It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What I read last week:
1) The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss
2) Resonance by Erica O'Rourke
3) A Jingle Valley Wedding by Martha Reynolds
4) The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim
5) Lead Me Home by Amy K. Sorrells
6) Fall Of Poppies (anthology)
7) A Tale Of Two Tabbies by Kathi Daley

What I listened to last week:
1) The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
2) The English Son by Wanda E. Brunstetter

What I'm currently reading:
1) The Island by Clarissa Johal
2) Dark Touch by Aimee L. Salter
3) Empire Rising by Cheyanne Young
4) Sunflower Touches by Cheryl Oblon
5) A Tale Of Two Biddies by Kylie Logan

What I'm currently listening to:
1) Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington

What I plan to read this week:
1) Lastland by A.R. Ivanovich
2) Mirror World by John Calicchia
3) Your Body by Ryan Wood M.D.
4) Eyeshine by Cy Wyss
5) I AM by Dave Hernandez

What I plan to listen to this week:
1) Royal Highness by Thomas Mann (I keep shoving this one back for other books...LOL)

What I got in the mail last week:
1) A Son's Vow by Shelley Shepard Gray
2) If I Run by Terri Blackstock
3) The Secret To Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale
4) An Amish Market (anthology)
5) Starfish Island by Deborah Brown
6) A Bale Of Turtles by Lee Clancey (children's)
7) Butterfly by Elvy Rolle (children's)

What I won last week:
1) The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz

What I got from the library:
1) Been There Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times by Al Roker and Deborah Roberts

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What I read last week:
1) Rust by Corbin Bernson
2) The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner
3) Bone Box by Jay Amberg
4) Auditory Viewpoint by Lillian R. Melendez
5) Love In The Time Of Murder by D.E. Haggerty
6) Empty Nest by Marty Wingate
7) Look Both Ways by Carol J. Perry
8) Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon
9)  Mrs. Covington's Sunday School Dropouts

What I listened to last week:
1) You Are The Love Of My Life by Susan Richards Shreve

What I'm currently reading:
1) Carpe Bead Em by Tonya Kappes
2) A Dickens Of A Murder by Joyce and Jim Lavene

What I'm currently listening to:
1)  A Potion To Die For by Heather Blake

What I plan to read this week:
1) Seeking The Star by Traci Borum
2) Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet DeLee
3) After Alice by Gregory Maguire
4) In Sheep's Clothing by L.D. Beyer
5) The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee
6) The Cat Of Christmas Past by Kathi Daley

What I plan to listen to this week:
1)  One Potion In The Grave by Heather Blake

The Status Of All Things by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Synopsis: What would you do if you could literally rewrite your fate—on Facebook? This heartwarming and hilarious new novel from the authors of Your Perfect Life follows a woman who discovers she can change her life through online status updates.

Kate is a thirty-five-year-old woman who is obsessed with social media. So when her fiancé, Max, breaks things off at their rehearsal dinner—to be with Kate’s close friend and coworker, no less—she goes straight to Facebook to share it with the world. But something’s changed. Suddenly, Kate’s real life starts to mirror whatever she writes in her Facebook status. With all the power at her fingertips, and heartbroken and confused over why Max left her, Kate goes back in time to rewrite their history.

Kate's two best friends, Jules and Liam, are the only ones who know the truth. In order to convince them she’s really time traveled, Kate offers to use her Facebook status to help improve their lives. But her attempts to help them don’t go exactly as planned, and every effort to get Max back seems to only backfire, causing Kate to wonder if it’s really possible to change her fate.

In The Status of All Things, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke combine the humor and heart of Sarah Pekkanen and Jennifer Weiner while exploring the pitfalls of posting your entire life on the Internet. They raise the questions: What if you could create your picture-perfect life? Would you be happy? Would you still be you? For anyone who’s ever attempted—or failed—to be their perfect self online, this is a story of wisdom and wit that will leave you with new appreciation for the true status of your life.

Review: This was a fun summer read (I seem to be enjoying a lot of magical realism this summer!). Kate discovers she is able to use her Facebook status to change her life and the lives of those close to her. As you can imagine, things don't always turn out the way she hopes, which leads to more wishes and more chaos.

Although I spent a lot of the book wanting to shake some sense into Kate, and tell her that changing herself to try to hold on the man who left her at the altar before she whisked herself back in time 30 days was just plain CRAZY, I was happy with the way the story played out. There is a lesson to be learned about social media vs. real life, the value of friends, and the importance of being true to yourself.

Rating: Five stars

Murder At The Book Group, by Maggie King

Synopsis: For fans of Anne Canadeo comes a fun and sassy cozy mystery in which one woman must solve the murder of a book group member and untangle a web of secrets hidden by her bookish cohorts. 
Hazel Rose never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she and her friend Carlene started would stage a "real "murder. 
Nevertheless, on the night when the normally composed Carlene seems unusually angry and rattled, during group discussion she dies after drinking cyanide-spiked tea. Despite a suicide note, Hazel is skeptical; Carlene never seemed suicidal--why else would she make all those plans for her future? Incidentally, Carlene was married to Hazel's ex-husband, and Hazel has always suspected there might be something more to her past than she let on. 
How much does anyone really know about Carlene Arness? And did she die by her own hand or someone else's? Hazel begins a search for the truth that produces no shortage of motives, as she unearths a past that Carlene took great pains to hide. And most of those motives belong to the members of her very own book group... 
Featuring memorable characters and a wicked sense of humor, "Murder at the Book Group" shows the darker side of a book club where reading isn't about pleasure--it's about payback.

Thoughts: Murder, books, and a book group....this is a perfect series for me! I fell in love with the well written characters, and only figured out the mystery shortly before it was revealed, which is the way I enjoy my mysteries. I also like the fact that the majority of the characters are middle-aged, which makes them easier for me to relate to these days. I can hardly wait to read more about Hazel and the book group.

My rating: Five stars

The Good Girl, by Mary Kubica

Synopsis: "I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don't know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she's scared. But I will." 

Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.

Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a compulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems…. 

Thoughts: Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know what else to say. I loved this book from beginning to end---and while I had a tiny suspicion about the information revealed in the epilogue, it STILL took my breath away.

The story is told by a variety of characters, which helps to paint a more complete picture. The fact that each character is read by a different person gave even more realism to the story. 

Considering that this is the debut novel by this author, I expect great things from her in the future, and will be anxiously awaiting her next release. 

This is one of those books that is going to stick with me for a long time to come.

My rating: Five stars

What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, And Me, by Rielle Hunter

Synopsis: The John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair made headlines for years. The story has been reported, distorted, and spun over and over again by the media, by political aides, by the US government, and by supposed friends. There is, however, someone who actually knows the truth, someone who lived it from day one: Rielle Hunter. Here, Hunter offers an extremely personal account of her relationship with Edwards: how they met, how their accidental love started and escalated, what it was like to fall in love with a married man who decided to run for president, the surprise of becoming pregnant during the campaign, how the affair became public, the extensive cover-up, and what happened in the years after Edwards publicly admitted to being the father of their daughter. This book doesn't spin the truth to achieve a prettier picture or a better story. It isn't about changing anyone's mind. It's simply the facts, the truth of what really happened.

Thoughts: I was hoping for something a little more from this book. What I got was a book written by a narcissistic, delusional, arrogant woman. She claims not to be a gold-digger, but throughout the book she talks about telling this guy or that one "I need a place to live, I need money for expenses, I need a car" and immediately having her needs met. Whatever happened to getting a job and working for your money? 

And the way she talks about Elizabeth Edwards is VERY harsh. The behavior she describes may or may not be the truth, but describing it in such detail makes Hunter seem vindictive and like the typical mistress, sure that she is SO much better than the wife.

Hunter's writing style is also lacking. She writes in a way that makes her come across as a love-sick teenager, not a forty year old woman who should be more mature.

Glad I borrowed this audiobook from the library and didn't actually PAY for it!!
My rating: One star

Conversion, by Katherine Howe

Synopsis:  It's senior year at St. Joan's Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys' texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can't.

First it's the school's queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: Seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan's buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic.

Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen - who's been reading The Crucible for extra credit - comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago.

Inspired by true events, from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school, Conversion casts a spell. With her signature wit and passion, Katherine Howe delivers an exciting and suspenseful novel, a chilling mystery that raises the question, what's really happening to the girls at St. Joan's?

Thoughts:  I was looking forward to listening to this book, based on its synopsis. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. 

The idea of intertwining the past and the present was a good one...but the mostly factual story of the Salem Witch Trials was much more interesting than the fictional story of the "mystery illness" afflicting the girls of St. Joan's School. 

And the eventual reason revealed for the illness....and the way it was solved? WAY too predictable for me. I'm definitely going to be more discerning in my choice of YA reading in the future.

My rating: Three stars

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story--A Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder, by Shanna Hogan

Synopsis: Travis Alexander was a handsome, hard-working, practicing Mormon who lived in Mesa, Arizona. His good looks and easygoing manner made him popular with everyone, especially the ladies. So when he was found with a bullet wound in the face and his throat slashed, the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout his community. Who could have done something so sinister?

But soon a suspect was singled out—Jodi Arias. A beautiful, aspiring photographer, Jodi had been in a long-distance relationship with Travis the year before. But Travis wasn't interested in a serious commitment; he was seeing several women during that time. When he broke up with her, that didn't stop Jodi from leaving California, moving to just a few miles away from Travis's home, and inserting herself into his daily life. Investigators found one piece of startling evidence in Travis's home that implicated Jodi. But in a bizarre turn of events, Jodi would claim self-defense. Was she a victim—or a devious femme fatale?

Thoughts: A great book about the case, which stuck to the facts which were brought forward in the investigation and the trial. The author's personal thoughts were left to the end, so they did not cloud the rest of the story. Through Arias's own words and actions, we see her for the lying, manipulative, obsessed woman she has always been. This was a marvelous way to refresh my memory on the case while waiting on justice to be served.

My rating: Five stars

Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly

Synopsis: Natty and Sean Wainwright have a rock-solid marriage and family. When their younger daughter falls ill on an overseas school trip, Natty rushes to her side. Luckily, Natty's best friend from college, Eve Dalladay, is visiting and offers to stay with Sean to lend a hand in the Wainwright household. But Natty returns home to find that Sean has fallen in love with Eve. Natty attempts to start anew, but Eve is there to knock her down again. Then Natty receives a mysterious note that says Eve has done this before and the consequences were fatal. On a mission to reveal Eve as a vindictive serial mistress, Natty must navigate through a treacherous maze of secrets and lies that threatens her life and the safety of her loved ones.

Thoughts: With friends like Eve Dalladay, Natasha Wainwright has no need of enemies! This is a second novel by Paula Daly, and it was equally enthralling as her first,"Just What Kind Of Mother Are You?"

This story is well written, with very well developed characters. You feel that you are right there in the thick of things with them rather than just reading about them. The surprises just keep coming, and you don't know what to expect next.

The ending was quite a surprise, even though it was a bit open-ended. We're left to presume what happens, and I found it realistic and totally satisfying
My rating: Five stars

The Book Stops Here, by Kate Carlisle

Synopsis: Brooklyn Wainwright is thrilled to be appearing on the hit TV show This Old Attic as a rare-book expert. Her first subject is a very valuable first-edition copy The Secret Garden. Its owner, Vera, is eager to have Brooklyn recondition it for resale. But a furious man viciously accosts Brooklyn, claiming that Vera found the first edition at his garage sale, and he wants it back - or else. Randolph Rayburn, the handsome host of This Old Attic, is terrified by the man s threats. He confides in Brooklyn that he fears he is being stalked. In the days that follow, Brooklyn visits Vera s flower shop and discovers her dead. Brooklyn had better find the clever killer soon or more than her chance at prime time may be canceled permanently.

Thoughts: This book was better, to me, than the last two in the series. There was something less annoying about Brooklyn this time, although I couldn't put my finger on it. There was plenty of action, both in the main plot and in the subplots. All of the supporting characters are again well-written and enjoyable. There is plenty of humor, as usual, so that the suspense doesn't get overwhelming.

Rating: Four stars

Peril In Paperback, by Kate Carlisle

Synopsis: Rare books expert Brooklyn Wainwright is invited to the fiftieth birthday party of her neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life character who’s turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun house. Part of the fun involves a seance, but after the lights flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace’s playful palatial estate into a house of horrors. Brooklyn suspects the key to the killer’s identity may lie in the roman a clef Grace has written about her life. With Grace in great peril, “must-read” takes on a whole new meaning, as Brooklyn tries to stop a murderer who’s through playing around.

Thoughts: What a fun story! A fabulous homage to English house parties, with an Agatha Christie feel to it. 

My biggest problem with this book was that, with Derek out of town, Brooklyn was a HUGE whiner through most of the story. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up!!

The numerous mysteries were well written,as usual. And I had trouble figuring them all out on my own, which I love.

Looking forward to reading/listening to more of this series soon.

My rating: Four stars

A Cookbook Conspiracy, by Kate Carlisle

Synopsis: Brooklyn has always been a little obsessed with food, but it was her sister Savannah who became a chef, graduating from the prestigious Cordon Bleu school in Paris. She and her classmates all went on to successful careers, but none of them achieved culinary superstardom like Savannah's ex-boyfriend Baxter Cromwell. When Baxter invites the old gang to participate in his new restaurant's gala opening in San Francisco, Savannah asks Brooklyn to restore a tattered cookbook as a present for him. Shortly after receiving the gift, Baxter is found dead, with Savannah kneeling over him, bloody knife in hand, and the rare cookbook has disappeared. Brooklyn knows her sister didn't kill him, and she suspects the missing cookbook might lead to the real villain.

Thoughts: As much as I enjoy cozy mysteries, the main character in this series is really beginning to get on my nerves. If she isn't whining about something, she's behaving as though she can't function without her strong, handsome lover.

That aside, the mystery component of the book was a fabulous one. I had a couple of suspects right away,and was able to narrow it down to the correct one before it was revealed in the book.

The supporting characters, as always, were an enjoyable part of the plot and subplots.

Rating: Four stars

Making Rounds With Oscar, by David Dosa, M.D.

Synopsis: Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat is the story of a doctor who, at first, doesn't always listen; of the patients he serves; of their caregivers; and, most importantly, of a cat who teaches by example, embracing moments of life that so many of us shy away from.

Thoughts: A very touching story of patients at the end of life, their caregivers, and their interactions with Dr. Dosa and Oscar. I laughed, I cried, and wished that there was more when it came to an end. I would like to read a sequel, of more people who have had their lives touched by Oscar.

Rating: Four stars

A Brew To A Kill (Coffeehouse Mystery #11), Cleo Coyle

Synopsis: Coffee. It can get a girl killed.

A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder? Includes recipes.

Thoughts: My first read of a Coffeehouse Mystery....but most definitely not my last! I now want to go back to the beginning and read the entire series.

I'm a huge fan of cozy mysteries,and if this book is any indication, this series will not disappoint. The core group of characters have varied personalities, and yet they all seem to fit together into a "family" group. The writing is well done, the plot is easy to follow and realistic,and the mystery kept me guessing throughout the book.

A Reluctant Queen (The Love Story Of Esther), Joan Wolf

Synopsis: You've read it as a biblical tale of courage. Experience it anew as a heart-stirring love story. She was a simple girl faced with an impossible choice. He was a magnificent king with a lonely heart. Their love was the divine surprise that changed the course of history. The beloved story of Esther springs to fresh life in this inspired novel that vibrates with mystery, intrigue and romance.

Thoughts: I love the Biblical story of Esther...her courage is inspirational, and her love for her people is heart-rending. I was looking forward to listening to this audiobook, but I was genuinely disappointed in it.

The author was so focused on writing a love story between Esther and her king that she let the story drift away from what is written in the Bible. If it had been a purely fictional story about two other people, I would probably have enjoyed it a great deal.

Forever (The Wolves Of Mercy Falls #3), Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Thoughts: I have to say I was very pleased with the ending of this series. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was just the right ending, I think. In spite of Sam and Grace being the main characters, the relationship between Isabelle and Cole was the one that really had my interest in this particular book. 

I hated saying goodbye to all these characters, and would enjoy another visit to their lives sometime in the future.

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2), Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

Thoughts: I have to say that I liked this book better than Shiver. There was just more to it...more action, more interpersonal stuff, more growth in the characters. While it does get off to a slow start, once it picks up it never slows back down. And even though it's fairly obvious where it's going to end, it's still more emotional than an obvious ending can sometimes be. I'm just glad that I can go right into Forever, instead of having to wait for it!

The Church Of Mercy: A Vision For Church, Pope Francis

Synopsis: In the year since he was elected, Pope Francis simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, he has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope we want to hear what he has to say.

Collected from Pope Francis speeches, homilies, and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, "The Church of Mercy" is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how to be citizens of the world to answering God s call for evangelization, Pope Francis deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls and joyfully take God s mercy wherever suffering, division, or injustice exists.

Named "Time" magazine s 2013 Person of the Year, Pope Francis is helping the Church continue toward an authentic Christianity that is faithful to the Gospel and resonant with the world s greatest needs. "The Church of Mercy" encourages each of us to ignite the flame within to help share the light of Christ and revitalize the Church."

Thoughts: An inspirational collection of homilies and speeches from the first year of the papacy of Francis. It was fascinating for me to listen to his vision of mercy, and how Christians should be spreading it around the world. 

Helping the poor and downtrodden is a huge service that the Pope pushes (for lack of a better word). Not getting caught up in money or things. I appreciated the sections about trying to get the hypocrisy out of the church so people respect the Catholic church again (which could also apply to "the church" in general, not just Catholics). Getting rid of gossip among the parishioners. These are all things everyone can work on to improve everyone's lives.

My Rating:  Four Stars

Freezer I'll Shoot, Victoria Hamilton

Synopsis: Trying to escape her overbearing mother, vintage kitchenware enthusiast and soon-to-be columnist Jaymie Leighton retreats to her family's cottage on Heartbreak Island. While there she hopes to write an article about the Ice House restaurant, owned by good friends and neighbors, siblings Ruby and Garnet Redmond. Once an actual icehouse, the restaurant is charmingly decorated with antique tools of the trade, including a collection of ice picks.

One night, while working on her article, Jaymie overhears an argument and, ever the sleuth, sets out to explore. But when she stumbles upon a dead body her blood runs cold. It's Urban Dobrinskie, whose feud with the Redmonds is no secret, and he's got an ice pick through his heart. Now Jaymie's got to sharpen her sleuthing skills to chip away at the mystery and prove her neighbors' innocence—before someone else gets picked off.

 Thoughts: I love this series more with every installment...hope there is a new one soon!!! Jaymie's love life is nearly getting to be as complicated as the murders she finds herself solving in each book. After meeting Daniel's mother in this book, as well as finding out Daniel has not been sharing major details of his life with her, I'm almost hoping she chooses not to stay with him after the six months they discussed. 

Solving this murder was again, full of twists and turns. Although the actual murder was in fact one of my first suspects, the story had me second guessing myself several times before confirming the truth. Lots of interpersonal relationships, plus you really get a good feel for the area in Michigan where the stories take place

A Captain's Duty, Richard Phillips

Synopsis: 8th April 2009 was just an ordinary day for Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama as it headed towards the port of Mombasa. Ordinary that is until, armed Somali pirates attacked and boarded the freighter. Captain Phillips offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew, and so began a tense five-day stand-off, which ended in a daring high-seas rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs.

Thoughts: Having seen the movie, I was interested to hear about the experience in his own words. I was definitely not disappointed. The book, as is almost always true, is SO much better than the movie. There are a lot of details which couldn't be fit into a two hour time frame of a movie, as well as a lot more about what was going on back at home while he was in captivity. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has seen the movie