White Oleander by Janet Fitch features Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery-but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. This is an unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. I also saw the movie before I read the book. I enjoyed both for different reasons. I was pleased to see that the movie followed the book pretty accurately except for the ending. But that's Hollywood baby!

Body of a Girl by Leah Stewart. Features journalist Olivia Dale as she finds and reports on the murder of a young woman who could have easily been her. Set in the Memphis summer heat you can practically feel the heat rising off the pavement. Olivia becomes obsessed with finding out why Allison Avery was killed. Was it somebody she knew, a stranger or because of drugs. Olivia becomes Allison to find out and becomes a part of the underground drug scene of Memphis. This is a difficult read but I could not put it down.

Folly by Laurie R. King features Rae Newborn. Rae has been in and out of mental institutions most of her adult life. After her 2nd husband and young daughter are killed in a car crash that leaves her physically as well as emotionally scarred 50 year old Rae decides to move to a deserted island to restore her great-uncles home build in the 1920's that the natives dubbed Folly. She discovers more about her mysterious great-uncle as well as her own strengths. An excellent read but as with anything that has mental illness hard to read sometimes. I did listen to this on CD and it was an excellent choice - as the reader Frank Muller did a great job.

Darker Place by Laurie R. King features Anne Waverly professor of religious studies who also moonlights as an undercover agent for the FBI infiltrating cults. Anne Waverly becomes Ana Wakefield and goes to investigate a new cult called Change. She finds that her past won't let her go as she becomes attached to a brother and sister who have been taken into the Change. This is truly one of those books which creates a powerful sense of "something wicked this way comes." In fact, there is so much tension, you may even feel a bit let down by the climax. (I wanted another chapter or at least an epilogue.) It is not an easy read on vacation book but causes thought and reflection.

Caveman's Valentine by George Dawes Green features Romulus Ledbetter (Rom). Who at one time was a loving spouse and father until he went insane. Rom now lives in a cave in Upper Manhattan's Inwood Park. He grocery shops in garbage cans and alleys. Rom is so gone he believes in an evil presence, Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant, who is responsible for destroying mankind with the evil Y and Z rays. When he discovers a dead body of young man outside of his cave he knows that Stuyvesant has something to do with it. He must keep it together to find out who killed this man and why. This is a difficult book to read as Rom goes back and forth between reality and his reality. But a very satisifing read.

This book has been made into a movie in 2001 which stared Samuel L. Jackson.

Big Read Tequila by Rick Riordan is set in San Antonio, TX. Tres Navarre left San Antonia for San Francisco years ago when he witnessed his father's murder in their front yard. After receiving letters from his childhood sweetheart he decides to come back and find out who killed his father. What he finds is that no one is as they seem and he may die trying to find his father's killer. I love reading books from Texas as I used to live in Houston and this has all the flavor of the great state of Texas. Each character was so gritty that they weren't likable but I had to find out what happened in the end. I would read more by this author.

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger focuses on one relationship, that of Henry and Clare, as both it, and Henry, flow through time. When Clare first meets Henry she is six years old and he has traveled back thirty years to meet her. Set in Chicago, the story goes beyond the typical love ballad to become a story about living in the moment and enjoying people as they come and go through life.

A very intense read and one knows it can't end really happily but the relationships are so fascinating to read about.

Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie features Scotland yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James. Kincaid is asked by his ex-wife in Cambridge to help her prove that a talented poet did not commit suicide, but was murdered. They discover startling news that leads them into an engrossing history of poetry and scandal, found secrets and lost innocence. I have not read any of the books in this series but I will defintely start reading more from this author. I listened to this on CD and enjoyed it the reader.

Bubbles Unbound by Sarah Strohmeyer features hairstylist/journalist Bubbles Yablonsky. Bubbles is a divorced single mother of Jane, an 17 year old going on 30, teenager. She knows there is more to life than doing hair in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. She goes back to school, enters journalism classes and gets a job at a local newspaper for on-the-job training. When Bubbles stumbles upon a crime scene on the way home from an assignment, she's suddenly up to her roots in a nasty murder investigation. Plus can she resist Stiletto who keeps leaving her hanging. Very reminiscent of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries. Fun, light and entertaining.

In the sequel Bubbles in Trouble, Bubbles goes undercover to track down her friend Janice who left her fiance at the alter to go back to Amish country. No more make-up and high heals for Bubbles as she dones her plain dresses and braids her hair and she discovers that not all as it appears in Whoopee, PA. Of course there is the sexual tension between her and Stiletto, and will he finally pop the question. Read and find out.

Bubbles ablaze
Bubbles a broad

Bubbles Betrothed

Bubbles Yablonsky has hung up her curling iron for good, the ex-hairdresser and takes her new career seriously. The Lehigh News-Times reporter is willing to risk a contempt-of-court charge rather than surrender the notes from her interview with accused murderer Julia "Crazy Popeye" Simon. Popeye's poisoning in her jail cell makes the police think maybe she didn't kill high school principal Rudolph Schmidt, even though podiatrist Cerise May found the bag lady in her waiting room with her hands down the administrator's throat. And they think Bubbles's notebook may help them find out who did kill Schmidt, and whether the killing is connected to May's ex-boyfriend, Polish mafioso Karol Smolak.

Of course, keeping her mother Lulu out of trouble and helping daughter Jane fill out her application to Princeton take up most of Bubbles's spare time, so it isn't until the judge fines her $1,000 per minute until her notes resurface that she decides she'd better find out who killed Schmidt. But Bubbles doesn't reckon with the biggest distraction of all: AP photographer Steve Stiletto, who plunks a diamond on her finger and asks her to pretend to be his fiancée so he doesn't get sent to London.

Typical crazy murder and mayhem follow Bubbles where ever she goes. The whole fake engagement was kind of annoying and really didn't add much to the story. Bubbles is always fun but I miss her salon days.

Coraline is a delightfully spooky children's book by Neil Gaiman. Coraline is bored, she and her family just moved flat that is part of a converted house. Her parents are too busy working to pay attention to her and the others who live in the house are old. So she goes exploring. Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity (who calls itself her other mother) in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others. Go to the linked website, it gives you a taste of what the book is about. I really liked this book!

Neil Gaiman's site (http://www.neilgaiman.com) seems to be down so I've linked his name to the publisher.

O Jerusalem : a Mary Russell novel by Laurie R. King. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes have fled to Palestine on a mission for Mycroft Holmes. Disguised as itinerant Muslims and paired with two Arab spies, Russell and Holmes travel through the Holy Land trying to figure out exactly why Mycroft has sent them. A pair of seemingly unrelated murders sets them on the track of a brilliant and power-hungry killer. Only Holmes and Russell (along with some unexpected allies) can stop their adversary from destroying Jerusalem--if they can get to him in time.

I listened to this on CD and kept wanting to drive so I would know what happens. This is the 5th in the series but in time it takes place after Beekeeper's Apprentice. I have enjoyed all the Mary Russell novels especially this one as you get a real impression on how Russell and Holme's relationship developed.

Don't Cry for Me, Hot Pastrami by Sharon Kahn is the third mystery this funny series follows Ruby and the gang from Eternal, Texas, as they take to the Caribbean for a Temple-sponsored cruise to die for. The humor is very Jewish plus we deal with Ruby (a widow) as she begins to have romantic feelings for the prime suspect. A fast-paced mystery, a cast of quirky characters, humor and wit made me laughplus I really enjoyed getting to know this character. I might even try to read the others in the series.

Milicent Le Sueur by Margaret Moseley a mystery about a schizophrenic baglady who is the only witness to a murder. This book was enjoyable but kind of confusing as everything was from the point of view of Milicent who has lots of black holes in her memory. She would find things like a diamond earing in the trash and a baby in a dumpster. She has a compulsive way about her like she has to clean bathrooms and count noises. Plus has this strange friendship with the chief of police who is very protective of her as he lets her do what she wants. A very odd character but likeable at the same time. "WHATCHA LOOKING AT?!

Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews is romantic mystery set in Savannah. Weezie is an antiques "picker" who combs Savannah's steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures, when she's not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. She is convinced that her troubles will be over if she makes a big killing at the upcoming estate sale at a noble plantation house. But when she finds the body of her ex-husband's fiance and is the prime suspect she has to find out who the real murderer.

Shade's Children by Garth Nix - In the brutal world of Shade's Children, your 14th birthday is your last. Malevolent Overlords rule the earth, directing hideous, humanoid creatures to harvest the brains and muscles of teens for use in engineering foul beasts to fight senseless wars. Young Gold-Eye escapes this horrific fate, fleeing the dormitories before his Sad Birthday. He is rescued from certain doom by other refugees who live in an abandoned submarine and work for Shade, a strange, computer-generated adult. Shade provides food and shelter in exchange for information that the children gather on dangerous forays into Overlord territory. But what does Shade really want? He is a sworn enemy of the Overlords, but his use of the children to gain knowledge and power seems uncaring and ruthless. Finally, Gold-Eye and his new friends set out to destroy the Overlords--with or without the enigmatic, dangerous Shade.

The Horse You Came in On by Martha Grimes features her detective Richard Jury. The murder is in America, but the call goes out to Scotland Yard superintendent Richard Jury. Accompanied by his aristocratic friend Melrose Plant and by Sargeant Wiggins, Jury arrives in Baltimore, Maryland, home of zealous Orioles fans, mouth-watering crabs, and Edgar Allen Poe. In his efforts to solve the case, Jury rubs elbows with a delicious and suspicious cast of characters, embarking on a trail that leads to a unique tavern called "The Horse You Came In On"... I have never read any of her previous books and while this was rather complicated and convoluted I really enjoyed the different characters and how their lives intertwined.

Rosewood's Ashes by Aileen Schumacher is the forth book featuring Tory Travers and David Alvarez. I have not read the previous three titles. Tory has to confront her past when she learns that her father, who she hasn't seen in years, is in a coma from an automobile accident. So she and her partner David Alvarez fly to her hometown of Gainesville, FL. This book alternates between present day and events that happened 1923 when a white mob attacked a black town of Rosewood, Florida. A series of murders seem to tie the present day to this event 70 years before. The clues are in the past but will they discover it before Tory becomes another victim.

Star King and the sequel Star Prince by Susan Grant. These are futuristic romance science fiction novels.

In Star King Time and space pause, bringing two people from vastly different worlds together for only moments. Air Force Lieutenant Jasmine Boswell believes she's been shot down over the Saudi Arabian Desert. Prince Romlijhian B'Kah has just witnessed his brother's plane exploding when a vision of what he believes to be an angel saves his life. For a moment, soul mates meet and recognize the profound implications, only to be wrenched away. Later each believes that their meeting was only a hallucination. Nine years later, an alien nation contacts earth to establish trade relations. A glimpse of one of the aliens on television brings instant recognition to Jas. She immediately arranges a six-month absence and smuggles onto the airbase where Rom's star craft is about to launch. Jas is divorced, her life missing something, and she longs to seek answers in the stars. Rom has been disowned from the royal family and is making his living as minor smuggler. As their worlds collide, Jas and Rom struggle with their painful pasts, their growing love and an encroaching evil that threatens to destroy the galaxy.

In Star Prince, Princess Tee'ah Dar was sick of enduring life in isolation as Vash Nadah tradition demanded. In a desperate bid for freedom, Tee'ah stole a starspeeder to begin a new life doing what she loved most, flying! Ian Hamilton, an Earth dweller who was the heir to the Trade Federation and crown prince of the Vash empire, was deep undercover. He posed as Ian Stone, a trader of black market items. He was determined to bring the human people of Earth, the Vash people of Sienna, and all the people in the Federation together in peace! However, freak accidents and bad luck kept getting in the way. When his pilot died, Ian's crew was stranded on an awful world called Donavan's Blunder. Ian's critical mission would have failed right there, had a spunky pilot, Tee, not happened to appear. But neither Ian nor Tee told the other who they really were.

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem features Lionel Essrog. A walk on the wild side of Brooklyn's criminal underclass with a hero known as "The Human Freakshow," a would-be detective also answering to the name of Lionel Essrog. Essrog is a victim of Tourette's Syndrome; hapless and veering out of control, he fights himself and his disease. He is part of L&L detective agency with the other Minna Men - pulled out of St. Vincent's Home for Boys by Frank Minna. When Frank is killed Lionel is compeled to find out who did it. He finds Zen Budda's, mafia men and giants. We see this all from his perspective. An interesting book, I listened to it on CD and it was tough as his Tourette's is part of the dialog. There really isn't a conclusion but rather a realization of betrayal and can you really trust anyone?

Miracle Strip by Nancy Bartholomew is about exotic dancer Sierra Lavotini who lives in Panama City. She never intended to become an amateur sleuth, but when her co-worker Denise Curtis is in trouble, she has to help. Someone kidnapped Denise’s dog Arlo and is holding him for $100,000 ransom. After closing down the Tiffany Club where they both work, Sierra and Denise head to Denise’s room to plot a strategy. What they find is a dead body. Denise insists she has never seen the man before, but Sierra and the police have their doubts. What follows is a hysterical frolic around Panama City, reminiscent of Janet Evanovich. I will read the rest of the books the author has to offer.

Just finished the sequel Drag Strip in which Sierra is to appear at the Dead Lakes Motor Speedway with a new dancer named Ruby. When she almost witnesses Ruby's death, she is knocked unconscious to find Panama City homicide Detective John Nailor over the body only to leave her to take the fall. Is he involved? Did he murder Ruby and why did she see him kissing another woman? Find out by reading this latest installment of Sierra Lavotini. Plus we get to meet more of her interesting family and friends.

Finished the 3rd in the series, Film Strip in which Sierra is shot in the behind while another dancer is killed. What follows is that Sierra pretends to be connected to a crime boss from New Jersey, more killings and finally getting to know John Nailor in that personal way. Hurray! A fun read and I am hoping that a 4th will arrive in the near future.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris is the 2nd book featuring Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic barmaid in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie gets loaned out by the local vampires to another vampire group in Dallas. She and Bill are sent to discover what has happened to a nest brother of the head vampire. What she discovers are an evil church who wants to masacure the vampires, a vampire who meets the sun, more shapeshifters and a maenad who lives in the forest. I enjoyed this latest installment but far too many loose ends were neatly tied up by the end of the story. I think Harris is trying to become more like Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton as there is a lot more gore and sex in this one. I wish I could have learned more about the Maenad who seemed to thrive on pride and drunkeness. But a quick overall good read.