FINISHED -

1. "FEELING HOT" by Elle Kennedy (New Author For Me) (Out of Uniform #7) (A+++++) In tight quarters, anything can happen. It's been a rough month for Navy SEAL Cash McCoy. Fresh off six months of celibacy during his deployment, he almost got into a hot blonde's panties before they were interrupted. Since then, he still hasn't gotten laid. The reason? He lost her number. And no other woman has replaced her face in his fantasies. Then his CO asks him to keep an eye on his sister for a few weeks. Just until her psycho stalker ex is transferred. Cash's new houseguest is none other than the same gorgeous, quirky blonde, And just his luck - his orders include an emphatic hands off. Jen Scott is having none of it. Now that she has a second chance, she's not letting Cash slip away. Orders be damned, he's the one man capable of helping her explore her sexuality, She's even willing to break her own rule - never date military men - to get the gorgeous SEAL into her bed. Except Cash makes it clear he wants more than she bargained for. Much more. Not just her body, but the one thing she promised herself she'd never give to a man in uniform. Her heart.
2. "MIRACLE ROAD" by Emily March (Eternity Springs #7) (A++++++) After tragedy strikes his team, college basketball coach Lucca Romano arrives in the haven of Eternity Springs to reassess his life, Even a winning record and big offers can't dent the wall of guilt that Lucca has built around himself. Nothing can - except maybe a vibrant new neighbor who won't give up on him. Schoolteacher Hope Montgomery believes in miracles. She has to believe - because giving up would mean crumbling under the greatest loss a parent can endure. Hope understands Lucca's suffering; she lives it herself every day. However, the high school team needs his coaching expertise, so she sets out to draw him from his cold, solitary shell and into the warmth of life in their small Rocky Mountain town. But when a weak moment leads to consequences that shake Hope's faith, it's up to Lucca to put aside his heartache and show the teacher that here in Eternity Springs broken hearts can heal - just in time for Christmas.
3. "AIDEN'S CHARITY" by Lora Leigh (Breeds #12) (A++++) The forces of survival and destruction swirl in the darkest corners of men's minds. The nature of the beast cannot be harnesses and survival is the purest of all instincts. Survival of the species itself goes soul deep. But can the human heart accept and adapt as easily? Can Charity bestow the love and the acceptance that has always been a part of her, to the man whose very survival depended on the hardening of his heart, of his soul? And can Aiden maintain that cruelty now, in the face of the sacrifices she made? Only time and nature can tell.
4. "BABY, DRIVE SOUTH" by Stephanie Bond (New Author For Me) (Southern Roads #1) (A+++++) Southern town seeks single women. Lots of them! The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower...what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call. Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still he's so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there's a doctor among the newcomers - sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger. And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner.
5. "MOON CRAVING" by Lucy Monroe (Children of the Moon #2) (A+++++) If it were up to him, Talorc - laird of the Sinclair clan and leader of his werewolf pack - would never marry. But when the king orders Talorc to wed an Englishwoman, the lone wolf is shocked to find a challenge in his mate, the strong-willed Abigail. And after a passionate wedding night, the two fiercely independent souls sense an unbreakable bond. Deaf since childhood, Abigail hopes to keep her affliction from Talorc as long as possible. And for his part, Talorc has no intention of telling her that he is a werewolf. But when Abigail learns that the husband she's begun to love has deceived her, it will take all of his warrior's strength - and his wolf's skill - to win her back. Now Talorc and Abigail will face their biggest challenge yet: the vulnerability of being in love.
6. "LUCKY CHARM" by Carly Phillips (Corwin Curse #1) (Lucky #1) (A+++++) Long ago, as revenge on a Corwin who stole her son's fiancee, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse on every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune. Derek thought he could outsmart the long-standing Corwin curse by breaking up with Gabrielle, his first love - and marrying someone else. Now, divorced and broke, all he has left is his teenage daughter and a healthy respect for ancient sorcery. But then Gabrielle returns, determined to defeat the curse and rekindle their passion. But will her stubborn streak and her unwavering love be the lucky charm Derek so desperately needs?
7. "THE COLLECTOR" by Nora Roberts (A+++++) As a professional house-sitter and freelance writer, nothing ties Lila Emerson down - not her work, not a home and definitely not a relationship. She spends her live moving from one job to the next, sometimes crashing at a friend's Manhattan apartment. And though she can appreciate her clients' extraordinary homes, their expensive collections, and their adorable pets, Lila has never longed for possessions of her own. Everything she has, including her heart, is portable. But when she witnesses a possible murder-suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as Lila knows it takes a dramatic turn. Artist Ashton Archer knows his charming, clever and impulsive brother couldn't have killed his girlfriend - or taken his own life. His hope of unraveling what happened lies with Lila, the only eyewitness. And even buried in grief, Ash longs to paint the woman whose deep, dark eyes seem to hold endless reserves of strength and a fiery passion. Chalking up their intense attraction to the heat of the moment, Lila agrees to help Ash in trying to find out who murdered his brother and why. From the penthouses of Manhattan to grand Italian villas their investigation draws them into a rarefied circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession.
8. "DON'T CRY FOR ME" by Sharon Sala (Rebel Ridge #2) (A++++) A soldier's homecoming...Mariah Conrad has come home. Badly wounded on active duty in Afghanistan and finally released stateside, she has no family to call on and nowhere to go - until Quinn Walker arrives at her bedside. Quinn...her brother-in-arms, ex-lover and now maybe her future. Quinn brings Mariah to his log cabin in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky to rest and recuperate both physically and emotionally. While she's grateful. Mariah is also confused and frustrated. She's always stood on her own two feet, but now even that can literally be torture. She's having flashbacks and blackouts, hearing helicopter noises in the night. She wants to push Quinn away - and hold him closer than ever. But will she get the chance? Those helicopters are more than just post-tramatic stress; they're real - and dangerous. Bad things are happening on the mountain. Suddenly there's a battle to be fought on the home front and no guarantee of survival.
9. "CODE NAME: BABY" by Christina Skye (Code Name #3) (A+++++) Navy SEAL Wolfe Houston is on a mission of national security: protect one stubborn - but gorgeous - civilian in charge of training valuable government assets. But tracking down four genetically enhanced service dogs and guarding their furry backs 24/7 is going to take all of Wolfe's tactical skills. The dogs' unsuspecting trainer, Kit O'Halloran doesn't know that deadly mercenaries are determined to kidnap her charges. With hostiles to evade and bullets to dodge, there's no time to waste - so why is Kit pressed against an adobe wall by moonlight, reveling in the hot magic of Wolfe's slow, skillful hands? Wolfe is fascinated by Kit's devotion to her puppies, especially Baby, the incorrigible runt of the litter, But two other trainers have died under strange circumstances - and a foreign government has just posted a staggering bounty for Kit's capture. Before Wolfe can explore their white-hot attraction, the two are on the run, forced to decide which of their secret contacts is friend...and which is foe. Only Baby can lead them through the storm to safe haven in each other's arms. Good dog!
10. "THE PROMISE" by Robyn Carr (Thunder Point #5) (A+++++) Scott Grant has a bustling family practice in the small Oregon community of Thunder Point. The town and its people have embraced the widowed doctor and father of two, his children are thriving and Scott knows it's time to move on from his loss. But as the town's only doctor, the dating pool is limited. That is, until a stunning physician's assistant applies for a job at his clinic. Peyton Lacoumette considers herself entirely out of the dating scene. She's already been burned by a man with kids and she's come to Thunder Point determined not to repeat past mistakes. When Scott offers her a job, at a much lower salary than she's used to, Peyton is surprisingly eager to accept...at least for now. She's willing to stay for a three-month trial period while she explores other options, Scott and Peyton know the arrangement is temporary - it isn't enough time to build a real relationship, never mind anything with lasting commitment. But love can blossom faster than you think when the timing is right and this short visit just might hold the promise of forever.
11. "HAUNTING ELLIE" by Patti Berg (New Author For Me) (Kindle) (A++++) A certain kind of magic...With her beautiful home and her dreams crushed beneath a devastating earthquake Elizabeth Fitzgerald kisses L.A. goodbye and escapes to middle-of-nowhere Montana and the B&B her brother convinced her would be the answer to all her prayers. Little did she know that the inn she purchased sight unseen, is not only a crumbling ruin...but is haunted to boot! Ruggedly sexy Jonathan Winchester, mayor of Sapphire, Montana, doesn't believe in ghosts, thank heavens! He's arrogant and annoying, but he's the only one for mile around willing to help Ellie rebuild the old hotel. Although his shameless, hungry-eyed gaze could easily knock her off her feet, she's been burned by one too many men in her life and she won't let than happen again. Jon's not a man to let stubbornness stand in his way. When he wants something, he goes after it - and this time he's set his sights on the West Boast beauty, even though she's too involved with his unscrupulous cousin and more concerned with the plight of the inn's restless, lovelorn spirit than with Jon's yearning heart. He can deal with his cousin and he doesn't believe there's a ghost haunting Ellie. What he does know is that he can win the stunning beauty over, once he locks her into his embrace. - More than a century earlier, two lovers were sronged by fate - and it will take a special magic to reunite them. Together - though they don't know it yet - Jon and Ellie can generate that magic. And perhaps they'll have enough left over to start a blaze of their own. 
12. "COME AWAY WITH ME" by Jane Graves (Rainbow Valley, Texas #1) (A++++++) First love burns hotter the second time around. Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of loving homes than ever before Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark and handsome cowboy from her past come to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price, her heart. Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything...except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole - and broke - his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.
13. "ALL HE EVER DREAMED" by Shannon Stacey (Kowalski Brothers #6) (A+++++) Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort - better known as the Northern Star Lodge - while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Main, for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own. As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie David grew up alongside the Kowalski brothers. Though she's always been "one of the guys," her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is. Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is a sure way to have it broken. But could it be that everything Josh has ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?
14. "STAR QUALITY" (Delicious, Ohio) "ONCE IN A BLUE MOON" by Lori Foster (A++++) It's all because of that stupid blue moon. That's when Stan Tucker thinks as he walks through Delicious, Ohio, suddenly privy to everyone's innermost thoughts, a gift courtesy of a rare blue moon. What most people have on their minds is boring - grocery lists, work woes, appointments. But not Jenna Rowan's super-private thoughts. The pretty, shy bookstore owner is having decidedly hot thoughts about Stan...naked, sweaty, not-for-prime time thoughts. Stan's lusted after Jenna for ages, but he never thought the proper lady was interested. Now that he knows, he intends to do something about it, and this time, he won't be the only one howling at the moon. "MOON MAGNETISM" by Lucy Monroe (A++++) Ivy Kendall dreads the full moon. For generations, women in her family have been extremely magnetic on that day - which was fine fifty years ago but not in the age of hard drives and cell phones. That's why the hotel manager has resisted the technological improvements her boss wants her to implement. Now, the sexy, dynamic Blake Hawthorne is coming to insist on the upgrades in person. Shoot, he'll probably fire her. Being around Blake makes her body go as haywire as a full moon, maybe even more. And as long as she's going to be out of a job soon, there's no reason not to use a little of that magnetism to her advantage, luring him into an elevator where the only electricity that will work is the kind they generate themselves. "MOONSTRUCK" by Dianne Castell (A+++) For years, Julia Simon has had the worst luck, married to a man who cheated on her left, right and center. Now, the pretty divorcee is ready for her luck to change, and it is...big time. Ever since she unknowingly performed a Blue Moon ritual, Julia's wishes seem to be coming true. So why not wish for wild, unbridled passionate sex with hunky P.I. Marc Adams? Well, because when it happens, it's so amazingly good, that's why. Now, with the blue moon due to end in three days' time, Julia can only wonder if it's just a spell of the start of a whole new life. Be careful of wishful thinking. It just might get you everything.
15. "IN HARM'S WAY" by Irene Hannon (Heroes of Quantico #3) (A++++++) How can she expect anyone to believe her - when she can hardly believe it herself? FBI Special Agent Nick Brandley has seen his share of kooks during his fifteen years with the Bureau. But Rachel Sutton is an enigma. She seems normal when she shows up at his office - until she produces a tattered Raggedy Ann doll and tells him about a strange feeling of terror it gives her when she touches it. Nick dismisses her, only to stumble across a link between the doll and an abducted child, setting in motion a chain of events that uncovers startling connections - and puts Rachel's life on the line.
16. "WILDE THING" by Janelle Denison (New Author For Me) (Wilde #2) (A++++) She can't stop thinking of him...he can't stop wanting her. Now, there's no stopping either of them. Serious bad boy. That's what Liz Adams thinks when she catches sight of dark, gorgeous Steve Wilde sitting at a table in her coffee house, giving her a look of bold, satisfying appraisal that has nothing to do with her espresso skills. Still, the man is the best PI in town and the only person who might be able to help Liz track down her irresponsible, free-spirited cousin...if she can manage to spend more than two minutes in his company without surrendering to the wild fantasies dancing in her head. Oh, baby. That's what Steve Wilde thinks every time he comes into Liz's cafe and catches sight of her sexy figure behind the counter. But a man can only pretend to be interested in the pastries for so long. Now that Liz has opened the door to him, Steve intends to storm right through it, along with her defenses and show the aloof beauty what she's been missing...and what he intends to do about it, slowly, deliberately, deliciously. Now, in a cat-and-mouse game where the thrill of the forbidden is never quite enough, a business arrangement is about to yield to pleasure...and the temptations that can only be found when hearts run wild.
17. "THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE" by Denise Hunter (Big Sky #2) (A+++++) When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she's an accidental bride. Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water - and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected. Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders' Day wedding reenactment. Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart - the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit. Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart. Shay isn't sure if the recent are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?
18. "THE OCEAN BETWEEN US" by Susan Wiggs (A+++++) (abridged audio CD) After years of following her navy officer husband on assignment around the world with their three children, Grace Bennett realizes that she's left something behind - herself. Steve Bennett can't understand the unraveling of his wife's heart. He wants to set things right, but when a secret from his past is revealed just as he's sent out to sea, their already strained relationship is pushed to the edge. Now, with plenty of space to ponder the true distance between them, Grace begins to reinvent herself. Just as her self is coming to terms with her family life, the unthinkable happens. A disaster aboard Steve's ship shatters Grace's world and all she can do is gather her children around and wait for news to come, good or bad. A navy wife's worst nightmare collides with the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're busy looking for guarantees.
19. "OFFSIDE" by Juliana Stone (New Author For Me) (Barker Triplets #1) (A+++++) She shoots, he scores. When hockey phenom Billie Jo Barker returns home and decides to play in the local Friday night hockey league, all hell breaks loose. Not because Billie's talent is in question, but because Billie is a woman. And though these are modern times, some of the local guys still have a problem letting a girl into their 'men's club.' Soon, Billie is at the center of a small town battle of the sexes, with everyone choosing sides. Her sisters. The townfolk. Her friends. And yet, the only person whose opinion she cares about doesn't seem to care much at all. Logan Forest, the man who broke her heart when she was eighteen and the man she now shares the bench with every Friday night. She's got a lot to prove and though Billie Jo Barker scores on the ice, will this girl ever score with the man of her dreams?
20. "FANGS BUT NO FANGS" by Kathy Love (Young Brothers #2) (A++++) If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd swear it couldn't be true: my brother, Christian, living in a trailer park in some backwater town, working at a karaoke bar. We're talking about Christian, the cultured, the refined, the snobby - the guy who'd probably sniff the plasma packets and send 'em back in a huff if the blood type wasn't the right vintage. But after centuries of living in the undead fast lane, he's made up his mind that this is exactly where he needs to spend the rest of eternity, atoning for his many, many sins. It's a self-imposed purgatory complete with lawn ornaments and blaring country music. But sometimes things just don't work out like you think they will. Sometimes your hell can turn into your heaven. And thanks to Christian's chatty neighbor and boss, Jolee, things seem to be getting a whole lot nicer in Shady Forks Mobile Estates. Not that either of them has the first idea how to have a normal relationship - we are talking about a woman who's only dated dead-beats and a guy who's only dated the dead. Nobody's perfect. Still, it's a start for Mr. Rebel Vamp Without a Cause. And fortunately he still has me, Rhys Young and our younger brother, Sebastian, to help him. We plan to show Christian that everyone deserves a second chance and winning his beer-slinging, country-singing beauty is a great beginning.
21. "FEVER" by Maya Banks (Breathless #2) (A+++++) Jace, Ash and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They're accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. They're powerful, they're imposing, they're irresistibly sexy and Jace and Ash share everything - including their women. When they meet Bethany, Jace begins to feel things he's never experienced before: jealousy and a powerful obsession that threatens him, overwhelms him - and excites him beyond control. Jace isn't sharing Bethany - with anyone. He's determined to be the only man in her life and it's jeopardizing a lifelong friendship with Ash. Bethany will be his and his alone. Even if it means turning his back on his best friend.
22. "THE COTTAGE ON JUNIPER RIDGE" by Sheila Roberts (Life in Icicle Falls #4) (A++++) Can a book change your life? Yes, when it's Simplicity Muriel Sterling's guide to plain living. In fact, it inspires Jen Heath to leave her stressful, over committed life in Seattle and move to Icicle Falls, where she rents a lovely little cottage on Juniper Ridge. And where she can enjoy simple pleasures - like joining the local book club - and complicated ones, like falling in love with her sexy landlord, Garrett Armstrong. Her sister Toni is ready for a change, too. She has a teenage daughter who's constantly texting her friends, a husband who's more involved with his computer than he is with her and a son who's consumed by video games. Toni wants her family to grow closer - to return to a simpler way of life. Other women in town, like Stacy Thomas, are also inspired to unload their excess stuff and some of the extra responsibilities they've taken on. But as they all discover, sometimes life simply happens. It doesn't always happen simply!
23. "REFLECTED IN YOU" by Sylvia Day (Crossfire #2) (A+++++) Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside, He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction...my every desire...mine. My past was as violent as his and I was just as broken. We'd never work. It was too hard, too painful - except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity. We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession.
24. "THE OUTSIDER" by Ann H. Gabhart (New Author For Me) (Shaker #1) (A++++) She thought she was content - until a love from the outside world turned hers upside down. Gabrielle Hope and her mother joined the Harmony Hill Shaker community in 1807. The community promised stability and devotion that Gabrielle wholeheartedly embraced. But when a local doctor must be brought into Harmony Hill from the outside, he sets into motion a chain of events that will challenge Gabrielle's loyalty to the Shakers. As she falls deeper into a forbidden love for this man of the world, Gabrielle must make a choice. Can she experience true happiness in this simple chaste community? Or will she abandon her brothers and sisters for a life of the unknown?
25. "BORROWED DREAMS" by Debbie Macomber (Men Made in America: Alaska #2) (A+++) Alaskan heat. Brand St. Clair, daredevil master of the Alaskan skies, was finally ready to settle down! Question was, how was this sexy widower going to prove that to Carly Grieves? It seems Carly didn't want a man who'd loved before, even if that man was ready to love again. But the rugged pilot never ran from a challenge. And he wasn't about to run from Carly - the first woman in a long time who could tame his wild heart!
26. "BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES" by Debbie Macomber (Blossom Street #10) (A+++++) Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose. She knows she can't put her future on hold, so she prepares to make a bold choice. Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love, but with Max's job in California and Bethanne's in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. And Lydia Goetz is wonderfully happy with her husband, though lately she worries about bringing in more business to A Good Yarn. When baskets of yarn start popping up all over town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and return it to Lydia's store, she wonders who hatched this brilliant plan. As three women's lives intersect, Lydia, Lauren and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart and the best surprises still lay ahead.
27. "HAD TO BE YOU" by Robin Kaye (Bad Boys of Red Hood #3) (A++++) The last place he expected to find lasting love was back in his hometown. Slater knew tragedy from a young age, but with the support of his foster family, he turned his life around. Now, back from a stint in the Navy, he's packed up his motorcycle and returned to Red Hood to help run the family restaurant - a job that comes with a tantalizing upside Her name is Rocki. Flirty, sweet and outgoing, Rocki brings in crowds as the lead singer of the house band. And although she's unable to resist the charms of this intense bad boy, she refuses to open her heart to him. Until a family crisis shatters Rocki's easygoing demeanor, exposing something from her past she's always hoped would stay hidden. But Slater knows a thing or two about family secrets - and he sets out to prove to Rocki that their relationship could finally give them both a future worth believing in.
28. "MAD, BAD AND BLONDE" by Cathie Linz (West Investigations #1) (New Author For Me) (A+++) Jilted on her wedding day for being the queen of dullsville, librarian Faith West goes on her Italian honeymoon solo, hoping to leave her pain behind. That could take a miracle, but she's about to discover miracles do happen. His name is Caine Hunter. Smart, spontaneous, hot and sexy, he has her feeling like a real woman for the first time ever - until the truth surfaces. A former Force Recon marine turned PI, Caine was doing what he does best: spying. And his new target was Faith. Bu(t falling for the enemy's daughter was never part of his plan. Caine is a man used to winning, but this time his mission is much more personal - and now that he and Faith are both back in Chicago, the rewards could be, too.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "The Heart of Christmas" by Brenda Novak (Whiskey Creek #7) (I received an ARC copy from the author in return for an honest review) 
2. "Forgotten Sins" by Rebecca Zanetti (Sin Brothers #1) (Kindle)
3. "On Sunset Beach" by Mariah Stewart (Chesapeake Diaries #8)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "Sweet Anger" by Sandra Brown

Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

CURRENTLY READING

1. The Lost Coyote by Michael Connelly ( Harry Bosch # 4)
2. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Kindle Book

FINISHED

1. The First Commandment by Brad Thor ( Scot Harvath # 6)

I'm unable to put down Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  A friend nagged me to read it for at least a year, but I was squeamish, thinking yech, a boring gothic romance.  Then she gave me a copy as a thank you for a small favor I'd done, so here it was in the house, and finally I decided to give it the "five pages test"---and now I am hooked. Beautifully and vividly written, completely drawn and compelling characters, lots of mysterious happenings---a true page turner.  I'm about half way through and just want to lie in a hammock and gobble it up, which is pretty much my plan for my day off today. 

Thank you, my friend!

Fall To Pieces by Mary Fosberg Weiland - Memoir by the wife of the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. She was a well known model before him and that got her started in the drug scene but meeting him really pushed her in it. Coupled with being bipolar and she had quite an adventure going fr a few years. Very candid and nothing is sugar coated, they both come out sounding bad. :uckily she seems to have finally gotten it together. Not sure he has.

The Curse Of The Pharoahs by Elizabeth Peters - Book 2 of the Amelia Peabody series. I liked it better than the first but their kid is annoying. I think they will be bringing the kid with in the next book, not sure I'm going to bother. Good mystery in this one and the characters are a bit more human and less annoying.

Diner Impossible by Terri L Austin - 3rd in a series, best so far. She's hit her stride and become a smooth story teller. Not much in the way of danger like the previous books but a much better constructed story.

The Art Of Men by Kirstie Alley - Somewhat of a memoir but only about the men in her life. Sounds honest and isn't whiny, a little ego-driven but most celebrity memoirs are. She only briefly talks about scientology and IMO misrepresents it greatly (like insisting it doesn't involve aliens. Yes, aliens are the core of the stupid thing) but it's easy to ignore. The only thing that bothered me is she gushes about her son like crazy and barely mentions the fact that she has a daughter. Her name is only said once. I know it is supposed to be a book about men but geez, that's gonna leave a complex. I doubt there will be a follow up about the women in her life since she says she doesn't care for women and doesn't have many female influences so I hope her daughter is a secure person. I've always thought she was exceptionally sexy and she seems very sexual, no graphics but a lot of examples, lol. Interesting book.

Unbreakable by Sharon Osbourne - memoir, up to current time. Very open examination of her marriage to a crazy drug addict prince of darkness and their crazy drug addicted kids.

The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski - audio - horrific tale about a 10 year old boy stuck out on his own during ww2. You can't begin to imagine the horrors this boy goes through, so much so it's hard to accept as a possibility. The author claims others who were in this situation too have accused him of sugar coating the truth. It is very graphic, violent and sexual. Extremely ugly and I can see most people not being able to finish it.

How To Have An Almost Perfect Marriage by Mrs Stephen Fry - Not as good as the first one, it was ok. Just ok.

Hocus Croakus by Mary Daheim - Cozy mystery set in a casino. It was fairly formulaic but had an ending I've never seen before. The characters were interesting and likeable for the most part. It was an ok book.

To The Grave by Steve Robinson - Book 2 in a cozy series about a genealogist who keeps getting caught up in murders. I like this series, I like the male MC. There was a lot of back-in-time scenarios, narratives of the missing subject's past. Almost half the story really was just the character's home life and romance story. It was a good one though so it didn't bother me as much as it might have.

Blackadder 2 - audio - Second series of Blackadder. Contains Lord Flashheart's most famous scene, during Blackadder's wedding to Bob. Poor Rik :(

Brung Up Proper by Jason Manford - Memoir from a British comedian. Stops at the entrance to show biz like a lot of them, leaving some material for the next book, but he told his story very well. Humorous and fun, great book.

Finished

• Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
• Remember Ben Clayton by Stephen Harrigan

Currently Reading

• The Lion in the Lei Shop by Kaye Starbird
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Listening to

• The House Girl by Tara Conklin

Reading:   The Giver, People of the Longhouse, Into the Dreaming, Devil's Labyrinth (may kick this one - slow).

Finished:  Vampire Academy, Spellbound, Storm Front, Demon's Lexicon, Other Kingdoms, Gormenghast, Jerle Shannara/Antrax, Titus Groan, Flashback, Wild Rain, The Gunslinger, Hit List, Unwind.

Judye  / maysied

Finished:  Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton --- 1st in The Knitting Mystery series, Kelly Flynn comes back to Colorado for her murdered aunt's funeral and becomes involved, along with several ladies from the knitting shop, in finding out who killed her aunt.  A fun little 'cozy' mystery.

Scared to Death by Wendy Corsi Staub --- This book picks up where Live To Tell left off and it is a real page-turner. Jeremy Cavalon was kidnapped fifteen years earlier and presumed dead. His families [both birth and adoptive] have gone on with their lives.  A tense thriller with a surprise ending.  Highly recommended series.

Cold Truth by Mariah Stewart --- The murders began twenty-six years ago and continue when more bodies are found along the Jersey Shore.  Who's been killing women for all this time and never been caught, not even a suspect? Cassie Burke, a detective with the police department in the little town of Bowers Inlet, lost her family in the first round of murders, now she's determined to find the killer and stop him.  Stewart always writes terrific stories and this is no exception...the first in the Truth series.

Thicker Than Water by Maggie Shayne --- This is my first Maggie Shayne book, and I really enjoyed it.  Intense plot with likable characters [for the most part!] and I'll be looking for the next Mordecai Young book. Julie Jones escaped from the Young Believers compound when it was destroyed during a raid, taking with her the baby of her best friend. 16 years later she's being investigated for murder and trying to find the real killer while protecting her 'daughter'.

Buffalo Valley by Debbie Macomber ---4th in the Buffalo Valley series. A major shopping center threatens to move to Buffalo Valley and the people living there know it will put a lot of the small businesses out of business.  So they band together to find a way to stop it from happening along with a man who was suppose to work for the company.

The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby --- 3rd book of The Wine Country Mystery series.  Lucie Montgomery owns a winery in Virgina and she's planning to hold a wine auction to raise money for a local charity.  Only the main attraction, a 200 + year-old wine believed to have been owned by George Washington has been withdrawn from the auction and then people start dying. A fun series with lots of interesting wine trivia.  I'm putting this book on my profile page under unpostables because it is a retired library book. If interested in it pm me.

Sisters Found by Joan Johnston --- I picked this book at random from my TBR pile, not realizing it was one of a series, Hawk's Way, of which I hadn't read any of the others, so I was a little lost as to background.  This one deals with two twin sisters, Hope, in love with Jake who is afraid to love her so he gets engaged to another woman and Faith who is in love with Randy. Then there's Charity, the sister they didn't know they had.  

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin--- Found this at a flea market and it looked interesting.  So far, so good...  This turned out to be a terrific read!! Kind of like CSI in the 12th century.  Children are being killed in a town in England, the Jews are being blamed and King Henry II wants to find the killer so he enlists the aid of the King of Sicily who sends an unlikely trio, a Jew, a Saracen [Black Muslim] and a woman doctor [a mistress in the art of death, one who studies cadavers to find out how they died]. How these three work to keep their mission a secret and also protect Adelia's [the doctor] identity makes for one great story. I don't usually post hardcovers, but I'm going to this one since it's such a good book and I'd love for someone else to enjoy it.

Killer Diller by Clyde Edgerton --- Quirky characters --- the Sears twins, Ned & Ted who run a Baptist college, Wesley Benfield, along with Mattie Rigsbee from Walking Across Egypt,  Wesley's band members and Phoebe Trent, Wesley's girlfriend. Hard to describe the book, one that has to be read in order to understand it.  

Never Say Die & Whistleblower by Tess Gerritsen [2 books in one]--- Two good reads.  Never Say Die --- Willy Maitland has come back to Viet Nam 20 years after the war has ended to find out what happened to her MIA father.  Was he the traitor some are calling him?  Willy has promised her dying mother she'd learn the truth. A little dated, but still an interesting story.  Whistleblower---  Victor Holland's friend uncovered a deadly secret at the company where he was a biochemist, now his friend is dead and Victor is determined to find out the truth.  Cathy Weaver accidentally runs into Victor on a rainy night and becomes a target, along with Victor, by the men trying to keep the secret from becoming public.  A good cat-and-mouse thriller.                       

Currently reading:  Ghost Night by Heather Graham

Up next:   Undecided

Books read in 2014:   Jan. -- 8,  Feb. -- 7,  March -- 7,   April -- 4, May -- 9,  June -- 11,  July -- 9

FINISHED

Missing You: Harlan Coben      I really liked this one, but, maybe I was half asleep when I read the ending.  It left me hanging.

Bones of the Lost: A Temperance Brennan Novel: Kathy Reichs     I liked this one.

Private L.A.: James Patterson, Mark Sullivan       I really liked this one.

Innocent Blood: The Order of the Sanguines Series: James Rollins, Rebecca Cantrell  Good follow-up to The Blood Gospel.

I'm now 100+ pages into The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larson.  I love his writing--no wasted or excessive words; he is able to make even a necessary bit of dry financial background material both readable and entertaining.  That always impresses me with a truly talented writer.  And now, slowly the mystery is emerging.  I'm not quite hooked, but definitely into it.  I keep finding reasons to read for another 5 minutes, then another and another.

FINISHED

The Dolphins and Me :: Don C. Reed        This is a true story.  I loved it.

Demi and the Dolphins: A Lesson in Ecology: Alyssa K. Harrell   This book was written by a 10 year old girl.   "WOW"

The Headhunter's Daughter: Tamar Myers   I very rarely give up on a book, but I did with this one.  I just could not focus or concentrate on the story.  I gave up on it about 1/3 of the way.

A Tap on the Window: Linwood Barclay      I really liked this one.

And 2 good James Patterson books.

12th of Never (Women's Murder Club, Bk 12): James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

Cross My Heart: (Alex Cross 21)

Currently reading: Killer Diller by Clyde Edgerton

How did you like this? I really liked Walking Across Egypt by Edgerton and The Floatplane Notebooks is pretty good too. Edgerton is on youtube if you would like to hear him speak.

Shirley - I loved Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, all of those books are really good!

I recently finished True Colors and just started These Things Hidden. Both are good, just have been busy with back to school stuff and haven't read much this month.  I am still listening to Written in My Own Hearts Blood but I am almost done with that, it will be sad when I am finished, I will have withdrawal.

Finished:
The Sorceress and the Cygnet by Patricia A. McKillip
Babylon 5: The Long Night of Centauri Prime by Peter David
Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce
The Caller by Juliet Marillier
Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce

Reading/Listening To Now:
The Robin and the Kestrel by Mercedes Lackey
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Eighth Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois
Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce
 

Charles,

I didn't like Killer Diller as well as I did Walking Across Egypt. Parts of it were entertaining and funny, but I got tired of Wesley's fantasizing about his love life with Phoebe. The ending seemed very abrupt and a little farfetched. I have The Floatplane Notebooks, just have gotten around to reading it. I'll check Edgerton out on youtube.

Margaret,

I'm definitely going to check into the other books by Franklin. Mistress of the Art of Death was such a good book I'm anxious to continue reading this series.

Shirley - I have read all 4 of the Mistress books and “City of Shadows” and I enjoyed them all!

I am reading too many books right now, I hope to finish a few at the beach this weekend.  I am reading “How to Breathe Under Water” and  “In All Deep Places” and listening to “One Thousand White Women”

Margaret,

I just ordered the 3rd book from a PBS member and am on the wish list for #2. The only copy of the 4th book I saw was a hardcover and I try to stay away from them.  Although the copy I have of Mistress of the Art of Death is a hardcover!! 

Shirley - each one is really its own story and reading them out of order would be fine!

Margaret--- I like to read series in order if possible, even when it's a story unto itself.  A lot of times people and events are mentioned in a story and if the reader isn't familiar with what's being  talked about, it makes for some confusion.  For instance, if book one wasn't read first, how would the reader know who Rowley Picot was and how he  fit into Adelia's life?  I have unknowingly read a book that was part of a series, but somewhere on down the line and been totally lost in what's going on and I hate that!!  So I try to start from the beginning and go from there.  I'm looking forward to the rest of Adelia's series.

Just finished and I found it quite good. It is a mystery that starts at the end and proceeds to the beginning. I have enjoyed many of his later works and thought I would try and earlier one and was not disappointed.

Happy reading,

Mary Anne

I just finished The Red Tent, which was so good, way better than I thought it would be. Now I am starting Positively Fifth Street. Do you keep a list of books that you've read?

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read for me.

The Harbinger by Johnathon Cahn. I found this book to be very interesting. Definately food for thought.

I'm currently reading Looking for Alaska by John Green
 

Shirley, good point and I agree.

mariposashashi - I enjoyed the Red Tent too.  I use PBS to track the books I have read. And Goodreads some.