlovable she is by sabotaging the relationship with a woman who actually does love her--Elizabeth.


But before leaving her last best hope, Victoria learns from Elizabeth about flowers and the Victorian meanings given to them.  This is what saves her when she ages out of the system and is left to fend for herself.


The story, told in the present and past, is beautifully written and provides insight into a topic I knew little about. It is also a story of pain, survival and hope.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Jack: the early years of John F. Kennedy / Ilene Cooper / 161 pages

This is an engaging biography which is perfect for young readers who want to know about the childhood of our 35th President, John F. Kennedy.  The book covers everything from the birth of Jack Kennedy in 1917 to his assassination in 1963.  Readers will get to see him as a toddler, elementary & high school student and college student.  While written for tweens, the book is also interesting to parents who have a different perspective and are curious about how Rose & Joseph Kennedy raised their family of nine children and the dynamics of their family that resulted in such an interesting life for each of the children.  The book is filled with fabulous b&w photos from the Kennedy family photo albums.  This is a fascinating story of prejudice, wealth, tragedy, perseverance, high goals, expectations, family unity, sibling rivalry, and philosophy that is well documented with notes, resources, and index.  For those of us who lived the Kennedy years, this book is a great insight into what shaped the man Jack Kennedy became. More indepth books for further reading are included.

Looking for Me / Beth Hoffman / 354 pages

I just love chick lit set in the South.  What is it about Southern women that make them so interesting and fun to read about?  Hoffman, who is also the author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, shares a great story about Teddi Overman, a young woman who lives her dream of restoring and decorating furniture and having her own antique shop in Charleston, SC.   Hoffman shares Teddi's childhood with the reader so we see her as she constantly seeks the approval of her mother, bears the loss of her brother who simply disappears, and grows into the confident woman who finds herself and his happy in her own skin.  Fun read with great storytelling by the author.

An Abundance of Katherines / John Green / 228 pages

Colin Singleton is a prodigy wondering if he's lost it.   Colin Singleton is a socially awkward teen who has dated and been dumped by 18 girls named Katharine.  Colin Singleton is a nerd who decides to create an algorithm for predicting the length of a relationship and who will be the dumper and who will be the dumpee. I can see what teens gleefully flock to books by John Green.  He's in their heads.  This is a funny and thoughtful book in which Colin grows as a character.  Definitely has great appeal for high school students!  Green can even make math look interesting.

Boundless / Kenneth Oppel / 332 pages

Boundless is a great read for all of those middle grade readers who enjoy mystery, suspense, danger, action, magic, and even a bit of the supernatural.  Oppel sets this historical fiction story on the most magnificent train ever built, the Boundless, which has embarked on a maiden trip from coast to coast across the Canadian Pacific Railway. The primary character, Will Everett is an artistic teen who wants to have an adventure and he nails it with surviving an avalanche, coming face to face with a Sasquatch, witnessing a murder and being pursued by the killers, nearly being drowned in a bog, jumping cars on a moving train, and becoming an act in the circus.  A fun read that will keep readers turning the pages and thinking about the romance of riding the rails in a rousing adventure.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

The Cat Sitter's Cradle/Blaize & John Clement/290 pgs.

This is the latest "Dixie Hemingway" mystery. Dixie, a pet sitter, and formerly a deputy in Siesta Key, Florida, once again finds herself involved in a murder. One of her clients turns up dead, floating in his swimming pool. Was he murdered, or was it an accident? Who would want him dead, and why? I really like this series--it's a cozy read, the characters are likable, and the plot is interesting. What more can you ask for?

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Wild Born/Brandon Mull/224 pages

Wild Born is book one in a new series called "Spirit Animals". In the world of Erdas, when every child comes of age, they will discover if they are linked to a powerful, magical spirit animal by drinking a special nectar. The peaceful world in which they live has been infiltrated by a band of conquerors, ready to ravage the world. This is a brand new platform from Scholastic that is a book series written by several best selling authors and an on-line role playing game where readers can choose their own spirit animal and fight against evil forces. The story reminds of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass series but for younger readers, grades 3 -6, Great series for boys and girls that like adventure stories.


The Cat Sitter's Pajamas/Blaize Clement/260 pgs.

This is the seventh installment in the "Dixie Hemingway" series. Dixie is currently a pet sitter in the Siesta Key, Florida, area. Prior to being a pet sitter, Dixie had been with the sheriff's department, but circumstances in her life made it desirable for her to have a career change--thus her pet sitting role! In this installment, Dixie comes upon an intruder in one of the houses for whom she pet sits. This is no ordinary house, however--it's the home of famed football player, Cupcake Trillin, and it's no ordinary intruder--it's famous model, Briana. The plot thickens, and as always, Dixie is in the middle of the excitement. This is a great series for pet lovers and those who like "cozy" reads. As an aside, this is the last book written entirely by Blaize Clement; she passed away in 2011. Her next book in the series, The Cat Sitter's Cradle, was written in conjunction with her son, John Clement.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Hostage/Kay Hooper/306 pages

Haven, a private security firm, has sent an operative into the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee to look for an escaped felon. The felon, a mentally unstable bank robber, may have more secrets than just where he hid the ten million dollars he stole. Luther Brinkman, the Haven operative, is saved by Callie Davis, an undercover FBI agent. Together they try to devise a plan on how to deal with their shared target.


Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, Hollis Templeton and Reese DeMarco are visiting Anna Alexander, a widow looking to contact her husband with the help of mediums. Hollis is trying to learn how to control her powers with Reese's supervision. This training exercise turns into much more.


This is the latest installment of the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit. The body count in this novel is remarkably low compared to the other books, and that's a welcome change. However, this book also lacked the tension and excitement of the other books. All the conflicts were pretty easily handled. It was still enjoyable, but I'm hoping for more in the next one.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Saints of the Shadow Bible / Ian Rankin, 398 p.

I can't get enough of Ian Rankin's John Rebus, currently a Detective Sergeant with the Scotland CID.  To learn how Rebus moved up in the ranks, and back down to DS, you'll need to read Rankin's Rebus tales in order.  That said, this is not a series and Saints or the Shadow Bible can be fully enjoyed as a stand-alone gritty police procedural.

Rebus, rebel detective, once again skates the line of propriety in solving a decades-old murder involving his old colleagues from his first post at Summerhall police station.  Rankin masterfully weaves the past with the present, having Rebus solve not one but four crimes with an intricate series of clues, intuition and pure luck.