The Last Olympian -- "All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time...the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate." -- from www.amazon.com

This is very good so far (I'm about halfway through). I really liked the rest of the books in the series, and I'm anxious to find out what happens in the end of this one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Life in France -- "Julia Child single handedly awakened America to the pleasures of good cooking with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this bestselling memoir, she didn't know the first thing about cooking when she landed in France.

Indeed, when she first arrived in 1948 with her husband, Paul, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever. Julia's unforgettable story unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a cook and teacher and writer, brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years." -- from www.amazon.com

This is a very funny and articulate book. I'm really enjoying reading about her life and work. It's not just about her love of cooking but also about her travels, her relationships with family and friends, and the general world climate in the post-World War II years. The only problem is, even though I'm not a big fan of French food, I find myself feeling hungry every time I pick up the book to read :)

Last Olympian -- Started: Mar. 27, 2010 Finished: Mar. 31, 2010

Life in France -- Started: Mar. 27, 2010 Finished: Mar. 31, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #28 & #29

Every January, I choose books from my shelves that I haven't yet read and make a plan to read them during the coming year. These are this year's selections.

I've already begun reading War and Peace—I'm participating in a year-long read-along on the Footnotes and Tangents Substack blog. The schedule is to read a chapter a day. Most of the chapters (361 of them) are short, so I should be able to keep up with this one.

The other books will be picked up throughout the year. I'm not sure which one I'll choose first. Suggestions?

EVERY END HAS A START

Last year, funny to say that as last year was just two days ago, I completed a reading challenge in GoodReads of 100 books. I read adult novels and brand new books in children's literature for the year! I did reviews on these new children's lit in GoodReads and Pinterest, as well as a few featured in Twitter and Flickr. My goal is to do this again in 2018, hoping others might join me in this challenge. The end of last year's success is the beginning of this year's challenge!

Wonderstruck is on my bookshelf. I have read The Invention of Hugo Cabret and others by Brian Selznick! He is an incredible author / illustrator! I am looking forward to reading this soon!

Children from across Scotland are participating in the first celebration event for an initiative that fosters a lifelong love of reading amongst Scotland’s young people.

Around 600 Schoolchildren in primary 4 to 7 joined First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the inaugural First Minister’s Reading Challenge ceremony in Edinburgh.

Fleeced -- "Regan Reilly – the smart, saucy sleuth featured in all of Carol Higgins Clark's bestsellers – is in New Yok attending a crime conference organized by her celebrity-author mother...and enjoying time with a new beau, Jack "no relation" Reilly. It's not long before trouble finds her: a family friend, Thomas Pilsner – the president of the Settlers' Club on Gramercy Park – desperately needs help. Two settlers are dead, diamonds they were donating to the flagging club have vanished, and Thomas is rapidly becoming the prime suspect on all counts. As sharp as ever, Regan sets about solving the mystery of the disappearing diamonds and dead donors in order to save Thomas' neck...before the real killer finds them." -- from www.carolhigginsclark.com

Jinxed -- "Savvy young Los Angeles P.I. Regan Reilly faces an unusual challenge when she gets an urgent call from Lilac Weldon, owner -- with her two hippie brothers -- of the run-down California winery Altered States. Lilac asks Regan to find her actress daughter, Whitney, AKA "Freshness," in time to attend the wedding of Lilac's wealthy aunt Lucretia Standish, a 93-year-old silent-film star. The Weldons have learned from a secret source that each family member will receive a gift of $2 million from Lucretia -- but only if they all attend.

Lucretia's bridegroom, a 46-year-old con man and former actor, knows he must keep Whitney away; they have met before and she is wise to his game." -- from www.amazon.com

Popped -- "L.A.-based private detective Regan Reilly heads to Las Vegas to help out her old school chum Danny Madley. Danny is producing a reality TV show featuring three married couples who have all suffered the proverbial "Seven Year Itch," but are now vying for a chance to renew their vows in a wedding-cake-shaped hot air balloon -- and win one million dollars! But Danny has received an anonymous letter warning him to halt production, and "accidents" start happening on the set. It's up to Regan to find out what's lurking behind the scenes....After all, the show must go on!" -- from www.amazon.com

Burned -- "L.A.-based private detective Regan Reilly gets a call from her best gal pal, urging her to come to Hawaii for one last girls' weekend before Regan ties the knot with Jack "no relation" Reilly, and so she happily packs her bags.

At the Waikiki Waters Playground and Resort, the body of Dorinda Dawes, the hotel's gossipy PR woman, washes ashore wearing a valuable lei that once belonged to a Hawaiian princess and was stolen from a museum in Honolulu thirty years ago.

The resort manager doesn't believe that Dorinda drowned accidentally and persuades Regan to take on the case. The more she starts digging, the more danger she is in. Can Regan find out what really happened before it's too late for her and the other vacationers at the Waikiki Waters?" -- from www.amazon.com

Hitched -- "Regan Reilly and Jack "no relation" Reilly -- head of the NYPD Major Case Squad -- are getting married! Arriving at a bridal salon to pick up her dream gown, Regan discovers the designers bound and gagged. Four dresses (hers included!) are missing; a fifth is in shreds on the floor. With just a week before her wedding, Regan takes the case, meeting an unusual mix of brides and grooms-to-be, or not-to-be. Meanwhile, Jack is determined to crack a perplexing series of rainy-day bank robberies -- before his upcoming nuptials." -- from www.amazon.com

Laced -- "Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband Jack, head of the Major Case Squad in New York City, have just gotten hitched! They've headed to Hennessey Castle, a romantic spot in western Ireland, to escape the world and the criminals they deal with daily. But their getaway is anything but relaxing!

Their first afternoon in Ireland, Regan and Jack stop at an old graveyard on the edge of town where they find a tombstone market REILLY. Intrigued, they discover it belongs to a talented lacemaker by the name May Reilly, who died in 1822. Legend has it that after making an exquisite tablecloth for a banquet at Hennessey Castle, May was never paid and she has haunted the castle ever since. That same night, the hotel's fire alarm sounds, the guests are temporarily evacuated, and the next morning May Reilly's famous tablecloth is discovered missing. When two international jewel thieves claim responsibility for the theft in a taunting note to Jack, who has been on their trail for more than a year, the Reilly's honeymoon comes to an abrupt end. Regan and Jack are in for the adventure of a lifetime through the tiny villages and crowded pubs of the Emerald Isle." -- from www.amazon.com

Zapped -- "Soon after Regan and her husband, Jack, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, return home to Manhattan from a weekend on the Cape, the lights go out across the city. In the darkness, Regan is dismayed to discover an intruder has left behind a stun gun in their apartment, which is undergoing renovations. Hours later, Jack looks into the theft of some unusual glass sculptures from a SoHo art gallery. In addition, the pair become involved in the frantic search for Georgina Mathieson, a psychotic with a track record for branding blond men, before she can claim her next victim." -- from www.amazon.com

Cursed -- "On a snowy day in New York City, PI Regan Reilly gets an urgent call from her former neighbor, Abigail Feeney. A Hollywood hairdresser, Abigail believes her life has been cursed since the day she was born— Friday the 13th.

Always unlucky in love, Abigail now needs Regan’s help in tracking down an ex-boyfriend who was just spotted in downtown Los Angeles—a “nogood bum” who borrowed $100,000 from her three months ago, then promptly disappeared. Abigail desperately needs to get that money back, money given to her by her grandmother who is heading to L.A. Grandma Feeney, no shrinking violet, has plans to buy an old friend’s condo for Abigail and will need that hard-earned money to make the deal.

With hubby Jack away, the weather in New York miserable, and the guiltprovoking memory that Abigail had brought her chicken soup when she was sick, Regan agrees to hop a plane. Before long, the hunt for Abigail’s ex takes some dangerous turns. . . . But when Abigail becomes a suspect in a murder investigation, Regan begins to wonder if the curse is real—and possibly contagious!" -- from www.amazon.com

Mobbed -- "Private investigator Regan Reilly gets a call from her mother asking her to join her at a garage sale being run by the mother of an old friend. Cleo Paradise, a famous movie star, had been renting the house but mysteriously disappeared and everything she left behind was going up for sale. When Cleo's parents and best friend call looking for her, Regan decides to investigate. The book moves back and forth between the mayhem at the garage sale, Regan's investigation and Cleo's situation." -- from www.amazon.com

These were all fun books...light reading really. They aren't really crime thrillers, they're too comic for that, but I enjoyed them.

Fleeced -- Started: June 1, 2011 Finished: June 7, 2011

Jinxed -- Started: June 7, 2011 Finished: June 9, 2011

Popped -- Started: June 9, 2011 Finished: June 10, 2011

Burned -- Started: June 10, 2011 Finished: June 12, 2011

Hitched -- Started: June 13, 2011 Finished: June 14, 2011

Laced -- Started: June 14, 2011 Finished: June 17, 2011

Zapped -- Started: June 18, 2011 Finished: June 21, 2011

Cursed -- Started: June 21, 2011 Finished: June 22, 2011

Mobbed -- Started: July 8, 2011 Finished: July 12, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #49, #51, #52, #53, #55, #56, #57, #58 & #59

And Another Thing -- "Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident.

Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course Arthur Dent has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate.

Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up . . . again." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a really good addition to the Hitchhiker's Guide series...sometimes it seemed as though he was trying a little too hard to be Douglas Adams-like, but it was funny and confusing and ironic -- all the things I liked about Hitchhiker's Guide :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heretic Queen -- "The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastation palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty's royal family -- with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl's deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh's aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family's history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is alson the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history." (taken from the back cover of the book)

I loved this book...nicely written, not hard to follow but not simplistic either...I only have one more book of hers to read and I'm on the waiting list for that one at the library...I think I'm becoming a devoted Michelle Moran fan :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundays at Tiffany's -- "Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can't stay forever, though. On Jane's ninth birthday he leaves, promising her that she'll soon forget him... Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone -- a handsome, comforting, funny man. He's perfect. His name is Michael." -- from www.amazon.com

I liked this book. I thought it ended a little soon though...I wish there had been more to the story before the little wrap-it-up epilogue.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ring -- "On her 27th birthday, New York lawyer Cristina Wilson receives a diamond engagement ring from her fiance, Mike, a wealthy stockbroker. Later that day, a messenger from Barcelona delivers a beautiful antique jewel, a ruby set in bone, from a mysterious sender. Cristina wears them both, unaware that they are incompatible. The ruby soon works its mysterious effects, giving her strange and unsettling dreams.

Cristina is swept away to Spain to attend the reading of her godfather's will, where she reunites with her first love, Oriol, and soon the powerful attraction that once overwhelmed them in their adolescent years is rekindled. Together, Cristina and Oriol embark on an odyssey in search of a Templar treasure that has remained hidden for centuries in a place that only they can uncover..." (taken from the back cover of the book)

Not really caring too much for this book...the only reason I'm really sticking with it is to find out what happened to the treasure. The characters are mostly one-dimensional and rather stupid and the writing sounds like a 10 year old trying to tell a "grownup story"...I don't know if that's really how the author writes or if it is somehow due to translation issues (Molist is from Spain). As soon as I find out what happened to that darn treasure, this one's goin' up on paperbackswap.com!

And Another Thing -- Started: Nov. 8, 2009 Finished: Nov. 22, 2009

The Heretic Queen -- Started: Nov. 11, 2009 Finished: Nov. 15, 2009

Sundays at Tiffany's -- Started: Nov. 14, 2009 Finished: Nov. 15, 2009

The Ring -- Started: Nov. 14, 2009 Finished: Dec. 1, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #60, #61, #62 & #63

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was in Irvine today to take part in ReimagiNation, hosted by the Edinburgh Book Festival.

"Her name is legend. Her story, the epic of nations. The Queen of Sheba. A powerful new novel of love, power, and the questions at the heart of existence by the author of the award-winning “brilliant” ( Library Journal ) and “masterful” ( Publishers Weekly ) Iscariot . There is the story you know: A foreign queen, journeying north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king favored by the One God. The tale of a queen conquered by a king and god both before returning to her own land laden with gifts. That is the tale you were meant to believe. Which means most of it is a lie. The truth is far more than even the storytellers could conjure. The riches more priceless. The secrets more corrosive. The love and betrayal more passionate and devastating. Across the Red Sea, the pillars of the great oval temple once bore my name: Bilqis, Daughter of the Moon. Here, to the west, the porticoes knew another: Makeda, Woman of Fire. To the Israelites, I was queen of the spice lands, which they called Sheba. In the tenth century BC, the new Queen of Sheba has inherited her father’s throne and all its riches at great personal cost. Her realm stretches west across the Red Sea into land wealthy in gold, frankincense, and spices. But now new alliances to the North threaten the trade routes that are the lifeblood of her nation. Solomon, the brash new king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world—or of Sheba’s queen. With tensions ready to erupt within her own borders and the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid to test and win the king. But neither ruler has anticipated the clash of agendas, gods, and passion that threatens to ignite—and ruin—them both."

A very interesting story with a very immature presentation. Characters were very one-note and underdeveloped while their personal interactions never seemed to get beyond a 2nd grade "I like you so I pull your hair and run away" mentality. This book would definitely have benefited from more depth and polish.

Into The Darkness - "Upon the death of her grandfather, Meg Venturi unexpectedly inherits the eccentric millionaire's antique jewelry business. There is one catch to her sudden windfall-she must share the wealth with a taciturn and oddly attractive young man who has an entire town stirring up rumors-about murderous secrets and a dark legacy. Now Meg is about to learn the truth behind an old adage: all that glitters is not gold..." -- from www.amazon.com

Interesting book...nothing fabulous but a decent thriller.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niagara Falls 1850-2000 - "Since their creation thousands of years ago, the Niagara Falls have captured the hearts and imaginations of all those who witness their endless power and strength. As settlers arrived and began to harness the falls as a resource, the population climbed. Small hamlets, including Bellevue, Clarksville, Schlosser, and Manchester, grew to become the villages of Suspension Bridge and Niagara Falls, which were incorporated in March 1892 into the current city of Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls: 1850-2000 depicts the natural beauty of the falls, the emergence of the booming tourism trade, and the advances of electrical technology that have relied on the mighty falls' power. Many hands have crafted and bent steel to span the Niagara Gorge while many others fought to keep industry from turning nature into asphalt. Culled from the archives of the Niagara Falls Public Library's Local History Department, these images represent the people, from those stepping close to the brink in amazement and awe to those who live and work within the roar of Niagara Falls, and places that make up the landscape that is Niagara's past." -- from www.amazon.com

Western New York Amusement Parks - "For more than 100 years, western New Yorkers have enjoyed the region's exciting amusement parks. During the days of trolleys and steamships, area businessmen created Celoron Park, Crystal Beach Park, and other fine local summer resorts. Decades later, lifelong memories were formed for neighborhood baby boomers who visited Glen Park and Fantasy Island, as well as one of New York State's finest theme parks, Darien Lake. Western New York has always been a proving ground for some of the nation's most famous roller coasters. The terrifying Cyclone, the fast and furious Silver Comet, and the extreme Ride of Steel have attracted the very bravest of visitors. In the new millennium, the summer tradition of visiting local amusement parks continues with a blend of family-orientated parks and theme parks that appeal to all ages." -- from www.amazon.com

I love the "Images Of America" books and I especially enjoyed these two books about the area I grew up in.

Dragon's Time -- "Even though Lorana cured the plague that was killing the dragons of Pern, sacrificing her queen dragon in the process, the effects of the disease were so devastating that there are no longer enough dragons available to fight the fall of deadly Thread. And as the situation grows more dire, a pregnant Lorana decides that she must take drastic steps in the quest for help. Meanwhile, back at Telgar Weyr, Weyrwoman Fiona, herself pregnant, and the harper Kindan must somehow keep morale from fading altogether in the face of the steadily mounting losses of dragons and their riders. But time weighs heavily against them—until Lorana

finds a way to use time itself in their favor. It’s a plan fraught with risk, however. For attempting time travel means tampering with the natural laws of the universe, which could drastically alter history—and destiny—forever. Or so it has always been thought. But Lorana discovers that if the laws of time can’t be broken without consequences, it may still be possible to bend them. To ensure the future of Pern, she’s willing to take the fateful chance—even if it demands another, even greater, sacrifice." -- from www.amazon.com

I liked this book...there's a lot of time travel back and forth which can get rather confusing and the novel isn't really up to par with early Pern books...but otherwise an okay read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calculated Risk -- "When financial executive Verity Banks' latest proposal is axed by her boss, she decides to show how easy it is to break through automated security, hide money, and then show senior management where it is. Then her former mentor, financial wizard, Dr. Zooltan Tor ups the ante, and dares her to steal a billion dollars, invest it to earn thirty million in three months, then put the original billion back before anyone notices. To heighten the challenge, Tor and Verity will compete against each other, though Tor gives Verity an edge: she can use a computer for her theft, but he cannot...." -- from www.amazon.com

I really enjoyed this book...the characters were well developed, the plot kept my interest, and it had a good (& satisfying) ending...all in all, a great book.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Son of Neptune -- "No one does cliff-hangers quite like Riordan. In this installment in this series, he jumps off the one he left at the end of The Lost Hero (Hyperion, 2010) and hits the ground

running. Percy Jackson makes a long-awaited reappearance on page one, with almost no memory of his identity, except for hazy recollections of a girl named Annabeth. He's in San Francisco, home of Camp Jupiter. It's the other camp for demigods, only here, the gods appear in their Roman forms. Most of the campers are suspicious and scared of Percy, but misfits Hazel and Frank welcome him. The demigod world is in an uproar. Monsters keep reappearing after they're killed, and the campers discover that it's because Thanatos, better known as Death, has been chained by Gaea, goddess of the earth. They must go on a quest to free him...Hazel, daughter of Pluto who leaves precious gems jumping from the ground in her path, and Frank, son of Mars who just might be the key to everything, are two of the most endearing demigods

introduced so far." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I love all the Percy Jackson books and this one was no exception. The only problem: it had a cliffhanger ending and now I have a long wait until the next book in the series :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disney War -- "The most explosive chapter of this exceptional, much-anticipated book may be its last, wherein Stewart (Den of Thieves, etc.) indicts Disney chief Michael Eisner on multiple

charges: "Eisner squandered Disney's assets" [and] "committed personnel and judgment errors which... in the vitriol and publicity they generated, are without parallel in American business history." Eisner, Stewart finds, is a "Shakespearean tragic character" whose fatal flaw is "dishonesty," which in the author's view led directly to the ruptures with Steve Jobs (Pixar) and the Weinstein brothers (Miramax), the Disney Company's most important partners, and to

former animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg's successful $280 million suit against Disney for moneys owed upon his firing. Stewart's DisneyWorld is a land riven by naked ambition and its necessary consequence, hubris, as during his reign (1984–present) Eisner left behind "a trail of deeply embittered former employees."One of Eisner's many achievements—Stewart tosses his subject petals as well as thorns—was the construction of the Team Disney headquarters in Burbank, buttressed by towering models of the Seven Dwarves; but there's no real place for Happy in the Disney world that the author portrays with unflagging precision. Stewart smartly frames his book with personal experience, opening with a description of his difficult training and inept performance in a Goofy suit at DisneyWorld, and closing with several encounters with Eisner (who, amazingly, cooperated with the book in part); at one, Eisner explained to Stewart that "Disney" is a French name, and that a Frenchman would pronounce the name D'Eisner as

"Disney." Stewart understands the medieval nature of corporate life and presents business as a clash not only of ideas but of personalities. With a dream cast that includes Katzenberg and

fallen überagent Michael Ovitz—both of whom come off no worse than Eisner, which is faint praise—plus heir apparent Robert Iger and ultimate Eisner nemesis Roy Disney (the book's hero, if there is one), Stewart has an astonishing story to tell." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a decent book...a lot of names and job titles to keep trackof and reading it definitely took a little of the magic out of everything Disney for me...very much highlights the arrogance and

attitude of Michael Eisner while pointing out how his personality both helped and hindered him. If you're interested in the workings behind the Disney image, this is a good book to pick up.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lost Angel -- "A little-known Middle Eastern terrorist group plans to bring about the end of the world. Convinced that they are thedescendants of angels, they believe they are on the verge of at

last being returned to heaven. Central to their plan is the kidnapping of Martin Faber, an undercover American scientist whose research has led him to an extraordinary secret.

Martin’s only hope for survival is his young wife, Julia Alvarez—a woman born with a rare psychic gift. But she must find the courage to save her husband, while running from religious extremists and clandestine government agencies." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

An okay book...great buildup in the plot and I liked the main character but the ending was rather ridiculous. I think his book "The Secret Supper" was far better than this one.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goddess in the Gospels -- "In The Goddess in the Gospels, the author tells how she was guided in her personal search and her ever-deepening study of the New Testament and gematria--number coding of the Greek alphabet--by an incredible series of synchronicities. It was this mirroring of inner and outer worlds that revealed the Sacred Marriage of male and female--the hieros gamous--and led to her personal redemption." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I liked and disliked this book. She had points about inconsistences in organized religion and some well thought out theories about the life of Jesus. On the other hand, she obviously

had/has some pretty severe emotional & psychological issues that were never completely dealt with. I think some of her feelings of loss, confusion and restlessness can be attributed to psychological problems rather than spirtual conspiracies.

Dragon's Time -- Started: Oct. 11, 2011 Finished: Oct. 19, 2011

Calculated Risk -- Started: Oct. 17, 2011 Finished: Oct. 23, 2011

Son of Neptune -- Started: Oct. 23, 2011 Finished: Oct. 30, 2011

Disney War -- Started: Oct. 27, 2011 Finished: Nov. 2, 2011

Lost Angel -- Started: Oct. 30, 2011 Finished: Oct. 30, 2011

Goddess in the Gospels -- Started: Oct. 30, 2011 Finished: Nov. 1, 2011

25 Book challenge 2011 Books #76, #77, #78, #79, #80 & #81

Our Winter Reading Challenge for all ages is underway!

Adults win a handy ice scraper when they read just ONE book. Subsequent reading earns chances at $25 in Chamber Bucks. Kids and teens win a series of fun wintry prizes–including FREE BOOKS!

Participate online at lesterlibrary.beanstack.com/reader365 or download the Beanstack app. Lester Public Library, Two Rivers, Wisconsin

WWE stars John Morrison and Gail Kim visited the Central Library on Monday, July 26, to promote the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. A partnership between the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and World Wrestling Entertainment, the Reading Challenge offers students from grades 5 through 12 the chance to win trips to WrestleMania in Atlanta on April 2, 2011, and $2,000 WrestleMania grants for their libraries. WWE stars are on a nationwide tour to promote the reading program. During their stop at the Central Library, Morrison and Kim signed autographs for over 300 fans who showed their library cards.

Photo by Heather DiMasi

Wrecked -- "In Clark's slapdash 13th mystery to feature New York City PI Regan Reilly (after 2009's Cursed), the disappearance of divorcée Adele Hopkins interrupts the plans of Regan and her husband, Jack, to celebrate their first anniversary at their weekend place on Cape Cod. During a storm, Skip, a local caretaker, finds Adele lying in a heap outside the house she's renting, her face bloody, her rowboat banging against the rocks in the nearby bay. By the time Skip returns with help, Adele is gone. As Regan and Jack aid the authorities in locating Adele's next of kin, clues surface that suggest Adele has been the victim of foul play. The two co-owners of the boutique Pillow Talk, who knew Adele as one of their best customers, offer Regan and Jack an important lead, while a visiting theatrical troupe lends a bizarre plot twist." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Decked -- "The daughter of a successful mystery writer and a P.I. with pizzazz, Regan Reilly is attending her class reunion at St. Polycarp's England, when the long-dead body of her former roommate turns up under the bushes. It's a case Regan would love to solve, but a prior commitment puts her on a transatlantic cruise. She shouldn't have fretted. The clues to the crime are following her on the Queen Guinevere. Here, on a ship awash with secret lovers, a fortune hunter, a jewel thief and an assassin, Regan is sailing home - and into the hands of a young girl's killer." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Snagged -- "Snag, Run, Rip...It's Sheer Murder! Murder at a Miami panty-hose convention? It's a perfect case for a sleuth with panache and great legs. Coming to trendy South Beach for a wedding, Regan Reilly meets the bride's favorite relative, the seventy-something Uncle Richie. He's also headed for a legwear bash with his newest invention: run-less nylons that women-and rival manufacturers-would kill for! After two attempts on Uncle Richie's life and the discovery of another suspicious death, Regan finds herself in a rollicking Miami hotel filled with suspects of every stripe-and knee-high deep in a caper that could cost her her life..." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Iced -- "P.I. Regan Reilly has high hopes for her Aspen vacation. But a mystery soon has the chic detective snooping rather than skiing. Million-dollar paintings have been disappearing, and an old friend of Regan's-a folksy ex-con named Eben Bean-has vanished too. Everyone except Regan believes Eben has gone bad...again. Her hunt to find him leads away from the tourist crowd into the founding families of this former frontier town. She never expects to get in hot water with a wild and woolly seventy-something lady who has a shocking secret she'd die to keep. Or get in over her head trying to save a famous portrait a dangerous criminal would kill to steal. Now the snow is falling, the plot is thickening, and Regan is engaged in a different winter sport, one that's right up her alley-trying to catch a thief!" -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Twanged -- "Sleuth Regan Reilly is hired as a bodyguard for singer Brigid O'Neill, a rising country star who has been receiving threatening "love notes." Brigid also possesses a "magical" Irish fiddle said to be cursed-whoever takes it out of Ireland will have an accident or face death. Still, Brigid brings it to the Hamptons, where her band will perform at a Fourth of July concert. Chappy Tinka, heir to a thumbtack fortune, and his ditzy wife, Bettina, are their hosts. Regan joins them at "Chappy's Compound," an oceanfront estate where they encounter Bettina's guru Peace Man, Chappy's bumbling sidekick Duke, a feng shui specialist obsessed with rearranging furniture-and a party guest found floating face-down in the pool. Is the curse of the fiddle real? Is there a murderer in the house? As the concert nears, the menace to Brigid grows, and Regan must discover the truth before it's too late..." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

These were all enjoyable mysteries...lighter-hearted then Mary Higgins Clark books, but still intriguing and fun to figure out whodunit.

Wrecked -- Started: May 16, 2011 Finished: May 17, 2011

Decked -- Started: May 17, 2011 Finished: May 20, 2011

Snagged -- Started: May 24, 2011 Finished: May 26, 2011

Iced -- Started: May 30, 2011 Finished: May 30, 2011

Twanged -- Started: May 31, 2011 Finished: June 1, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #39, #40, #42, #46 & #47

Jephte's Daughter -- "The pampered daughter of a wealthy Hasidic businessman, Batsheva Ha-Levi grows up in the affluent suburbs of Los Angeles. But everything changes when she turns eighteen and finds that her loving father has made a secret vow which will shatter her life, forcing her to marry a man she hardly knows and sending her to the exotic, golden city of Jerusalem. On her wedding day, she enters a strange and foreign world steeped in tradition and surrounded by myth. Shackled by ancient rules, she soon understands that to survive she will have no choice but

to fight for her freedom, to reconcile her own need to live in the modern world with her ancestral obligations, and to choose between the three men who vie for her body, her soul, and her love." -- from www.amazon.com

I really enjoyed this book. Ragen is a very good author and the story held my attention. The characters, plot and details were all wonderfully written. Definitely recommend, especially if you have an interest in Judaism & Israel.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Timeline -- "In an Arizona desert a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon

find themselves fighting for their very survival–six hundred years ago. . . ." -- from www.amazon.com

I've had this book for awhile and finally got around to reading it. The movie based on it sucked but the book was much better. A nice historical thriller with a lot of interesting historical and scientific information added in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Good Man Jesus... -- "Twin babies are born of the virgin Mary, one called Jesus, the other Christ. After a childhood in which Christ is a goody-goody and Jesus the popular one, Jesus and Christ continue down separate but intertwined paths, with Christ sneaking around, spying on Jesus's ministry and writing down his every word and deed. Jesus becomes a philosopher-revolutionary and Christ is the politically savvy brother, who ultimately proves naïve. Pullman's gospel version reveals how the politics

and structure of the institutional church were plotted by power-hungry men, who used the renown of Jesus and his well-meaning, devoted brother Christ as pawns in their corrupt game..." -- from www.amazon.com

I had already read Pullman's dark materials books when I picked this up at the Borders closing sale. It sounded interesting and I really enjoyed it. I don't agree with all of his atheist ideals and I can see where some of his ideas can make Christians uncomfortable and angry. But after reading this book (especially the afterword explaining why he wrote it), I understand his viewpoints a little better.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inkdeath -- "The Adderhead--his immortality bound in a book by Meggie's father, Mo--has ordered his henchmen to plunder the villages. The peasants' only defense is a band of outlaws led by the Bluejay--Mo's fictitious double, whose identity he has reluctantly adopted. But the Book of Immortality is unraveling, and the Adderhead again fears the White Women of Death. To bring the renegade Bluejay back to repair the book, the Adderhead

kidnaps all the children in the kingdom, dooming them to slavery in his silver mines unless Mo surrenders." -- from www.amazon.com

I really liked this last novel in the trilogy. I had been waiting awhile to read it and it was worth the wait. It was darker in tone than the first two books and less about the daughter, Meggie and more about her father and the aftermath of his brush with death.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Acceptable Time -- "Red-haired Polly O'Keefe (last seen in A House Like a Lotus ) arrives at her grandparents' farm in Connecticut for some private tutoring. There...Polly slips back 3000 years into a different time "spiral." She meets Anaral, a Native American girl; Karralys, a druid banished from Britain for his progressive thinking; and Tav, a handsome warrior who accompanied the druid to their new land. Polly travels back and

forth between the two worlds, and eventually her purpose becomes clear: with the aid of her new friends she forges peace between two clashing tribes, and helps Zachary Gray (also from A House Like a Lotus ), a self-centered but very ill young man." -- from www.amazon.com

Another book in the "A Wrinkle in Time" series that I really enjoyed and couldn't put down. The only problem I had with it is that there were references to things that happened in other books that I hadn't haven't read yet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pray For Silence -- "Painters Mill is an idyllic small town in Ohio’s Amish country. But even the most peaceful of landscapes is not immune to violent crime. The second installment in Castillo’s strong series (after Sworn to Silence, 2009) finds Police Chief Kate Burkholder once again face-to-face with pure evil. This time around it’s the murder of the Planks, an Amish

family who invited trouble when pretty 15-year-old daughter Mary became enamored with a non-Amish man, who seduced her and documented their sexual episodes on tape. The case rattles Burkholder, who left the Amish faith as a teenager after she was raped by an Amish man. Helping her through the stressful investigation is John Tomasetti, a big-city cop battling his

own demons (his wife and young daughters were murdered a few years before). The two had a brief affair, but time has passed and both have hesitations about rekindling the romance. They have plenty to distract them as they search for a killer who may have more sinister acts in store." -- from www.amazon.com

A pretty decent thriller...nothing exceptional though. Towards the end it got pretty predictable and the killer's reveal was rather obvious and anti-climactic.

Jephte's Daughter -- Started: July 26, 2011 Finished: Aug. 10, 2011

Timeline -- Started: Aug. 11, 2011 Finished: Aug. 12, 2011

The Good Man Jesus -- Started: Aug. 27, 2011 Finished: Aug. 28, 2011

Inkdeath -- Started: Sep. 1, 2011 Finished: Oct. 9, 2011

An Acceptable Time -- Started: Sep. 9, 2011 Finished: Sep. 11, 2011

Pray For Silence -- Started: Sep. 13, 2011 Finished: Sep. 14, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #63, #64, #65, #66, #67 & #68

Wishful Drinking -- "Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen.

Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty -- Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher -- homewrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a very funny book...I wouldn't exactly call it a memoir because it doesn't really read like most memoirs...I think you have to remember that this is her one-woman show in book format in order to enjoy it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winds of Dune -- "Set immediately after Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah (1969), this satisfying tale from Herbert's son and Anderson (Paul of Dune) follows Jessica, the mother of galactic emperor Paul Atreides, as she returns to the desert planet Dune for her son's funeral. Paul's suicide after his mistress's childbed death leaves his sister, the insane and brutal Alia, as regent for his twin children. Alia releases Princess Irulan, Paul's wife and biographer, from house arrest on the condition that she present Paul as a god, even as Bronso of Ix circulates contrasting writings focusing on Paul's humanity. Alia, Jessica, Bronso and Irulan can describe aspects of Paul, but no single narrative can capture him." -- from www.amazon.com

I really loved this book...more than I liked any of the other "Dune" novels by Herbert and Anderson. This book seemed to have more of the atmosphere and concept of the original novels...I was also very happy that I'd finally gotten caught up on the Dune books :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucifer Code -- "AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT HAS REMAINED CONCEALED FOR CENTURIES — WITHIN ITS PAGES LIES THE KEY TO THE MOST UNHOLY SECRET KNOWN TO MANKIND.

A sacred brotherhood has sworn, generation after generation, to protect this terrifying truth from those who would use it to unleash doomsday upon mankind.

When the unthinkable happens, and the holy scroll is uncovered, the race is on to reveal the true meaning of the cryptic language. Only one man, Dr. Thomas Lourds, the world's foremost scholar of ancient languages, who we first met in the bestselling novel The Atlantis Code, can safely decipher this most deadly scripture.

Lourds soon becomes the bait in the most lethal manhunt — knowing he must confront the true face of evil if the world is to be saved..." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Thought his second book might be better than the first...no such luck -- see my review of the first book: www.flickr.com/photos/minutiae/5310298401/in/photostream/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Distant Hours -- "A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor...At crumbling Milderhurst Castle live elderly twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger half-sister, Juniper, the three eccentric spinster daughters of the late Raymond Blythe, author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic Edie adores. Juniper addressed the letter to Meredith, Edie's mother, then a young teen evacuated to Milderhurst during the Blitz. Edie, who's later invited to write an introduction to a reprint of Raymond's masterpiece, visits the seedily alluring castle in search of answers. Why was her mother so shattered by the contents of a letter sent 51 years earlier? And what happened to soldier Thomas Cavill, Juniper's long-missing fiancé and Meredith's former teacher?" -- from www.amazon.com

I have yet to dislike one of Kate Morton's books and this was no exception. I had a hard time putting it down -- even to go to sleep -- the story captured my attention so well. And just when I though I had figured out the mystery there was a twist at the end that I never saw coming...wonderful book!

Wishful Drinking -- Started: Dec. 21, 2010 Finished: Dec. 21, 2010

The Winds of Dune -- Started: Dec. 22, 2010 Finished: Dec. 27, 2010

The Lucifer Code -- Started: Dec. 28, 2010 Finished: Dec. 29, 2010

The Distant Hours -- Started: Dec. 30, 2010 Finished: Dec. 31, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #88, #89, #90 & #91

Inquisitor's Wife -- "1481 Seville: The Inquisition makes its first appearance in Spain. Its target: conversos, Christians of Jewish descent—specifically those who practice Judaism secretly in their homes. The penalty for “crypto-Judaism”: Burning at the stake.

Marisol Garcia, a young conversa, is hurriedly wed to Gabriel, a civil lawyer working for the Inquisition, in hopes that he will protect her. But she still yearns for the childhood love who abandoned her four years earlier, and she’s shocked when he reappears suddenly at her wedding.

When her father is arrested and tortured, Marisol finds herself caught between her love for him and her desire to save the lives of her people. After becoming a favorite of the ruthless Queen Isabella, Marisol discovers a dangerous secret about her former lover, Antonio, and finds herself trapped in a life-threatening web of intrigue. As the Inquisition’s snares tighten around her, Marisol’s love for Antonio and loyalty to her Jewish family is tested as never before…" -- from www.amazon.com

A nice historical thriller with some very interesting information about the Spanish Inquisition that I didn't know before.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Firebird -- "Nicola Marter has the gift of psychometry—the ability to touch an object and discover information about its previous owners. Her grandfather's adamant instructions to never reveal her abilities, coupled with the negative reactions from those who do not understand her, has Nicola eager to keep her talent a secret. Margaret Ross appears at Nicola's artifacts and art gallery with a small carving of a bird, called the Firebird, and claims the item was given to her ancestor, Anna, by Peter the Great's wife, the Empress Catherine of Russia. Once Nicola holds the Firebird, she sees a vision of Anna with the Empress and realizes the carving could bring Margaret, who is in dire need of money, a fortune. Determined to help Margaret and prove the authenticity of the Firebird, Nicola enlists the help of Rob, who also has the same psychic abilities as Nicola's, only stronger. Following Anna's path, Nicole and Rob find themselves crossing Scotland, Belgium, and Russia, taking the reader on a journey spanning the Jacobite Rising of 1715 and its aftermath." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

A great novel. The story was very nicely told, the flashbacks integrated well and the characters were well developed. It was also nice that she utilized characters from two of her previous books, "The Winter Sea" and "The Shadowy Horses", it was interesting to find out what had happened to them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seduction -- "A gothic tale about Victor Hugo’s long-buried secrets and the power of a love that never dies . . . In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, still grieving, Hugo initiated hundreds of séances from his home on the Isle of Jersey in order to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published.

Or so it has been believed . . .Recovering from a great loss, mythologist Jac L’Etoile thinks that throwing herself into work will distract her from her grief. In the hopes of uncovering a secret about the island’s mysterious Celtic roots, she arrives on Jersey and is greeted by ghostly Neolithic monuments, medieval castles and hidden caves. But the man who has invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different— transcripts of Hugo’s lost conversations with someone he called the Shadow of the Sepulcher. Central to his heritage, these are the papers his grandfather died trying to find. Neither Jac nor Theo anticipate that the mystery surrounding Victor Hugo will threaten their sanity and put their very lives at stake" -- from www.amazon.com

An interesting thriller. The flashbacks to Victor Hugo's voice were nicely done. A few of the characters needed more development -- especially Jac, who is still the spoiled brat in denial that she was in "The Book of Fragrances -- and the climactic fight scene was a bit ho-hum. An otherwise okay novel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Light In The Ruins -- "1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquility is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding hospitality, and what was once was their sanctuary becomes their prison.

1955: Serafina Bettini, an investigator with the Florence police department, has her own demons. A beautiful woman, Serafina carefully hides her scars along with her haunting memories of the war. But when she is assigned to a gruesome new case—a serial killer targeting the Rosatis, murdering the remnants of the family one-by-one in cold blood—Serafina finds herself digging into a past that involves both the victims and her own tragic history" -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

A nice thriller with a lot of interesting information about Italian history. The characters were well developed and the storyline was interesting...I didn't guess who the bad guy was until nearly the end of the novel.

The Inquisitor's Wife -- Started: July 11, 2013 Finished: July 13, 2013

The Firebird -- Started: July 13, 2013 Finished: July 15, 2013

Seduction -- Started: July 15, 2013 Finished: July 17, 2013

The Light In The Ruins -- Started: July 15, 2013 Finished: July 17, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #54, #55, #56 & #57

"Katherine Ashley, the daughter of a poor country squire, happily secures an education and a place for herself in a noble household. But when Thomas Cromwell, a henchman for King Henry VIII, brings her to the royal court as a spy, Kat enters into a thrilling new world of the Tudor monarchs. Freed from a life of espionage by Cromwell's downfall, Kat eventually befriends Anne Boleyn. As a dying favor to the doomed queen, Kat becomes governess and surrogate-mother to the young Elizabeth Tudor. Together they suffer bitter exile, assassination attempts, and imprisonment, barely escaping with their lives. But they do, and when Elizabeth is crowned, Kat continues to serve her, faithfully guarding all the queen's secrets (including Elizabeth's affair with the dashing Robert Dudley) . . . and ultimately emerging as the lifelong confidante and true mother-figure to Queen Elizabeth."

A decent book. It was interesting to learn about Kat Ashley as I had never really known much about her before.

-----------------------------------------------------

"You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn’t be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders—but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev murdered thousands of men, and Princess Rani Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers minibiographies of all these princesses and dozens more."

Some interesting stories, a few boring ones full of hearsay and rumors, and yet another tiresome anti-Disney rant. Would be nice to read a book about fairy tales or princesses that didn't need the "Disney is evil" schtick to boost it's sales.

-----------------------------------------------------

"It is 1989 and Daria Gradov is an elderly grandmother living in the rural West. What neighbors and even her children don’t know, however, is that she is not who she claims to be—the widow of a Russian immigrant of modest means. In actuality she began her life as the Grand Duchess Tatiana, known as Tania to her parents, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra...At its center is young Tania, who lives a life of incomparable luxury in pre-Revolutionary Russia, from the magnificence of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to the family’s private enclave outside the capital. Tania is one of four daughters, and the birth of her younger brother Alexei is both a blessing and a curse. When he is diagnosed with hemophilia and the key to his survival lies in the mysterious power of the illiterate monk Rasputin, it is merely an omen of much worse things to come. Soon war breaks out and revolution sweeps the family from power and into claustrophobic imprisonment in Siberia. Into Tania’s world comes a young soldier whose life she helps to save and who becomes her partner in daring plans to rescue the imperial family from certain death."

A good idea that needed so much more plot and character development. Interesting premise without much to hold it up.

White Mare -- "It is 79 A.D., and the tribes of Scotland are among the last holdouts to the Roman conquest of Britain. Unaware of the perils that face them, embroiled in internecine squabbles, they will soon be faced with a grave choice: band together or become slaves. Rhiann, a Scottish priestess and princess, is forced into a marriage arranged to promote a strategic alliance. Scarred by a horrific past, she desperately looks for a way out, but sees only the Romans closing in. Into this volatile situation sails an Irish prince, Eremon, exiled from his home by familial treachery. His aim is to win renown and regain his throne, but first he has to deal with an unexpected alliance, prove himself a military leader, and unite the feuding tribes of his adopted country." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a pretty good book...dragged a little in places but otherwise a solid plot and nicely developed characters...just waiting for the other two books in the series to come in at the library :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mistress of Rome -- "Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart. As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

This book took a little while to get going and I was on the verge of stopping when the plot picked up and things got interesting...some of the characters are a little shallow but the main characters are decent and I'm looking forward to more books in this series too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Home -- "In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes readers to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny.

Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents' painful divorce; her mother's turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews, and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England. Julie's professional career began at the age of twelve, and in 1948 she became the youngest solo performer ever to participate in a Royal Command Performance before the Queen. When only eighteen, she left home for the United States to make her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and thus began her meteoric rise to stardom.

Home is filled with numerous anecdotes, including stories of performing in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison on Broadway and in the West End, and in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway; her first marriage to famed set and costume designer Tony Walton, culminating with the birth of their daughter, Emma; and the call from Hollywood and what lay beyond." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I've loved Julie Andrews for years and this was a great book about her. I learned a great deal about her early life including many things I never would have guessed had happened to her...definitely recommend this, especially if you are a fan of hers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obvious Enchantment -- "Cultural anthropologist Ingrid Holtz convinces her university to fund a trip to Kenya's Swahili Coast, ostensibly to search for links between Egypt's monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaten and African Islam. Her ulterior motive is to search for her mentor, 60-year-old mad genius Nick Templeton, who has disappeared on a coastal island while investigating the origins of African Islam. The island of Pelat is itself a mystery: a cat-infested paradise torn between ancient tradition and modern progress since Swede Henrik Bergmann arrived many years before with his young son, Finn, and built the luxury hotel Salama (the Swahili word for peace). When Ingrid reaches the island, Stanley Wicks, an unscrupulous Brit, is erecting a new hotel in the village where devout islanders fled after Salama was built. Finn, raised by a local mystic, must seek middle ground in the battle between ancient mysteries and inevitable change; he keeps a protective eye on Ingrid as she looks for Templeton and finds her way to academic and personal growth." -- from www.amazon.com

Very glad I checked this book out from the library and didn't go out and buy it because it would not have been worth the money. Half the cast of characters appeared out of nowhere and did nothing, the other half wandered through the story performing inexplicable acts that led to nothing. The plot meandered around in circles until finally falling flat on it's face at the end of the book...I thought this book would be more like her novel "Resurrection"...but, no. Two thumbs down from me.

The White Mare -- Started: Nov. 13, 2010 Finished: Nov. 28, 2010

Mistress of Rome -- Started: Nov. 17, 2010 Finished: Nov. 24, 2010

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years -- Started: Nov. 24, 2010 Finished: Nov. 26, 2010

An Obvious Enchantment -- Started: Dec. 3, 2010 Finished: Dec. 10, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #81, #82, #83 & #84

Lester Public Library, Two Rivers, Wisconsin

A Lion Among Men -- "While civil war looms in Oz, a tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before her final hour, an enigmatic figure known as Brrr—the Cowardly Lion—arrives searching for information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle, who hovered on the sidelines of Elphaba's life, demands some answers of her own.

Brrr surrenders his story to the ailing maunt: Abandoned as a cub, his earliest memories are gluey hazes, and his path from infancy in the Great Gillikin Forest is no Yellow Brick Road. Seeking to redress an early mistake, he trudges through a swamp of ghosts, becomes implicated in a massacre of trolls, and falls in love with a forbidding Cat princess. In the wake of laws that oppress talking Animals, he avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the war-mongering Emperor of Oz.

A Lion Among Men chronicles a battle of wits hastened by the Emerald City's approaching armies. What does the Lion know of the whereabouts of the Witch's boy, Liir? What can Yackle reveal about the auguries of the Clock of the Time Dragon? And what of the Grimmerie, the magic book that vanished as quickly as Elphaba? Is destiny ever arbitrary? Can those tarnished by infamy escape their sobriquets—cowardly, wicked, brainless, criminally earnest—to claim their own histories, to live honorably within their own skins before they're skinned alive?" -- from www.amazon.com

I'm really enjoying this book -- as much as I enjoyed "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch". I like Maguire alot and I've already got his other books on my 'to read' list for the year :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Winter King -- "Arthur is fierce, dedicated and complex, a man with many problems, most of his own making. His impulsive decisions sometimes have tragic ramifications, as when he lustfully takes Guinevere instead of the intended Ceinwyn, alienating his friends and allies and inspiring a bloody battle. The secondary characters are equally unexpected, and are ribboned with the magic and superstition of the times. Merlin impresses as a remarkable personage, a crafty schemer fond of deceit and disguise. Lancelot is portrayed as a warrior-pretender, a dishonest charmer with dark plans of his own; by contrast, Galahad seems the noble soldier of purpose and dedication. Guinevere, meanwhile, no gentle creature waiting patiently in the moonlight, has designs and plots of her own. The story of these characters and others is narrated forcefully and with dry wit by Derfel Cadarn, one of Arthur's warriors, who later becomes a monk." -- from www.amazon.com

I'm only a little ways into this book but so far it's very good and I'm pretty much a sucker for Arthurian legends :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lemuria & Atlantis -- "The mysterious civilizations of Lemuria and Atlantis become reality as Shirley Andrews, the author of Atlantis: Insights From a Lost Civilization combines details from scholars, scientists and the respected psychic Edgar Cayce. Her sober portrayal of disturbing parallels between the spiritual decay of Atlantis and our modern world, and her reasonable explanations for the vivid dreams and past life memories recounted by numerous people about life on the lost lands enhance this fascinating book." -- www.amazon.com

I really wish that I had read the amazon.com description and reviews of this book before I checked it out at the library. I thought this was going to be more of an historical overview of theories on Atlantis but it turned out to be about past lives and hallucinogen-induced memories of Atlantean culture...and I wouldn't exactly call her explanations of these things 'reasonable'...Oh well, my bad...bad eye8pudding *slaps own wrist*

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Eight -- "Catherine Velis, a computer expert banished to Algeria by her accounting firm, gets caught up in a search for a legendary chess set once owned by Charlemagne. An antique dealer, a Soviet chess master, KGB agents and a fortune-teller who warns Catherine she's in big trouble all covet the fabled chess pieces, because the chess service, buried for 1000 years in a French abbey, supplies the key to a magic formula tied to numerology, alchemy, the Druids, Freemasonry, cosmic powers. As the story shuttles between the 1970s and the 1790s, we are introduced to 64 characters, including Mireille, a spunky French nun who helps scatter the individual chess pieces across Europe lest the set fall into evil hands. Involving Napoleon, Talleyrand, Casanova, Voltaire, Rousseau, Robespierre and Catherine the Great in the quest, Neville has great fun rewriting history and making it all ring true. With two believable heroines, nonstop suspense, espionage, murder and a puzzle that seems the key to the whole Western mystical tradition..." from www.amazon.com

I really, really loved this book. The story moved really well and the descriptions and character development were great. I would definitely recommend it....I'll be starting the sequel, "The Fire" this weekend...I can't wait!!

A Lion Among Men -- Started: Apr. 20, 2009 Finished: May 1, 2009

The Winter King -- Started: Apr. 21, 2009 Finished: May 19, 2009

Lemuria & Atlantis -- Started: Apr. 23, 2009 Finished: May 20, 2009

The Eight -- Started: Apr. 24, 2009 Finished: Apr. 28, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #23, #24, #25 & #26

The Glass Castle -- "Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover." -- from www.amazon.com

I liked this book but it made me very angry at times...I wanted to smack the parents around a little until they stopped being so incredible self-absorbed and ignorant of what they were doing to their children.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Other Boleyn Girl -- "Before Henry VIII ever considered making Anne Boleyn his wife, her older sister, Mary, was his mistress. Historical novelist Gregory (Virgin Earth) uses the perspective of this "other Boleyn girl" to reveal the rivalries and intrigues swirling through England. The sisters and their brother George were raised with one goal: to advance the Howard family's interests, especially against the Seymours. So when Mary catches the king's fancy, her family orders her to abandon the husband they had chosen. She bears Henry two children, including a son, but Anne's desire to be queen drives her with ruthless intensity, alienating family and foes. As Henry grows more desperate for a legitimate son and Anne strives to replace Catherine as queen, the social fabric weakens. Mary abandons court life to live with a new husband and her children in the countryside, but love and duty bring her back to Anne time and again. We share Mary's helplessness as Anne loses favor, and everyone abandons her amid accusations of adultery, incest, and witchcraft. Even the Boleyn parents won't intervene for their children." -- from www.amazon.com

I'm almost halfway through this one right now and it's very interesting but, just like in 'The Glass Castle', I want to smack the (Boleyn) parents around a little for what they do to their children. It does have a little of that Titanic feel to it though -- where you know what the ending is going to be but no matter how much you wish it would work out differently, you know it won't.

The Glass Castle -- Started: Aug. 17, 2009 Finished: Aug. 18, 2009

The Other Boleyn Girl -- Started: Aug. 19, 2009 Finished: Aug. 28, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #45 & #46

A Secret Kept -- "Parisian architect Antoine Rey and his sister, Mélanie, celebrate her 40th birthday on the island where they vacationed as children with their mother, until she died there in 1974. Upon returning, Mélanie is gripped by a shocking repressed memory and loses control of the car. After a brief spell of amnesia, she tells her brother what it was she remembered: their mother had been in love with a woman. As a skeptical Antoine investigates this twist in their mother's past, an upsetting chain of events unfurls: his daughter's best friend drops dead of a heart condition at only 14 years of age; his teenage son is arrested; and he learns that his father is dying of cancer. Antoine gets support in his quest from a new lover, a Harley-riding mortician who teaches him how respecting death helps one to embrace life." -- from www.amazon.com

This was an okay book...decently entertaining but I wouldn't call it great...I didn't think the revelation was that outrageous or surprising really but all in all not a horrible book.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Farseekers -- "Young narrator Elspeth Gordie is a mutant "Misfit" with unusual mental powers. Because, in Elspeth's world, both the oppressive religionists and the semi-governmental Council hate Misfits and hunt them down, her kind has joined together and found refuge on the mountain keep of Obernewtyn. Despite the danger, Elspeth and others--including a telepathic, human-hating horse--leave this refuge and undertake a journey to find an enormous book trove, and to save an extraordinarily gifted Misfit. Elspeth also has a mysterious personal quest to fulfill." -- from www.amazon.com

Ashling -- "As head of Obernewtyn’s Farseeker guild, Elspeth Gordie must travel to the lowlands to seal an alliance between Obernewtyn and the rebel forces that oppose the totalitarian Council. Yet her dreams call to her with an altogether different purpose: Elspeth must destroy what remains of the weapons that brought unimaginable chaos, death, and mutation to her world. Leaving the relative safety of the mountains, Elspeth embarks on a journey that takes her across the sea and into the heart of the mysterious desert region of Sador." -- from www.amazon.com

The Keeping Place -- "When a Misfit is kidnapped, Elspeth finds she has little choice but to join the growing rebellion against the Council. Her extraordinary mental powers could tip the scales of the struggle, but Elspeth feels torn between toppling the corrupt authoritarian regime and seeking clues vital to a more personal quest—her ambition to destroy what remains of the Beforetime weaponmachines." -- from www.amazon.com

I'm enjoying the Obernewtyn chronicles very much...they remind me of a number of other sci-fi/fantasy series I've read and liked...I do wish that some of the characters would wake up and see some of the obvious things that are right in front of them though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dragon in the Sea -- "In the endless war between East and West, oil has become the ultimate prize. Nuclear-powered subtugs brave enemy waters to tap into hidden oil reserves beneath the East’s continental shelf. But the last twenty missions have never returned. Have sleeper agents infiltrated the elite submarine service, or are the crews simply cracking under the pressure? Psychologist John Ramsay has gone undercover aboard a Hell Diver subtug. His mission is to covertly observe the remainder of the four-man crew—and find the traitor among them. Sabotage and suspicion soon plague the mission, as Ramsay discovers that the stress of fighting a war a mile and a half under the ocean exposes every weakness in a man. Hunted relentlessly by the enemy, the four men find themselves isolated in a claustrophobic undersea prison, struggling for survival against the elements . . . and themselves." -- from www.amazon.com

This was the first non-Dune Frank Herbert book I've read and I enjoyed it very much...it was more mystery/psychological thriller than sci-fi, but I could see some elements of Dune in this novel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We Thought You Would Be Prettier -- "She thought she’d have more time. Laurie Notaro figured she had at least a few good years left. But no–it’s happened. She has officially lost her marbles. From the kid at the pet-food store checkout line whose coif is so bizarre it makes her seethe “I’m going to kick his hair’s ass!” to the hapless Sears customer-service rep on the receiving end of her Campaign of Terror, no one is safe from Laurie’s wrath. Her cranky side seems to have eaten the rest of her–inner-thigh Chub Rub and all. And the results are breathtaking." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a very funny book and I really liked it. Some of the issues she has with people I could very much relate to but I don't think I could describe them in quite the same hilarious way...definitely recommend this book!

A Secret Kept -- Started: Jan. 13, 2011 Finished: Jan. 14, 2011

The Farseekers -- Started: Jan. 15, 2011 Finished: Jan. 18, 2011

Ashling -- Started: Jan. 18, 2011 Finished: Jan. 19, 2011

The Keeping Place -- Started: Jan. 19, 2011 Finished: Jan. 30, 2011

The Dragon in the Sea -- Started: Jan. 21, 2011 Finished: Jan. 23, 2011

We Thought You Would Be Prettier -- Started: Jan. 22, 2011 Finished: Jan. 24, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #5, #6, #7, #8, #9 & #10

A Storm of Swords -- "Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. . . .But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . ." -- from www.amazon.com

Just as good as the first two books...more new characters, but a lot of action and plot movement...looking forward to reading the next book.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gypped -- "In this...15th installment in the Regan Reilly mystery series (after Mobbed), the titular PI and her husband, Jack, are in L.A. for a meeting and some downtime, but when Regan runs into a former fellow game show contestant, their trip takes a turn for the worse. Seven years ago, Zelda and Regan met and made nice on Puzzling Words. When they run into each other while shopping, Zelda divulges that she has recently inherited million from a deceased neighbor, and has used some of the money to bid on and win a weeklong stay at a Hollywood Hills mansion. Though Jack has to work, Regan agrees to attend a dinner party at the estate. Surprised to find the manse in deplorable condition, Regan rallies and stays for tea after the other guests have left. Zelda suddenly falls ill, and so Regan stays the night. The next morning she discovers a butcher knife hidden by her car, and soon the newly minted multimillionaire is entreating Regan to investigate her new cohort, including her pushy lawyer, Rich; her flamboyant assistant, Norman; and even Zelda's new stepmother, Bobby Jo, who married Zelda's father in Vegas after a distressingly brief courtship. As Regan digs deeper, she discovers that she and Zelda might be danger." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

An okay book...very little character or plot development...if I hadn't read the rest of the series, I wouldn't have picked this one up.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Empress of the Seven Hills -- "Powerful, prosperous, and expanding ever farther into the untamed world, the Roman Empire has reached its zenith under the rule of the beloved Emperor Trajan. But neither Trajan nor his reign can last forever...

Brash and headstrong, Vix is a celebrated ex-gladiator returned to Rome to make his fortune. The sinuous, elusive Sabina is a senator's daughter who craves adventure. Sometimes lovers, sometimes enemies, Vix and Sabina are united by their devotion to Trajan. But others are already maneuvering in the shadows. Trajan's ambitious Empress has her own plans for Sabina. And the aristocratic Hadrian-the Empress's ruthless protégé and Vix's mortal enemy-has ambitions he confesses to no one, ambitions rooted in a secret prophecy.

When Trajan falls, the hardened soldier, the enigmatic empress, the adventurous girl, and the scheming politician will all be caught in a deadly whirlwind of desire and death that may seal their fates, and that of the entire Roman Empire..." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Not quite as good as the first two books...buf definitely an enjoyable read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leap of Faith -- "In 1976, while visiting her father in Jordan, Lisa Halaby was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein. Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic death of his wife. The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime friend. After a whirlwind, secret courtship, Lisa Halaby became Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan.

This is the story of a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab monarch. It provides a compelling portrait of the late King Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his war-torn region, and an insider's view of the growing gulf between the United States and the Arab nations. It is also the refreshingly candid story of a mother coming to terms with the demands the king's role as a world statesman placed on her family's private life. But most of all it is a love story - the intimate account of a woman who lost her heart to a king, and to his people." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a very interesting memoir...there was alot about Jordan's role in Middle East politics that I never knew about before.

Storm of Swords -- Started: Apr. 11, 2012 Finished: June 16, 2012

Gypped -- Started: Apr. 14, 2012 Finished: Apr. 14, 2012

Empress of the Seven Hills -- Started: Apr. 14, 2012 Finished: Apr. 28, 2012

Leap of Faith -- Started: Apr. 15, 2012 Finished: Apr. 21, 2012

25 Book Challenge 2012 Books #27, #28, #29 & #30

Zabelle -- "...The rhythm of folktale and family stories shared around the table infuse the telling of Zabelle Chahasbanian's life. The story begins near her death in Watertown, Massachusetts, and circles back to her Armenian childhood in 1916, the slaughter of the rest of her family by the Turks, and her journey from orphanage to arranged marriage to immigration to the U.S. These bare bones are hung upon a lovely structure of symbols and stories: how Zabelle came by her tin cup, her silver thimble, and a small blue brooch; how she survived a vicious mother-in-law, a secret love, and three children who could not understand her life even in their dreams." -- from www.amazon.com

This was an okay book. It reminded me a little of Amy Tan's books -- family relationships & tragedies, children not understanding what inspires their mother's actions, etc. But where Amy Tan's novels are complex, intricate and full of meaning; Zabelle is very undeveloped and not deep at all. I'm rather glad I didn't buy this when I saw it at the store and instead got it from the library...it wasn't worth the $14 it would have taken to own it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sea of Monsters -- "In this second adventure in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Percy is anticipating the end of seventh grade and a summer at Camp Half-Blood with kids who are the offspring of Greek gods and mortals. He dreams that his pal Grover, a satyr, is in danger. After monsters attack in his school gym class, Percy and Tyson, a homeless kid, are picked up by Annabeth, a half-blood friend, and rushed to the camp, which is under attack. The tree that guards the camp is dying, and Chiron, the activity director, has been dismissed. Another dream reveals that Grover, whose peril is increasing, is on the same island as the legendary Golden Fleece, which may be the cure for the troubled camp. With the help of Hermes, Percy and his pals set off to the Sea of Monsters, where they encounter legendary dangers." -- from www.amazon.com

Titan's Curse -- "...Percy Jackson is now 14, a bit older and wiser, yet still entangled with the Fates. Friends, monsters, dysfunctional gods, and the romantic stirrings of all things natural and mythological are encountered. His good friend, if oft-time rival, Annabeth (daughter of Athena) is missing, as is Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Joined by best buddy Grover-the-goat-boy and an argumentative array of accomplices, Percy sets off to fulfill, and hopefully foil, the foreboding prophecy of the Oracle. Plagued by ominous dreams, thwarted by hideous monsters, and challenged by conflicting partnerships, the search party's success hinges on unlikely unity." -- from www.amazon.com

Battle of the Labyrinth -- "After Percy destroys the high school band room battling monsters called empousai who have taken on the form of cheerleaders, he has to hide out at Camp Half-Blood. There, Grover's searcher's license is going to be revoked unless he can find the god Pan in seven days. An entrance to the Labyrinth has been discovered, which means that Luke, the half-blood turned bad, can bypass the magical protections and invade the camp. Annabeth insists that she must follow a quest to locate Daedalus's workshop before Luke does. Percy is disturbed by visions of Nico, the son of Hades, who is summoning forth the spirits of the dead with McDonalds Happy Meals. Percy, Grover, and Percy's Cyclops half-brother follow Annabeth into the maze not knowing if they will ever find their way out." -- from www.amazon.com

I'm really enjoying the Percy Jackson books...really as much as I enjoyed the Harry Potter books. I like the whole concept...the writing is good, characters well developed and interesting, and I'm eager to see what happens in the last book :)

Zabelle -- Started: Mar. 5, 2010 Finished: Mar. 6, 2010

Sea of Monsters -- Started: Mar. 6, 2010 Finished: Mar. 8, 2010

Titan's Curse -- Started: Mar. 8, 2010 Finished: Mar. 10, 2010

Battle of the Labyrinth -- Started: Mar. 10, 2010 Finished: Mar. 13, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #20, #21, #22 & #23

Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey by Lady Fiona Carnarvon / Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

Lady Almina -- "...tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war.

Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home. Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman." -- from www.amazon.com

A very informative and interesting book. I knew that a number of homes of the wealthy in England were used as hospitals and/or housing for troops during both World Wars, but the amount of time, money and energy that Lady Almina put into her hospital was amazing. I loved reading more about Highclere Castle after seeing tv specials about it -- as well as portions of Downton Abbey. A great book I really enjoyed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below Stairs -- "Margaret Powell’s classic memoir of her time in service, Below Stairs, is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high. Powell first arrived at the servants' entrance of one of those great houses in the 1920s. As a kitchen maid – the lowest of the low – she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5.30am and went on until after dark. It was a far cry from her childhood on the beaches of Hove, where money and food were scarce, but warmth and laughter never were. Yet from the gentleman with a penchant for stroking the housemaids’ curlers, to raucous tea-dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlormaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress’s nephew, Margaret’s tales of her time in service are told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation." -- from www.amazon.com

A decent memoir but it was painfully, and sometimes awkwardly, obvious what the author's feelings were towards her various employers. If you're looking for less of a social commentary and more of a complete picture of the running of a wealthy household during the early 1900's, you're better off reading "Rose: My Life In Service" by Rosina Harrison www.amazon.com/Rose-Life-Service-Lady-Astor/dp/0143120867...

Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey -- Started: Jan. 18, 2013 Finished: Jan. 28, 2013

Below Stairs -- Started: Jan. 19, 2013 Finished: Jan. 21, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #6 & #7

Hunger Games -- "In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love." -- from www.amazon.com

Catching Fire -- "Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge." -- from www.amazon.com

Mockingjay -- "Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge..." -- from www.amazon.com

I loved all three of these books...the series was well-written, I cared about the characters and the plot kept my interest the entire time I was reading...definitely recommend.

The Hunger Games -- Started: Sept. 18, 2012 Finished: Sept. 20, 2012

Catching Fire -- Started: Sept. 21, 2012 Finished: Sept. 26, 2012

Mockingjay -- Started: Sept. 26, 2012 Finished: Oct. 1, 2012

25 Book Challenge Books #60, #61 & #62

Lady in Blue -- "In Los Angeles, Jennifer Narody has been having a series of disturbingdreams involving eerie images of a lady dressed in blue. What she doesn't know is that this same spirit appeared to leaders of the Jumano Native American tribe in New Mexico 362 years earlier, and was linked to a Spanish nun capable of powers of "bilocation," or the ability to be in two places simultaneously. Meanwhile, young journalist Carlos Albert is driven by a blinding snowstorm to the little Spanish town of Ágreda, where he stumbles upon a nearly forgotten seventeenth-century convent founded by this same legendary woman. Intrigued by her rumored powers, he delves into finding out more. These threads, linked by an apparent suicide, eventually lead Carlos to Cardinal Baldi, to an American spy, and ultimately to Los Angeles, where Jennifer Narody unwittingly holds the key to the mystery that the Catholic Church, the U.S. Defense Department, and the journalist are each determined to decipher -- the Lady in Blue." -- from www.amazon.com

A so-so novel...started out intriguing, but the end was a bit of a letdown.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Demon Lover -- "Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart." -- from www.amazon.com

An interesting book...a lot like her other books (written under her real name: Carol Goodman)...would have been a better novel with less emphasis on the erotic aspects of the story...some of the detailed sexual encounters were extraneous and did nothing to move the plot forward.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gideon's Corpse -- "A top nuclear scientist goes mad and takes an innocent family hostage at gunpoint, killing one and causing a massive standoff.

A plume of radiation above New York City leads to a warehouse where, it seems, a powerful nuclear bomb was assembled just hours before.

Sifting through the evidence, authorities determine that the unthinkable is about to happen: in ten days, a major American city will be vaporized by a terrorist attack.

Ten days. And Gideon Crew, tracking the mysterious terrorist cell from the suburbs of New York to the mountains of New Mexico, learns the end may be something worse--far worse--than mere Armageddon." -- from www.amazon.com

A great thriller...didn't guess the bad guy until nearly the end...definitely looking forward to more books in this series.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day After Night -- "Day After Night is based on the extraordinary true story of the October 1945 rescue of more than two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp, a prison for “illegal” immigrants run by the British military near the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa. The story is told through the eyes of four young women at the camp who survived the Holocaust: Shayndel, a Polish Zionist; Leonie, a Parisian beauty; Tedi, a hidden Dutch Jew; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor. Haunted by unspeakable memories and losses, afraid to hope, the four of them find salvation in the bonds of friendship and shared experience even as they confront the challenge of re-creating themselves in a strange new country." -- from www.amazon.com

A very moving story...I hadn't heard about these "internment camps" before so it was a bit of a history lesson in addition to being a great story.

The Lady in Blue -- Started: Feb. 4, 2012 Finished: Feb. 12, 2012

The Demon Lover -- Started: Feb. 11, 2012 Finished: Feb. 18, 2012

Gideon's Corpse -- Started: Feb. 11, 2012 Finished: Feb. 15, 2012

Day After Night -- Started: Feb. 16, 2012 Finished: Feb. 16, 2012

25 Book Challenge Books #7, #8, #9 & #10

Places I Never Meant To Be -- “In this provocative collection, Judy Blume, the censors' favorite target, assembles an all-star cast of young adult writers who have themselves felt the pain of censorship. Each contributes an original short story and some highly quotable observations on their own experiences and feelings when under attack. "Where once I went to my writing without a backward glance," writes Norma Fox Mazer, "now I sometimes have to consciously clear my mind of those shadowy censorious presences." – from www.amazon.com

I’ve been reading a lot about literary censorship in the past few years and this book came up when I was on Judy Blume’s website. It’s really amazing some of the ignorant, disturbing and downright ridiculous reasons people will come up with for challenging or banning a book. The stories in this book were really good – a couple of them were very moving and one had a really funny ending. I would recommend this book, especially if you grew up reading Judy Blume, Norma Klein and other challenged/banned authors.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Angel's Game -- “In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city’s underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed--a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.” -- from www.amazon.com

I’m about halfway through this book and so far, it is very good. There are some parts where the story drags a little but that’s balanced out by some really amazing parts.

Places I Never Meant To Be -- Started: July 4, 2009 Finished: July 5, 2009

The Angel's Game -- Started: July 5, 2009 Finished: July 22, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #36 & #37

The Tiger Warrior -- "The trail starts in the Roman ruins and leads to a shipwreck off the coast of Egypt. Soon the world’s top marine archaeologist, Jack Howard, and his team of scientific experts and ex-Special Forces adventurers are pushing their way through the mysterious jungles of India, following in the footsteps of a legendary band of missing Roman legionnaires. Meanwhile, at a remote lake in Kyrgyzstan, a beautiful woman has found evidence of a secret knowledge that has cost the lives of countless seekers through the centuries. And what Jack uncovers will lead him to dig not only into the ancient past but into his own family history. For over a century earlier his great-great-grandfather returned from an archaeological expedition in India forever traumatized by what he’d experienced. And in order to lay the past to rest, Jack will have to unearth an artifact that might have been better left buried—and with it a power that some of history’s most ruthless tyrants have sought to rule the world…." -- from www.amazon.com

This book was pretty decent. There was a little mystery left at the end but that worked for the storyline. All in all, I would recommend this one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crusader Gold -- "From the fall of the Roman Empire to the last days of Nazi power, marine archaeologist Jack Howard and his team of adventurers are hot on the trail of history’s most elusive and desired treasure: the lost golden menorah of Jerusalem. And what they discover could change the world forever….

Deep beneath the windswept waters near Istanbul, Jack and his crack team of experts have uncovered a surprising clue to the location of the fabled treasure plundered during the Crusades. Meanwhile, in a dusty cathedral library, someone unearths a long-forgotten medieval map. Together the two discoveries will solve an ancient mystery—and spark a race to stop a present-day conspiracy of staggering proportions.

From diving into the core of an arctic iceberg to the last stand of a Viking warship to an extraordinary revelation deep in the jungles of Central America, Jack is headed straight into a globe-spanning clash of civilizations, into an astounding underground labyrinth steeped in blood and horrors—and to a confrontation with a killer on a shattering crusade of his own." -- from www.amazon.com

This novel was pretty good too although I was a little disappointed in the ending and all the time spent describing more diving equipment and research vessel protocols (like in Gibbins' book "Atlantis"). This was the last book of his four that I read and I would have to say that his best is really "The Lost Tomb"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel... -- "Have you ever struggled to dislodge a nostril-bound Cheerio while navigating the interstate at 70 miles an hour? Discovered exactly how many renditions of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” it takes for you to pull the car to the side of the road and weep? Or experienced just what happens when your miniature traveling companion pulls the “manual override” lever on the emergency exit door of a plane? You’re not alone. We all have memories of a hideous yet hilarious family trip.

Now you can read about some that make your trip look like a vacation with the Waltons.

Edited by Sarah Franklin, How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel is an anthology of outrageous stories about the inherent misadventures that revolve around traveling with kids. Whether the trip is with newborn triplets or with moody teens, a road trip to the beach or a European vacation, each story will resonate with parents who hit the road or the tarmac with kids in tow." -- from www.amazon.com

This book was great...most of the stories were absolutely hilarious with a few very touching ones thrown in there. If you have ever traveled any distance with children, you will definitely recognize some of these situations. Two (very enthusiastic) thumbs up! :)

The Tiger Warrior -- Started: Aug. 11, 2009 Finished: Aug. 14, 2009

Crusader Gold -- Started: Aug. 11, 2009 Finished: Aug. 15, 2009

How To Fit a Car Seat on a Camel -- Started: Aug. 15, 2009 Finished: Aug. 16, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #42, #43 & #44

Jefferson Key -- "Four United States presidents have been assassinated—in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963—each murder seemingly unrelated and separated by time.

But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason: a clause in the United States Constitution—contained within Article 1, Section 8—that would shock Americans?

This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing—only to find himself at dangerous odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. In their most perilous exploit yet, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt race across the nation and take to the high seas. Along the way they break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a centuries-old document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves, one powerful enough—thanks to that clause in the Constitution—to make the Commonwealth unstoppable." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

This was another enjoyable book in the Cotton Malone series...I learned some things about American history that I didn't know before and I enjoyed the fact that this book was mostly set in the US instead of overseas, it was a nice change of pace.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Persian Girls -- "For many years, heartache prevented Nahid Rachlin from turning her sharp novelist's eye inward: to tell the story of how her own life diverged from that of her closest confidante and beloved sister, Pari. Growing up in Iran, both refused to accept traditional Muslim mores, and dreamed of careers in literature and on the stage. Their lives changed abruptly when Pari was coerced by their father into marrying a wealthy and cruel suitor. Nahid narrowly avoided a similar fate, and instead negotiated with him to pursue her studies in America.

When Nahid received the unsettling and mysterious news that Pari had died after falling down a light of stairs, she traveled back to Iran-now under the Islamic regime-to find out what happened to her truest friend, confront her past, and evaluate what the future holds for the heartbroken in a tale of crushing sorrow, sisterhood, and ultimately, hope." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I was very moved by this book and would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy memoirs or people who really want to know more about Iranians and not just the nameless/faceless terrorist persona most people have planted on the country.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And Furthermore -- "From London’s glittering West End to Broadway’s bright lights, from her Academy Award-winning role as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love to “M” in the James Bond films, Judi Dench has treated audiences to some of the greatest performances of our time. She made her professional acting debut in 1957 with England’s Old Vic theatre company playing Ophelia in Hamlet , Katherine in Henry V (her New York debut), and then, Juliet. In 1961, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Anya in The Cherry Orchard with John Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft. In 1968, she went beyond the classical stage to become a sensation as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, adding musical comedy to her repertoire. Over the years, Dench has given indelible performances in the classics as well as some of the greatest plays and musicals of the twentieth century including Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, Kaufman and Hart’s The Royal Family and David Hare’s Amy’s View (for which she won the Tony Award). Recently, she made a triumphant return to A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania, a role she first played in 1962, now played as a theatre-besotted Queen Elizabeth I. Her film career has been filled with unforgettable performances of some unforgettable women: Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown, the terrifying schoolteacher Barbara Covett in Notes on a Scandal and the writer Iris Murdoch in Iris. And, for the BBC, Dench created another unforgettable woman when she brought her great comic timing and deeply felt emotions to the role of Jean Pargetter in the long-running BBC series As Time Goes By.

And Furthermore is, however, more than the story of a great actress’s career. It is also the story of Judi Dench’s life: her early days as a child in a family that was in love with the theatre; her marriage to actor Michael Williams; the joy she takes in her daughter, the actress Finty Williams, and her grandson, Sammy." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I loved this book...it great learning more about her life and her amazing career in film, TV and especially the theatre...I thought I knew a lot about her until I read this book and realized how much more there has been to her life...definitely recommend! :)

The Jefferson Key -- Started: May 19, 2011 Finished: May 21, 2011

Persian Girls -- Started: May 26, 2011 Finished: May 27, 2011

And Furthermore -- Started: May 27, 2011 Finished: May 31, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #41, #43 & #44

Wicked -- "Born with green skin and huge teeth, like a dragon, the free-spirited Elphaba grows up to be an anti-totalitarian agitator, an animal-rights activist, a nun, then a nurse who tends the dying and, ultimately, the headstrong Wicked Witch of the West in the land of Oz. Maguire's strange and imaginative postmodernist fable uses L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a springboard to create a tense realm inhabited by humans, talking animals (a rhino librarian, a goat physician), Munchkinlanders, dwarves and various tribes. The Wizard of Oz, emperor of this dystopian dictatorship, promotes Industrial Modern architecture and restricts animals' right to freedom of travel; his holy book is an ancient manuscript of magic that was clairvoyantly located by Madam Blavatsky 40 years earlier. Much of the narrative concerns Elphaba's troubled youth (she is raised by a giddy alcoholic mother and a hermitlike minister father who transmits to her his habits of loathing and self-hatred) and with her student years. Dorothy appears only near novel's end, as her house crash-lands on Elphaba's sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, in an accident that sets Elphaba on the trail of the girl from Kansas as well as the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Lion and her fabulous new shoes." -- from www.amazon.com

I finally read this book after avoiding it for a long time. I thought it was just going to be a goofy parody of "The Wizard of Oz". Instead, I was surprised to find, it was an actual story in itself. I do wish that Maguire had spent more time describing the physical world of Oz and a little less time on the politically corrupt climate (i.e. "Geez! I get it already!! The Wizard's a tyrant! Move on with the story!"). There were quite a few little mysteries left unsolved at the end of the book but I get the feeling that "Son of a Witch" may solve some of those.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Book of Imaginary Beings is Borges's whimsical compendium of more that a hundred of 'the strange creatures conceived down through history by the human imagination.'...Here readers will find the familiar and expected Dragons and Centaurs, Unicorns and Gnomes, as well as the less familiar and altogether unexpected Animals That Live in the Mirror, The Elphant That Prefigured the Birth of Buddha, the Hairy Beast of La Ferte-Bernard, and other undeniably curious creatures." (taken from the front flap of the book)

This was a really neat book. I actually read about this author in another book (Sheridan Hay's "The Secret of Lost Things") and when I spotted this book on the shelf at the store, I grabbed it. I was familiar with a lot of the creatures from mythology but it was interesting to learn about new and different (and some extremely odd) ones.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Son of a Witch -- "...author Gregory Maguire returns to the land of Oz and introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. At the Cloister of Saint Glinda the silent novice Candle tends to him, willing him back to life with her unusual musical gifts. What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba's son" He has her broom and her cape -- but what of her powers? Can he find his half-sister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison Southstairs" Can he fulfill the last wished of a dying princess? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?" (taken from the back cover of the book)

I'm about 100 pages into this book and so far, so good. This story is moving at a faster pace than Wicked did and now that I'm more familiar with Maguire's Oz (after reading Wicked) I can focus more on the story and I don't have to keep flipping to the Oz map to see where things are :)

Wicked -- Started: Apr. 1, 2009 Finished: Apr. 8, 2009

The Book of Imaginary Beings -- Started: Apr. 2, 2009 Finished: Apr. 9, 2009

Son of a Witch -- Started: Apr. 8, 2009 Finished: Apr. 11, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #18, #19 & #20

Lost Girls -- "One late spring evening in 2010, Shannan Gilbert, after running through the oceanfront community of Oak Beach screaming for her life, went missing. No one who had heard of her disappearance thought much about what had happened to the twenty-four-year-old: she was a Craigslist prostitute who had been fleeing a scene—of what, no one could be sure. The Suffolk County Police, too, seemed to have paid little attention—until seven months later, when an unexpected discovery in a bramble alongside a nearby highway turned up four bodies, all evenly spaced, all wrapped in burlap. But none of them Shannan's.

There was Maureen Brainard-Barnes, last seen at Penn Station in Manhattan three years earlier, and Melissa Barthelemy, last seen in the Bronx in 2009. There was Megan Waterman, last seen leaving a hotel in Hauppage, Long Island, just a month after Shannan's disappearance in 2010, and Amber Lynn Costello, last seen leaving a house in West Babylon a few months later that same year. Like Shannan, all four women were petite and in their twenties, they all came from out of town to work as escorts, and they all advertised on Craigslist and its competitor, Backpage...Lost Girls is a portrait not just of five women, but of unsolved murder in an idyllic part of America, of the underside of the Internet, and of the secrets we keep without admitting to ourselves that we keep them." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a very hard book to read because I knew one of the victims personally. I grew up in the same area as Melissa Barthelemy and we were friends as kids. I wanted to read this book to make sure that it did justice to Melissa and wasn't just another "the victims deserved what they got" hackjob like stories about similar deaths often are. I was happily surprised at first when the author showed definite compassion for the victims...and then unpleasantly surprised when he began to describe where Melissa came from. He made it sound as though Melissa grew up in the worst place in the world -- a lonely little girl wandering through a neighborhood of gang members and out-of-work hoodlums. Granted that area of Buffalo was/is far from the best, but Kolker's belief that children in the area were the lazy spawn of out of work union workers and had no interest in educating themselves, is completely untrue. Melissa's background information made it sound as though she had no chance at success growing up there, something that hasn't proven true for many of the other kids who grew up there. Other "facts" of her life detailed in the book are partially or completely untrue as well. Knowing what I know about Melissa's family and her early years from firsthand experience makes me feel that the decisions she made as an adult were far more influenced by the issues at home than by the demographics of her neighborhood environment. I'm not sure if the inaccuracies stem from Melissa's family or from Kolker himself. I didn't know the other victims personally so I can't comment on what was said about them. But it seemed to me that Kloker has tried to make the the victims seem even more eerily similar than they already were by cramming them into a narrow vision of "family issues + horrible neighborhood = life as victim". I wish it were as simple as that, but from my own childhood experiences, I know that isn't true.

Lost Girls -- Started: Aug. 23, 2013 Finished: Aug. 26, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Book #77

WWE stars John Morrison and Gail Kim visited the Central Library on Monday, July 26, to promote the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. A partnership between the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and World Wrestling Entertainment, the Reading Challenge offers students from grades 5 through 12 the chance to win trips to WrestleMania in Atlanta on April 2, 2011, and $2,000 WrestleMania grants for their libraries. WWE stars are on a nationwide tour to promote the reading program. During their stop at the Central Library, Morrison and Kim signed autographs for over 300 fans who showed their library cards.

Photo by Heather DiMasi

Some Girls -- "At the age of 19, Lauren was trying to get a fledgling acting career off the ground while working as a stripper and call girl. When the opportunity arises for several girls to travel to the island of Borneo to be a part of the harem of the Sultan of Brunei’s youngest brother, Prince Jefri, for a few weeks, Lauren jumps at the opportunity. Telling her family she’s headed overseas for an acting job, she travels to Brunei for what she thinks will be a diverting and exciting two weeks. Once she arrives at the expansive estate, Lauren finds her only duty is to attend lavish parties each night and hope that she will be the one chosen to steal away from the party with the prince. Two weeks turns into a year, and Lauren finds herself increasingly involved in the vicious competition for the prince’s attention." -- from www.amazon.com

This was an interesting but okay book...I disagreed with a great many of the author's choices in her life -- even with her father's abusive nature, even she states that becoming a call girl/porn star wasn't really a solution to her problems. She admits her laziness and her frank description of living with chronic depression was very accurate but I was glad that in the end of book that her life seems to have taken a turn towards a happy, productive existence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wavesong -- "With the end of the wintertime that isolates Obernewtyn from the rest of the world, Farseeker guildmistress Elspeth Gordie again sets out for the lowlands. But she soon finds that not everyone welcomes the changes brought about by the rebellion. There is a traitor among the rebels—a traitor whose hatred of Misfits puts Elspeth in danger as she attempts to thwart an invasion of fanatical Herders." -- from www.amazon.com

Stone Key -- "Friend becomes foe and trust is a thing of the past when the Misfits’ most relentless enemy turns Elspeth’s world upside down. Through coercion and mind control, Ariel stands on the cusp of his ultimate revenge—and it falls to Elspeth to rescue a former ally whose mind and body have been manipulated to unleash a plague that will destroy all it touches." -- from www.amazon.com

I liked these two just as much as I liked all the previous books in the series...the only problem now is the long wait until the last two books come out and I get to find out what finally happens to all the characters.

Some Girls -- Started: Feb. 18, 2011 Finished: Feb. 18, 2011

Wavesong -- Started: Feb. 21, 2011 Finished: Feb. 22, 2011

The Stone Key -- Feb. 22, 2011 Finished: Feb. 24, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #18, #19 & #20

Gideon's Sword -- "Gideon Crew, the hero of Preston and Child’s new novel, has a complicated backstory. As a boy, he watched as his father, who had taken a man hostage, was shot down by a sniper. Less than a decade later, he learned from his mother that his father had been used by the U.S. government as a scapegoat for a failed intelligence project. After dispatching the man responsible for his father’s murder, Gideon is offered a job with a private contractor that does hush-hush work for the government. Gideon’s mission: to intercept a Chinese scientist and relieve him of the plans for a top-secret weapon. The mission doesn’t go as drawn, however, and Gideon is left with a mysterious string of numbers. Now, working mostly alone, he must determine what the numbers mean." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a very good and enjoyable book. Very similar to their "Agent Pendergast" series but with a little different premise...looking forward to the next book in this series.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mammoth Book of Merlin -- "This magical set of stories explores the mystery and intrigue of Merlin. Enter the darker realms of the age of the Knights of the Round Table, where magic held sway." -- from www.amazon.com

Pretty much like any other Arthurian anthology...some good stories, some bad, and some where I honestly wondered what kind of herbs the author was inhaling during their wiccan ritual that inspired their story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading Lolita in Tehran -- "In 1995, after resigning from her job as a professor at a university in Tehran due to repressive policies, Azar Nafisi invited seven of her best female students to attend a weekly study of great Western literature in her home. Since the books they read were officially banned by the government, the women were forced to meet in secret, often sharing photocopied pages of the illegal novels. For two years they met to talk, share, and "shed their mandatory veils and robes and burst into color." Though most of the women were shy and intimidated at first, they soon became emboldened by the forum and used the meetings as a springboard for debating the social, cultural, and political realities of living under strict Islamic rule. They discussed their harassment at the hands of "morality guards," the daily indignities of living under the Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, the effects of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, love, marriage, and life in general, giving readers a rare inside look at revolutionary Iran. The books were always the primary focus, however, and they became "essential to our lives: they were not a luxury but a necessity," she writes.

Threaded into the memoir are trenchant discussions of the work of Vladimir Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and other authors who provided the women with examples of those who successfully asserted their autonomy despite great odds. The great works encouraged them to strike out against authoritarianism and repression in their own ways, both large and small." -- from www.amazon.com

I thought this would be more of a memoir than it actually was. There are chapters devoted to her life, marriage and teaching career. But these are interspersed with chapters devoted to novels and their authors and how their works paralleled the political and social turmoil in Iran. An interesting premise, but a little disconcerting and disruptive to the flow of the book.

Gideon's Sword -- Started: Apr. 20, 2011 Finished: Apr. 21, 2011

Mammoth Book of Merlin -- Started: Apr. 29, 2011 Finished: May 10, 2011

Reading Lolita in Tehran -- Started: May 6, 2011 Finished: May 14, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #35, #36 & #37

My Sergei -- "In the former Soviet Union, the sports establishment, charged with producing winners for the greater glory of the empire, had almost unlimited power over the athletically gifted. Children as young as five or six were identified, sent to special schools and given rigorous training in the sports in which they were expected to excel. Two such youngsters were Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, paired as skaters by their teachers when they were 11 and 14, respectively. Throughout their training and into the start of their competitive careers, each thought of the other only as an athletic partner, partly because the four-year difference in their ages meant they had few friends in common. But as time passed and their joint career led to international championships, they fell in love and married. Their success culminated in Olympic gold medals in 1990 and 1994. And then, suddenly, Grinkov died of a heart attack in 1995 at age 28." -- from www.amazon.com

I was in high school when Sergei Grinkov died and I remember how horribly sad it was...I was a big fan of figure skating at the time (along with my parents and a lot of my friends) so this was something that everyone talked about for quite awhile. A very touching and honest memoir.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside Edge -- "Figure skating is emerging as a major force in worldwide professional sports. Get the inside edge on the events and personalities of the professional figure-skating circuit. Profiles on stars such as Nancy Kerrigan, Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, and Oksana Baiul are interspersed with the author's impressions and research from a year on the tour, including analysis of the major competitions, the judging process, and the emotional and physical toll the sport takes on young athletes." -- from www.amazon.com

Edge of Glory -- "The author of Inside Edge updates the behind-the-scenes saga of professional figure skating to include the results of the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Beginning with the 1997 U.S. championships in Nashville, Brennan chronicles the ambitions, achievements, frustrations, and personal hurdles for the American skaters in a pivotal year that culminated with the Olympics. The year's drama is palpable, including highlights such as the competition between the two top-rated women, Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski, along with the ever-increasing athleticism of the men. Along the way Brennan makes detours to check up on recent favorites from the past such as Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Brian Boitano, and Scott Hamilton. And always rinkside are the stories of coaches, choreographers, parents, and fans who have transformed figure skating into one of the world's fastest-growing professional sports." -- from www.amazon.com

If you're looking for one woman's opinion of figure skating and all it's ups and downs, then these books are for you. However, if you are looking for an unbiased and well-rounded look at the world of figure skating, then you had best keep looking. There is a lot of detailed information about the inside world of skating but it is extremely obvious which skaters are the author's favorites by how she handles writing about them. Skaters she doesn't care for are either dismissed or constantly criticized for their mistakes while her favorite skaters are praised and every mistake they make is chalked up to the "overwhelming personal pressure" of their lives. I learned some new information about some of the skaters, but honestly, I would not recommend these books.

My Sergei -- Started: Feb. 1, 2011 Finished: Feb. 1, 2011

Inside Edge -- Started: Feb. 3, 2011 Finished: Feb. 5, 2011

Edge of Glory -- Started: Feb. 6, 2011 Finished: Feb. 13, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #11, #13 & #14

King's Mistress -- "a dynamic fictionalization of the life of Alice Salisbury, who, at 14, leaves family and best friend Geoffrey Chaucer behind to marry Janyn Perrers, a prominent merchant who has the patronage of Isabella, the Queen Mother. Alice accustoms herself to the royal lifestyle, grows close to her husband, and bears a daughter. Her happiness is destroyed when royal fortunes shift, Janyn disappears, and Alice is summoned to court by Queen Philippa. To secure her daughter's safety, Alice complies and is quickly drawn into the machinations and extravagance of Edward III's mid-14th-century court, where she captures the king's interest. Campion stays true to the facts of Alice's life as the mistress of Edward III, the mother of his son John, and a successful businesswoman." -- from www.amazon.com

I had never read anything before about this period of British history or about Alice Perrers. This was a pretty good book...there were times when it was a little lacking in plot, and times when it was boring...but overall, a decent read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queen's Dollmaker -- "On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil - as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home...Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the spectre of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test." -- from www.amazon.com

Royal Likeness -- "As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby's future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite's husband is killed during a riot, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and becomes apprentice to her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a wax exhibition. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure - and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon, Marguerite will find her loyalties under fire from all sides." -- from www.amazon.com

I wasn't that fond of these two books. They were more romance novel than historical fiction and that put me off a bit. Okay writing, okay plot but definitely nothing spectacular.

The King's Mistress -- Started: July 13, 2011 Finished: July 16, 2011

The Queen's Dollmaker -- Started: July 17, 2011 Finished: July 19, 2011

A Royal Likeness -- Started: July 19, 2011 Finished: July 21, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #60, #61 & #62

Interred – “On a June day in 2004, at London's rebuilt Globe theater, Rosalind Howard, flamboyantly eccentric Harvard Professor of Shakespeare, gives her friend Katharine Stanley, who's directing a production of Hamlet at the Globe, a small gold-wrapped box. That evening, a fire damages the Globe, where Roz is found murdered in the same manner as Hamlet's father. Roz's mysterious gift, which contains a Victorian mourning brooch decorated with flowers associated with Ophelia, propels Kate on a wild and wide-ranging quest that takes her to Utah; Arizona; Washington, D.C.; and back to London. Every step of the way, as the bodies pile up, Kate narrowly escapes becoming the next murder victim.” – from www.amazon.com

Haunt Me Still – “Agreeing to direct Shakespeare's notoriously ill-starred Scottish play plunges scholar-sleuth Kate Stanley into a cauldron of trouble in this heady, occult-steeped thriller, the sequel to Interred with Their Bones. The reclusive Lady Nairn, decades earlier the bewitching actress Janet Douglas, plans a production featuring priceless Macbeth-linked antiquities, her own return to the stage, and—if Kate can find it—a rumored earlier version of the play said to include actual magic rites. No sooner does the cast assemble at Lady Nairn's Scottish castle, however, than all hell breaks loose. Kate's hallucinatory vision of the savaged body of Lady Nairn's granddaughter foreshadows two very real murders—with Kate a prime suspect.” – from www.amazon.com

These were both good books and I enjoyed them. The only quibble I had was that so much time was devoted to Shakespeare and his history that the mystery storyline in both the books was sort of pushed aside and both times the plot ended a little flat.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game of Thrones – “In a world where the approaching winter will last four decades, kings and queens, knights and renegades struggle for control of a throne. Some fight with sword and mace, others with magic and poison. Beyond the Wall to the north, meanwhile, the Others are preparing their army of the dead to march south as the warmth of summer drains from the land…When Lord Stark of Winterfell, an honest man, comes south to act as the King's chief councilor, no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control.” – from www.amazon.com

I’m about halfway through this book right now and I’m very intrigued by the story. I do wish there were fewer characters – it gets a little difficult to keep all of them and their various alliances straight at times.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stealing Fire – “Alexander the Great is dead, and his generals are fighting over his empire. One of them, Ptolemy, makes for Egypt, along with narrator Lydias, who worked his way up from slavery to Alexander's side and is present when the goddess Isis tells Ptolemy he must become pharaoh to protect Egypt against evil spirits and foreign invaders. As Ptolemy begins governing a free Egypt and building a diverse new society in Alexandria, he entrusts Lydias with a vital mission: stealing Alexander's body and bringing it to Egypt to release his spirit.” – from www.amazon.com

This was a very good book and I really enjoyed it. When it ended, I really wished there was still more to read and I can’t wait until her next book comes out :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scroll of Saqqara – “Prince Khaemwaset, son of Rameses II, is wealthy and influential, respected throughout Egypt for his knowledge of medicine and his powerful magical skills. But, he has a secret desire. He dreams of finding the mysterious Scroll of Thoth which will give its possessor the power to raise the dead and so attain immortality. Searching among the burial ruins on the high plain of Saqqara, Khaemwaset reaches out to grasp his dream – and forgets that there are other, dark forces within the tombs that he should never have awakened” (taken from the back cover of the book)

I haven’t gotten very far into this book yet, but I like it so far. It’s not quite as good as some of her other books that I’ve read – the supernatural storyline throws things off a bit – but I’m looking forward to finding out what happens.

Interred With Their Bones – Started: June 1, 2010 Finished: June 3, 2010

Haunt Me Still – Started: June 3, 2010 Finished: June 4, 2010

A Game of Thrones – Started: June 6, 2010 Finished: June 20, 2010

Stealing Fire – Started: June 10, 2010 Finished: June 12, 2010

Scroll of Saqqara – Started: June 14, 2010 Finished: July 12, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #41, #42, #43, #44 & #45

Lake of Dead Languages -- "When Jane Hudson returns to her high school alma mater, the Heart Lake School for Girls, as a Latin teacher, tragic events of the past begin to resurface. Twenty years earlier at Heart Lake, roommates Jane, Lucy and Deirdre were inseparable. They studied the classics together under the tutelage of the mesmerizing Helen Chambers, sneaking out for midnight skinny dipping in the lake and meeting Lucy's brother, Matt, in the sheltered woods of the campus. Their clandestine friendship ended in the winter of senior year, amid scandal and suicide. Only Jane knows the truth behind the mystery of Matt and the other girls' deaths and now, two decades later, the secret comes back to haunt her: someone has found her missing journal, written during that tragic time, and begins a macabre re-enactment of the past. When one of Jane's troubled young students is found dead in the frigid waters of Heart Lake, an apparent suicide, the school board suspects Jane is the harmful influence." -- from www.amazon.com

This was okay novel, though not my favorite of hers at all. I pretty much guessed ahead of time who the villian of the plot was and the end of this novel was hasty and rather flat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seduction of Water -- "Water, from Iris Greenfeder's perspective, is the Hudson River. She has a view of it from her five-story walkup in New York City's westernmost Greenwich Village, and it shimmers in the distance from the Equinox, the Catskills hotel where Iris grew up. Her father, Ben, was the manager at the Equinox; her mother, Kay, a former maid, wrote two fantastical novels there. Driving the plot is the not-so-simple question: did Kay write a third novel, and is it hidden at the Equinox? Back at the hotel for the summer, Iris plans to write the story of her mother's life and search for the missing manuscript. As she attempts to solve the mystery, she is abetted and thwarted by a large cast of characters, including her mother's famous literary agent, the mega-millionaire owner of a hotel chain, the daughter of a famous suicidal poet, an all-knowing gardener and the delicious Aidan Barry, whom Iris meets while he's still in prison." -- from www.amazon.com

I liked this novel better than "The Lake of Dead Languages" but not as much as "The Night Villa". The plot of this one was intriguing and I liked the tie-in of Irish/Celtic folklore but the climax wasn't as suspenseful as it could have been.

The Lake of Dead Languages -- Started: Aug. 14, 2010 Finished: Aug. 14, 2010

The Seduction of Water -- Started: Aug. 14, 2010 Finished: Aug. 15, 2010

25 Book Challenge 2010 Books #58 & #59

WWE stars John Morrison and Gail Kim visited the Central Library on Monday, July 26, to promote the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. A partnership between the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and World Wrestling Entertainment, the Reading Challenge offers students from grades 5 through 12 the chance to win trips to WrestleMania in Atlanta on April 2, 2011, and $2,000 WrestleMania grants for their libraries. WWE stars are on a nationwide tour to promote the reading program. During their stop at the Central Library, Morrison and Kim signed autographs for over 300 fans who showed their library cards.

Photo by Heather DiMasi

Ghosts of Central New York -- "New York s heartland is rife with ghosts and tales of hauntings. Spirits skulk about burial grounds, supernatural strains of piano music resound and some specters strike out in a bowling hall. Such are the haunted happenings in the central region of New York State. Populated with phantoms of those who helped shape the landscape, Cooperstown, Herkimer, Oriskany, Rome and Syracuse are a few of the places where influential and heroic spirits still reside. Experience an unearthly journey through eerie forts, spirited inns and possessed museums. Uncover the buried secrets of battlefields and B & Bs. Bear witness to long-gone eras by visiting with the Ghosts of Central New York." -- from www.amazon.com

I'm always interested to hear about new haunted historical sites, especially if they're close to where I live. But frankly, this book felt like an incomplete history report written by a ten year old. Misspellings, run-on sentences, and bad grammar abounded. Most of the stories were riddled with random facts that were never followed up on and/or the stories ended abruptly without really finishing what had been started. It read like someone started writing down an episode of "Ghost Hunters" and then got bored in the middle and just scribbled a random ending.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wizards -- "In Wizards, today's master fantasists turn their hands to tales of these magical beings, living in both ancient and modern times, as well as in fantasy realms that never were.

Featuring stories by New York Times bestselling authors Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer and Garth Nix as well as tales from Kage Baker, Peter S. Beagle, Terry Bisson, Orson Scott Card, Terry Dowling, Andy Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Elizabeth Hand, Nancy Kress, Tanith Lee, Patricia A. McKillip, Mary Rosenblum, Tad Williams, Gene Wolfe, and Jane Yolen." -- from www.amazon.com

A good book...there were some really great stories in the book -- especially Orson Scott Card's story -- and there were some not so good ones. Nothing really terrible, just a few stories that felt incomplete or were just plain boring.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash -- "Deep in the countryside, ghost hunter David Ash is investigating a mysterious, secluded stately home. Reports from locals regarding strange goings-on make him think the house is haunted... But not even David Ash's long professional history of warding off evil spirits can prepare him for the shocking discovery that awaits." -- from www.amazon.com

I really liked this book...it was an interesting story and I liked the main characters. There were a few times when it felt a little rushed -- a plotline would pick up only to be wrapped up quickly a few pages later and never mentioned again -- which was a bit disatisflying. There were a few great creepy scenes including one with some very horrifying spiders. All in all, I liked it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lost Years -- "Just weeks after discovering a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ himself, biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons is found shot to death in his study. Police suspect his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, murdered him in a jealous rage. But the priceless parchment is missing, and Jonathan had recently confided to a family friend his suspicions that someone he once trusted had designs on the ancient document. It is up to his daughter, Mariah, to clear her mother of murder charges and unravel the real mystery behind her father’s death—before her own revelations become her last." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

A decent murder mystery...it was less about the parchment than I thought it would be when I picked it up which was disappointing, but just as a mystery novel, it was pretty good.

Ghosts Of Central New York -- Started: Apr. 12, 2013 Finished: Apr. 23, 2013

Wizards -- Started: Apr. 17, 2013 Finished: May 1, 2013

Ash -- Started: Apr. 23, 2013 Finished: Apr. 25, 2013

The Lost Years -- Started: Apr. 24, 2013 Finished: Apr. 26, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #25, #26, #27 & #28

Daphne -- "In the late 1950s, du Maurier, determined to establish herself as a serious writer, researched and wrote a biography of Branwell Brontë, the often-overlooked real-life brother of sisters Emily and Charlotte. Flash forward to the present, in which a nameless graduate student seeks out lost secrets about the relationship between du Maurier and John Alexander Symington, the Brontë expert and curator to whom du Maurier dedicated her eventual Brontë book...the student, in one plot line, grows increasingly obsessed with du Maurier and loses touch with reality. Meanwhile, in another thread, du Maurier and Symington both flirt with madness in their separate Branwell quests. Du Maurier's fictional characters, especially Rebecca, haunt the story...as do the Brontës, Brontë protagonists, and Barrie's Peter Pan and the Lost Boys (who were inspired by du Maurier's cousins)." -- from www.amazon.com

This is a really good book. I loved reading "Rebecca" in high school but I never knew how intriguing Daphne Du Maurier's real life was.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old School -- "Set in a New England prep school in the early 1960s, the novel imagines a final, pastoral moment before the explosion of the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the suicide of Ernest Hemingway. The unnamed narrator is one of several boys whose life revolves around the school's English teachers, those polymaths who seemed to know "exactly what was most worth knowing." For the boys, literature is the center of life, and their obsession culminates in a series of literary competitions during their final year. The prize in each is a private audience with a visiting writer who serves as judge for the entries. At first, the narrator is entirely taken with the battle. As he fails in his effort to catch Robert Frost's attention and then is unable--due to illness--to even compete for his moment with Ayn Rand, he devotes his energies to a masterpiece for his hero, Hemingway. But, confronting the blank page, the narrator discovers his cowardice, his duplicity. He has withheld himself, he realizes, even from his roommate. He has used his fiction to create a patrician gentility, a mask for his middle class home and his Jewish ancestry. Through the competition for Hemingway, fittingly, all of his illusions about literature dissolve." -- from www.amazon.com

This is a pretty good book. I found out about it in a review of Curtis Sittenfeld's novel "Prep", and "Old School" and "Prep" are very similar. The only thing that really frustrates me about this book is that none of the dialogue is in quotation marks. It makes it a little difficult at times to keep track of conversations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phantom -- "...in this retelling of Gaston Leroux's 1911 tale, The Phantom of the Opera...(Phantom) begins with the birth of the horribly disfigured Erik and continues into the years following his doomed romance with Christine, ending in an unexpected and triumphant redemption. The narrative encompasses Erik's disastrous formative years with his mother, his caged existence among a gypsy tribe and a period of relative happiness in Rome, where he perfects his skills as an architect and builder. He goes to Persia, where he masters his talent for torture and murder and, finally, he is involved in the construction of the Paris Opera House--and the creation of his labyrinthine world beneath that structure." -- from www.amazon.com

This was a book I checked out from the library awhile ago but never got to before it had to go back. I finally got my own copy and I'm enjoying the story. This version of the Phantom's story is more about his early life (and traumas) than about the Opera House tragedy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There is a theme to my books this week. "Old School" is about a group of competitive prep school aspiring authors. "Daphne" is , of course, about several authors including Daphne Du Maurier, the Brontës, and J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan). "Phantom" is based on author Gaston Leroux's "Phantom of the Opera" which was, in turn, influenced by a novel called "Trilby" by George Du Maurier -- Daphne's grandfather.

Daphne: A Novel -- Started: Oct. 8, 2009 Finished: Oct. 17, 2009

Old School -- Started: Oct. 8, 2009 Finished: Oct. 17, 2009

Phantom -- Started: Oct. 11, 2009 Finished: Oct. 20, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #52, #53 & #54

Gone Missing -- "Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It’s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion.

A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties run deep. When the search for the presumed runaway turns up a dead body, the case quickly becomes a murder investigation. And chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows that in order to solve this case she will have to call upon everything she has to give not only as a cop, but as a woman whose own Amish roots run deep.

Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teen and discover links to cold cases that may go back years. But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle in time to save the missing teen and the Amish community from a devastating fate? Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer?" -- from www.amazon.com

Her Last Breath -- "An extraordinarily beautiful Amish woman, a dangerous femme fatale, is the central figure in a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world

A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere.

What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental. But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to communicate. He may be the only one who knows what happened that night. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend’s husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter’s Mill. It is a search that takes her on a chilling journey into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she was born." -- from www.amazon.com

Two more great thrillers from Linda Castillo...the only quibble I had was that the ending of "Gone Missing" was a bit of a cliffhanger and, so far, she hasn't followed up on it.

Gone Missing -- Started: Aug. 2, 2013 Finished: Aug. 3, 2013

Her Last Breath -- Started: Aug. 3, 2013 Finished: Aug. 4, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #65 & #66

"In The Eye of God, a Sigma Force novel, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins delivers an apocalyptic vision of a future predicted by the distant past. In the wilds of Mongolia, a research satellite has crashed, triggering an explosive search for its valuable cargo: a code-black physics project connected to the study of dark energy—and a shocking image of the eastern seaboard of the United States in utter ruin. At the Vatican, a package arrives containing two strange artifacts: a skull scrawled with ancient Aramaic and a tome bound in human skin. DNA evidence reveals that both came from the same body: the long dead Mongol king Genghis Khan. Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force set out to discover a truth tied to the fall of the Roman Empire, to a mystery going back to the birth of Christianity, and to a weapon hidden for centuries that holds the fate of humanity."

My first James Rollins book. It was a pretty good mystery-thriller. I was a little underwhelmed by it after all the hype I've heard about the author. Maybe it was just because I hadn't started with the first book in the Sigma Force series.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It is the year 1152 and a beautiful woman of thirty, attended by only a small armed escort, is riding like the wind southwards through what is now France, leaving behind her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage to Louis of France, who had been more like a monk than a king, and certainly not much of a lover. This woman is Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and her sole purpose now is to return to her vast duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet, a man destined for greatness as King of England. Theirs is a union founded on lust which will create a great empire stretching from the wilds of Scotland to the Pyrenees. It will also create the devil's brood of Plantagenets — including Richard Coeur de Lion and King John — and the most notoriously vicious marriage in history. "The Captive Queen" is a novel on the grand scale, an epic subject for Alison Weir. It tells of the making of nations, and of passionate conflicts: between Henry II and Thomas Becket, his closest friend who is murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on his orders; between Eleanor and Henry's formidable mother, Matilda; between father and sons, as Henry's children take up arms against him; and, finally between Henry and Eleanor herself."

A very interesting and vivid portrait of an amazing woman. Very good book.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"In the third and final volume of the Delphic Women series, Hector is dead, Troy has fallen in ruins; and unknown to the Argives, refugees from the sack are rebuilding their civilization in New Troy. Agamemnon King of Men returns in triumph to Mycenae, bringing Princess Cassandra among his captives. Diomenes called Chryse and a Trojan sailor pursue her by sea, hoping against hope to rescue her. Their resourcefulness will be strained to its limits by war, pillage and social breakdown. For all is not well in the House of the Axe. In the king’s absence, Clytemnestra the Queen has taken a lover Aegisthus and has mixed feelings about her husband’s return. And the King’s golden-eyed daughter Electra hides a secret of her own which will bring a terrible vengeance. Meanwhile Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, has troubles of his own. He wishes only to return home to Ithaca, but the gods have other ideas."

I liked this book but thought it would have been better if every other scene in the book wasn't a Cassandra three-some.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This story is set in the England of 1044. As dawn breaks over a summer's landscape, Harold Godwinesson is riding east. One of seven sons of the noble Godwime family, he is newly created Earl of East Anglia. But marrying for love sets him against his family and his King. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, is hungry for power. A charismatic leader, he care nothing for the hypocrisy of court, only his next victory. Matched by his determined wife Mathilda, he casts his eyes towards England. King Edward is alternately influenced and angered by his powerful mother, the Dowager Queen Emma. Manipulated into a marriage of convenience with Harolds sister, he is at the mercy of his nobles - an he lacks an heir."

An interesting book...the characters would wonderfully fleshed out -- No cookie cutter bad guys and good guys. Very well researched and written.

Astronaut Wives Club -- "As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. Many became next-door neighbors and helped to raise each other's children by day, while going to glam parties at night as the country raced to land a man on the Moon.

As their celebrity rose-and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives-they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than fifty years. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history" -- from www.amazon.com

A great book...well researched and well written. Some of the stories I knew from other things I had read but a number of anecdotes I had never before. A really interesting and honest portrayal of the ups and downs in the lives of the early astronaut families. If you're interested in Astronaut/NASA history, this book is a definite must read.

The Astronaut Wives Club -- Started: June 26, 2013 Finished: June 28, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Book #47

Snow White -- "In Snow White, Blood Red, some of today's most acclaimed fantasy authors present stories that evoke the spirit of classic fairy tales, but that are decidedly for grown-ups. Here you will find magical tales of enchantment and delight, but also stories with a dark, sinister edge in which heroes and heroines are flawed and fallible, fairies and fey beings pursue their own wicked schemes, love lists toward lust, words and actions are weapons that draw blood, and not everyone lives happily ever after. Passionate, erotic, violent, and brutally honest, these stories simmer with emotions that their disarmingly charming fantasies can barely contain" -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

I wanted to like this book because I love fairy tales, myths, legends, etc.

However, while a couple of the stories were good, most of them I could have done

without ever reading. A attempted rewrite of Little Red Riding Hood sounds more

like a bad bestiality version of Lolita. Rape, child abuse, theft and more masquerade as

plot devices in a number of the stories. Many of the stories were so full of sex and/or

violence, there was no room left for character development or decent plotting. Others

made no sense whatsoever and bore no resemblance to the original fairy tales they were

supposedly based on. Oh, and the Disney bashing at every turn...in the editor's notes, in

the intros to each short story -- I couldn't escape it. Disney -- according to the editors --

is the sole party responsible for the "prettying up" of most of the original versions of the stories.

Nevermind the fact that the rewriting of the original fairy stories starting long before

good Old Walt Disney was even born -- in the early 1800's in fact. In an attempt to "reclaim"

the original mood of fairy tales, the editors and writers in this book have recoiled so

far from the Disney-fied versions that they've gone all the way to the other extreme...

replacing any magic and depth of morality with gratuitous violence and sex. No desire

to read any of the other books in this series.

Snow White, Blood Red -- Started: Oct. 18, 2012 Finished: Nov. 6, 2012

25 Book Challenge 2012 Book #69

Lucrezia Borgia -- "Historians who have attempted to rescue Lucrezia Borgia from her legend as a poisoner who slept with both her father, Pope Alexander VI, and her brother, Cesare Borgia, have mostly described her as a pawn. Indeed, before she was twenty-one she was twice married off to men who were disposed of once their political usefulness expired. (The first had to declare himself impotent and grant her a divorce; the second was strangled in his bed.) Bradford sees Lucrezia neither as a helpless victim nor a femme fatale but as a resourceful individual—an able administrator, a genuinely religious woman, and the equal in political skill, if not in brutality, of her notorious male relatives. When the family of her third husband balked at alliance with a woman described as the “greatest whore there ever was in Rome,” she used all her craft and charm to win them over—by, among other things, making her pious prospective father-in-law a gift of several nuns." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

Chock full of information but a rather dry read. It would have been better reading if more of the focus had been on Lucrezia herself and less about he men in her family, i.e. her father, brothers, and husbands.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blood & Beauty -- "By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and inside the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: He is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians. If the Borgias are to triumph, this charismatic, consummate politician with a huge appetite for life, women, and power must use papacy and family—in particular, his eldest son, Cesare, and his daughter Lucrezia—in order to succeed.

Cesare, with a dazzlingly cold intelligence and an even colder soul, is his greatest—though increasingly unstable—weapon. Later immortalized in Machiavelli’s The Prince, he provides the energy and the muscle. Lucrezia, beloved by both men, is the prime dynastic tool. Twelve years old when the novel opens, hers is a journey through three marriages, and from childish innocence to painful experience, from pawn to political player." -- from www.barnesandnoble.com

A nice novel...far more expansive and well written than the other novel I've read by Dunant.

Lucrezia Borgia -- Started: Sep. 2, 2013 Finished: Sep. 18, 2013

Blood & Beauty -- Started: Sep. 9, 2013 Finished: Sep. 18, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #79 & #80

Lady Macbeth -- "Gruadh, the future Lady Macbeth and the daughter of 11th-century Scottish prince Bodhe, survives several kidnappings in her girlhood and, determined to uphold the traditions of fierce Celtic women warriors, learns how to fight. Rue meets Macbeth, whose royal blood is nearly as pure as hers, but her father marries her off to the warrior Gillecomgan, of whom she grows fond. Macbeth kills him during Rue's pregnancy and immediately marries her, as is his right as victor—and there soon prove to be many more compelling reasons for the match. As King Malcolm's tyranny causes unrest, the Macbeths embark on a bloody campaign to win over their countrymen." -- from www.amazon.com

Queen Hereafter -- "In King's follow-up to Lady Macbeth, Queen Margaret feeds the hungry and clothes the poor while war rages at home and abroad in 11th-century Scotland. Margaret transforms from devout exile into devout yet savvy queen when she marries King Malcolm Canmore, 18 years her senior and famous for killing Macbeth and his heir to the Scottish thrown. Newlywed Margaret first hears of Macbeth's unrepentant widow, Lady Gruadh, who has just sent her gifted granddaughter Eva to Malcolm's court to serve as bard, confidant, and spy. With Eva by her side, an emboldened Margaret embraces both Celtic and Latin religious traditions, aids the poor, frees prisoners, introduces the Scots to English manners, and helps negotiate peace. As she matures, Margaret's love for her husband and his people deepens and their relationship comes richly to life." -- from www.amazon.com

These were both extremely good books and I'm glad I grabbed them off the library shelf when I saw them. The story of the Macbeths is wonderful and tragic and far removed from Shakespeare's evil King and Queen. Queen Hereafter was a great read, even though there were times when I wanted to smack Margaret for her cold, self-righteous attitude. Definitely recommend both books :)

Lady Macbeth -- Started: Mar. 13, 2011 Finished: Mar. 17, 2011

Queen Hereafter -- Started: Mar. 17, 2011 Finished: Mar. 19, 2011

25 Book Challenge 2011 Books #25 & #26

Sick this week -- hence the meds & cough drops -- but still reading! :)

The Fire -- "When Katherine Neville's The Eight appeared in 1988, it marked something new: a thriller combining history and fiction in parallel narratives that told the story of a potentially world-changing secret. One strand explored mysterious connections among real historical figures, while another followed present-day adventurers unraveling clues from the past on a perilous quest for hidden treasure -- awfully Da Vinci Code one might say, except that The Eight predated Dan Brown's novel by 15 years. Now Neville returns with The Fire, a much-anticipated sequel, but the question isn't just how she expands on that first novel, but how well she works within what has become a tried-and-true formula. In structure and elements, the new novel has much in common with The Eight: one story set in the 1820s, another in the 1990s, with characters in each period playing a high-stakes game related to a chess set that once belonged to Charlemagne. At the end of the first novel, the players learned that the board and pieces contained the formula for the elixir of life; here it's discovered that the board may hold more abstract information about natural order and balance -- the Big Picture, it's called at one point, the Original Instructions at others. Whatever it is, it seems worth killing for. Many characters from The Eight reappear, but the focus now is on Xie, a 12-year-old chess prodigy who has lost a pivotal game due to Amaurosis Scacchistica, or chess blindness -- "the failure to spot a truly obvious danger." En route to a rematch that could make her the youngest grandmaster ever, she and her father encounter even greater dangers: evidence that one of those long-buried pieces may have been unearthed, a discovery that leads to her father's murder. Ten years later, Xie, now forbidden by her mother to play chess, is summoned to Colorado for her mother's birthday party, but her mother seems to have vanished, leaving behind a series of clues, among them a chessboard laid out with Xie's last game. Soon other guests arrive, including both the opponent to whom Xie lost that game and a group of neighbors with surprising ties to the world of chess. There are eight people in all, of course. The Game is afoot once more." -- from www.amazon.com

I was really looking forward to reading this book after I finished "The Eight". I liked this book but I liked "The Eight" better. There were parts of "The Fire" that dragged on a little and at times it was very hard to keep track of the character's motivations. But I would recommend this book and "The Eight", especially to those who liked "The Da Vinci Code" or Steve Berry's books.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Alexander Cipher -- "Apparently everybody hates Daniel Knox, an American archaeologist turned dive instructor who is currently living in Egypt. There’s the nasty Hassan, his rich Egyptian boss, whom Daniel beat up in order to keep him from raping a young woman, and Hassan’s even nastier head of security, Nessim. There’s Gaille Bonnard, the Egyptologist who blames Daniel for the death of her father, and Nicolas Dragoumis, the wealthy industrialist whose own father seems oddly determined to ruin Daniel. Further complicating Daniel’s life is, of all people, Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king who proves that being dead for 2,300 years doesn’t mean you still can’t wreak havoc in people’s lives. After Alexander’s death, in 323 BCE, his body was brought to Egypt in a massive golden funeral carriage; Alexander’s power-hungry general, Ptolemy, stole Alexander’s body for his own purposes, and the funeral carriage vanished. Daniel thinks he knows where the carriage is, but that pales in comparison to a new discovery: artifacts that might point the way to the long-lost body of Alexander himself. All Daniel, a lifelong Alexander scholar, needs to do is keep clear of all the people who are out to get him long enough to solve the mystery." -- from www.amazon.com

I really liked this book. It was pretty fast paced and there were some interesting twists in it. All in all, a good story.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Destruction of Atlantis -- "All human cultures, fom classical and biblical to naive North and South American, share the myth of an ancient deluge that often coincides with a rain of fire from the heavens. Now, in The Destruction of Atlantis, author Frank Joseph links this worldwide cultural phenomenon to the story of the lost civilization of Atlantis, which in a single day and night disappeared into the sea in a violent cataclysm" -- from the back cover of the book

This book is what I originally thought Shirley Andrews' "Lemuria and Atlantis..." would be like. Frank Joseph is far more objective and far less past lives/crystal worshipping/channeling than Andrews. I'm enjoying the book so far.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And still working my way through Bernard Cornwell's "The Winter King" and Shirley Andrews' "Lemuria & Atlantis..." (I don't care what she says, logic is NOT an obstacle to original thought or spirtual experience...I think she needs to cut down on the hallucinogenic mushrooms!)

The Winter King -- Started: Apr. 21, 2009 Finished: May 19, 2009

Lemuria & Atlantis -- Started: Apr. 23, 2009 Finished: May 20, 2009

The Fire -- Started: May 1, 2009 Finished: May 3, 2009

The Alexander Cipher -- Started: May 3, 2009 Finished: May 5, 2009

The Destruction of Atlantis -- Started: May 8, 2009 Finished: June 16, 2009

25 Book Challenge 2009 Books #24, #25, #27, #28 & #29

The Hypnotist -- "Haunted by his inability to stop the murder of a beautiful young painter twenty years ago, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work with the FBI's Art Crime Team. Investigating a crazed collector who's begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past-life study. There, to maintain his cover, he submits to the treatment of a hypnotist.

Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to nineteenth-century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of the world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: a fifteen-hundred-year-old sculpture the nation of Iran will do anything to recover" -- from www.amazon.com

The Book Of Lost Fragrances -- "Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing— leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.

Fusing history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris, this marvelous, spellbinding novel comes to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams" -- from www.amazon.com

The Memorist -- "As a child, Meer Logan was haunted by bizarre memories and faint strains of elusive music. Now a strange letter beckons her to Vienna, promising to unlock the mysteries of her past. With each step, she comes closer to remembering connections between a clandestine reincarnationist society, Beethoven's lost flute and journalist David Yalom.

David knows loss firsthand—terrorism took his entire family. Now, beneath a concert hall in Vienna, he plots a violent wake-up call to illustrate the world's need for true security" -- from www.amazon.com

All three novels were very much like the first in the series "The Reincarnationist", except the author pulled back on the some of the flashbacks in these later books. The focus slowly shifted from the character's past lives to the deadly search for the so-called "memory tools". Most of the characters were fairly well developed with the exception of Jac L'Etoile in "The Book of Lost Fragrances" -- she came off as an annoying self-centered brat, far more prone to temper tantrums than to paying attention to what was going on around her. All in all, these were decent novels.

The Hypnotist -- Started: July 5, 2013 Finished: July 8, 2013

The Book Of Lost Fragrances -- Started: July 8, 2013 Finished: July 11, 2013

The Memorist -- Started: July 11, 2013 Finished: July 13, 2013

25 Book Challenge 2013 Books #51, #52 & #53