Jenn's 2015 Roots

Jan 1st TBR total: 734

Total Books this Year

Good luck with your challenge!

Good luck with rooting!

Welcome and good luck!

Awww fhanks guys!

Maybe this is the year I will read more on my shelves then I purchase..... ROTFL

Probably not

Hi Jenn! good luck!

Book 1

Green Lake by S. K Epperson
5 of 5 stars

Can't really say why I loved this read as much as I did. Other than I really liked the characters. I was really interested in the relationships that were developing, not a lot of twist or turns but the book flows nicely.

Amazon book description:

The suicide of Madeleine Heron’s husband leaves her at her sister’s lake house for the summer, until she can ‘sort things out’ for herself and find a new direction, but life in the lake community is anything but conducive to calm; right away a three year old girl goes missing from the dam, Madeleine is nearly assaulted when her truck breaks down, and she discovers her neighbors have an affinity for digging holes and burying things in their yard, usually things they find floating in the lake, like a hand, or an arm… Native American conservation officer Eris Renard appears to be the only sane person around, and without warning Madeleine finds herself falling for him, but he’s an adopted Indian who’s just found his birth mother, a famous artist who hates Madeleine.

Book 2

Troll Mountain by Matthew Reilly
1 of 5 stars

Love Matthew Reilly- This was a free download to introduce this series... don't think I will read the additional episodes.

Amazon description

A dauntless young hero.

An army of brutal monsters.

An impossible quest.

Journey to the mountain ...

In an isolated valley, a small tribe of humans is dying from a terrible illness.

There are rumors, however, that the trolls of Troll Mountain, the valley's fearsome overlords, have found a cure for the illness: a fabulous elixir.

When his sister is struck down by the disease and his tribal leaders refuse to help him, an intrepid youth named Raf decides to defy his tribe and do the unthinkable: he will journey alone to Troll Mountain and steal the elixir from the dreaded trolls.

But to get to Troll Mountain, Raf will have to pass through dangerous swamps and haunting forests filled with wolves, hobgoblins and, worst of all, the ever-present danger of rogue trolls ...

The journey to the mountain has begun.

IN THIS, THE FIRST OF THREE SERIALIZED EPISODES, MATTHEW REILLY TAKES YOU ON HIS WILDEST RIDE YET: A HEADLONG QUEST TO THE DARK HEART OF THE KINGDOM OF THE TROLLS.

Book 3

So we bought the farm by Steve Riddle
1 of 5 stars

Ebook

So not very entertaining but also not informational.

Wow! 3 already!

You are moving along with the speed of lightning!

book 4

One Pot by Love Food
3.5 of 5 stars

This one has inspired this weeks grocery list. Not every impressed from the vegetarian section and wish it has listed the nutritional information of each recipe. Otherwise looks like a lot great recipes.

Book 4

One Pot by Love Food
3.5 of 5 stars

This has influenced this weeks recipes. I would have liked a better vegetarian section and nutritional information with the recipes. But otherwise looks like a lot of nice easy meal plan recipes.

Thanks! trying to come out the gates this year. My TBR pile needs the attention.

Book 5

The Passage by Justin Cronin
4 of 5 stars

I have been waiting to read this one for some time. With classes I haven't wanted to take on anything over 30-400 pages.

Well worth the wait. Only a couple points in the book that lingered a little to long and my interest started to drift. But the author quickly pulled me back in.

Amazon Description

n epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

Hello! Good luck w/ your ROOTs this year, though I can see you're off to a great start!
Also >15 deep220: I really enjoyed The Passage also! I particularly enjoyed the first 200 and the last 200 pages... I thought the middle 400 were good, but the first 200 pages, where Cronin delved into the science a bit more, and the last 200 pages with the climax scenes... well I think they really wrapped everything up nicely. :)

I started reading the 2nd book a WHILE ago and, unfortunately, completely lost the thread because I didn't get it finished before I had to return it to the library, and by the time someone (a very sweet co-worker) bought it for me for my kindle, it had been too long to just pick it back up again. So now I'm going to have to start over ... I don't mind ;)

>16 avanders: I do have to read part two too. It might become a ROOT sometime this year (or next year)

Book 6

The Striker by Clive Cussler
4 of 5 stars

Clive Cussler is one of my go to authors when I am in a mood for a good adventure mystery. Haven't read many in the Bell series. Really like that it is a historical mystery.

From Amazon:

It is 1902, and a bright, inexperienced young man named Isaac Bell, only two years out of his apprenticeship at the Van Dorn Detective Agency, has an urgent message for his boss. Hired to hunt for radical unionist saboteurs in the coal mines, he is witness to a terrible accident that makes him think something else is going on…that provocateurs are at work and bigger stakes are in play.

Little does he know just how big they are.

Given exactly one week to prove his case, Bell quickly finds himself pitted against two of the most ruthless opponents he has ever known—men of staggering ambition and cold-bloodedness who are not about to let some wet-behind-the-ears detective stand in their way.

>17 connie53: I think that will be my goal too... a soon-ROOT! And isn't the 3rd coming out soon too???

>18 deep220: sounds like another good one; congrats!

>19 avanders: I don't really know Ava.

Research: The city of mirrors will be released somewhere this year. The original date was in 2014 but it was postponed.

Book 7

Lonewolf's Woman by Deborah Camp
3 of 5 stars

Didn't really capture my interest but at least moved along enough that I didn't give up. Characters where pretty flat. Not interested is anything else in the series. Probably won't pick up another book by this author.

From Amazon:

Orphaned, penniless, and determined to keep her family together, Elise St. John hastily arranges to marry the half-Apache Missouri landowner, Blade Lonewolf, who has agreed to adopt her younger sister. It is a marriage in name only, intended to make the unconventional adoption acceptable.

But as they try to form a family—a Baltimore debutante who can’t even cook and an outcast Indian whose heart is closed to love—they are beset by needs and desires they never anticipated. Living with Blade becomes a sweet torment.

His vitality awakens Elise in a desire that’s too dangerous to acknowledge—but just as impossible to ignore. For Blade, true love becomes a tantalizing promise held just out of reach. It is only when they are in greatest danger of losing everything that they find the fulfillment of their most splendid dreams.

Book 8

Far Away Home by Susan Denning
2.5 of 5 stars

Did not like this book. Kept with it to the end. Not worth it.

The main character is do depend on the people around her. Although she was written to be intelligent and sassy her dependence on pleasing all the men in her life just made her read as weak. It takes half the book for her to realize she doesn't love a character who is in love with someone else. Yes, you know I love a main character that pines for a man that is in love with someone else. Why do women write women to be so pathetic.

It only rates a two because it did make me cry and I did actually make it to the end of the book. However I wish I hadn't because the ending is horrible.

Amazon Description:

In post-Civil War New York City, sixteen-year-old Aislynn Denehy cannot find a job, she has no place to live and no family to help her. Some might think this is a problem; Aislynn believes it is an opportunity, but she has a lot to learn. No formulaic romance, this well-researched love story depicts life as it truly was for the thousands of women who went west reaching for a new life. Aislynn's journey begins in a New York City tenement and leads her across the frontier to a Utah mining camp where she must cope with the three very different men in her life: smart, solicitous Tim, good-natured, good-guy Johnny and the intense but intriguing Liam Moran. Life in the roughshod camp brings small joys and devastating losses. The novel races through authentic experiences involving historical events until it erupts in an unexpected ending. In today's troubled world, Far Away Home will make you believe no matter how many challenges fate sends your way, the human spirit can triumph.

>20 connie53: ooh, exciting :) (and interesting about the delay!)

>21 deep220: and >22 deep220: looks like you're continuing to plug along at a great pace!

>23 avanders: avanders

Funny thing- first of the year always have great motivation and ideals... keeping that going all year long.... that is where I find issues.

>24 deep220: ha, well, maybe if you find the right books (i.e., interesting to you!), you won't even notice that you've read 12! ;)

>24 deep220: That's true! I'm always very motivated the first few months and then the motivation fades away. But through years of ROOTing I found it very rewarding to find little jewels I did not know I possessed. I think the motivation will stay longer now.
>25 avanders: That's true also! Finding the right books and discovering those jewels may help a lot!

>26 connie53: Sometimes finding a jewel sidetracks you further as you discover it is book 1 in a series. LOL oh the merry chase. Which in my current case is finding a new author. I will try and use some restraint, but downloading books on the kindle if far to simple. I swear they almost download themselves.

Book 9

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
5 of 5 stars

This one took no time at all. I had to know Maddy's story. Team Maddy all the way. A little wicked of me to enjoy reading about her getting her revenge. Characters were interesting enough.

From Amazon:

Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis-rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts- has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, whereshe came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance-before she destroys them all?

> So true! I started the first part of the Chaos trilogy by Patrick Ness as a ROOT for this year. And was so good and entertaining I had to go and read the other 2 parts in the series. Also ROOT's but not fitting in my ABC-challenge. So now I have another ticker for extra ROOTS outside the ABC.

book 10

A Lantern in the Window by Bobby Hutchinson
4 of 5 stars

Great little free kindle download. Very quick read, novella. Suprisingly I like the characters.

Amazon Description:

MAIL ORDER BRIDE--A WESTERN PRAIRIE BRIDES ROMANCE
Ever wondered what it might be like to be a mail order bride?
Or the groom, already married to a woman he’s never laid eyes on?

On the Canadian prairies in 1886, having a mail order romance wasn’t unusual. Noah Ferguson desperately needed help on his farm. Annie Tompkins knew she couldn’t go on working in Lazenby’s cotton mill.

˃˃˃ So she’d been a little less than honest in her letters, was that really so terrible?
It was unforgivable, Noah fumed. He’d wanted an older widow, and Annie was a young virgin. But even that wasn’t the full extent of her lies.

Problem is, Noah hasn’t exactly been straight with Annie, either, and his secret has the power to break Annie’s heart.

Ten books already? I can hardly see you for dust!

Book 11

The Godson by Leo Tolstoy
4 of 5 stars

From Amazon:

Tolstoy communicates the teachings of Jesus through brilliantly crafted Russian characters and imaginative stories.
The title story, "The Godson," is an intriguing tale of atonement and obedience as a man deciphers what it means to live a Christian life.

"The Devil's Persistent, but God Is Resistant" powerfully demonstrates how God is greater than the Devil, no matter how cleverly he schemes.

The third story, "The Two Old Men," tells of two friends who begin a journey together to the Holy Land. One is detoured by the needs of a starving family, and the other man makes it to Jerusalem.

Exquisite translations of these stories maintain their original Russian folktale flavor while spotlighting Tolstoy's fervent and thoughtful faith. This collection makes a timeless gift for readers of all ages. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was one of Russia's most celebrated writers and a great moral thinker. Although he is most famous for his two great novels, Western readers today are rediscovering Tolstoy's religious stories and essays

>28 deep220: oh man, that one keeps coming up! Must read some day...

book 12

Zero Hour by Clive Cussler
4 of 5 stars

When I finally run out of Clive Cussler books I will be so very disappointed. One of my favorite authors to pick up for a nice adventure/ mystery read. Has never really disppointed. Of course all the books follow the same general idea... hero saves world. Don't expect any deviation. Which is good for me because I happen to love hero saves world books.

From Amazon

It is called zero-point energy, and it really exists—a state of energy contained in all matter everywhere, and thus all but unlimited. Nobody has ever found a way to tap into it…until one scientist succeeds. Unfortunately, his intentions are far from noble.

The scientist is determined to avenge himself upon those who have scorned and vilified him, and constructs machines that will use the zero-point energy to unleash an apocalypse of earthquakes and cracks in the Earth’s tectonic plates.

With disaster drawing closer, Kurt Austin and the NUMA team race to find the machines before they’re activated. For if they fail, the world will literally be torn apart

My love's favorite author is Clive Cussler, also!

>35 Tess_W: No one will ever start a reading group for Clive Cussler but for those of us that thought being the next Indiana Jones was a career possibility he writes a great impossible adventure.

>34 deep220: I've never read any Cussler... perhaps after your glowing comments, I'll give him a try :)

>34 deep220: If you like novels where the main character always escapes impossible scenarios unharmed to save the world from some sort of horrible end with his team of equally indestructable characters, I would recommend him. I know some readers find this equation annoying at times. I enjoy it for it is. And I love the novels with some sort of historical tie-in. Ghanis Khan, Marco Polo, and Inca treasure for example.

Hope you enoy them!

>38 deep220: yeah.. doesn't really bother me :) I like heroes. They make for enjoyable tales...

Book 13

The First Book of Demons by Raquel Dove
2 of 5 stars

Free kindle download which was good because I wasn't sure if I would really like the demon genre. Not very well written and disjointed in places. I found myself re-reading the previous page to see if I missed something.

Amazon Description
Alexandra’s world is shattered when the only family she has is brutally murdered. A series of strange encounters, and her relentlessly curious nature, lead her into the woods where she meets a destiny that has been chasing her since birth. She is brought into a world of demons that is fraught with turmoil and deadly power struggles. Lord Balthazar, a demon prince trying to hold his new kingdom together, seizes the opportunity, taking her hostage in a bid to gain the power he so badly needs. Alexandra’s strong-willed, defiant personality not only gets her into heaps of trouble, but also manages to gain the unlikely affections of the handsome demon prince that is holding her captive. As time begins to run out for both of them, sacrifices must be made. By the time they realize their true desires, it may be too lateEdit | More

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
4 of 5 stars

When I was reading this I was not aware that the book was based on an actual event. (from conversation with others I seem to be the only one not aware of this).

Amazon description:

On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.

As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence

14 books!!!!

book 15

Immortal Words by Terry breverton
4 of 5 stars

I've been reading these as a one a day for some time. Very interesting.

LT description:

An anthology of history's most memorable, uplifting or thought- provoking quotations from all ages and nations. The texts are drawn not only from the works and words of great writers, thinkers and orators, but also from less well-known sources such as gravestones, book dedications, speeches and political manifestos

>42 connie53:

I am trying to start this year with a big bang. I normally find myself scrambling at the end of the year to make my numbers. This year I am determined to read more books than I buy. (fingers crossed)

>44 deep220: That's what I'm trying to do now. Getting more read in the first few months of the year. So I understand completely. And I'm with you on the book buying too. Not doing well so far though.

>45 connie53: Don't feel bad Connie.. that has been my goal for the last 5 years. Haven't actually ever acheived it. I have never been able to overcome my utter lack of control when it comes to book buying. Then my library undermines me twice each year with $3.00 a bag of books sale. One would like that I could keep it to one bag a books per sale, but no I can't.

>46 deep220: I did manage a few years ago: 4 books less in the TBR. So it is possible.

Right now I'm contemplating buying some books next week. I made a little hurdle/obstacle though. I put them on my wishlist at BOL (a website in the Netherlands were you can buy almost everything). Once in a while I look at them and decide if I still want to buy that particular book. If that's the case I go and buy it (or them)

I've been working on the Blind Assasin by Margaret Atwood. It hasn't been going well. I feel like I am pulling my teeth trying to get into this book. So.... I am going to put it down for now and try to pick it up another time. Highly disappointed at this point. This one will stay on the shelf for a while more.

>46 deep220: that is SUCH a difficult obstacle! Ours is $5/bag... I think I got ~100 books last year just from the library clearance sale!

>48 deep220: oh no! That's on my TBR list... I think for this year.. came SO highly recommended... But I think you're doing the right thing... if it's that painful, put it down! You can always try again later ;)

>49 avanders: re: 48 --I know... I couldn't believe it. Everyone told me Blind Assasin was so good. It must be me. But I am not ready to give up yet. I can be moody.

>50 deep220: me too ;) Perhaps another chance at some point down the line is warranted.... :)
(that has happened w/ me and Shantaram... I will start again some other time because everyone assures me that it's wonderful...)

Book 16

Winter Study by Nevada Barr
5 of 5 stars

I love the american parks system. So big surprise that I really enjoy the Anna Pigeon series. A murder mystery set in some of our nations most beautiful places.

Amazon Description:

It is January, and Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is sent to Isle Royale in Lake Superior to learn about managing and understanding wolves, as her home base of Rocky Mountain National Park might soon have its own pack of the magnificent, much- maligned animals. She’s lodging in the island’s bunkhouse with the famed wolf study team, along with two scientists from Homeland Security, who are assessing the study with an eye to opening the park in the winters - an act that would effectively bring an end to the fifty-year project - so that the area can be manned to secure the scrap of border with Canada.

Soon after Anna’s arrival, the wolf packs under observation begin to behave in peculiar ways. Giant wolf prints are found, and Anna spies the form of a great wolf from a surveillance plane. The discovery of wolf scat containing alien DNA leads the group to believe that perhaps a wolf/dog hybrid has been introduced to the island. When a female member of the team is savaged, Anna is convinced she is being stalked, and what was once a beautiful, idyllic refuge becomes a place of unnatural occurrences and danger beyond the ordinary. Alone on an island without electricity or running water, with temperatures hovering around zero both day and night, Anna fights not only for the wolves but for her own survival as well.

Book 17

Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista
3.5 of 5 stars

Not a bad little read. Not good enough to generate any additional interest in the series.

Amazon Description:

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?

A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.

Book 18

To the Grave by Steve Robinson
5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! This is my second novel by Steve Robinson and I am addicted. Always have loved novels involving family secrets so can you imagine that I love genealogical mysteries.

Form Amazon:
A curiously dated child’s suitcase arrives, unannounced and unexplained, in a modern-day Washington suburb. A week later, American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is sitting in an English hotel room, staring at the wrong end of a loaded gun.

In his latest journey into the past, Tayte lands in wartime Leicestershire, England. The genealogist had hoped simply to reunite his client with the birth mother she had never met, having no idea she had been adopted. Instead, he uncovers the tale of a young girl and an American serviceman from the US 82nd Airborne, and a stolen wartime love affair that went tragically wrong.

With To the Grave, Steve Robinson confirms his status as a master of the taut and delicately constructed historical thriller.

This is the second book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series, which begins with In the Blood but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.

>54 deep220: wow 5 of 5 stars!
sounds interesting!

>54 deep220: That reminds me that this book is on my shelves and waiting to be read. Thanks for the review that gave me a nudge to get to it sooner.

I have been working on Drood by Dan Simmons since the first of march. I am really conflicted. At about the half way mark and I can for sure say that we could have edited out a very large portion of what I have read thus far. Nothing has been very interesting, terribly dark, or mysterious. So far I have read 400 very medicore pages but I feel like I have committed myself to finish with the amount of time I have invested.

Anyone else have any thoughts on Drood? Should I just call it quits or will the book redeem itself?

If it's that bad, I would quit and then watch the movie!

I never read it. But if a book is not working for me I would forget about it and call it quits. Too many books and too little time left to read all of them.

I think I am throwing in the towel. The books has been progressing so slow I can't read another 400 pages of rivarly between Collins and Dickens.

Sounds like a good plan!

I also decided to count it.. :) I read 400 pages before giving up! And it is off my self therefore it has been uprooted.

Book 20

The Carriage House by Carla Neggers
3.5 of 5 stars

Very pleasant read. Romantic Mystery. Would definitely read more by this author but not really going to run out and get anything.

Amazon Description:

Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland has in mind when Ike Grantham pays her for her graphic design work on the run-down nineteenth-century carriage house on Boston's North Shore.

Then Ike disappears and Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted—it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett…and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.

Book 21

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable read. I have not followed British History so I was looking forward to the ending. Not knowing how many wives King Henry had didn't know how it was going to end for the ladies. Even so I believe it would have been very enjoyable without the surprise. I really loved the characters.

Description from Amazon:

After the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII of England decides to take a new wife, but this time, not for love. The Boleyn Inheritance follows three women whose lives are forever changed because of the king’s decision, as they must balance precariously in an already shaky Tudor Court.

Anne of Cleves is to be married to Henry to form a political alliance, though the rocky relationship she has to the king does not bode well for her or for England.

Katherine Howard is the young, beautiful woman who captures Henry’s eye, even though he is set to marry Anne. Her spirit runs free and her passions run hot—though her affections may not be returned upon the King.

Jane Rochford was married to George Boleyn, and it was her testimony that sent her husband and infamous sister-in-law Anne to their deaths. Throughout the country, her name is known for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust.

The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about three women whose positions brought them wealth, admirations, and power, as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror

>62 deep220: that's fair! 400 pages is fully a book ;) But really, even if you'd read fewer pages and discarded it... you read your own tome and then got rid of it... I'd say that's definition of ROOT!

And congrats overall - you're doing great!

Book 22

Brida by Paulo Coelho
4 of 5 stars
Don't know when I purchase this one- pulled it off my self but didn't have it librarything.

Love Paulo Coelho.

amazon description:

Brida, a young Irish girl, has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her to trust in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch.

This enthralling novel incorporates themes that fans of Paulo Coelho will recognize and treasure. It is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller.

Book 23

Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans
4 of 5 stars

Great book for the lent season. A retelling of the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis.

Amazon Description:

From wonderful storyteller and author of the bestselling phenomenon The Christmas Box comes a holiday novel based on the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors, now available from Encore for a great value!

Joseph Jacobson is the twelfth of thirteen siblings, all of whom are employed by their father’s successful Colorado advertising company. But underneath the success runs a poisonous undercurrent of jealousy; Joseph is his father’s favorite and the focus of his brothers’ envy and hatred. When the father seems ready to anoint Joseph as his heir, the brothers make their move, forcing Joseph from the company and his Denver home, severing his ties to his parents, and ending his relationship with his soon-to-be fianceé. Alone and lonely, Joseph must start a new life.

Book 24

The Physick book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
5 of 5 stars

I curled up with this one and didn't want to come back. Didn't want it to end.

Amazon Descriptoin:

A crime lost to time. A secret buried deep. One book unlocks an unimaginable truth.

Salem, Massachusetts, 1681. Fear and suspicion lead a small town to unspeakable acts. Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1991. A young woman is about to discover that she is tied to Salem in ways she never imagined

>66 deep220: oh, I didn't know that was what Winter Dream was about... sounds interesting!

>67 deep220: and another on my shelves.... ooooh, can't wait!

book 25

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
4 of 5 stars

Great book. At first I really didn't like Libby Day's character. However I am glad I stuck with it. She does grow on you after awhile. Then I had to know. Who killed her family. I have not read Gone Girl but given the reviews I will be getting into that one soon.

Amazon Description:

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer

Book 26

Dead Sleep by Greg Iles
4 of 5 stars

This is not my first novel by Greg Iles. Really quick enjoyable read. The plot grabs you right from the beginning and keeps you guessing until the end.

Amazon Description:
An intricate and emotionally resonant story from one of the most versatile thriller writers at work today. Jordan Glass, a photojournalist on a well-earned vacation, wanders into a Hong Kong art museum and is puzzled to find fellow patrons eying her with curiosity. Minutes later, she stumbles upon a gallery containing a one-artist exhibition called "The Sleeping Women," a mysterious series of paintings that has caused a sensation in the world of modern art. Collectors have come to believe that the canvases depict female nudes not in sleep but in death, and they command millions at auction. When Jordan approaches the last work in the series, she freezes. The face in the painting seems to be her own. This unsettling event hurls her back into a nightmare she has fought desperately to put behind her - for, in fact, the face in the painting belongs not to Jordan but to her twin sister, murdered one year ago. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a duel with the anonymous artist, a gifted murderer who knows the secret history of Jordan's family, and truths that even she has never had the courage to face.

Book 27

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
5 of 5 stars

Should be require reading for young adults. Great book

Amazon description:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face

>71 deep220: that sounds like a very intense book, Jenn.

>71 deep220: geeeeez. Agree w/ Connie - sounds intense!

ETA: Added to my audio-book library wishlist ;)

Book 28

Sea Hunter by Paul Garrison
4 of 5 stars

I needed a nice action adventure. What could be better than a story on the high seas? A story with an unknown sea creature. :)

Amazon Description

Something is swimming beneath the Caribbean, something sleek and frightening, a mysterious perversion of nature. Virgin Islands charter captain David Hope has seen it, and his passenger, beautiful renegade filmmaker has captured its image. As they hunt for answers to the most devastating mystery the sea has hidden, it rises from the depths, ruthlessly and relentlessly hunting them.

Book 29

Maude by Donna Foley Mabry
4 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Donna you did your grandmother proud.

Amazon Description

In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then her face flushed, and she turned her head to look out the window. After a second, she squeezed my hand and looked back in my eyes. She said, “You’ve always been a good girl, Maude, and done what I told you. Now, you’re going to be a married woman, and he will be the head of the house. When you go home tonight after your party, no matter what he wants to do to you, you have to let him do it. Do you understand?”
I didn’t understand, but I nodded my head anyway. It sounded strange to me, the way so many things did. I would do what she told me. I didn’t have a choice, any more than I had a choice in being born

Book 30

White Death by Clive Cussler
4 of 5 stars

What will I do when I run out of Clive Cussler books? Curl up into a despondent ball? Probably

From Barns and Noble:

Hailed as a hero for the new millennium, Austin is the leader of NUMA's Special Assignments Team-and the threat before him now is definitely special. A confrontation between a radical environmentalist group and a Danish cruiser has forced Austin and colleague Joe Zavala to come to the rescue of a shipful of trapped men, but when the two of them investigate further, they discover that something far more sinister is at work.

A shadowy multinational corporation is attempting to wrest control of the very seas themselves-no matter what havoc results, and is killing anyone who attempts to stop them. When Austin's boat blows up and he only barely survives, it seems certain he was supposed to be the next in line to die, but he cannot stop now. For the environmental disaster has already begun, and only he and NUMA stand in the way. . .

>76 deep220: My honey loves Clive Cussler!

Book 31

5 acres & a dream by Leigh Tate
5 of 5 stars

Great book! I love reading stories from other people that were able to make a move back to living closer with the land.

Amazon Description:

Based on her popular homesteading blog, 5 Acres & A Dream, Leigh Tate shares how she and her husband Dan are facing the challenges of trying to establish a self-sufficient homestead; from defining their dream, finding property, and setting priorities, to obstacles and difficult times, to learning how to work smarter, not harder. She shares what they've learned about energy self-sufficiency, water self-sufficiency, and food self-sufficiency for themselves and their goats and chickens too. Included are copies of their homestead master plan plus revisions, homegrown vitamins and minerals for goats, and several of Leigh's favorite homestead recipes.

Book 32
3.5 of 5 stars

Good quick read. Not sure if I will hold onto this one.

Amazon Description:

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene’s death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk. . . .

What is that book called and who wrote it, Jenn. It sounds really interesting.

haha... I did leave something out there didn't I...

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Thanks Jenn.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
2 of 5 stars

Tired. The story itself was very good but the English Slang soon made it a chore to read. Maybe will try again in a couple years if not I will donate and free up some space on the shelves.

Book 34

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
4 of 5 stars

Very good story... I think this was my first Dean Koontz book and I will be looking forward to others in the series. Not very spooky but I liked the plot.

Amazon Description:

“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.

Book 35

Swamp Bones by Kathy Reichs
4 of 5 stars

Okay so I love Kathy Reichs. These little novellas are great at keeping my withdrawals between novels at bay. Always looking forward to the next in the series.

Amazon Description:

Although a trip to Florida is supposed to be about rest and relaxation, there’s no such thing as a day off for Dr. Temperance Brennan. She has come to visit her friend, a dedicated ornithologist who’s researching the threat that intrusive Burmese pythons pose to indigenous bird species in the Everglades. While sorting through the stomach of an eighteen-foot specimen, they make a disturbing discovery: bones that are unmistakably human. And when Tempe spots the telltale signs of murder by a very different kind of predator, she’s drawn into a case with its roots in the darkest depths of the swamp.

>84 deep220: I read #3 for a book group discussion... not having read any of the others. it was really good! I also am looking forward to reading the others in the series some day :)

Book 36

The Ghost House by Helen Phifer
4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyable read especially for a free kindle download.

Amazon Description:

There's not much that scares Annie Graham. Not even the horrors she has witnessed during her years on the police force.

When she agrees to look after her brother's farmhouse, she finds herself drawn to the crumbling old mansion in the woods nearby. But an innocent exploration of the empty ruin and the discovery of the diary of former resident Alice leaves her more than a little spooked. She knows it holds the secrets to a dark past, and she has to find out more.

What was the terrible truth that Alice uncovered? And how could what happened to her over 100 years ago help solve the murders of young women in the town?

Annie needs to stop the serial killer before she becomes his next victim – but the past comes back to haunt her in ways she could never have expected

Book 37

The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley
4 of 5 stars

Haven't read a Flavia De Luce story this year. This definately reminds me why I enjoy them so much. Such a great character. Not to bad for a short story. I am going to have to pick up the next one in the series.

Amazon Description:

Murder! the letter says, Come at once. Anson House, Greyminster, Staircase No. 3. How can Flavia de Luce resist such an urgent plea? After all, examining a dead body sounds like a perfectly splendid way to spend a Sunday. So Flavia hops upon her trusted bicycle, Gladys, whose rubber tires hiss happily along the rainy road, and arrives at her father’s mist-shrouded old school. There, a terrified boy leads her to the loo where, sitting in a bathtub, is what appears to be a statue. But, no: To Flavia’s surprise, the thing is in fact a naked dead man. Save his face, he seems to have been carved out of copper. Never one to shy away from the macabre, Flavia gets to work—only to find that when an investigation begins with a metallic cadaver, ever more curious twists are to be expected.

Book 38

Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler
5 of 5 stars

So everyone probably knows by now I love Clive Cussler novels. No surprise I also loved this one.

Amazon Description:

A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming…a series of unexplained deaths in British Columbia…a rash of international incidents between the United States and a longtime ally that threatens to erupt into a shooting war. NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, know there's a connection—but they also know they have very little time to find it.

Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission. And if Pitt and his buddy Al Giordino aren't careful, the very same fate may await them…and the world.

Book 39

Food and Wine Annual 2011 by Editors of Food and Wine
4 of 5 stars

For too many years I have been collecting cookbook without doing anything with them. I like to cook so they make convenient gifts from friends and family. So time to clean out the pile. Each month I want to sample a different cookbook for the rest of the year. Anything that doesn't make the cut will be donated. Ideally I am trying to have one shelve for cookbooks.

So far this is a keeper, we will see if it can hold onto that spot.

Great progress w/ your ROOTs!

Yeah for your progress!

>90 deep220: I love cookbooks, too! I try recipes from them all and then put them on the shelf. I have an entire kitchen cupboard full of the books and magazines (Taste of Home).

Thanks Everyone. I have one more completed for the month

Book 40

House of Silence by Linda Gillard
3 of 5 stars

Amazon Description:

"My friends describe me as frighteningly sensible, not at all the sort of woman who would fall for an actor. And his home. And his family."

Orphaned by drink, drugs and rock n’ roll, Gwen Rowland is invited to spend Christmas at her boyfriend Alfie's family home, Creake Hall - a ramshackle Tudor manor in Norfolk. Soon after she arrives, Gwen senses something isn't quite right. Alfie acts strangely towards his family and is reluctant to talk about the past. His mother, a celebrated children's author, keeps to her room, living in a twilight world, unable to distinguish between past and present, fact and fiction.

When Gwen discovers fragments of forgotten family letters sewn into an old patchwork quilt, she starts to piece together the jigsaw of the past and realises there's more to the family history than she's been told. It seems there are things people don’t want her to know.

And one of those people is Alfie

>93 Tess_W: Argh I know me toooooo!!!! WANT to get to them...

>94 deep220: congrats again! Just 10 more!

Got one more in- insomnia- the TBR piles best friend.

Book 41

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis
4 of 5 stars

Maybe is it was the insomnia but I really liked this one. The banter between the girls was rather juvenile and unrealistic but that didn't take away too much from the dialogue. I have downloaded the next book in the series.

Amazon Description:

Jacque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis Lupus, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane's mate and complete the bond between them?

Nine to go... this year has been a very good year for TBR reading. I am not saying that I have acquired new TBR books but I have been able to read more from my shelves. It looks like I will have to up my goal.

Thanks for all the support ladies :) Let me know if you uncover any amazing recipes.

Book 42

Long Time Coming by Edie Claire
3 of 5 stars

Not a bad read but nothing very special either. Probably won't try this author again. Free Kindle Download.

Amazon Description:

Years and distance kept the memories at bay. But back at home, the past is ready and waiting to haunt her...

Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after--determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.

Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises--Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death--and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed--and the childhood friendship she treasured--now suddenly seem very much alive...

Book 43

Death Factory by Greg Iles
4 of 5 stars

Great short read. Looking forward to getting the next book in the Penn Cage series.

Amazon Description:

When a heart attack sends Penn's father, Tom Cage, to the ER, Tom begs that his son be brought to his side to hear a dying declaration. But when Penn arrives, Tom denies ever making the request—keeping his secrets for another day.

The emergency hurls Penn back to a chilling case in Houston, where he worked in a DA's office known as the "death factory," which sent more killers to death row than any other in America. While Penn cares for his ailing wife, a tormented forensic technician brings him evidence of a crime lab in chaos, throwing past convictions into doubt and begging Penn to prevent an imminent travesty of justice. With the desperation of a man fighting death in his own home, Penn must find a way to bring the machinery of the death factory to a halt.

Included here is an extended sneak preview of Natchez Burning, the first installment in an epic trilogy featuring Penn Cage.

Been a little distracted this month by some shiny new books. I may be able to get one more in a final push.

>100 deep220: well certainly no worries since you're clearly doing so well! :)

BTW re >71 deep220: and >73 avanders: I finished it (audio version from library)... agreed, quite good! And also very much agreed: "Should be require reading for young adults."

Book 44

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
4 of 5 stars

I really love this series. I see she has another book out in the Alpha and Omega series. I am sure I will be adding that to my collection shortly.

Amazon Description:

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and her stepdaughter, Jesse, can’t reach Alpha werewolf Adam—or anyone else in the pack, for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. But she fears Adam’s disappearance may be related to the political battle the werewolves have been fighting to gain acceptance from the public—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outmatched and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely

Since the last book was such a quick read, still may have time to squeeze in one more. :)

Book 45

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
4 of 5 stars

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
4 of 5 stars

Amazon Description

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s stalker is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

Book 46

Nightmare by S.K. Epperson
3 of 5 stars

Not bad. Not great. Not very spooky. But it did keep me turning the pages at a moderate pace until the end. Not really sure you could call this one a horror novel. Blood rituals yes, psychotic characters villains yes but nothing really lurks around the corner and the terrorizing of the main characters is pretty minimal.

Amazon Description:

On a remote ranch deep in the Flint Hills at a clinic for women diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, patients are dying in extremely violent ways. The staff has invited Dr. Bryan Raleigh and his team, along with his journalist brother, David, to write about the clinic, and from the moment of their arrival they begin unwillingly to unravel secrets about the family who owns the ranch, including a strange blood ritual practiced by the hemophiliac son and even more bizarre rites performed by the grotesque, voyeuristic wife of the clinic's director. Soon David and the others begin to suspect the rude, imperious woman who never leaves the third floor may be somehow responsible for the deaths of traumatized patients dying one by one, and the closer they get to the truth, the bigger the threat becomes to their own safety.

Your doing great, Jennifer! Almost there!

Book 47

Secrets in Stone by Rebecca Engel
4 of 5 stars

Very quick read.

A dead-end job. An unrequited crush. A break-in and near assault.

Life wasn't going too well for Joyce Manning. Given her circumstances, it wasn't surprising that she was willing to accept the strange condition in the will of a heretofore-unknown relative. Joyce would inherit a house, and an income, if she lives in the property for two years. Joyce doesn't hesitate to leave Chicago for upstate New York. It's not until she's almost there that she begins to worry that the house might be a rickety shack with no lights or running water, and filled with feral cats.

It's not. In some ways, it's worse. The house is like something out of a nightmare, crawling with gargoyles and grotesques. The nearest neighbor to the isolated house, depending on who you talk to, is a spa -- or a mental asylum.

But it's not all bad. The interior of the house, thankfully, doesn't match the outside. Not one but two local men actively pursue Joyce -- more attention than she garnered in Chicago. And not having to work for a living is a dream come true.

Things would be great, if it weren't for the odd occurrences in the house, and the changes on its outside that make Joyce wonder whether her imagination is too vivid or if she's losing her mind. Will Joyce realize that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is? Because the house has a horrifying secret, and there was a special -- and sinister -- reason Joyce was lured there.

That sounds like my kind of book, Jenn! To bad it isn't translated.

Book 48

Highland Stone by Sloan McBride
3 of 5 stars

No time traveling highland romance will ever be as good as the Outlander series but this was not bad.

Amazon Description:

DREAMS AWAKEN THE PAST. ~~A family secret turns back time.~~ Have you ever dreamed of the perfect man, knowing you’ll never meet him? Kara did too until a magical storm transports her to the 1300’s Scottish Highlands, and dream guy almost tramples her with his horse.

Very close to goal!

Book 49

Cauldstane by Linda Gillard
4 of 5 stars

Amazon Description:

When ghostwriter Jenny Ryan is summoned to the Scottish Highlands by Sholto MacNab – retired adventurer and Laird of Cauldstane Castle – she’s prepared for travellers’ tales, but not the MacNabs’ violent and tragic history.

Lust, betrayal and murder have blighted family fortunes for generations, together with an ancient curse. As members of the family confide their sins and their secrets, Jenny learns why Cauldstane’s uncertain future divides father and sons.

But someone resents Jenny’s presence. Someone thinks she’s getting too close to Alec MacNab – swordsmith, widower and heir to Cauldstane. Someone will stop at nothing until Jenny has been driven away. Or driven mad.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Especially a dead woman

Just one more!!!

Stupid Chem test I would have made it this month... but hey no pressure next month. I am sure I can pull one book from my shelves.

>113 deep220: ha ;) but you're right - no pressure next month! Hope your chem test went well :)

>113 deep220: A chem test? Something to do with chemistry?

Time and Again by Deborah Heal
1.5 stars of 5

Had a really hard time getting into this book then at the end I wish I would have given up on it. I know it has additional books in the series but not much happens in the first book to make you want to know more of their story.

Pass on this one.

Amazon Description:
Time and Again (book 1)

An old house + A new computer program =The travel opportunity of a lifetime
...to another century.

The People

Abby Thomas is spending the summer in a run-down old house
with a bratty pre-teen named Merrideth she is supposed to tutor. Not a dream
job. But it does come with perks.

There's John Roberts, a devastatingly attractive neighbor
who is almost too wonderful to be real.

And there's the new computer program Beautiful Houses--also too amazing to be real. No one knows how it
works, but with it she can rewind and fast-forward the lives of all the people
who ever lived in the house, including Charlotte Miles.

In 1858, the house is a train stop on the Alton &
Chicago Line. And Charlotte is stuck there serving meals to the passengers,
wondering if she'll ever get to have any fun. And then she meets two travelers
who change her life forever.

There's James McGuire with whom she falls in love. And
there's his boss, a young Springfield lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. His debate
with political opponent Stephen Douglas catapults him onto the national stage.
And it inspires Charlotte to take up the cause of abolition.

On a better note YAEAHHHHH I made it.!!!! Book 50

Congrats on meeting your goal! :)

Congratulations!

>117 deep220: wooo hooo!! congrats!

Congrats!!

Book 51

Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman
4 of 5 stars

My first Tony Hillerman novel. And it was a very enjoyable mystery. I think I have another book or two of his on my shelves that I will have to dig out.

Amazon Description:

In 1956, an airplane crash left the remains of 172 passengers scattered among the majestic cliffs of the Grand Canyon—including an arm attached to a briefcase containing a fortune in gems. Half a century later, one of the missing diamonds has reappeared . . . and the wolves are on the scent.
Former Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is coming out of retirement to help exonerate a slow, simple kid accused of robbing a trading post. Billy Tuve claims he received the diamond he tried to pawn from a mysterious old man in the canyon, and his story has attracted the dangerous attention of strangers to the Navajo lands—one more interested in a severed limb than in the fortune it was handcuffed to; another willing to murder to keep lost secrets hidden. But nature herself may prove the deadliest adversary, as Leaphorn and Sergeant Jim Chee follow a puzzle—and a killer—down into the dark realm of Skeleton Man

Congrats, Jenn. You did it!

Thanks Everyone!!!

Book 52

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
4 of 5 stars

Book 53

The Five-Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency by Amelia Barrows

3.5 of 5 stars

Could have been better. Spent to much time giving barely the basics and spent more time planning tips.

Book 54

The Looking Glass by Richard Paul Evans
3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite of Richard Paul Evans books but it was a cute quick read. Just put in the donation pile to take to a family relative.

Amazon Description:

The winter storms of the wide-open frontier reflect the anguish raging in Hunter Bell, a minister who heads to Utah's gold-mining towns after his wife dies in childbirth. A man with nothing left ot loose, he plays the card tables for money to care for his youngs daughter back home. But in the heart of a driving blizzard, Hunter makes a shocking discovery --and begins to see that a life tested by unthinkable cruelty can still be rich with faith, love, and hope for a better tomorrow...

Book 55

UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn
4 of 5 stars

book 55

UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn
4 of 5 stars

Book 56

Incarceron by Christine Fisher
4 of 5 stars

Great young adult read.

Amazon:

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to break free, is Claudia, the warden's daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage. They are up against impossible odds, but one thing looms above all: Incarceron itself is alive . . .

Book 57

Girl in Hyacinth blue by Susan Vreeland
4 of 5 stars

Great quick little read. Loved the little pick into the characters lives as the painting moved through there lives.

Amazon
This luminous story begins in the present day, when a professor invites a colleague to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer—but why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of events that trace the ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in multiple lives. Susan Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of this mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable

Book 58

Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
2 of 5 stars

Not nearly as entertaining or informative that I thought it would be. Pass on this one.

amazon:

In a rich blend of memoir and meditation, Abbott focuses her graceful and witty attention on mothers and daughters of the South. Theirs is a world of red dirt and backbreaking chores and roof-raising revival meetings - a far cry from the magnolias and mint juleps of Gone with the Wind. "The South of the backwoods, hillbilly plain folk has at last found its true and inspired interpreter," says C. Vann Woodward.