Way, way behind!

S.E.C.R.E.T.: a novel  by L. Marie Adeline 
I don't generally review books that would be considered erotic this one I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact read it cover to cover in one sitting, then spent so much time talking about the book to others I completely forgot to actually write the review.  The main character's journey of discovery makes for a wonderful read and you can't help but want to cheer for her.  I for one will be looking forward to more from this author.

The Death Relic by Chris Kuzneski
For the first time Chris Kuzneski has left me disappointed.  Most of the book, though certainly well written, felt like a prelude.  At the moment I finally thought, "Yes! Now we are on track..." the book ended abruptly and with little grace.  Overall this book left me wondering if it's merely a placeholder for whatever comes next. 

That Girl Started Her Own Country by Holy Ghost Writer

I found this book utterly fascinating. So much so that I will be tracking down the rest of the series and reading them as well. Even the times I found myself stopping to google along the way didn't destry the flow of the book. This book will make you pause and ponder a lot...enjoy every moment!

The Last of the Bird People by John Hanson Mitchell

It took me a long time to wade through the very short book.  The premise was interesting and I expected to be both fascinated and excited by it.  Neither proved to be true.   I struggled to care and understand the people being written about and found myself just wishing I could sit down with the author and ask questions rather than reading the book.  Disappointing at best.

A Woman's Right to Rest by Denise George

It's taken me a while to actualy work my way through this book, I wanted to address it as a study not just something to read. So glad I did!  I would highly recommend getting a copy and working through it, especially with some female friends, you won't regret making time for it.  (Carrying this book into a pub in Ireland resulted in an absolutely hysterical debate with a group of men about how "dangerous" an idle woman could be. Six months later I am still laughing.)

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

It's easy to see why this book is so often listed as a "must read" and as time distances me from the actual reading of it I find myself more and more willing to consider going back and reading it again.  The mere fact that I was so able to despise the characters rather than love them is a credit to the author.  Had the been badly written I wouldn't have been interested in reading far enough to care about them one way or the other.  While I'm not sure who I would recommend read this book, it certainly made for interesting discussion among our book group.  I am sure one day in the not to distant future I will pull it back off the shelf and read it again.

The Courage of Strangers; Coming of age with the human rights movement. by Jeri Laber

It took me an entire day to read the first seventeen pages of this book, then barely 24 hours to read the remaining 375. Most of the events detailed in the book happened during my high school and college years and while I was aware of them I know now that I never truly grasped just how significant they were or how much was happening below the surface. The Courage of Strangers peels back the layers and shows just how much impact a single person's refusal to accept the inhumane treatment of others can make a difference. Seldom can I point to a book and say without hesitation that the mere reading of it fundamentally changed me. This one did, Jeri Laber's sharing of her journey through pivotal moments in world history is an amazing gift...one for which I am grateful.

Hidden Gem by India Lee


It feels inaccurate to say I enjoyed this book. It was engaging enough to keep me reading, yet I wanted to yell at all the adults in the book for being so utterly disconnected from the their children. Of course it IS a teenager as the focus of the story and told from her perspective so some of that is inherent. As much as I liked the character Gemma I would not suggest this book to parents of young girls I know. Fourteen year olds out at night clubs and planning weekends away for sex just strikes me as inappropriate.   The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

This book was definitely interesting but I doubt that I would seek out the rest of the series. This book left me with the over all sense that I just read a very long forward to some other book. Disappointing   The Amulet: A Faedra Bennett Custodian Novel by Alison Pensy

There were parts of this books that were just a shade on the too graphic side for me, especially considering this is "young adult" fiction. So if you 11-14 year old picks it up you might want to give it a read yourself first. That's said it is a good read and while they won't be high on my list of must read books the rest of the series will be there.   Elemental: Soul Guardians Book 2 by Kim Richardson

It's been nearly two weeks since I finished this book and I am still both disgusted and giggling over the three foot tall French cockroach who serves as the elevator operator in Hell. Kim Richardson's imagination has created versions of Heaven and Hell that constantly make you shudder and laugh as well as leaving you will the constant creepy feeling that something so much bigger is happening than you can see. Fabulous! While this is technically "young adult" fiction I think readers of stages of adulthood will enjoy it.   Maid for Love: McCarthys of Gansett Island (Volume 1)… by Marie Force

This book was moments so laugh out loud funny that I actually dropped my nook several times. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a really fun romance to read. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more by this author and definitely more from this series.   Echoes at Dawn (A KGI Novel) by Maya Banks

The fifth installment in Maya Banks' KGI series is another gripping read. Action, suspence, and a dash of romance mixed with well developed characters is a recipe for a sleepless night. My only complaint was there was no good stopping point so I just had to keep reading. Tired with gritty eyes the next day was 100% worth it though.   From Notting Hill with Love...Actually by Ali McNamara

While I may at some point revisit this book and attempt to finish it that is unlikely to happen any time soon. Over 100 pages in and I still have a bored sense of waiting for the story to begin. The premise sounded interesting but at least for this reader falls woefully short despite a few very funny scenes. (I did finally finish it...the ending was OK, not an author I would seek out again.)     I have a huge stack of reviews waiting to be written still so will be adding to this daily until I am caught up.

Oh the books...

With my still jobless state and the way the economy remains I have turned more and more to my local library for things to read.  A few I have checked out and returned mostly electronically which I'm finding quite handy.  However I've discovered that each day about an hour before the library opens the free book bins downstairs are filled.  In the aftermath of the annual book sale then offerings have been great!  Each day I've gone home with at least four more books to add to my shelves, often thigns I wouldn't have explored if I'd had to buy the books.  Though I have been delighted to discover books I didnt own by authors I enjoy.

Deep Storm - Child  Loads of suspence, non-stop action, lurking conspiracy, and just the right touch of creepy...Mr Child does not disappoint.  Sat and read this one cover to cover completely forgetting to even stop for dinner. This one had me holding my breath and wondering just what I'd do if I were in the main character's shoes.

Will come back and post reviews as I can but here are the other books I read in the month of May.

Pillars of the Earth - Follet
Circle of Friends - Binchey
The Keep - Wilson
The Deep Zone - Tabor
The Serpant's Shadow - Riordan
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much -  Bartlett
All For You - Kurland
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel Series - Scott
Make More, Worry Less - Moss
Eat to Live - Furhman
Between Sisters
The Search - Roberts
The New Girl
Doctor Right - Tronstad

So far in June:
Games of Thrones - Martin
Too Much Temptation - Foster
Too Hot to Handle - Kaye

Early Review Book: The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

This book pushed all my favorite adventure/suspence buttons, thank you Mr Tabor! The Deep Zone is an excellent read...just don't start it at bed time because you will not be putting it down until all 400 pages have been read. I hope some of these characters will be back in future books I want to share more adventures with them. I've got an early review copy...the rest of you have to wait until April 3rd to pick up a copy it's a read well worth new release hardcover cost.

March Book Club selection:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

 My apologies to Mr Bradbury but I didn't like this book any more as an adult than I did when reading it in high school though I appreciate the artistry of the work.  It is well written, inarguably gripping, has an undeniable point of view and certainly has kept the conversation on censorship going for more than 60 years.  There are just two thoughts in this book, or rather between the covers as one is part of the Coda not the story itself.  "It doesn't matter what you do...so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away." That is a lesson we should all take to heart during childhood and cling to throughout our lives.  The other, "...do not insult me with your beheadings, finger-choppings or the lung-deflations you plan for my works. I need my head to shake or nod, my hand to wave or shape into a fist, my lungs to shout or whipser with.  I will not go gently unto a shelf, degutted, to become a non-book."  In much the way of the wanderers at the end of Fahrenheit 451 we are all our own book and must find the inner strength to never allow outside influences to edit our story in ways that leave us but empty covers on dusty forgotten shelves waiting to be burned.

Good grief!

Legon Awakening by Nicholas Taylor This book was lent to me by a friend and I have very mixed feelings about it.  Had I been reading from a physical copy that I'd purchased I'd have been sending a very annoyed letter to the publisher right now.  However I've no idea if all the grammer, punctuation, and spelling mistakes in the ebook version were also in the printed version.  The strength of the characters and story telling are the only reasons I continued to read when the editing mistakes became a constant distraction.  Somewhere at the publishing company this book fell through a really big crack. I won't be purchasing my own copy and I'd think twice before I attempt further books in this series.

On the Non-Fiction Side

Lately I've been catching up on my non-fiction reading, tough to do when you are in a silly book mood!

Treasure Hunter by W.C. Jameson Since the long ago day my brother and I found thousands of dollars while playing in the creek I've been fascinated by treasure and those who hunt for it.  W.C. Jameson's Treasure Hunter left me wanting...not to hunt treasure myself, or to rush through the book but rather to sit down with him over a beer and hear him tell the stories.  While the book was enjoyable enough I strongly suspect that Mr. Jameson's true gift would be that of a verbal storyteller. This book will be an easy one to pick up now and again to read a single story.  On a completely different note I struggled a lot with Mr Jameson's attitude that he was above the law and had the right to take whatever he wanted from where ever it happened to be.  I would not put this book in a child's hands without a continual conversation about morals and ethics.

Aries by Joanna Martine Woolfolk Throughout my life I've gone back and forth about being Aries.  Many of the characterists were a perfect match, others were so far off the mark I found it impossible to imagine them as part of the same person.  Reading Ms. Woolfolk's book on Aries though allowed for new insight and understanding of myself and makes me very grateful to the adults in my life who shaped me in such a way that the worst of the Aries qualities while present are heard in my head only as whispers and rarely acted upon. Whatever your sign, whether you believe in horoscopes are not I'd recommend reading the one of this series for your own sign just to see what you might learn about yourself.

The Whole Foot Book by Brett Ryan Fink, M.D. and Mark Stuart Mizel, M.D. This book is already on its way to becoming a well thumbed reference book! The information is presented in ways that make it easy to understand with excellent illustrations. The personal stories of others who experienced similar problems and their solutions served both as inspiration (or warnings) and kept me reading. As I move into yet another season of marathon training I suspect I will be reaching for this book often.

Many thanks to the authors Brett Ryan Fink, M.D. and Mark Stuart Mizel, M.D.
 
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza  I found this book utterly fascinating.  So much so that I will be shopping for a physical copy of the book since I was given an electronic version to review.  This is one I will be referring back to again and again.  The look at quantum theory, modern neuroscience and how we can truly change our own minds was riveting.  While that might sound like a tough read the author did an excellent job of keeping the topics accessible and easy to understand, readers should not be intimidated.  Grab a copy and take a journey though your own brain and see what happens.

Catching Up!

Nine feet of snow so far this winter has meant lots of great reasons to curl up with a book and read.  I've been having so much fun I haven't stopped to review so today is cath up time.

The Seduction of Sebastian St. James by Rachel Van Dyken This book made me really appreciate what a different world I live in compared to my counterparts during the Victorian era.  I don't usually expect a romance novel to having me sitting back and contemplating my own life, this one did.  Can you ask more of a book than to be both thought provoking and entertaining? I can actually see this book as a fun discussion book for a book group.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand This book is considered young adult fiction but I'd have no hesitation recommending it to adults as well.  It's well written and interesting.  Plus remember those awkward teenage moments just can't help but bring on cringing smiles.  Fascinating subject matter. Good enough to have me downloading book two at 3AM rather than going to sleep.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand Very thought provoking book focused on the ways our choices impact not only ourselves but all those around us. Awesome for a discussion starter with your teens.  The characters in this trilogy grip you quickly and tend to stay on your mind long after you close the book.  I can't wait for book three!

Noble Intentions/Noble Destiny/The Trouble with Harry by Katie MacAlister I discovered these books while searching the names of some of my favorite authors to see if they had new books out.  What a delight to discover a series done before I had discovered this author. All three of the books were laugh out loud funny! Thank you Katie MacAlister for more books for my "go-to" shelf when I need to brighten my day.

Heart of a Knight by Barbara Samuel The title of this book doesn't even begin to cover the full range of the story. It's rare that a book really transports me, this one did.  Page by page I fell deeper in love with the characters and their joys and triumphs brought tears to my eyes.  An excellent read.

Invisible Assassin (The Queen's Blade #3) by TC Southwell Was every bit as good as book one. So much of the material covered, the choices faced by the characters was heart breaking. Where do you find yourself, build a future for yourself when duty and the fate of thousands rests on your shoulders? Will be interesting to see what comes next.