Books by Meg Cabot
I got to see Meg Cabot speak at my library in January 18, 2005. She was very entertaining speaker. Some fans flew in from New Jersey just to meet her and hear her speak. Over 250 people showed up for the event.

Every Boy's Got One... ~
A day-by-day travel journal intended as a first anniversary present for Jane Harris's best friend, Holly, turns into Jane's rollicking private diary account of the madcap events leading up to Holly and Mark's Italian countryside elopement. We see their travels via Jane's diary, Cal's PDA journal and the hilarious e-mails (aka Blueberries) that whiz through cyberspace between the main characters, their respective family members and one diehard Wonder Cat fan. We get to know Castelfidardo, a small Italian town in the region of Le Marche, which happens to be the accordion-making capital of the world and is replete with unpredictable electricity, dubious public restrooms and bureaucratic snafus that nearly derail the wedding plans. The jaded, bitterly divorced Cal makes a worthy opponent to Jane, whose notions of marriage are much more romantic than his. Cabot's personal epilogue about her own elopement in the Italian countryside—marked by much of the mayhem her main characters encounter—adds spice to this frothy concoction of love, friendship and true romance.

Boy Meets Girl ~ one of her adult novels set in NYC. Kate works for the Human Resources division of New York Journal. She and her best friend have nick named her boss "T.O.D. - Tyrannical Office Despot" as she is gunning for the top and nothing will get in her way of a promotion and marrying a high end lawyer. So when she asks Kate to fire the most popular employee for being disrespectful of certain unpopular employees Kate does what she is told. Now the fired employee is suing the New York Journal and Kate for wrong termination. But then Kate meets the man of her dreams who is the lawyer representing NYJ.

But well with many ups and downs as is typical of Cabot's novels. It always amazes me that her books take place in NYC but it seems like a small town as there everyone seems to know one another. Lots of email and im'ing messages and cute phone conversations. Fun read.

Teen idol ~ High school junior Jenny Greenley is good at solving problems ... so good she's the school newspaper's anonymous advice columnist. Even if solving other people's problems doesn't make her own -- like not having a boyfriend -- go away, it's still fun. But when nineteen-year-old screen sensation Luke Striker comes to Jenny's small town to research a role life suddenly gets complicated. When he persuades Jenny to use her considerable talents to try to change things at school for the better, he creates havoc that even levelheaded Jenny isn't sure she can repair. Now she has to find her own voice and stand up for what she believes in, not just be the person who tries to fix things after they've broken. I enjoyed this book. It reminds me of an older Princess Diaries but I think the characters were much more enjoyable.

All American Girl ~ Samantha Madison is just your average disenfranchised sophomore gal living in D.C. when, in an idle moment sandwiched between cookie-buying and CD-perusing, she puts a stop to an attempt on the life of the president. Before she can say “MTV2” she’s appointed Teen Ambassador to the U.N. and has caught the eye of the very cute First Son. Suddenly she is an overnight sensation. She can survive all the attention from press but can she survive the attention from her classmates and family. What she discovers is that you have to pay attention to really see what is happening around you and there is always more than meets the eye.

Princess Diaries Series
1. Princess Diaries
2. Princess in the Spotlight
3. Princess in Love is the 3rd in the series. Mia has a boyfriend, Kenny, who she really doesn't like let alone kiss. Plus she is in love with her best friend's brother. It is counting down to her introduction to Genovia and she is overloaded with her grandmother's lessons, dress fittings, finals and how to break up with Kenny. As with the others in this series Mia's life is one big drama but oh, so fun to read. Teen anqst is always so enjoyable.
4. Princess in Waiting Mia's royal introduction to Genovia has mixed results: while her fashion sense is widely applauded, her position on the installation of public parking meters is met with resistance. But the politics of bureaucracy are nothing next to Mia's real troubles. Between canceled dates with her long-sought-after royal consort, a second semester of the dreaded Algebra, more princess lessons from Grandmare as a result of the Genovian parking-meter thing, and the inability to stop gnawing on her fingernails, isn't there anything Mia is good at besides inheriting an unwanted royal title? Always good to see how little Mia's sesteemteme has risen as she becomes fixated on thinking that Michael is going to dump her because she is so busy with her princess duties. More lists which are always fun, Buffy mentioned.
4.5 Project Princess ~ Mia & her friends volunteer to build houses for the less fortunate. It doesn't take Mia long to realize that helping others—while an unimpeachably noble pastime—is very hard work. Will her giving spirit prevail? Will the house collapse due to royally clumsy construction? And most importantly, will Michael stop working long enough to kiss her?
5. Princess in Pink ~ Now at the end of her Freshman year Mia tries to get her reluctant boyfriend to take her to the prom. She’s the newest staffer on the school paper, and her miraculous completion of freshman Algebra is just around the corner. Plus she’s about to get a new baby brother or sister. Could things possibly get any better? But as usual her friend Lilly has a mind of her own and stages a workers strike when a handsome bushboy is fired after pouring soup in Grandmare's lap. But with the usual finese things work out just fine for all.
6. Princess Present ~ Now, Princess Mia spends the holidays in Genovia with Grandmère. This year, she’s looking forward to the most perfect Christmas ever: her boyfriend, Michael, and her best friend, Lilly, are coming to Genovia, too. But even a princess’s plans can go awry. Lilly has a lot to learn about palace protocol, and with all the state holiday functions Mia must attend, there’s no time to linger under the mistletoe with Michael. Worst of all, Mia hasn’t been able to find him the perfect gift.
Perfect Princess ~ is kind of an off shoot part of the series. Mia and her Grandmere give advice on how to act and be a princess. Talks about various other princesses from around the world. Cute read for those who love the series.

Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert

After purchasing a farm in the Lake District of England, an animal lover attempts to befriend her fellow villagers, while her animal companions solve a baffling mystery, in a mystery tale inspired by the life of Beatrix Potter. In 1905, Beatrix bought a farm in England's beautiful Lake District. The books in this series (eight are planned) follow her adventures as she gradually moves away from her London life as a dutiful Victorian-age daughter, and into an independent life that offers new hopes, new love, and the possibility of self-determination. You will enjoy the authenticity of the historical setting and the details of Beatrix's life, smile at the antics of the animals, and warm to the strong feeling of place and community.

I so enjoy Albert's China Bayles novels so am looking forward to reading more of these novels but hope China will have more books as well.

Tale of Holly How : the cottage tales of Beatrix Potter

Fethering Mystery series by Simon Brett

I love Brett's Mrs. Pargeter's mysteries. So am glad to find another series of his to read.

Body on the Beach ~ Very little disturbs the ordered calm of Fethering, a pleasingly self-contained retirement settlement on England's less than sun-kissed southern coast. Which is precisely why Carole Seddon, who has outlived both her husband and her career at the Home Office, has chosen to reside there. Her peaceful life is turned upside down when she stumbles upon a corpse on the beach while walking her dog and joins forces with her bohemian neighbor, Jude, to find a killer.

Death on the Downs ~ While out exploring the South Downs of a wealthy town, a driving rain forces Carole to seek shelter in an abandoned barn, where she discovers a bag of human bones. The local police are informed, and rumors spread to the effect that the bones might have belonged to a missing young woman named Tamsin. Soon Carole and her somewhat mysterious and exotic friend Jude are busily involved in sussing out information on their own partly for adventure, and partly because Tamsin had once turned to Jude for help. But per usual nothing is as it seems and it becomes much more complicated as Carole discovers that childhood hurts still haunt several of these people. And it may mean the end for Carole.

Torso in the Town ~ A dinner party at a Fedborough mansion with some stuffy, not very close friends is not exactly Jude's cup of tea. But the practically mummified torso of a woman found in the cellar is much more up Jude's alley. So Jude and Carole decide to investigate on their own. Everyone in this town seems so friendly and willing to gossip but are they really what they seem? Everyone has their own secrets to keep.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

An autobiographical comic, intertwins the stories of his relationships with his younger brother, Phil (with whom he had to share blankets as a child), and with his first girlfriend, Raina (with whom he also shared a blanket). Raised by strict Catholic parents, Thompson struggles with his own faith, attracted to the message but repelled by the Church, and his black-and-white art makes use of Christian imagery.

This is one of the first graphic novels that I've ever read. It is over 500 pages which at first is rather daunting but since it is illustrated comic style it flows quickly. His is not a particularly happy life, full of many disappointments but it is interesting to see how his life evolves.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Mixture of mystery, puzzles, possibilities, and art. Brainy 12-year-olds Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay attend the University of Chicago Laboratory School where their teacher's unorthodox methods make learning an adventure. When Vermeer's A Lady Writing disappears on its way to exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, the two overcome their adolescent awkwardness and let their friendship bloom, pooling their talents to rescue the masterpiece and expose the thief. Many elements play a role in unraveling the secrets surrounding the crime: Calder's set of pentominoes; his encoded correspondence with his friend Tommy about a missing boy named Frog; and Petra's intuitive communing with the woman in the painting, all augmented by the unusual ideas presented in a strange old book that Petra has found.

Great fun!

Jane Eyre by Charolotte Bronte
Classic Victorian novel of love and being true to one's heart. Told in her own voice, Jane Eyre, tells her own story. The first section of the novel gives her childhood history and then how she came to Thornfield Hall. Jane Eyre becomes a governess in Mr. Rochester's home of Thornfield and falls in love with him before she finds that he has a tragic secret. The second and third sections of the novel are dominated by male figures who symbolize opposing forms of love: Rochester, who stands for physical passion, and St. John, who stands for spiritual passion. At the end of the novel, Rochester, having passed through redemptive fires and having repented of his hubris, can embody the fully integrated masculine self, capable of both physical and spiritual passion.

I listened to this on CD while driving in the car to and from work. I have never really read the entire novel. I was very annoyed at the first half of the book and then became involved in her quandary with what to do with her life. While the ending is a bit melodramatic, it does making a satisfactory one.

Death series by J.D. Robb ~ J.D. Robb is a psedonym for Nora Roberts and writes futuristic romance/mysteries that feature Eve Dallas, a complicated lieutenant for the New York police department in 2054. Eve has no background as she was found when she was about 8 years old with no memory or records of who she was. In each book in the series we discover more about her and about her new husband Roarke. The stories are well-written and interesting as often we see the case from the point of view of the killers. I do find it odd that barely a year has gone by and we're already in book 18. When do they sleep?

23. Born In Death ~ Eve is busy planning her friends' Mavis's babyshower when she is drawn into a double homicide. When a friend of Mavis, who is also pregnant and due any day, goes missing Eve jumps in to find her as well.
22. Memory In Death ~ After a visit from her past, Lt. Eve Dallas walks a tightrope between her professional duties and her private demons.
21. Origin in Death ~ In late 2059, as scientists work to expand the limits of technology, Detective Eve Dallas tracks the cunning, cold-blooded killer of a father and son.
20. Survivor in Death ~ Lieutenant Eve Dallas struggles to solve the murder of a seemingly ordinary family, and protect one small, terrified survivor.
19. Visions in Death ~ Lieutenant Eve Dallas searches the darkest corners of Manhattan for an elusive killer with a passion for collecting souls.
18. Divided in Death ~ When one of his trusted employees, with whom he had been working on a secret government project, becomes the prime suspect in a double homicide, Irish billionaire Roarke enlists the assistance of Lieutenant Eve Dallas to uncover the truth.
17. Remember When
16. Imitation in Death ~ This time Eve confronts a serial killer who masquerades as Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy and other vicious criminals of the past. Aided by her faithful second-in-command, Peabody (who's nervously awaiting her detective's exam), and supported by her handsome husband Roarke, Eve scours both the country and the past for clues. As with each title we get more info about both Eve & Roarke's past as the murders they solve today help them heal the pain from the past.
15. Portrait in Death
14. Reunion in Death
13. Seduction in Death ~ Eve Dallas takes on a Casanova killer who stalks young women looking for love in a poetry chat room.
12. Betrayal in Death ~ When a maid from the Roarke Palace Hotel is brutally murdered, Detective Eve Dallas must find the killer before he strikes again.
11. Judgment in Death ~ When a cop killer cuts loose in a club called Purgatory, Detective Eve Dallas descends into an underground criminal hell.
10. Witness In Death ~ Eve Dallas is thrust into the spotlight when she becomes the key witness in the brutal murder of a famous actor.
9. Loyalty in Death ~ Eve Dallas returns to face her most ingenious foe - a "secret admirer" who taunts her with letters…and kills without mercy.
8. Conspiracy In Death ~ The pursuit of a serial killer leaves Dallas's job on the line. Now her hands are tied, between a struggle for justice - and a fight for her career.
7. Holiday In Death ~ In the future when computer technology brings lovers together, dating can be a deadly game.
6. Vengeance In Death ~ A madman brutally murders two men - both with ties to an ugly secret shared by Eve's new husband, Roarke.
5. Ceremony In Death ~ In the most dangerous case of her career, every step Eve takes brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil.
4. Rapture In Death ~ An investigation of three apparent suicides draws Eve into the world of virtual reality - where the mind can become the weapon of its own destruction.
3. Immortal In Death ~ A top model is dead - and the suspect is none other than Eve's best friend.
2. Glory In Death ~ In Eve's latest case, two murder victims have one connection: Eve's lover, Roarke.
1. Naked In Death ~ Introducing New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas…

Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson by Mitch Albom features Albom's relationship with his college mentor, Morrie Schwartz, with whom Albom has lost touch for 16 years. Upon seeing him on the "Nightline" program - talking to Ted Koppel about what it was like to die from Lou Gehrig's disease - Albom was both horrified and ashamed. He called his old teacher, flew to Boston for a reunion, and began a series of weekly visits, rekindling their loving teacher-student relationship while tackling a larger subject in their final "class": the meaning of life. I listened to this on CD in the car and I cried but in a happy way. I really put off reading this book for YEARS! as I just thought it sounded sappy. I am very glad that I gave it a try as I did enjoy it.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. This was such a fun read, plus the sequel comes out next month! Hurray!

Both of these books are by Simon's Pulse books for teens and have very similar cover styles. These make for very light reading and are kind of original.

How Not to Spend Your Senior Year by Cameron Dokey
Because Jo O'Connor's father is a witness in an ongoing murder investigation, they must leave town and make it appear that they died in a car accident, but Jo can't bear to leave without saying good-bye to her boyfriend, who now thinks she's a ghost.

Ripped at the Seams by Nancy Krulik
Arriving in New York City with dreams of becoming a successful designer, Sami quickly learns that the big city is a lot different than her small town in the Midwest when her ideas are stolen and she is blacklisted from getting another reputable job, yet not willing to quit, Sami regroups and comes up with a plan that gives her all the notoriety she could ever want.

Leon and the Spitting Image by Allen Kurzweil
As Leon Zeisel heads back to school as a fourth grader, he sees nothing but doom and gloom in his future due to the secret teachers’ reports he has recently read, the introduction of his new and uptight teacher, and the realization that Henry Lumpkin, the class bully, is back and ready for action. Leon's new teacher, Miss Hagmeyer, promises more scholastic agony than usual with the announcement of a mysterious yearlong sewing project. Leon, who is all thumbs, is in danger of repeating fourth grade until he creates a doll image of Miss Hagmeyer that exerts a strange power over the teacher herself. Realizing the potential for mayhem, Leon and his friends team up to solve the mystery and defeat the bully with the help of their magical doll. This was a very interesting yet odd book. But I loved all the eyeballs on the inside pages.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. We hear both sides of the same story with very different conclusions. I really enjoyed this novel. Plus there is a cute chick on the front cover.

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy (The mother/daughter writing team of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht under the pseudonym of P.J. Tracy) Features Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth.

Tall, dark haired and complicated, riding boot-wearing Grace McBride is the fragile heart and soul of a group of oddball computer geeks with a collectively shady past. They are five friends on the run from violence who have banded together to form the successful Minneapolis software company, Monkeewrench. But when someone begins using the grisly scenarios from their new game, Serial Killer, as inspiration for real life murder, it quickly becomes obvious that the horrors of the past have finally caught up with them.

What I liked about this book is that even though I had my suspicions it was a lot more complicated and a bit shocking. I'm looking forward to reading more by this duo.

Live Bait is the 2nd title in this new series. I listened to it on tape. Elderly people are being murdered in Minneapolis, and detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth work to solve the case. On the surface it appears to be some kind of crazy serial killer who is going after old people. But as they delve into the details in the victims lives it becomes apparent that the people who were being killed have more in common than what meets the eye. We also have the original characters from the Monkeewrench crew in the story but in a much more background mode.

Another excellent suspenseful thriller by this new writing duo. I can't wait until the new one comes out.

Dead Run is the 3rd title in the series. And it does not disapoint.
Monkeewrench founders Grace MacBride and Annie Belinsky, along with Deputy Sharon Mueller, are driving from Minneapolis to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where they believe a new serial killer is just warming up. When their car breaks down deep in the northern woods, far from civilization and cell-phone towers, a walk through the forest leads them to the crossroads of Four Corners, where they find...absolutely nothing. Something terrible has happened in Four Corners, and the complete absence of life, together with severed phone lines in every building, makes it impossible to find help. Grace, her senses honed by a lifetime of justifiable paranoia, sees the sinister in every detail, and her instincts barely save the three women when they witness a horrifying double murder. Grace, Annie, and Sharon are suddenly running for their lives, while the rest of the Monkeewrench crew, along with Minneapolis cops Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, strike out on a blind search to find them.

This book was very hard to put down as I wanted to see if they could get out alive. Plus the women are the strong ones and able to bring the terrorist threat to it's head. Wow! Right to the end.

Snow Blind #4 in the series.
With the holidays over and the long cold winter looming, January can be a bleak month in Minneapolis. So what better way to bring a little cheer to the good people of the city than sponsoring an old-fashioned snowman-building contest? In a matter of hours, a local park is filled with the innocent laughter of children and their frosty creations. But things take an awful turn when the dead bodies of police officers are discovered inside two of the snowmen – sending the entire department and Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth on high alert.

The next day, Iris Rikker, the newly minted sheriff of rural Dundas County, comes across another body in another snowman. Fearing that Rikker’s inexperience will hamper the investigation, Magozzi and Rolseth head north, in a blizzard, to hunt for clues. As Grace MacBride and her crack computer jocks at Monkeewrench comb the Web for connections, a terrifying link emerges among the dead cops, Magozzi and Rolseth, and Monkeewrench – a link that must be broken before it’s too late.

Ok the Monkeewrench is a red hering! We see more about Magozzi & Rolseth plus the new female sheriff in Dundas County. What this book really comes down to is in regards to domestic violence who is responsible? The person doing the beatings? the police who won't help? the family, friends and neighbors who looks the other way?

What would you do if you could take action into your own hands and punish them all? Read Snow Blind and find out. This was a very interesting look at domestic violence and the consequences. I did not see how this book would end as they did a great job making this look one way and then taking it a 180 turn.

Eugenia Potter series by Virginia Rich (picked up by Nancy Pickard)
Cooking School Murders
In Harrington, Iowa, for her yearly hometown visit, dignified and down-to-earth Mrs. Potter becomes involved in the slashed-throat murder of a student in an advanced cooking class attended by Harrington's elite. We are introduced to Eugenia Potter and the other cast of characters. It is interesting as I read these many years ago and am enjoying it very much.

Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Tom Ripley is chosen by the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve Greenleaf's son, Dickie, from his overlong sojourn in Italy. Dickie, it seems, is held captive both by the Mediterranean climate and the attractions of his female companion, but Mr. Greenleaf needs him back in New York to help with the family business. With an allowance and a new purpose, Tom leaves behind his dismal city apartment to begin his career as a return escort. But Tom, too, is captivated by Italy. He is also taken with the life and looks of Dickie Greenleaf. He insinuates himself into Dickie's world and soon finds that his passion for a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication transcends moral compunction. Tom will become Dickie Greenleaf--at all costs.

Very interesting. I thought I had read it many years ago but now I'm not sure I did.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry
In a corporate-governed future world where people take the last names of the companies they work for, merchandising officer Hack Nike tries to get out of a contract that requires him to shoot teenagers, a situation that results in his unwitting involvement with an agent who is out to get Hack's employer. I really enjoyed this book. What a hoot!

Lost and Found by Jane Sigaloff
When successful London Lawyer Samantha Washington leaves her diary, which contains a dark secret that could destroy her career, in a New York hotel room, TV producer Ben Fisher walks into her life and seems to know a lot about her, leading Sam to believe that he is now the owner of her diary. Lots of mis-interpretations lead to a funny modern romance.

Ringan Laine series by Deborah Grabien
Weaver and the Factory Maid Coming into ownership of a restored eighteenth-century cottage, British folk musician Ringan Laine discovers that the property is haunted and is assisted by long-time girlfriend Penny in researching the identities of his otherworldly tenants. I liked the premise but it wasn't a prefered read. I will try another one to see if it improves.

Big Bad Wolf Tells All by Donna Kauffman Tanzy Harrington tells all in her online singles column. When her Aunt Millicent orchestrates an up-close-and-personal encounter with Riley Parrish, she rebuffs any niggling inner attraction to the all-too-obviously Clark Kent in ill-fitting clothing. And yet. It's the "and yet" that makes for the delicious two-step Tanzy and Riley dance around each other while he tries to protect her from a predatory online stalker-fan, and she tries to remember why the swingin' single life is her modus operandi.

Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler features five women and one enigmatic man who meet on a monthly basis to discuss the novels of Jane Austen, one at a time. As they debate Marianne's marriage to Brandon and whether or not Charlotte Lucas is gay, they reveal nothing so much as their own "private Austen(s)". Sylvia whose husband, Daniel, has left her after 32 years and three children. Jocelyn, her best friend, never married and now focuses on breeding dogs. Prudie is a French teacher in her late twenties, in possession of a worthy husband yet disoriented by persistent fantasies about sex with other men. Sixty-something Bernadette has decided that she's finally over the hill and can act a little dotty, just let herself go. The beautiful, risk-taking Allegra -- Sylvia and Daniel's lesbian daughter -- has quit speaking to her lover. And Grigg, a middle-aged science fiction fan and computer whiz, is strangely unattached. But then maybe he's gay?

This book was interesting in how much the author gave us glimpses into the various characters personal lives. It was just long enough. I felt very happy after reading it.