44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

First in the series, this book comprises of 110 sections was originally serialized in the Scotsman. We follow the lives of residents of an Edinburgh boarding house. We're first introduced to Pat, 21, who is on her second "gap year" (her first yearlong break from her studies was such a flop she refuses to discuss it). She is employed at a minor art gallery and newly settled at the eponymous address, where she admires vain flatmate Bruce and befriends neighbor Domenica. A low-level mystery develops about a possibly valuable painting that Pat discovers, proceeds to lose and then finds in the unlikely possession of Ian Rankin, whose bestselling mysteries celebrate the dark side of Edinburgh just as Smith's explore the (mostly) sunny side. The possibility of romance, the ongoing ups and downs of the large, well-drawn cast of characters, the intricate plot and the way Smith nimbly jumps from situation to situation and POV to POV.

I can see how this was written as a serial as each section has a bit of an ending with a bit of a cliffhanger so you want to read the next installment to find out what happened next. I love all of McCall Smith's works and enjoyed this as much as his other series. I listened to this on CD in the car and it was something I looked forward to every day while driving. I'm so glad that there are more out there to read.

City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley

It is February 1940, San Francisco's Chinatown, fireworks explode as the city celebrates Chinese New Year with a Rice Bowl Party, a three day-and-night carnival designed to raise money and support for China war relief. Miranda Corbie is a 33-year-old private investigator who stumbles upon the fatally shot body of Eddie Takahashi. The Chamber of Commerce wants it covered up, and the cops acquiesce. All Miranda wants is justice--whatever it costs. From Chinatown tenements, to a tattered tailor's shop in Little Osaka, to a high-class bordello draped in Southern Gothic.

I've read quite a few reviews so was excited to read it. I enjoyed a lot of it but did feel that I was given too much information about the main character. She's a PI who used to be a callgirl who used to be a nurse in the Spanish war. We just kept getting more layers that it almost overwhelmed the story for me. But she's a tough cookie, she drinks with the boys and doesn't give up when she gets beaten up. Plus she is out to find the answers no one wants to even ask the questions for.

Interesting storyline and characters and the ending was done well. I'll look for the sequel.

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

In 2004, cartoonist Marchetto, a hyperstylish was busy capturing "fabulista" humor, in the New Yorker and Glamour. She was engaged to a fabulous guy, perennially cool restaurateur Silvano Marchetto, whose personal style perfectly matched her Manhattan-centric life. Just weeks before their "secret" wedding she found a lump in her breast shortly. Telling Silvano was bad enough but having to tell him that she didn't have health insurance was even worse. She was convinced he would leave her but his only concern was that she be ok, the rest would take care of themselves.

Cancer Vixen tells the story of what happens next, and how her inner circle— stylists, gossip columnists, shoe designers and assorted others you'd only find in New York City, rallies round to help her beat the disease and get married on time and in high style. Marchetto wears her best high heels to chemotherapy and remarks on the similarities between her hospital gown and Diane von Furstenberg designs.

I didn't expect to have such an emotional reaction as I did reading this story. It reminded me of Sex and the City but dealt with more serious issues. I really enjoyed it but found it informative as well. And learned never, never, never let your insurance lasp!

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley

11-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce, lives in the quiet English village in the 1950s. Flavia is the youngest of 3 girls who live with their widowed father. Their mother died just after Flavia was born. She spends much of time in her laboratory working with chemicals as well as is preoccupied with retaliating against her lofty older sisters. She is sneaking around after hours when she overhears a rude, redheaded stranger arguing with her eccentric father, a philatelic devotee.

Equally adept at quoting 18th-century works, listening at keyholes and picking locks, Flavia learns that her father, Colonel de Luce, may be involved in the suicide of his long-ago schoolmaster and the theft of a priceless stamp. The sudden expiration of the stranger in a cucumber bed brings for the mystery of who the man is and why he died there. She uses her local library and her connections with the other villagers, but when her father is arrested for murder she must prove who did it.

I really wanted to like it but just felt annoyed by how precocious and prickly Flavia is. It wasn't until the final chapters of the book that I even started to like her and enjoy the book. And that was because she got herself kidnapped and started to show she wasn't perfect.

There is a sequel and I may read it down the road but it will be awhile.

Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver

Features Lincoln Rhyme & Detective Amelia Sachs and introduces Kathryn Dance an investigator from the California Bureau of Investigation who is an expert interrogator and uses kinetics to spot lies witnesses and suspects present.

At first what seems to be 2 separate cases eventually intertwine in didn't see it coming moment. Sachs is investigating her first case solo in which a businessman supposedly commits suicide. But how does a man with a broken thumb tie a noose to hang himself? While Rhyme is investigating a serial killer who calls himself the watchmaker. But like an onion you keep pealing back the layers to find an even more complicated storyline.

I wanted to read this as I was curious about Kathryn Dance who is introduced in this book. But I wasn't disappointed either as it was a complicated yet intriguing story. I really liked how everything tied together in the end and it felt believable.

Body on the Beach by Simon Brett

Carole Seddon, a fiftyish divorcee late of the Home Office, has settled in a small town of Fethering, content to live a sensible, orderly retirement. But two events conspire to disrupt Carole's rigid routine: the arrival of an alarmingly casual new neighbor who insists on being called, merely, "Jude"; and the discovery of a dead middle-aged male on the Fethering beach.

When Carole informs the police about the body, they dismiss her as a menopausal hysteric; after all, their subsequent search of the area yielded no trace of evidence. But when a haggard, drug-deranged woman appears at Carole's door with a gun, demanding to know if Carole located a knife on the body, Carole realizes that the corpse had been moved just before the police search. The situation gets more dyre when a local teenage boy is found washed up on the beach, it's Jude who convinces Carole that the two deaths are somehow connected and deserving of the two neighbors' full attention.

We learn a lot about Carole's mundaine government working life but while hints of a more exotic life for Jude we really learn very little about her.  It's interesting as her character seems open but she won't even give out her last name.

I really enjoy Simon Brett and know that I read this many years ago but enjoyed it very much.  Yet more books to read now.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
 Latest installment in the Stephanie Plum series
 The story starts out with the kidnapping of her cousin, Vinnie, who's being held for ransom in the high six figures. As Stephanie, sidekick Lula, and office manager Connie soon realize, Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is seriously in the red due to Vinnie's gambling. Vinnie's also gotten caught up with local mobster Bobby Sunflower in a complicated scheme. Even though her sleazy cousin isn't her favorite person and chasing oddball felons isn't her ideal career, Stephanie knows family loyalty counts for something, plus she owes him for giving her a job all those years ago. So with Lula and Connie in tow--and romantic interests Morelli and Ranger lurking in the background Stephanie is causing hauvic once again.

For me this book fizzled rather than sizzled.  I was disappointed.  There were some comedic moments but honestly I think she just needs to go with either Morelli or Ranger and just ride it out!  It seems that the last few books have her skipping back and forth.   I'll continue to read this series but I hope the next one has a bit more fun in it.  It just felt flat to me.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs The Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley
To win the hand of the lovely Ramona Flowers, he must defeat her seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends in video-game style battles.  This time out, he's got to fight the handsome twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi who are even more awesome than Scott himself. More importantly, now that he and Ramona are cohabiting, they face danger from the jealousies and insecurities of couple hood.  Scott and Ramona both carry emotional baggage from their previous relationships. Scott cheated on one or more of his ex-girlfriends, who have names like Envy and Knives. As we know Ramona has several ex-boyfriends but dated the twins at the same time! 

The ending is rather bittersweet as Ramona just kind of pops out of existence.  It leaves you wondering how this will resolve. There is more mature feel to this series now as we see Scott become more of an adult especially with his relationships.  There is still that teen angst but thankfully not so prevalent.  A movie version of this series has been released but I think I'll wait until it comes out on cable or DVD.

Winter Widow by Charlene Weir

San Francisco policewoman Susan Donovan moves to Hampstead, Kans., when she marries the small city's police chief, Dan Wren, only to become a widow within six weeks. Shocked and enraged, Susan gets herself appointed Hampstead's temporary police chief and vows to find Dan's killer. When a reporter, daughter of the area's leading family, is strangled while investigating Dan's death, the mayor responds to local pressure and threatens to fire outsider Susan before more citizens die. She wins a five-day reprieve but must survive various assaults, from humans and animals, before she can solve the cases.

I had read a later book in the series and her backstory intrigued me so I finally read the first in the series.  Coming from the midwest you get a real feel of the cold isolation that the open plains are. She has to deal with a small town mentality where men run the show.  Much of the story is her internalizing the situation and trying to deal with the grief she is feeling.  Not bad for a first book.

Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Nina Harrison has been 15 years old since 1973 because she is a vampire. She and the members of the Reformed Vampire Support Group break the mold when compared to the accepted vampire lore that has been around since the time of Count Dracula. They are not beautiful, strong, powerful, rich, or in control. Instead they are sickly, struggling just to stay alive, living on the blood of the guinea pigs they keep, and making the best of their affliction. They have all vowed not to drink human blood or be responsible for the creation of another vampire. But Nina hates her boring, uneventful life, which changes drastically when Casimir is staked and the group, realizing that the killer knows who and where they are, all move in with Nina and her mother, a non-vampire.

With only a silver bullet as a clue to track the vampire slayer, Nina, Dave, and Father Ramon, who sponsors the group, set out on a dangerous journey. Along the way they rescue a werewolf from an illegal fight ring, deal with a villainous father/son team, and discover that their immortal lives might have more to offer than they ever thought.

Set in Sydney Australia we get a real flavor of the city plus how uneventful life is if you are a vampire. Imagine if you were only awake during the night - it would really limit your work potential. Plus they even had to wear sunglasses at night as bright lights would make their eyes bleed! Yuck.

I wanted to like this but honestly the characters are so whiny and prickly it was hard to even care if they lived to the next day. But I finished it the end as I try to give most vampire books at least a try. I was grateful that it wasn't very violent and believe there was nothing romantic or sexy about being a vampire in this story. The redeaming factor was the ending chapter when it is revealed that Nina has written their story but changed names and descriptions and places to protect everyone.  So it felt more authentic then the rest of the story.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

This is a quiet tale of Major Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, who is the very embodiment of duty and pride. He lives in his childhood home in the quaint village of Edgecombe St. Mary in Sussex, England. As the story unfolds, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, while grieving again for his wife who died several years ago. But on the flip side Pettigrew is trying to get back Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun—part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum.

As he frets over the guns, the major develops a friendship with Jasmina Ali—the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner in town. Mrs. Ali is a 50-something Pakistani widow who shares his love of Kipling and his wry look at the world in which they both reside.

Time passes and the more things change the more things stay the same as Pettigrew finds himself part of the gossip and he flounders on what is polite and what is the right thing to do. He struggles to understand his own son whom he discovering he has little in common with yet he yearns to have around.

This story is not dramatic and will not make you sit on the edge of your seat but I just kept turning the pages and enjoy this lovely quiet story about life.

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Eizabeth Peters

Also writes under Barbara Michaels

Introduces us to Amelia Peabody

Set in 1884, Amelia Peabody is not your typcial female of the time. She is a spinster living with her aging father and more educated than most men. She lives through her books, so after her father dies she receives a large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology.

But when Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all. As they enter Egypt they brothers Walter & Radcliff Emerson, who become love interests. The story gets more complicated when Evelyn's cousin shows up with a marriage proposal and a promise to split their grandfather's inheritance.

The mystery is not why you would read this book. It is an entertaining yet educational look at a time period in which men and women were discovering much about the past and moving towards the future. I had read this book back in high school and read many of the series but it's been years since I've read a Peabody mystery. I'm ready to catch back up with this entertaining series.

Mischief in Maggoddy by Joan Hess

Arly Hanks, comes back from vacation to find the community in an uproar: practically everyone is under the influence of psychic Madame Celeste, four hippies have taken over a local store and local prostitute and moonshiner Robin Buchanon has disappeared, leaving behind five hungry children.

The mayor's wife, busybody Mrs. Jim Bob Buchanon, wants Arly to do something about the children, a wild and uncivilized lot, but Arly manages to foist them onto Mrs. Jim Bob while she goes hunting for the mother, whom she finds with her head blown off in the middle of a marijuana patch. As she sets out to discover who planted the weed and then booby-trapped it, the children proceed to bring Mrs. Jim Bob low while Madame Celeste has premonitions of disaster. Aided by a possible new love interest, David Allen Wainright, guidance counselor at the local high school, Arly tries to help the children, particularly the foulmouthed but oddly charming Hammet.

I have to say this is one of my favorite Maggoddy books. I read it so long ago but the majority of the story stuck with me. But I had forgotten that it had all happened in one book and not through out several storylines. Looking forward to more Maggody books to read over this hot summer.

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures - The Complete Collection by Laurel K. Hamilton, Stacie Ritchie, Jess Ruffner-Booth, Brett Booth and Ron Lim

Graphic novel based on the Anita Blake series - this one focuses on the Guilty Pleasures book. Fusing mythology, werewolves, and vampires with a story loaded with mystery, action, and romance, the Anita Blake novels take place in a world where vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of nightmare have been declared legal citizens of the United States. Anita Blake is an "animator" - a profession that involves raising the dead for a living. She is also known as a fearsome hunter of criminal vampires, and she moonlights by investigating cases that are far too much for "conventional" police. But as Anita gains the attention of the vampire masters in her hometown of St. Louis, she also risks revealing an intriguing secret about herself - the source of her unusual strength and power. Watch as Anita goes up against fierce obstacles and is forced to make tough choices. What price will Anita pay in order to save her friend's life and solve the Vampire Murders?

Since I've read a lot of this series I didn't have problems following the storyline but for those who may not have read the series I think it would be hard to follow or understand Anita's motivation. I personally didn't care for the illustrations of Anita or Jean Claude as he really looked like a harlequin romance cover with his white pirate shirt. Plus it was hard to figure out why she even liked Phillip or Jean Claude. I did enjoy some of the minor storylines such as the wererats and Edward who is also an animator. But honestly I didn't enjoy as much as I hoped.

Peony in Love by Lisa See

Set in 17th-century China, this coming-of-age story, is part ghost story, family saga but also a work of musical and social history. The story is told by Peony, the 15-year-old daughter of the wealthy Chen family, as she approaches an arranged marriage, she commits an unthinkable breach of etiquette when she accidentally comes upon a man who has entered the family garden. Unusually for a girl of her time, Peony has been educated and revels in studying The Peony Pavilion, a real opera published in 1598, as the repercussions of the meeting unfold.

Peony's life mirrors that of the opera, and eternal themes abound: an intelligent girl chafing against the restrictions of expected behavior; fiction's educative powers; the rocky path of love between lovers and in families. It figures into the plot that generations of young Chinese women, known as the lovesick maidens, became obsessed with The Peony Pavilion, and, in a Werther-like passion, many starved themselves to death. You really see how life was during that time as the story offers meticulous depiction of women's roles in Qing and Ming dynasty China (including horrifying foot-binding scenes) and vivid descriptions of daily Qing life, festivals and rituals.

The story takes place over a span of almost 30 years as we see Peony become a hungry ghost and deal with the loss of her life and love of her family and the life she never got to have. So she tries to live life through the living as she follows the man she was supposed to marry. But until her tablet is dotted she will never be able to venture on. Women are punished during life and after life for not conforming to what is expected of them.

A truly intriguing story as it really is about a time period I have little knowledge or read about it. Plus it was interesting to discover how much women of that time were involved with literature and the arts. This is not a light summer read but a though provoking story. I need to read more by Lisa See.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Set in the post apocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its 12 territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death. We start out the story seeing life through Katniss Everdeen's eyes as she struggles to find food for her mother and younger sister. When the drawing happens for the tributes of district 12, Katniss finds to her horror that her sister's name is drawn. In a moment of almost dispair Katniss offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games. So after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta Mellark, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances.

Much of the story is told through flashbacks as we learn more about Katniss and how she came to this point. But the story is brutal as one by one tributes are killed off until the shocking conclusion where the ultimate horror becomes realized. Because of the "love connection" between Katniss & Peeta it is determined that if both tributes from the same district survive to the end then they can both be winners. But when the capital tries to revoke it at the last moment Katniss has the last word by showing they are both willing to die if they have to chose. Unfortunately the love Peeta feels for Katniss is real while Katniss is playing the game to survive.

So the story ends with them going home as the victors but Katniss has revealed her feelings to Peeta who is heartbroken. We're left wondering if they can keep up the deception as they will be under constant surveillance by the capital. Since this is the first book in the trilogy it isn't suprising that the ending is left opened for the next book. I listened to it on CD and really enjoyed it. It's right up there with Lois Lowry's Giver and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Wow.

Gunnerkrigg Court Vol 1 Orientation - by Todd Siddell

In her first school year, Antinomy Carver attends a mysterious boarding school that looks more like a vast modern factory, while across the adjacent, forbidding Annan Waters is Gillitie Wood, home of fairies, gods, ghosts and sentient shadows.

As the chapters progress Antimony learns more about the school as well as her parents. Most of Antimony's childhood has been spent in hospital sitting with her dying mother. Now that her mother is dead her father is off to parts unknown leaving her at the boarding school both her parents attended. Many of the teachers were classmates of her parents.

But nothing really ruffles Antimony, not even where her little stuffed doggie, soon houses a grouchy but rather protective demon, while the robot she builds out of spare parts lying around the school crosses the Water and comes back with a living wooden arm. Grownups are of little help to the young protagonists, but Antinomy faces difficulties with courage and self-possessed good manners. She and her friend Kat respond appropriately to each fresh bit of weirdness, sometimes taking part in sci-fi space adventures, sometimes coping with the loss of a friend who's changing into a bird.

While this has an almost Harry Potter like feel it very much lives up to it's own as we discover along with Antimony what the school and it's participants are all about. Looking forward to Vol 2.

A.D. - New Orleans After the Deludge by Josh Neufeld


A.D. follows six people from the hours before Katrina struck to its horrific aftermath. Here is Denise, a sixth-generation New Orleanian who will experience the chaos of the Superdome; the Doctor, whose unscathed French Quarter home becomes a refuge for those not so lucky; Abbas and his friend Mansell, who face the storm from the roof of Abbas’s family-run market; Kwame, a pastor’s son whose young life will remain wildly unsettled well into the future; and Leo, a comic-book fan, and his girlfriend, Michelle, who will lose everything but each other. We watch as they make the wrenching decision between staying and evacuating. And we see them coping not only with the outcome of their own decisions but also with those made by politicians, police, and others like themselves--decisions that drastically affect their lives, but over which they have no control.


I think I saw it listed as one of the top 10 GN for Teens for 2009 so I thought I would give it a try. Wow! I was impressed by how much punch and emotion came out with very little text and mostly illustrations to make a point. It brings it all back, the horror at watching this natural disaster become a terrible, terrible disaster. Just really well done.

Playing with fire by Katie MacAlister

Part 1 of the Silver Dragons series

May was created by a demon lord from her naiad "twin" Cyrene's shadow in exchange for her sister's "common sense". She is also a doppelganger which gives May the ability to shadow-walk or to become almost invisible in the shadows which is quite useful her "career". But May is bound to the former silent film-star demon lord who created her, and forced to obey his commands to steal for him.

May meets Gabriel Drake when she stumbles onto Drake's estate while attempting to return a stolen item that had put a price on her head. Quite by accident Gabriel discovers that May is a wyvern's mate and seeks to claim her. The ever sensible May tries to refuse Gabriel, knowing the danger the demon poses - May has spent her life avoiding relationships knowing that should she take a lover the demon lord who wants May's body would likely order May to kill her lover. But Gabriel assures May that dragons are not so easy to get rid of and of course Gabriel is totally irresistible, so May lets Gabriel claim her in a fiery joining that literally burns up the sheets.

But all is not smooth sailing for May and Gabriel, May will have to outsmart the demon lord or risk an eternity in Abbandon to avoid betraying Gabriel when her demon-lord commands a theft of a powerful artifact that will put all the dragons under the demon lord's control.

I read this from a recommendation of a friend and while it was ok I just kept getting annoyed by May and her stupid sister who kept getting her into these messes. I will admit I have not read anything by MacAlister before and did enjoy her almost Bridgette Jones way of writing. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it versus listening to it on CD. I found the reader very whiney and that annoyed me as well. So I'll give it another chance as the book ended on a cliff hanger!

Shoot to Thrill by P.J. Tracy (Mother/daughter team of Patricia J. and Traci Lambrecht)

Latest Monkeewrench novel

The FBI finds five videos on the internet that are of genuine murders. Agent John Smith, nearing retirement from the FBI's cyber crimes unit, comes to Minneapolis to hire Monkeewrench and other computer crackers to find who is posting the videos so they can catch the murderer or murderers. Magozzi and Rolseth get involved when a sixth murder happens in their jurisdiction.

The Monkeewrench team must create a program that can separate staged death scenes from the real thing. The first death they scrutinize appears to be the drowning murder of a Minneapolis drag queen. A stabbing, two shootings, and a strangulation are among subsequent killings that occur in other cities across the country. But then they discover that the murders are being preposted online so the chase is on to find the victims before they are killed. It gets pretty intense as one of the victims survives but is in a coma.

But as always it is the connections between the characters that the authors really shine. Plus it was nice that the storyline focused more on the detectives instead of the monkeewrench team and I really enjoyed the additional FBI characters of Smith and some of the other Minneapolis police. But I didn't see the ending coming at all and it made me smile.

Bloodsucking Fiends : a love story by Christopher Moore


Tommy Flood, a teenaged Jack Kerouac wannabe, leaves his home in Indiana to search for his artistic muse and some adventure. He lands in San Franscico and changes his name to C. Thomas Flood to give the appearance he is a writer. His introduction to San Francisco is having his car blow up near Chinatown. His first apartment is sharing a single room with 5 men named Wong, and every morning he wakes up to find flowers on his bed. He finds out later that all 5 Wongs are here illegially and are looking to get married. Since this is San Francisco they figure a guy will work just fine. Tommy decides that this living arrangement is not going to work plus he has to find a job since his money is almost gone. And he still hasn't written a word.


What he finds is Jody, a beautiful redhead who has recently been transformed into a vampire and is trying to find a way to cope with her new "life." Together they go on a giddy romp of San Francisco, dealing with the occasional corpse, some suspicious cops, and a nasty old vampire. They also discover some surprising truths about morality, love, and the mechanics of vampirism along the way.

This book has been on my to read list for such a long time that I'm glad that I finally made the effort to read it. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Moore and seeing as there are sequels out there. This is not for the serious vampire book readers but those of us who enjoy a romp on the wild side.

Malice in Maggody by Joan Hess

First book in the series of Maggody. Meet Chief of Police, Arly Hanks. She's back home in Maggody, Arkansas, population 755, recovering from a nasty divorce. She wanted some quiet time to decompress and gather her wits about her, and that's just what she got. Life in Maggody is slow, really slow. There's no crime to speak of, and about the only action she ever sees is a car wreck out on the highway, once every month or so. Her biggest chief of police decisions usually involve where to set up the speed trap, in the school zone, or at the signal light.

So it comes as a big surprise when two real crime cases fall her way on the same day. First a former Maggody resident, now housed at the state correctional institution escapes and looks to be heading home. Then an EPA contract specialist sent to sign the paperwork for an unwanted sewage treatment plant that the residents of Maggody are sure is going to pollute their swimming and fishing holes, goes missing. Add to that the murder of a local, and it looks like Arly is going to have to buckle down and get busy, fast. With the whole town tight lipped and stonewalling her investigation, it's going to take all her cunning and training to sort out all this mayhem and madness, and get to the truth.

I decided to re-read this series as it has been quite awhile since I've read a Maggody book and I'm behind. I know that I read it years ago but it all seemed new to me. I had forgotten some of the earlier characters and to be honest it was a lot more sexual than I remembered but still a real hoot.

Waking up in the Land of Glitter: a Crafty Chica Novel by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Meet Estrella "Star" Esteban who is spoiled by her family and friends. She is an independent spirit who is used to getting her own way. So after waking up the day after getting drunk, black-out can't remember a thing drunk, to discover that she had spray painted the mural on the wall of her family's restaurant. Her days of getting a free pass are up, as the mural she spray painted with happy faces was created by her best friend, Theo, who she also has a crush on says they are through and her family gives her 6 months to get her life in order she decides buckle down. But Star has always wanted to be an artist and when she orders 350 lbs. of glitter by accident (vs. 3.5 lbs.) through the restaurant, she has to take on her obligations. She decides to be a bronze sponsor of the Craft Olympics and agrees to make hundreds of centerpieces for the tables so that she can promote the restaurant.

She elicits the help of her best friend Ofelia, whose passion is crafting which unfortunately she sucks at. She is being held back by her mother- in-law Nana who thinks that she has no talent. They meet Chloe Chavez who is a television reporter about crafts. Chloe would do anything to get ahead in the business, from stealing her assistant's ideas to having an affair with the producer. She also was named host of the Craft Olympics and felt that joining the group would increase her standings in the crafting community. They have to resolve their issues and work together to get the job done.

We see lots of examples of the up and coming art scene in Central Phoenix and feel like are part of the lives of these 3 women. It was a lot more entertaining than I expected and I wasn't even sure if I would enjoy it at first. But I'm glad that I stayed with it.

Misery Loves Maggody by Joan Hess

Ruby Bee, Estelle, and their big hair have embarked on a cut-rate package tour to Graceland to pay homage to the King. Before the end of the tour, one of the other pilgrims is found dead outside her hotel room, Ruby Bee is in the hospital, and Mayor Jim Bob Buchanon has been arrested for murder.

Arly drives through the night to bring order out of chaos and make sure all the citizens of Maggody return home safely--with or without their dignity intact.

Entertaining as always plus there were even some Elvis sightings by Arly. I didn't have the person who was the actual murderer pegged, it came as a complete surprise. The only thing that didn't get clarified was the mystery back in Maggody but maybe I missed it. It's been awhile since I've read a Maggody story but since this was on CD it seemed like a good one to re-start with. Now I want to go back and re-read the earlier books.

Pinochio: the Vampire slayer by Dustin Higgins and Van Jensen

After his maker/father Geppetto is killed by vampires, Pinocchio tries to protect the disbelieving inhabitants of his village, aided only by woodcarver Master Cherry, a greatly aged Blue Fairy and the ghost of the nagging cricket he squashed some time ago.

Listed as one of the top Graphic Novels for Teens for 2009 so I thought I would give it a try. I was impressed how much they used from the original storyline and incorporated it into a transition. Pinochio is out for revenge after his father is killed by the undead. When Pinochio lies his nose grows and he discovers by accident he is able to kill the vampires with his nose. So it's quite entertaining as he responds to questions by lying so his nose will grow. He then breaks it off and stabs them with it. I love when the cryptic bunnies give him clues he can't put together about where and when the vampires will strike.

For such a short graphic novel there is a lot packed in and an twist I didn't see coming at the end. Very satisifying and I wonder if there will be more adventures of Pinochio the vampire slayer.

Scalped Vol 3 - Dead Mothers by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

3rd in the Scalped series we follow ex-con and war vet Dashiell Bad Horse as he goes undercover at his tribal reservation for the FBI. Being a cop is his cover as he seeks to bust Red Crow, the tribe's chief and the local crime boss—and former boyfriend of Dashiell's mom.

The ending of the previous 2 collections have shown us that Dashiell's mother, Gina, is dead, murdered by the side of the road and scalped, and then her body being discovered by a group of pre-teens. This collection continues with the police being called out to investigate. We we see Red Crow watching from the sidelines, obviously distraught. Meanwhile Bad Horse is at a Meth House busting everyone in sight when they discover the dead body of a woman who had been strangled. While searching the rest of the house they find a locked room with the children of the dead woman. After Dashiell is told about the death of his mother he seems more interested or almost obsessed with searching for the killer of dead woman and caring for her revenge-obsessed preteen son. But we see signs of how much his mother's death has affected him.

The illustrations change somewhat at the end as the artist must have changed but we see how hard the reservation life is and how no one is left unscathed. While this is a graphic, graphic comic the storyline is fascinating and I wonder how it will end up.

I see more ILL in my future.

Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

Latest in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
Several new cases come about, there’s Mma Mateleke, who suspects her husband of being unfaithful (turns out, he harbors the same suspicions about her). Mr. Kereleng falls prey to the wiles of Violet Sephotho, who manipulated him into putting his house in her name. (Readers will remember Violet as the conniving classmate of Mma Makutsi at the Botswana Secretarial College, where Mma Makutsi earned an impressive 97 percent.) Mma Makutsi copes with bad news about her fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti, who undergoes a serious leg operation following an accident at his furniture store. Then she has to deal with his selfish Aunt who will not even let her see him.

A more pleasant assignment involves the search for a kindhearted safari guide, who was bequeathed a nice sum of money by an American tourist. This brings the two ladies to the stunning Okavango Delta, positively fraught with feral creatures. With snakes in abundance, proper footwear is a must, much to the delight of Mma Makutsi, who has a well-known weakness for new shoes.

All the storylines comes to a satisfying end, leaving me feel warm and happy like drinking a cup of bush tea. I always so look forward to the latest in this series, this new installment did not disappoint.

Eggsecutive Orders by Julie A. Hyzy

3rd in the series featuring Ollie Paras in the White House Chef mystery series

Ollie is the White House Chef and she and her staff are set to get ready for the Easter celebration (dinner and Easter Egg Roll) and her mother and grandmother are finally coming to visit. It will be the first time her family has come to visit since she started working at the White House. But on the morning of their arrival the secret service comes knocking at her door without any kind of explanation. Quickly Ollie figures out someone has died shortly after eating dinner at the White House - by a meal prepared by Ollie and her staff. So until an investigation is done Ollie and her staff are suspended indefinitely.

So Ollie tries to enjoy the extra free time with her mother and grandmother but feels responsible for her staff and the kitchen. When her boyfriend, Tom's job on the Presidential Protection Detail is also threatened, Ollie can't help but investigate. The tension builds between her and her boyfriend as he's made responsible for her actions. Ollie becomes a target for a newspaper columnist and her mother shows too much interest in a man connected to the dead White House guest for Ollie. Can she find a way back into the kitchen and to find the killer?

I somehow missed book 2 but didn't really feel like I was missing anything by not reading it first. I read book 1 several years ago when it came out. I enjoyed but still find Ollie kind of annoying as she never really listens to anyone and why is it that everyone seems to hate her except the President? She spends more time getting into arguments with various White House staff and even her boyfriend that you wonder when she has time to even cook? But yet I enjoy the behind the scenes look we get at the White House that I can overlook my annoyance.

Drama City by George P. Pelecanos

Lorenzo Brown, a young, black ex-con who's recently returned to the streets after doing eight years in prison on a felony drug charge. Living in D.C., crime and criminals had always been fundamental to Lorenzo's existence. Since his release, though, he's trying to live the straight life. He has a job serving as a Humane Law Enforcement Officer with the Humane Society, protecting animals from the panoply of domestic cruelty. He visits his grandma regularly and connects with other ex-cons who are trying to stay on track.

This attitude has won him a few champions, notably Rachel Lopez, his striking half-Jewish, half-Latina probation officer and friend, who spends her days "telling other people that they need to stay on track," but then goes off the rails at night, haunting hotel bars, picking up inappropriate guys, always frightened by the idea of a relationship "where she was not in complete control."

We see how their lives connect via Narcotics Anonymous Meetings where we hear other NA's stories as well as learn more about Lorenzo and Rachel. But the violence is never far behind Lorenzo as a turf war starts and by a seemingly inconsequential mistake. Now Lorenzo's childhood friend, boss Nigel Johnson and rival gang boss Deacon Taylor are at odds. But it escalates when 2 of Nigel's best boys are gunned down by Ricco Miller, boy of Deacon. While Lorenzo is upset by the events it isn't until Rachel is stabbed in the chest by a volatile, Ricco, that Lorenzo finds his killer instincts returning to the fore. He must decide how far he's willing to go--and how much he's willing to lose--in order to exact retribution.

I listened to this on CD and it was a tough read. I really have not experiences this type of life or read much about it. It felt very authentic though and it gives me hope that others who choose to live their lives right will succeed. Because that is what it is really about, making choices.

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani


Valentine Roncalli, adrift after a failed relationship and an aborted teaching career, becomes an apprentice to her 80-year-old grandmother, Teodora Angelini, at the tiny family shoe business Angelini Shoes has been in business since 1903 in Greenwich Village.


While Valentine struggles to come up with a financial plan—and shoe design—to bring the Old World operation into the 21st century, her brother, Alfred, is pushing Gram to retire and sell her building for $6 million. It's not all business for Valentine, of course: handsome and sophisticated Roman Falconi, owner and chef at a posh restaurant, is vying for her heart.


Meanwhile Valentine is finally romantically involved with a up and coming Italian Chef 4 years after she broke up with her fiance. Everyone in her life is married or getting married and Valentine wonders if this is it as though the chemistry is there, neither make time for each other. It takes a trip to Italy with her gram for her to finally listen to her heart and do what is right for her.

Interesting story, though not really a romance as more of women's fiction with some family saga thrown in. The main focus is on Valentine and her finding her place in the world. The sequel recently came out so I wanted to read this one before I read the new book. I enjoyed it, more depth to it than I expected and the storyline was fun and entertaining. I have much more appreciation to shoes that ever before.

You Have Killed Me by Jaime S. Rich and Joelle Jones

Graphic Novel set in the 1930s-era. Gumshoe Antonio Mercer finds himself unable to resist rich red head girl named Jennie when she comes to him to find her missing sister, Julie, who disappeared from a locked hotel room bathroom they shared. To further complicate matters the missing dame is his ex-lover - Mercer is actually a rich boy slumming it.

In the search to find Julie, Mercer faces down a number of tough guys, running the gamut from cops, both honest and bent, to gamblers, mob bosses and even short-tempered and knife-wielding musicians, while following the gal's trail, but nothing is ever as it seems.

I enjoyed the illustrations by Jones but found the storyline rather convoluted and hard to follow and especially hard to figure how the "twist" at the end. Plus it really should have been called "I Killed You!" but that's just my opinion. So I was thankful I had just borrowed it from the library versus actually buying it.

A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future by Daniel H. Pink

The beings with the author, Daniel Pink, going in for brain scan and explaining how it was able to detect which side responded to stimuli. He then gives a pretty good overview of how the left and right brain sides work independently but more importantly how each side has to work together.

He then discusses what major problems the United States and other Western countries are facing: Abundance, Asia, and Automation. Most people, including intellectuals and high government officials are in the coma state of not sensing the lethal effects of offshore outsourcing of high-tech jobs and R&D to the fundamental well being of U.S. and other Western countries, nor the consequence of automating white collar jobs by the ever more powerful computer hardware and software. While I had heard about outsourcing and of course very aware of automation I had not even thought about Abundance.

Part 2 of the book discusses the theory of the "six senses" that one could harvest to build a whole new mind. In Pink's worldview, Design is an asset above function. Story is an asset above argument. Symphony is an asset above focus. Empathy is an asset above logic. Play is an asset above seriousness, and Meaning is an asset above accumulation. After an extensive essay about each of these six components, Pink includes a "portfolio" of exercises (further reading, tools, and websites) which I found really fascinating.

I listened to this book on CD read by Daniel Pink and first I wasn't sure if I would even enjoy it as he was a bit stiff. But soon I became intrigued by his concepts and just couldn't stop listening or thinking about what I was hearing. I also had a hard copy which I started following along with while I was listening.

Interestingly enough the Medical Library Association has chosen this book as the common book to read before the MLA annual conference in May in which Daniel Pink will be the keynote speaker. So Becky and I suggested it for our bookclub at work. It will be interesting to get others perspectives on it as reading some of the reviews it is definitely one either people love or hate. I guess I fall under the category of loved it.

By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lippman

8th in the series featuring Baltimore, PI, Tess Monaghan. This time out the determined reporter-turned-private detective agrees to help a handsome but off-puttingly rigid Orthodox Jewish furrier Mark Ruben find his missing wife, Natlalie, who disappeared with their 3 children. Natlalie is 13 years his junior and she married at age 18. Ruben makes Monaghan feel as if she knows nothing about being Jewish, even though her mother's family is Jewish. So Tess is driven to research the religion of her client, who's secretive, controlling, and apparently in denial. I love how she uses technology aka the Snoop Sisters, an online network of female PIs, that help her track down the family and even provides a retired librarian to tail her quarry.

As weeks go by, Tess uncovers a tangle of lies and dark plans that reveal that Ruben's gorgeous young Russian Jewish bride is anything but innocent. Yet much to Monaghan's amazement, nothing seems to dim Ruben's faith in his own tradition or to rock his sense of his role and responsibilities as a husband and a father.

To further complicate Tess's life, Crow, her boyfriend has left her and her Aunt is getting married and Tess is going to be the maid of honor as well as the best man. It' s a fun distraction to the dark storyline.

We see the story from Tess as well as the runaway wife and children. We quickly figure out that Natalie is no innocent and the situation is much more complicated than any one could have anticipated. It left me reading to the end to figure out why this was happening and it was well done. As always Lippman has this way of making me want to read more. She makes her characters and situations real but it is in no way predicable.

Lover's Knot: a someday Quilt's mystery by Claire O'Donohue

Nell Fitzgerald is a Manhattan publishing professional living in New York. When her fiance wants to postpone the wedding she takes her broken heart back to the Hudson River town of Archer's Rest, where her grandmother, Eleanor Cassidy, runs Someday Quilts.

After her grandmother takes a nasty fall, Nell decides to help Eleanor recuperate and expand the store with the assistance of Marc Reed, a handsome handyman. The unexpected arrival of Ryan, Nell's ex-fiance, during a tender moment with Marc causes a major fight. Things get worse after Marc turns up at Someday Quilts scissored to death. Local police chief Jesse Dewalt, an attractive widower, has a roster of suspects, including Ryan. Ryan offers to reconcile, but first Nell must clear Ryan's name by helping Jesse solve Marc's murder.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book as I do not care for the cutesy craft themed mysteries but I found the story well thought out and for once didn't use any puns. The storyline was believable and while Nell is a bit of a whiner about her life she rallied and decided to begin her life fresh. There is now a sequel that I'm curious to read and see if the story stays fresh.

Echo by Minette Walters

Set in 1996 London, a homeless man who called himself Billy Blake is found dead of starvation in the garage of an expensive home near London's Thames. A magazine journalist named Michael Deacon is intrigued by the case and wonders if perhaps Billy Blake might actually be a merchant banker, James Streeter, who disappeared in 1988 with 10 million pounds. Coincidentally, the woman who owns the home is Amanda Powell Streeter, wife of the missing banker.

As Deacon investigates the homeless populations he meets a young teenager named Terry who lives among the homeless of London and was the last person to see Billy alive. After some altercations Deacon takes Terry home for Christmas and suddenly his isolated home life becomes a magnet for other homeless (philosophy speaking) souls. One of which is Barry a photography archivist for the same newspaper that Deacon works for. But Barry is damaged, living with his domineering mother, is also isolated by his career and his lifestyle. When Barry becomes fixated on Deacon and then on Amanda Powell Streeter, he starts to stalk Amanda and is caught by police at her home. He too is adopted for the holidays by Deacon. Another lost soul is Lawrence, a retired Jewish lawyer, who had written to Deacon in the past about other stories he had done. Their paths cross by chance and both are forever changed.

But Deacon is no different than the homeless he is investigating as he has no contact with his family and lives in a rented flat that is sterile and isolated. Because of the contact with Terry he reconnects with his mother and sister. While Terry gets to connect with another male figure who isn't interested in sexually abusing him. Plus Deacon teaches Terry how to read.

Lots of references to William Blake, the poet, from both Deacon and Billy Blake and Terry. I always find these kind of things fascinating that people can quote or recognize a piece of poetry or work and find its association with real life.

This is a complicated story but Walters writes complicated suspenseful psychological mysteries. While it wasn't hard to figure out who the murderer was it was hard to know how the book would end. Walters is not for everyone but she makes a nice change of pace.

Scalped Vol 2 - Casino Boogie by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

Sequel to Indian Country the larger focus of this volume as each story part takes place on opening night of the Crazy Horse Casino on The Prairie Rose Reservation. Each chapter's opening pages uses flashback sequences which setup the focus of each part on a particular. This perspective gives us a chance to see where the person came from. Red Crow's grim and murderous determination is really the center piece in my opinion, as his actions have a grand, sweeping effect on all the other characters to say nothing of the fact that it's HIS casino that's opening.

The larger tapestry of the ongoing story is fleshed out plus a few new wrinkles are added to complicate matters for the residents of The Prairie Rose Reservation. Is Dash the only undercover FBI agent operating on The Rez? What is Red Crow's involvement with Hmong ganglords hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota and who is this "Mr. Brass" they've sent out to "help" him with his local troubles? What does Catcher's vision mean and what can we possibly expect from such bizarre individual as he? Probably the most moving storyline is about young Dino Poor Bear, who only wants to leave the rez but once he is given the money he can't do it. He is too attached to his family and what he is familiar with and is almost a parallel between him and young Dash.

Interesting enough this collection ends with a very simliar ending as the first with the body of Dash's mother laying scalped on the ground. We do have more clues as we see what she was doing the few days before her death.

Now I'm ready for volume 3 - thank goodness for ILL.

Scalped Vol 1 - Indian Country by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

Indian Country introduces us to Dashiell Bad Horse, a native to The Prairie Rose Reservation, South Dakota. The first thing Dash does is get into a fight with fifteen guys in a bar. With nunchaku, no less! He is, to put it mildly, looking for trouble. He's been off the Rez for fifteen years and has just come back for reasons of his own. So Bad Horse starts working for Lincoln Red Crow, the Council Tribal President who essentially runs the reservation. He is also working on opening up a huge Casino.

It takes awhile to figure out why Bad Horse has come back and it isn't so he can reconnect with his mother. He's an undercover FBI agent who's been sicced on Red Crow by probably the most miserable and hateful FBI minder ever to "grace" South Dakota with his presence: Special Agent Nitz. Nitz has an axe to grind with Red Crow that goes back twenty some years to the murder of two FBI agents on the Prairie Rose Reservation.

This comic is harsh, nothing romantic about it and the people are hard and live hard. There's shootings, meth lab busts, rampant sex, organized crime intrigue, plus betrayal, and scalping (hence the title).

This series is not an easy one to read but I've been intrigued by the series for awhile so thought I would give it a try. I'm already waiting for the next volume - so far there are 6 total.

Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice

A maimed owl and a sunken U-boat spark an inordinate amount of activism, romance and multigenerational family healing in this winsome melodrama. Out to observe a single rare snowy owl, high school beauty and passionate bird-watcher Mickey crashes her bicycle and goes sailing into the arms of soulful surfer-dude Shane. She joins his guerrilla campaign to prevent greedy developer Cole Landry from raising said U-boat from its resting place just off their local Rhode Island beach, where the underwater hulk churns up sublimely gnarly waves.

Meanwhile, Mickey's struggling divorced mom, Neve, falls for hunky park ranger Tim, who has his own anguished reasons for revering the submarine. When the developer's son, Josh, bashes the owl with a log, Mickey, Shane and Neve take it to an ancient raptor healer, who, in an unsurprising coincidence, turns out to be Tim's estranged dad, Joe O'Casey, the commander of the navy ship that sank the U-boat.

Both storylines were interesting as we have Mickey who is trying to figure out what she is truly passionate about and her mother, Neve, is just trying to get her life back on track. The setting of East coast was interesting to me as I have never been there and who knew that there are relics from the war just off our coast.

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

After Harper Connelly was struck by lightning as a teenager, she developed an unusual ability she is able to locate bodies and see how the victims died, although she cannot identify the murderers. This is the 2nd book of the series featuring Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver Lang.

Harper and Tolliver, are in Memphis, at Bingham College doing a demonstration for a class, identifying bodies and causes of death in an old graveyard. But suddenly Harper is confused as she finds not one body but 2 and one ends up being the body of Tabitha Morgenstern, a kidnapped young girl she had failed to locate 2 years ago in Nashville. Even more strange is the family of the young girl now live in Memphis.

Suddenly everyone wants something from Harper, reporters, the family, and of course the police assume they had something to do with it. So Harper and Tolliver check into a fancy hotel with a large suite which becomes a meeting place for all kinds of interesting characters who think they know more than they do.

This was a well done who-done-it and I did not suspect the real killer. I enjoy how Harris writes who dialog and creates the atmosphere that should be spooky but isn't. She has a real ability to make me feel sympathy for her damaged characters.

Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold

Set in Roaring '20s San Francisco, the story begins when President Harding agrees to appear in the finale of a show with magician Carter the Great, going through a series of dicey illusions before emerging on stage at the end to take a bow and declare his good health. Shortly afterwards, Harding dies mysteriously in his San Francisco hotel room, and Carter is forced to flee the country. Or does he? Plus you start to wonder if Harding even really died that night. (This is all based on fact so I really found that fascinating).

In the course of the story, Carter finds himself pursued by the most hapless of FBI agents; falls in love twice and manages to confront an old nemesis bent on destroying him. Throw in countless stunning (and historically accurate) illusions, some beautifully rendered period detail, and historical figures like young inventor Philo T. Farnsworth and self-made millionaire Francis "Borax" Smith as well as dozens of magicians and local people of San Fransico of that time.

I read this book for my bookclub and honestly it probably would not have been one that I would have read as I do not particularly care for historical fiction. But this has a little bit of everything, history, adventure, magic and romance. I was sucked in by how well Gold kept the story interwoven. I enjoyed it so much and there is so much more than what my little review lists. Carter is one of those characters I wish I could have known or seen do magic. He honestly seemed to care about the people he worked with and was very kind to the animals used in his acts. He just loved showing magic and loved his life. We could all be so lucky.

Interesting side note - he is married to Alice Sebold.

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett

Set in Thailand's capital in the mid-1990s, a U.S. Marine is killed in Bangkok. This assignment's especially important to the devout detective for during the investigation of the murder scene, the methamphetamine-stoked snakes that bit the marine also kill Sonchai's police partner, best friend, and Buddhist soul-mate Pichai. The task of finding the murderer falls to Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, seemingly the only member of the Royal Thai Police Force whose idea of justice precludes his fellow officers' customary system of bribery.

Sonchai's pursuit of revenge will team him with a sexually frustrated FBI agent and leave them at the mercy of yaa-baa-fueled motorcycle-taxi drivers as they hurtle through neon-lit Bangkok and into the labyrinthine and deadly machinations of the international jade and drug trades in search of the killer. Sonchai was raised by his Thai mother who moved them from man to man all over Europe and Asia. He doesn't know who his father was except he was an American GI. But since his knowledge of English and French is excellent he is used as a liaison between other government agencies to translate and provide access to the city.

Lots of corrupt characters from his own mother, his boss, everyone is on the take. But the Thai philosophy is that if you pay the bribe you won't have to increase salaries so it all evens out. If you increase salaries then you have to increase taxes and everyone pays for that.

I found this book fascinating and thought provoking but not really sure if I liked it very much. But I'm still thinking about it weeks later. I think because this is so different and while it has some police procedural elements to it, it is not a typical police mystery at all.

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Part of the Chicago Stars series

When debonair starting quarterback Dean Robillard, on a soul-searching road trip after a serious shoulder injury, happens across Blue Bailey, walking alongside the road wearing a beaver costume, he stops to help her. Blue is far from a Barbie-esque football groupie, but broke and stranded, she needs both a ride and a job, and the football all-star (driving a sexy Aston Martin) poses an interesting opportunity. As the two travel from Colorado to Dean's new farmhouse in east Tennessee, Blue resists his advances, and both athlete and vagabond struggle with deeply rooted trust and familial issues that are soon exacerbated by the unexpected presence of Dean's mother at the farm.

One thing I found interesting as it really dealt with more than boy meets girl and girl resists boy so now boy is intrigued. Both Dean and Blue have abandoment issues as Dean was raised by a mother who was more focused on the next rockstar to chase or concentrated on using drugs or alcohol instead of being a parent. He didn't even discover the true identity of his father until he was in middle school, a famous rockstar who didn't care either about being a dad. The only smart thing she did was put him in a bording school and let others raise him. Blue was raised by a mother who is more interested in saving others instead of being a mom and was told her dad died. She was also raised poor and constantly moving to the new event.

Most of this book is dealing with those issues as well as trying to figure out if they could make their own thing work out. Lots of bumps along away and honestly the ending was a bit tied up but fun nevertheless.

Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
Haunted Bookshop mystery series

Penelope Thornton-McClure has returned to Quindicott, Rhode Island, to become co-owner of "Buy the Book" bookstore owned by her Aunt Sadie. A recent widow, Penelope and her seven year old son Spencer want to start a new life as her husband Calvin recently killed himself.

To help increase business, Penelope sets up an author appearance by Timothy Brennan, renowned author of the Detective Jack Shield story. Shockingly during his talk, Brennan reveals that his Jack Shield character was built off of Jack Shepard and suddenly he chokes to death. But was it an accident or was he murdered? The next morning when Penelope wakes with a hangover, she figures his death will be the end of Buy the Book. Boy was she wrong. Apparently people can't get enough of a real death in the bookstore especially since there are ties to a real killing of P.I. Jack Shepard who had been shot in a bookstore 50 years before. Brennan's books are selling like hotcakes and people just keep coming and coming.

When the State Police determine he was killed and arrest Brennan's daughter, Diedre. Something just doesn't feel right. Plus when she wakes up she thinks she is going crazy as she is talking to a dead man - specifically Jack Shepard himself who has been haunting the location for 50 years. In order to not appear crazy Penelope starts conversing with Jack Shepard in her head. Most of the time she is trying to stop hearing him, but he is very persistent.

Most of the mystery is the 2 of them trying to figure out who really did kill Timothy Brennan. It makes for an interesting mystery series and since I know it is a series I wonder how it will be carried off in future books.

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Harper Connelly Mystery series

Ever since Harper Connelly survived a zap from a lightning bolt, she's been able to find dead people. Harper travels to the Ozark town of Sarne, Ark., to find a missing teenage girl's body, accompanied by her stepbrother, Tolliver, who acts as her manager and bodyguard. Finding the body takes no time at all, but leaving town afterward isn't so easy. When Harper's life is threatened and Tolliver ends up in jail on trumped-up charges, it quickly becomes apparent that something sinister is going on in Sarne.

I am a big fan of Charlaine Harris' other series so am excited to try this new one out. I enjoyed it so far - Harris writes so well and really does great dialog and ambiance.

Red by Jordan Summers

Dead World series

This ia futuristic paranormal romance set in an ecologically desolate 2160. Gina "Red" Santiago, is the lone woman in the elite international tactical team commanded by the grandfather who raised her. While off-duty she travels to Nuria in the Republic of Arizona to investigate a woman's mysterious, brutal death. Gina is nicknamed Red as whenever she is in conflict there is bloodshed and it's isn't hers.

Gina doesn't believe in the rumors of supersoldiers, vampires and werewolves created by a secret government genetic engineering project, until she learns that almost everyone in Nuria is a werewolf and finds herself powerfully attracted to lycanthrope sheriff Morgan Hunter even as she connects others in his pack to the murder investigation.

Kind of an odd supernatural, futuristic romance. But I did like the association to Little Red Riding Hood.

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is having man trouble. Her vampire boyfriend, Bill, has been distant and inattentive lately. Then he announces that he is going on a business trip, which clearly is more than it seems. After a werewolf tries to abduct Sookie at work, Bill's boss, Eric, tells her that Bill fell under the sway of his--Bill's, that is--ex, a sexy vamp named Lorena, and has been kidnapped. Eric wants Sookie's help in getting Bill back, and despite her hurt over Bill's betrayal, Sookie agrees to go to Jackson, Mississippi, to find her wayward lover. Eric has persuaded Alcide, a dashing werewolf, to get Sookie access to Josephine's, aka Club Dead, the local hangout of Jackson's supernatural element. In between dodging kidnappers, the advances of amorous Eric, and her growing feelings for Alcide, Sookie has to find out who kidnapped Bill and figure out a way to rescue him.

I enjoy this series a lot but found some factors frustrating such as Bill's relationship with Lorena which seems to come from left field and never really dealt with. Plus now Sookie is constantly getting beaten or left for dead and Eric once again has to save her with his blood. Leaving more sexual tension. But most shocking was how Bill treated Sookie both physically and mentally. It was a bit of a disappointing read but I'll read more down the road.

Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver

Features Lincoln Rhyme and Amanda Sachs

When the detective's cousin is arrested for murder, it seems to be an open-and-shut case, as plenty of forensic evidence links him to the crime. But Lincoln's gut tells him that his cousin is innocent and in his investigation he discovers that the real killer is framing others for his killings by manipulating intimate computer information. But how can you track down a killer when you don't know anything about him including what he looks like. So they name him Unsub 522 (after the date they discover him) and try to find details that will help them track down this most deadly of killers. Unsub 522 is an ingenious master of the dreaded crime of the 21st century - identity theft! He steals data, reconstructs people's lives, destroys some information, rearranges the rest and is even capable of planting legitimate evidence framing an unsuspecting victim for his own brutal serial murders.

It was interesting learning more about Lincoln's past and his relationships with his father and uncle. I have read the first book in the series and enjoyed getting to know more about Lincoln and others from other books in the series. While some aspects of the book were a bit contrived most was really thought provoking as I hadn't thought about who has access to my private information and what could be done with it. So I guess it really comes down to convenience versus privacy and what it is worth to me.

Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander is enjoying her new life of wealth lazing in a hotel in Granada. No one knows where she is (as usual), while back in Sweden, Blomkvist and Millenium magazine are preparing a an expose of the sex slave business in Sweden.

Publisher Mikael Blomkvist and the police are conducting parallel investigations into three horrifying murders -- and their initial evidence points straight at young computer genius and social misfit Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist hasn't seen Salander in nearly an year, except for one night when he happened to witness a huge man attempting to kidnap her and both she and the attacker eluded him. He's bewildered about why she cut him off cold, but had accepted her decision -- until now. He doesn't believe Salander killed these victims. Well, at least not two of them. He has to contact her, find out how she's become embroiled in this, and help her. Salander, as usual, has her own ideas about who she'll see and when.

I really enjoyed the first book and while this book wasn't quite as strong it was still compelling enough to make we want to read it. As usual it is thought provocing but I did miss some of the personal touches of the first one.

Interesting side note: Stieg Larsson, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and the third novel in the series.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2010 Newbery winner

Sixth-grader Miranda lives in New York City in 1978 with her mother, and her life compasses Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. She has read it so many times she can quote it. Life seems so perfect as she and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But then things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen.

And then Miranda finds a mysterious notes scrawled on a tiny slips of paper and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

Each chapter starts with a theme from the 20,000 pyramid game "things that start with..... or things that ............." which coinside with Miranda's mother who is practicing to be on the show. Plus the theme gives you a clue of what the chapter will be about.

This book is the 2010 Newbery so of course I have to read it. But honestly I wasn't sure what to think at first but then the book hooked me and I really enjoyed it. I loved the tie in with Wrinkle in Time which is one of my favorite books when I was in 6th Grade. I did find it interesting that she only read that one book and not the sequel which by 1978 was out.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas, who narrates, is 20, works contentedly as a fry cook in a small California town, despite a talent for writing. The reason for his lack of ambition? A much rarer talent: Odd sees and converses with ghosts, the lingering dead who have yet to pass on, a secret he has kept from nearly everyone but his girlfriend, an eccentric author friend and the local police chief, whom he occasionally helps solve terrible crimes.

Odd also has the ability to see bodachs, malevolent spirits that feast on pain and whose presence signifies a likelihood of imminent violence. The proximity of bodachs to a weird-looking stranger in town, whom Odd dubs "Fungus Man," alerts Odd that trouble is brewing; breaking into Fungus Man's house, Odd discovers not only hundreds of bodachs but a shrine to serial killers that helps him deduce that somehow Fungus Man will wreak widespread havoc very soon-so Odd is caught in a classic race against time to deter catastrophe.

So while Odd tries to figure out where the event will happen he has to come to terms with his own past as he meets with his distant and conman father and his beautiful but psychotic crazy mother. Odd knows that his life is different but he wants to make a difference so he puts himself at risk to stop the killing but will it be in time to save who he loves most.

I'd heard about this series over the years but honestly I do not read horror books like Koontz or King. So I decided to get this on CD and found myself drawn into the really well done story. I found myself caring about Odd and his friends but living and dead, plus who knew that Koontz had such a sense of humor? Now I want to read more.

Thousand Bones by P.J. Parish

Part of the Louis Kincaid series.

Focuses on Jo Frye, his partner and lover, as she tells him about her rookie year. Told in flashback, Frye recounts her investigation of serial murders 13 years earlier, in 1975. Frye's uneventful rookie year in the Leelanau County, Mich., sheriff's department undergoes a drastic change with the discovery of human bones in the woods of Echo Bay. Soon, the discovery of more bones and a multitude of artifacts point police to the conclusion that the remains belong to more than one victim. Mysterious Native American glyphs carved into a tree nearby provide the lead Frye needs to push herself to the front and puts others at risk.

I have not read any of the previous books but was intrigued by the storyline. This was a page turner but I found it hard to finish the book. I don't mind mysteries that give us the point of view of the murder which this story does really well until about midway through the book and they actually name him! It just spoiled it for me as I kept wanting to yell out "he's the killer! don't go with him!" but what can you do but read to the end. I have to say the ending was really 2 endings as we end the flashback and the end of the story. The end of the flashback was really powerful but since I have not read the other books in the series the ending of the story didn't really move me.

Interesting note is that the author is actually 2 sisters,Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols, who write together.

Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

Orla Hart is a romance author who, after meeting Millie under some distressing circumstances, decides to write her new romance novel based on Millie's life. Since Millie is out of a job the enticement of $5000 pounds is too tempting to refuse. She can share some of the stories but isn't exactly forthcoming about what is really happening in her life. But Millie quickly realizes that Orla is determined to build up some romance for Millie by setting her up with any man she meets. But Millie might just have the last laugh as she actually does meet someone but it is more complicated than she expected.

Other storylines are her roommate Hester who is happily in love with her perfect boyfriend. Problem is that he's a chef and lives 500 miles away making it a long distance relationship. Plus her crush. Lucas Kemp, is back in town and hires Millie to work for him. Will Hester be able to keep it together, most of the book's 2nd storyline follows Hester as she tries to keep it together and fails miserably. But Orla herself is married to a philandering man but she keeps forgiving him. Plus her mother is back in town and living with her father and his new lady friend! Millie's life becomes very complicated as she tries to keep track of what or who everyone is with.

Reminds me of kinder Bridget Jones. It was a light weekend read perfect for a weekend away.

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Latest Kinsey Millhone mystery

Happy New Year - I finished up 2009 with a great book!

Still in 1988, but with flashbacks to 1967. Kinsey's latest case involves Michael Sutton, who claims that he recently recalled an event that occurred when he was just six years old. In July of 1967, four-year-old Mary Claire Fitzhugh was abducted from her home in Horton Ravine, California. Although her parents agreed to pay the ransom demanded by Mary Claire's kidnappers, the money was not picked up and the child was never seen again. Sutton remembers playing in the woods when he saw two men digging a hole and burying a bundle in the ground, and he cannot help but wonder if the pair was burying the corpse of little Mary Claire. Michael hires Kinsey to reconstruct the past and find out if his memories are accurate.

While this seems like a straight forward case Kinsey quickly finds siblings of Michael coming forth to disspell his memories. In his teens he claimed he was molested by his father and siblings which caused a huge rift in the family and years later feelings are still running hot. After his parents death he recanted saying it was placed memories under hypnosis. So Kinsey starts to doubt him and wonders if it is worth her time. But she is having problems of her own as her newly discovered family is not pulling any punches in trying to get her to come to them.

It is an interesting match between the flashbacks that at first you wonder how are connected to the story and to the final chapter that left me gasping as I frantically turned the pages to see how it would end. I think this is one Grafton's best yet and I really love seeing her stories get stronger and more complicated. It's hard to believe that there are only a few letters left. I might have to re-read the entire series again.

My goal was to read more books this year than any other and I did it! My record was 76 books read in 2006 and in 2009 I hit 86! Maybe someday I'll hit a 100 but I have a ways to go.

Merry Christmas!

Cold Christmas by Charlene Weir


Set in Hampstead, Kansas, Police Chief Susan Wren has a lot on her plate as Christmas approaches. Half of the town's police force is out with the flu, and a series of burglaries is confounding those still standing. Meanwhile, Wren is nervous about her long-overdue trip home to San Francisco, where her cantankerous parents await, along with her old boss, determined to hire her back.


Christmas spirit is nowhere to be found at the home of Caley James. She had caught the flu, the house is falling apart, her ex was no help at all, her three kids were living in front of the television eating cold cereal, and then the furnace decided to die. Life had definitely hit rock bottom, and just when she figures things couldn't get worse, her four year old daughter finds the furnace repairman, Tim Holiday, dead and badly burned in the basement. Police Chief, Susan Wren, takes on this case herself, but immediately hits a brick wall. Nothing about this murder makes sense. Who was Tim Holiday, and why did he seem to be trying to keep his identity a secret? Though everyone claims theyv'e never seen him before, someone wanted him dead. Plus they quickly discover that Holiday isn't who they thought he was. Add to that, two more possibly related murders, and Chief Wren has her hands full with a whole town full of suspects and too many unanswered questions.


I picked this up as a Christmas holiday read and found myself really enjoying this book. Now that I know that it's a series I want to go back and read some of the previous books to get a better idea of the main characters.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Kind of cross between Harry Potter meets the Chronicals of Narnia. Or imagine if Harry Potter goes to college without the boarding school. Quentin believes in magic, he re-reads the Fillory books over and over and practices magic tricks in his spare time. But where will his hobby take him? It hasn't helped him get the girl or be popular. Quentin is on his way to a college interview when he discovers the interviewee deseased. After he calls 911 he is given a letter from the paramedic and finds himself pulled into a magical world and examination. After he passes he is informed he has been selected to attend a Brakebills a secret magician university that only accepts 20 students a year.

About half the book focuses on his 4 years at Brakebills and the friendships he developes. Quentin and his parents are distant and neither seems to miss the others so visits home become shorter and fewer. During one of his last visits home he meets up with his highschool crush who has radically changed into a crazy goth girl and somehow knows that Brakebill is a magic school. It just re-enforces his belief that he is no longer a part of the normal world. After a grueling semester in the South pole where Quentin transforms into the magician he hopes to become he settles in NYC with the gang from Brakebills and life just becomes one big party. Days seem to blend together with nothing ever changing and Quentin becomes to feel despair at his choices and wondering what purpose his life has. He then makes a choice, one that he will regret for the rest of his life that changes everything.

A former classmate from Brakebills, Penny, has hunted them down in NYC and brought a magic button that will take them to the neverworld and then to Fillory. So a quest has been thrown and they all go without thinking about the consequences or cost. The rest of the book is in Fillory and becomes a graphic battle of kill or be killed and Quentin must decide if the cost is worth it.

I enjoyed the majority of the book but did find myself wanting to shake the narrator, Quentin, as seems to whine and dwell on the negative. But I did find the story interesting and enjoyed remembering parts that reminded me of the Chronicles of Narnia. I listened to it on CD and did find that I had to skip some of the more graphic parts.

Gate at the Top of the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

Set just after 9/11, Tassie Keltjin, 20, a smalltown Iowa girl weathering a clumsy college year and finds a job as a nanny by brittle Sarah Brink, the proprietor of a pricey restaurant who is desperate to adopt a baby despite her dodgy past. Subsequent adventures in prospective motherhood involve a pregnant girl with scarcely a tooth in her head and a white birth mother abandoned by her African-American boyfriend—both encounters expose class and racial prejudice to an increasingly less naïve Tassie.

I tried to read this and about half-way through just didn't care about finishing it. It was due back to the library so just returned it. It just felt like it was going nowhere and while some of the observations were funny it wasn't enough to engage me.