My August reading list: 

Finished -

1. "CAPE PERDIDO" by Marcia Mueller (unabridged Audio Cassette) (A-) Amid ancient redwoods and sun-dappled reeds, the Perdido River runs clear and cold from the mountains of Soledad County to the blue Pacific. A wildlife refuge and a pristine recreational area, the river brings tourists to the old lumber town of Cape Perdido. Now, that is about to change. An out-of-state corporation wants to pump the river nearly dry and float the water to southern California's thirsty cities. With lobbyists, lawyers and dirty tricks, the company intends to get what it wants - any way it can. Ecologist Jessie Domingo hopes to grab headlines for her cause. Environmentalist Joseph Openshaw has come back to the home and the secrets he left behind decades ago. His former lover, local restauranteur Steph Pace, fears both the emotions and the ghosts arriving to haunt her. And old man Timothy McNear, owner of the defunct mill, silently broods about the sins he has hidden for too long. But no one envisions what will happen when the crack of a sniper's bullet sets off a chain of desperate acts. As the peace of this small town is shattered, murder stains Cape Perdido, and one by one, those who stand tall for a cause may be swept away by the current of a town's ugly truths - and a killer's revenge.
2. "THE SWEETHEARTS' KNITTING CLUB" by Lori Wilde (Twilight Texas #1) (A+) For ten years, pretty Flynn MacGregor has been turning down the same solid, upright man's marriage proposal. Her friends at the Sweetheart's Knitting Club tell her they're a match made in heaven, but Flynn knows there's only one dangerous reason why she keeps saying no: high school sweetheart Jesse Calloway. She was just sixteen when Jesse was forced out of town under a cloud of suspicion but he's never left her heart. Now Jesse is back and every time she turns the corner he's there, gazing at her with his smoldering eyes and tempting her with his kisses. Jesse has never played by the rules and he's made it clear that he's not going to now. And Flynn, who's always done just what her family, friends and fellow knitters have told her to do, must finally break free and claim the love that binds Jesse to her heart.
3. "EDGE OF EVIL" by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #1) (A) The end of her high-profile broadcasting career came too soon for TV journalist Alison Reynolds - bounced off the air by executives who wanted a "younger face." With a divorce from her cheating husband of ten years also pending, there is nothing keeping her in L.A. any longer. Cut loose from her moorings, Ali is summoned back home to Sedona, Arizona, by the death of a childhood friend. Once there she seeks solace in the comforting rhythms of her parents' diner, the Sugarloaf Cafe, and launches an on-line blog as therapy for others who have been similarly cut loose. But when threatening posts begin appearing, Ali finds out that running a blog is far more up-close and personal than sitting behind a news desk. And far more dangerous. Suddenly something dark and deadly is swirling around her life and a killer may be hunting her next.
4. "SIZZLING SIXTEEN" by Janet Evanovich (unabridged Audio CD) (Stephanie Plum #16) (A+) Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money. Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Connie and Lula have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash. Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Between a bonds office yard sale, a plan that makes Mooner's Hobbit-Con look sane, and Uncle Pip's lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save Vinnie and the business from ruin. Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter.This involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a Turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer. The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip's lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky - the only question is...with whom?
5. WESTERN SKIES" by Nora Roberts - Song of the West (A) The towering mountains and windswept plains of Wyoming are truly beautiful. But Samantha Evans has absolutely no intention of staying - until she meets devastatingly handsome Jake Tanner. Suddenly the idea of leaving isn't quite so appealing. Samantha is torn between a lifelong dream and her feelings for this intriguing man when a blizzard strikes and she's stranded with him. Is Mother Nature trying to tell her something? Maybe she should listen? Boundary Lines (A+) A feud has been warring for years between two Montana families, and the feisty Jillian Baron and irresistible Aaron Murdock seem determined to carry it into another generation. But when threatened by a common enemy, Jillian and Aaron become uneasy allies. Soon the battle waged within their own hearts pits their historical mistrust against a clear and present passion. Might the Barons and the Murdocks finally find common ground and form a very special union?
6. "BIG GAMBLE" by Michael McGarrity (Kevin Kerney #7) (abridged Audio Cassette) (A) When a fire in an abandoned fruit stand in rural Lincoln County reveals the murdered body of a woman gone missing from Sante Fe years ago, Police Chief Kevin Kerney finds himself cooperating with his estranged son, a man he hardly knows, Deputy Sheriff Clayton Istee. While Kerney digs into the woman's past, hoping to find clues that will lead to a credible suspect. Clayton must unravel two more homicides that seem, on the surface, totally unrelated.As Kerney chases down clues that raise questions about the legitimacy of a highly regarded modeling and talent agency, Clayton works to discover the identity of a murder suspect alleged to have ties to prostitution and illegal gambling. Set against the backdrop of the high mountains of southern New Mexico, where gambling is big business and private sexual encounters for VIPs can be discreetly arranged, Kerney and Clayton must go up against the rich and politically powerful opponents who are will to protect their reputations at all costs.
7. "THE PENALTY BOX" by Deirdre Martin (Blade #4) (A+) Everyone from Didsbury High remembers Katie Fisher as the dumpy brainiac from the poor side of town. Everyone from Didsbury High remembers Paul van Dorn as the school hockey star and heartthrob. But now they're facing off and matching up in more ways than one. Katie's lost the pounds, added some self-confidence, and become a drop-dead gorgeous sociology professor. And since a series of concussions put an end to Paul's pro-hockey career, his star has dimmed. Now he hits the ice as a youth hockey coach. But he's still got the hometown crowd behind him as the owner of a bar called the Penalty Box. Paul is reliving his glory days. Katie wishes she could put those years behind her. And the battle of wills that ensues just might knock love right out of the game.
8. "RETURN TO SULLIVAN'S ISLAND" by Dorothea Benton Frank (A Lowcountry Tale) (unabridged Audible) (A) Newly graduated from college, aspiring writer Beth Hayes is elected by her family to house-sit the Island Gamble. Buoyed by sentimental memories of growing up on this tiny sandbar seemingly untouched by time, Beth vows to give herself over to the Lowcountry force and discover the wisdom it holds. Just as she vows she will never give into the delusional world of white picket fences, minivans, and eternal love, she meets Max Mitchell. All her convictions and plans begin to unravel with lightning speed. There is so much about life and her family's past she does not know. Her ignorance and naivete nearly cost her both her inheritance and her family's respect, but Beth finds unexpected friends to help her through the disaster she faces. If everything happens for a reason, then Beth's return to Sullivans Island teaches her that betrayal and tragedy are most easily handled when you surround yourself with loyal family and friends in a magical place that loves you so much it wants to claim you as its own. 
9. "STONE HEART" by Luanne Rice (B) Nomadic archaeologist Maria Dark is returning home again to the Connecticut shore - a magical place where she, her sister Sophie, and their brother Peter spent their childhood on the banks of Bell Stream. After fifteen years away, Maria hopes that she can rediscover the joy and optimism of her youth in the arms of her family. But things have changed. Maria's siblings and her mother have weathered difficult times...and Sophie and her children are not as happy as they seem. Now Maria will embark upon an emotional journey, navigating the memories of a tender past, toward the truth at the heart of her family and the chance for a new beginning.
10. "SAVANNAH BREEZE" by Mary Kay Andrews (Savannah #2) (abridged Audio CD) (A+) Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk loses all her worldly possessions to the gorgeous Reddy who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motor court on Tybee Island - an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem. Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn't normally be caught dead but, with no alternative, she vows to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the cantankerous caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who's trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry, BeBe soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests. Then there's a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe's fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who's looking more hunky every day will finally get his boat back. 
11. "A SHARED DREAM" by Jayne Ann Krentz (A) The Warrior died at her feet, his blood running out of the cave entrance and mingling with the waterfall. With his last breath he cursed the woman - told her that her spirit would remain chained in the cave forever until a child was created and born there...So goes the ancient legend of the Chained Lady and the curse that bound her throughout the ages, until destiny brings Diana Prentice and Colby Savagar together. Suddenly, they are both haunted by dreams that link past and present, while their waking hours are filled with danger. But it is only when Colby, Diana's modern-day warrior, learns to love can these dark forces be vanquished. Only then can Diana set the Chained Lady free.
12. "MORE THAN WORDS" (A) - Almost Love by Joan Johnston - A story revolving around www.polarisproject.org - Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr - A story revolving around the Zoe Institute - Safely Home by Christina Skye - A story revolving around www.partnersincare.org - No Limits by Rochelle Alers - A story revolving around Sky's the Limit www.stlonline.org - The Princess Shoes by Maureen Child - a story revolving around www.ShoesThatFit.org
13. "HISSY FIT" by Mary Kay Andrews (abridged Audio CD) (A+) Keeley Murdock's wedding to A.J. Jernigan should have been the social event of the season. But when she catches her fiance doing the deed with her maid of honor at the country club rehearsal dinner, all bets are off. And so is the wedding. Keeley pitches the hissy fit of the century, earning herself instant notoriety in the small town of Madison, Georgia. Even worse is the financial pressure A.J.'s banking family brings to bear on Keeley's interior design business. But riding to the rescue - in a vintage yellow Cadillac - is the redheaded stranger who's bought a failing local bra plant. Will Mahoney hires Keeley to redo the derelict antebellum mansion he's bought. Her assignment: decorate it for the woman of his dreams - a woman he's never met.
14. "MATT" by Lisa Jackson (The McCafferty's #2) (A-) Matt had never met a woman who hadn't succumbed to the McCafferty charm. But beautiful Kelly Killinger, the cop assigned to his sister's hit-and-run case, proved indifferent to his attractions. Although they didn't get along, her all-business attitude pricked his ego and fired up his blood. The more she resisted, the more determined he became to break down her defenses. The alluring female detective somehow managed to breach the layers of his tough-as-rawhide exterior to touch his soul. Matt might think that law enforcement is no place for a lady, but he might soon find himself making a plea for passion!
15. "THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS" by Debbie Macomber (A) What would make your Christmas perfect? For Cassie Beaumont, it's meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing's worked. Not blind dates, not the Internet and certainly not leaving love to chance. What's left? A professional matchmaker. He's Simon Dodson, and he's very choosy about the clients he takes on. Cassie finds Simon a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she's astonished when he accepts her as a client. Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets him. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell ringer, dressing up as Santa's elf at a children's party and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all and she's finally ready to meet her match. But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!
16. "WEB OF EVIL" by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #2) (abridged Audio CD) (A+) The highway from Los Angeles to the Palm Springs desert is parched, unforgiving, and deadly. In the suffocating stillness of a car trunk, a man - his mouth and hands bound with tape - awaits his fate. What possible enemy could be bitter enough to commit such a heinous crime? And when will the monster make another move? Ali Reynolds is traveling that same bloistering, lonesome highway, looking forward to putting her past behind her. But her cheating husband is in a hurry for a divorce, and the television network who wrongfully dismissed Ali for the sole sin of being over forty will face her in court as well. So Ali must return to the scene of these crimes. As she passes the site of a horrifying accidnet, she thanks goodness it's no longer her job to report the news. Until she finds out the news is her own. For the victim is Ali's cheating husband, and soon she'll find herself the prime suspect at the center of a terrifying web of evil.
17. "SAVOR THE MOMENT" by Nora Roberts (Bride Quartet #3) (A++) Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dreams of attending culinary school was almost ruined by her parents' financial problems. Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the prefect touch to their clients' weddings. As for romance, Laurel believes in it - in theory. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother, Delaney Brown, on whom Laurel has had a mega crush since childhood. But some infatuations last longer than others and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her - leading to an angry hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del - she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever.
18. "FALSE IMPRESSION" by Jeffery Archer (unabridged Audible) (C) When an aristocratic old lady is brutally murdered in her country home the night before 9/11, it takes all the resources of the FBI and Interpol to work out the connection between her and the possible motive for her death: a priceless Van Gogh painting. In the end, however, it's a young woman in the North Tower when the first plane crashed into the building that has the courage and determination to take on both sides of the law and avenge the old lady's death. Anna Petrescu is missing and presumed dead after 9/11, and she uses her new status to escape from America - only to be pursued across the world from Toronto to London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Bucharest. But it is only when she returns to New York that the mystery unfolds.
19. "HOLLY" by Jude Deveraux (A++) Hollander "Holly" Latham can't believe her good fortune. After endless calls, letters, emails, and promises, she's finally persuaded her parents to buy Spring Hill Plantation just outside beautiful, historic Edenton in eastern North Carolina and strategically located near Belle Chere, the purest, most untouched plantation site in America. At the tender age of thirteen, Holly fell in love with Lorrie Beaumont, who inherited the Revolutionary-period estate when his heiress mother died during childbirth. Though more than a decade has passed since Holly last locked eyes with her childhood love, the passion she feels in her young heart has never come close to extinguishing - that is, until charming, ruggedly handsome Nick Taggert unexpectedly waltzes into her life and treats her to an unforgettable weekend of laughter and intense passion. Despite Holly's undeniable attraction to this dazzling stranger, she knows he's not marriage material. What Holly doesn't know is that Nick Taggert is actually Dr. Nicholas Taggert. Having been with more than his share of women only interested in money and pedigree, Nick decides to test Holly and conceal his more refined qualities. Will Holly be seduced by Lorrie's wealth and privilege, or will she choose the simple gift of love that Nick has offered her? The answer is unveiled on a starry Christmas night, when passion, hate, and greed collide to reveal bitter truths that will forever change the course of Holly's charmed life.
20. "FLOWERS ON MAIN" by Sherryl Woods (A) When her last two plays are dismal failtures and her relationship with her temperamental mentor falls apart, writer Bree O'Brien abandons Chicago and the regional theater where she hoped to make a name for herself to return home. Opening Flowers on Main promises to bring her a new challenge and a new kind of fulfillment. But not all is peaceful and serene in Chesapeake Shores, with her estranged mother on the scene and her ex-lover on the warpath. Jake Collins has plenty of reasons to want Bree out of his life, but none of those are a match for the one reason he wants her to stay: He's still in love with her. Jake might be able to get past that old hurt if he knew Bree was home to stay, but is she? The only way to know for sure is to take a dangerous leap of faith.
21. "SIZZLING" by Susan Mallery (Buchanan's #3) (A) A spiteful article about the former pitcher and current playboy questions his talent in the bedroom. And the newspaper's just the first bad news. Reid's grandmother Gloria's broken hip means she needs constant care but Reid hired Nurses 1 and 2 for their bedside manner with him. So for Number 3 he chooses Lori Johnson, the first candidate who seems immune to his brand of charm. Lori's never wasted her time with amoebas like Reid Buchanan. So why are her well fortified defenses starting to crumble under the force of his sexy smile and the kindness he shows her at every turn? There's only one explanation for the feelings floating between them - chemistry. Chemistry so hot, it's sizzling!
22. "HANNAH'S DREAM" by Diane Hammond (A++) For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-the-heels Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary - just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.
23. "THE SEARCH" by Nora Roberts (unabridged Audible) (A++) To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life: a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescue. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare. Several years ago, she was the only survivor of a serial killer - a madman who stalked and abducted young women, strangled them, and left them buried with a red scarf on their bodies. As authorities were closing in on the Red Scarf Killer, he shot and killed Fiona's cop fiance and his K-9 partner. On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. Yet all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end. To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and intensely private artist, known for creating exquisite furniture. Simon never wanted a puppy, and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Beside, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to the laws of attraction. As Fiona embarks on training Jaws and as Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands.
24. "PICTURE PERFECT" by Jodi Picoult (unabridged Audio CD) (A) Marriage to a movie star is no fairytale. Cassie Barrett, a world-renowned anthropologist, wakes up in a graveyard and doesn't know who she is. Taken in for a few days by William Flying Horse, a Native American police officer, she waits for her life to re-appear. When Hollywood heartthrob Alex Rivers shows up to claim her as his wife, she is stunned but still doesn't remember anything. After she returns to her fairytale existence as Alex Rivers' wife, fragments of memory come back but she senses there is a side to her husband that she can't remember. When she finds a positive pregnancy test hidden in her bathroom, dark memories return, allowing her to piece together her past. Frightened, she runs to the only person she trusts to keep her hidden: Will.
25. "THE HOT FLASH CLUB" by Nancy Thayer (Hot Flash Club #1) (A++) Meet Faye, Shirley, Marilyn, and Alice: four women with skills, smarts, and secrets, all feeling over the hill and out of the race. But in a moment of delicious serendipity, they meet and realize that they share more than raging hormones and lost dreams. Now as members of the Hot Flash Club, where the topics of motherhood, sex and men are discussed with double servings of chocolate cake, they vow to help one another and themselves. For these women, the time has come to use it or lose it, be it their bodies, their brains, their spirits, or their sense of fun. Together they realize that they can have it all, perhaps for the first time in their lives. And though what sags may never rise again, feeling sexy has no expiration date and best of all, with a little help from her friends, a woman can always start over and never, ever give up what matters most.
26. "CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING" by Lenora Worth (Love Inspired - Davis Landing #6) (B) The Gossip Guru...hears wealthy newspaper tycoon Wallace Hamilton may finally be released from the hospital, after recurring visits following his bone-marrow transplant. But the juciest Hamilton news is that Jeremy - who is not Wallace's son - has been in contact with the family again...and he might rejoin Hamilton Media. A certain lovely single mom has been spotted doing holiday volunteer work with the former business tycoon. Perhaps the charms and strong spiritual life of Gabi Valencia helped create the Christmas homecoming for Jeremy.
27. "THE QUIET GAME" by Greg Iles (abridged Audio Cassette) (Natchez) (A+) Penn Cage is no stranger to death. As a Houston prosecutor he sent sixteen men to death row and watched seven of them die. Grief-stricken, in the aftermath of his wife's death, he returns to his hometown in search of healing. But peace is not what he finds there. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old money and older sins, where passion, power and racial tensions seethe beneath its elegant facade. After twenty years away, Penn is stunned to find his own family trapped in a web of intrigue and danger. Determined to save his father from a ruthless blackmailer, Penn stumbles over a link to the town's darkest secret: the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of a black veteran. But what drives him to act is the revelation that this haunting mystery is inextricably bound up in his own past. Under a blaze of national media attention, Penn reopens the case, only to find local records destroyed, the FBI file sealed, and the town closing ranks against him. Penn joins forces with Caitlin Masters, a beautiful young newspaper publisher, on a quest that will lead from the bayous of the South to the highest reaches of the U.S. government. His need to right a terrible wrong pits him against the FBI, the powerful judge who nearly destroyed his family, and his most dangerous adversary: a woman he loved more than twenty years before, and who haunts him still.
28. "JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS" by Karen Kingsbury (Cody Gunner #2) (A) Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his Down Symdrome brother, Carl Joseph. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure. So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instinctive connection they share and Cody faces a crisis of the heart. What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies just beyond the clouds.

Currently Reading -

1. "Warrior"  by Elizabeth Lowell  (Mackenzie/Blackthorn #5)
2. "A Creed Country Christmas" by Linda Lael Miller

  Currently Listening To - 

1. "Full House" by Janet Evanovich (Full #1) (unabridged Audible)
2. "One Day at a Time" by Danielle Steel (abridged Audio CD)

To Be Read - Alphabetically by Author not reading order 

1. "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen (unabridged Audio CD)
2. "Blue Christmas" by Mary Kay Andrews (Savannah #3) (unabridged Audio CD)
3. "Sons of Fortune" by Jeffrey Archer (abridged Audio CD)
4. "Hero Under Cover" by Susanne Brockmann
5. "Infamous" by Susanne Brockmann
6. "Nowhere to Run" by Susanne Brockmann
7. "Breath of Scandal" by Sandra Brown
8. "The Crush" by Sandra Brown (abridged Audio CD)
9. "Sarah - Women of Genesis" by Orson Scott Card
10. "A Summer in Sonoma" by Robyn Carr
11. "An Officer and a Princess" by Carla Cassidy (Royally Wed - The Stanbury Crown)
12. "Die Trying" by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #2)
13. "Running Blind" by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #4)
14. "The Innocent" Harlan Cobin
15. "Little Miss Matchmaker" by Dana Corbit (Love Inspired - Tiny Blessings Tale #4)
16. "While My Sister Sleeps" by Barbara Delinsky (abridged Audio CD)
17. "Ride a Painted Pony" by Kathleen Eagle
18. "The Soldiers" by Ken Englade (Tony Hillerman's Frontier - People of the Plains #3)
19. "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Eans (unabridged Audio CD)
20. "The Sunflower" by Richard Paul Evans (Audio CD)
21. "Almost a Lady" by Jane Feather (Almost #2)
22. "Dark Prince" (Carpathians (Dark) #1) by Christeen Feehan
23. "Mind Game" by Christine Feehan (GhostWalkers #2)
24. "Bull's Island" by Dorothea  Benton Frank (A Lowcountry Tale) (unabridged Audio CD)
25. "Full of Grace" by Dorothea Benton Frank (abridged Audio CD)
26. "A Week From Sunday" by Dorothy Garlock
27. "Blood of the Prodigal" by P.L. Gaus (An Ohio Amish Mystery)
28. "To the Brink" by Cindy Gerard (The Bodyguards #3)
29. "Take No Risks" by Cindy Gerard (Black Ops #5)
30. "Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets" by Kate Irene Gosselin, Beth Ann Carson
31. "The Dead Room" by Heather Graham
32. "The Summons" by John Grisham (unabridged Audio CD)
33. "Don't Look Back" Celeste Hamilton (Sonny's Girls #2)
34. "Between Sisters" by Kristin Hannah
35. "Black Orchid" by Karen Harper
36. "Reilly's Return" by Tami Hoag (Rainbow Chasers)
37. "Chill of Fear" by Kay Hooper ( A Bishop/Special Crimes Unit (Fear))  (abridged Audio CD)
38. "Kiss Me While I Sleep) Linda Howard (unabridged Audio Cassette)
39. "Blood Memory" by Greg Iles (Natchez) (abridged Audio CD)
40. "The Devil's Punchbowl" by Greg Iles (abridged Audio CD)
41. "True Evil" by Greg Iles (Natchez) (abridged Audio CD)
42. "Until I Find You" by John Irving
43. "Slade" by Lisa Jackson (The McCaffertys #3)
44. "The Friday Night Knitting Club"  by Kate Jacobs (Knitting Club #1)
45. "A Mommy in Mind" by Arlene James (Love Inspired - A Tiny Blessings Tale)
46. "Fire and Ice"  by J.A. Jance (Joanna Brady #13 & J.P. Beaumont #19)
47. "Hand of Evil" by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #3)
48. "Kiss of the Bees" J.A. Janes (Brandon Walker #2)
49. "Payment in Kind" by J.A. Jance (J.P. Beaumont #8)
50. "Pandora's Daughter" by Iris Johansen (abridged Audio CD)
51. "Running Hot" by Jayne Ann Krentz (Arcane Society #1) (unabridged Audio CD)
52. "Blue Moon" (Louisiana #3) by Jill Marie Landis
53. "The Official Nora Roberts Companion" by Denise Little and Laura Hayden
54. "The Prodigal" by Beverly Lewis (Abram's daughters #4)
55. "The Sacrifice" by Beverly Lewis (Abram's daughters #3)
56. "A Woman Without Life" by Elizabeth Lowell (unabridged Audio CD)
57. "Only Mine" by Elizabeth Lowell (Only #2)
58. "Sweet Talk" by Susan Mallery (Bakery Sisters #1)
59. "Tempting" by Susan Mallery (Buchanans #4)
60. "Body Check" by Deirdre Martin
61. "Mother Warriors: Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds" by Jenny McCarthy
62. "Everyone Dies" by Michael McGarrity (Kevin Kerney #8)
63. "Zeke and Ned" by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
64. "Blind Hope (An Unwanted Dog & the Woman She Rescued) Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher
65. "Time to Run" by Marliss Melton (Navy SEALS #3)
66. "A Creed Country Christmas" by Linda Lael Miller
67. "Austin"  by Linda Lael Miller (McKettricks of Texas #3)
68. "Garrett"  by Linda Lael Miller (McKettricks of Texas #2)
69. "The McKettrick Way" by Linda Lael Miller (McKettrick Women #2)
70. "Yankee Wife" by Linda Lael Miller (Quade #1)
71. "Desperado" by Diane Palmer (Wanted #4)
72. "Fearless" by Diana Palmer (Long, Tall Texans) (abridged Audio CD)
73. "A Man Named Dave" by David Pelzer
74. "Cross My Heart" Carly Phillips (Ty and Hunter #1)
75. "Second Glance" Jodi Picoult
76. "Second Sight" by Amanda Quick (abridged Audio CD) (Arcane Society #1)
77. "Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn (A Chet and Bernie Mystery)
78. "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana" by Anne Rice (Christ the Lord #2)
79. "Merrick" by Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles #7)
80. "Blind Fall" by Christopher Rice (unabridged Audio CD)
81. "Obsesssion" by Karen Robards (unabridged Audio CD)
82. "From the Heart: Tonight and Always/A Matter of Choice/Endings and Beginnings" by Nora Roberts
83. "Night Tales: Nightshade & Night Smoke" by Nora Roberts
84. "Night Tales: Night Shield & Night Moves" by Nora Roberts
85. "The Littlest Cowboy" by Maggie Shayne (Texas Brand #1)
86. "The Long Road Home" by Danielle Steel
87. "Special Delivery" by Danielle Steel
88. "Coming Home" by Mary Stewart (The Chesapeake Diaries #1)
89. "Welcome to Harmony" by Jodi Thomas (Harmony #1)
90. "Beneath the Texas Sky" by Jodi Thomas
91. "Hard to Hold" by Stephanie Tyler
92. "The True Love Quilting Club" by Lori Wilde (Twilight Texas #2)
93. "Stealing Home" by Sherryl Woods (Sweet Magnolias #1)

Finished

1. Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton
2. Calling Dr. Patchwork by Ron Goulart
3. Hello, Lemuria, Hello by Ron Goulart
4. The Robot in the Closet by Ron Goulart
5.  

Reading

1. So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
2. Odd Girl Out by Timothy Zahn
3. Truman by David McCullough
4. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
5. Desperation by Stephen King
6. IT by Stephen King
7. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
8. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
9. A Talent for the Invisible by Ron Goulart
10.  

Up Soon

1. Electric Jesus Corpse by Carlton Mellick III
2. Throy by Jack Vance
3. Moonheart by Charles de Lint
4. Relentless by Dean Koontz
5. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
6. Anthem by Ayn Rand
7. Whispers by Dean Koontz
8. We Can Build You by Philip K. Dick
9. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
10. A Spaceship for the King by Jerry Pournelle

Finished:

1. The Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
2. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
3. Plot & Structure by James Bell
4. Flash Fiction: 72 short stories

Currently Reading:

1. Collected Stories of H.P. Lovecraft 
2. Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu boring
3. Under the Dome by Stephen King

I'm currently reading 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber (1st in Cedar Cove series)

Just finished You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister.  Great read, lots of funny  moments.  Looking forward to the next one.

My August TBR list is somewhat to be determined.  Now that you have to pay to check bags I'll probably buy books on vacation rather than taking books I already have.  Here are the books I know about:

1.  Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

2.  Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

3.  The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion

4.  A Hatred for Tulips - Richard Lourie

5.  Guide to Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening - Robert Bowden

6.  The Model Millionaire - Oscar Wilde

7.  One More Time - Carol Burnett

8.  Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts

9.  Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts

10.  A Little Fate - Nora Roberts\

11.  All Over But the Shoutin' - Rick Bragg

12.  The Eight - Katherine Neville

13.  Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells (french and english versions)

14.  Little Altars Everywhere - Rebecca Wells

15.  My French Whore - Gene Wilder

16.  Looking for Alaska - John Green

17.  The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

18.  The Happy Failure - Herman Melville

19.  House & Home - Kathleen McCleary

20.  Good In Bed - Jennifer Weiner

21.  Black Swan Green - David Mitchell

22.  Miss Invisible - Laura Jensen Walker

23.  The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

I am reading Four Past Midnight by Stephen King. I just finished The Langoliers last night. Secret Window, Secret Garden is up next.

I'm reading as fast as I can, but my TBR pile just keeps growing!!

Here's my list for August. TBR in no certain order, but as the mood hits......

Carolina Girl by Patricia Rice

Right Next Door by Debbie Macomber --- A quick read, typical Debbie Macomber.

Angels by Marian Keyes --- I really like Marian Keyes books. They're funny and profound at the same time. Maggie is like people I know, maybe even a little like me!!

About Face by Fern Michaels --- reading now

The Cabin by Carla Neggers --- As usual, a very tense plot and well-developed characters. This is the 2nd in the Texas Ranger series.

Murder in the House by Margaret Truman --- I think Margaret Truman writes a very good mystery. Not a lot of blood and gore, but always a good plot with interesting characters. Her inside knowledge of Washington, DC enhances the story, oftentimes it's like reading the daily headlines.

Silent Partner By Jonathan Kellerman ---Not one of my favorite Kellerman books, he goes into deep psychological detail that got boring. I kept reading to see how it would relate to the story and I guess it did, but I really had to force myself to keep going. He tried to tie it all together in the end, but there were so many characters involved that I didn't find the ending to be satisfying.

Copy Cat by Erica Spindler--- My first Erica Spindler book and I'm hooked!! I really like her writing style; short chapters, ala James Patterson, very intriguing plot, surprise ending. I highly recommend this book for those who haven't read any of hers, possibly a continuation of another book,same characters, but it also stands alone.

Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler  --- A quick read, very enjoyable, the first in the Bennie Harper series. I'll be reading the others as time allows.

Captive of My Desires by Johanna Lindsey

Hope to Die by Lawrence Block --- This is my first Lawrence Block novel and I really liked it. He's got a smooth writing style and the plot was a page-turner. I'll definitely be reading more by him.

Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux --- Ok, but I liked The Summerhouse better. The ending in this one seemed very rushed, like the author was hurrying to tie up loose ends.

Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert --- I really enjoyed this first in the China Bayles series. Learned a lot about herbs while reading a well developed plot, the murderer was a complete surprise!

Lost Highways by Curtiss Ann Matlock--- Loved this book!! I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it at 2:30 this morning. The characters are so well-developed and true to life. A joy to read.

Blessings in Disguise by Eileen Goudge --- up next

The Search by Iris Johansen --- waiting in the wings

New authors this month:  Susan Wittig Albert,    Lawrence Block,    Erica Spindler

finished:

The Missing Ink (Tattoo Shop, Bk 1)
Author: Karen E. Olson

Pretty In Ink (Tattoo Shop, Bk 2)
Author: Karen E. Olson

Puddlejumpers
Author: Mark Jean, Christopher Carlson

Nine Gates
Author: Jane Lindskold

Sacred Cows (Annie Seymour, Bk 1)
Author: Karen E. Olson

Truly, Madly (Lucy Valentine, Bk 1)
Author: Heather Webber

The Thin Executioner
Author: Darren Shan

Currently reading:

 
 
1. Ten North Frederick   by John O'Hara
2. The Letters of Vincent van Gogh  (nonfiction)
3 Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America   by P. David  Gaubatz & Paul Sperry (nonfiction)
4. Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures  by Robert K. Wittman
     (nonfiction)
5. Liberty  by Garrison Keillor (audio on IPod)
6. Gateway   by Frederik Pohl

Finished, : Haunting Women: Collection of short sureal and horror stories by women! Will get back to this at some point,.lots that I didn't get to.

Fiction on a Stick: Short stories by Minnesota Artists: Really good collection based on theme of areas at Mn. State Fair

Started: The Girl who played with Fire~Steig Larsson : Into it! I can't tell if it is better than Dragon Tattoo but it is beginning to pick up pace.

The Sundial~Shirley Jackson: quirky in an Adams family way, wow!

The Sun Also Rises: Hemingway, been picking this up meaning to read it for a long time,so I picked it up again.

Every Man Dies Alone~Hans Fallada : recently translated and published real life story of Berlin in the early years of WWII, about a couple who sets up a resistence cell in a factory. So far it offers a kind of reality check description about the time that helps to clarify how and why things happened as they did. Update: the edition I had was hardcover from the library so I will pick it up again when it goes more portable and less doorstoppish. However,having read the first 50 pages, I have to say that although it is engaging and even gripping in some ways, I found much of the dialogue to be klunky and not that appropriate to the period. 

My Name is Asher Lev~Chaim Potok; I have been hearing about this book for a long time but I am not far enough in it, it hasn't gripped me ye

Re-reading: The History of Love~Nicole Krause: loved it when I read it a year ago,worth a second reading!

Next: I have unearthed alot of books to be next in looking for my copy of the Beowulf new verse translation by Seamus Heany; haven't found it yet but found alot of others I should attack like: Still Alice, Beautiful Inez, Rolling Stone Interviews (revised from 1983 ed) some others TBD.among others.

Currently reading Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Currently listening to The Unquiet by John Connolly (My first Connolly and I find it very strange but I'm still listening)

Just finished Peony in Love by Lisa See (Audio) and Still Missing by chevy Stevens. Both terrific!

Up next:

The Sweet By and By by Todd Johnson (Audio)

A Quiet Belief in Angels by Roger Jon Ellory

The Pyramid by Henning Mankell

Black Seconds by Karin Fossum

Finished

• A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
• I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
• Mrs. Darcy and the Blue Eyed Stranger by Lee Smith
• The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel
• How Shall I Tell the Dog?:  and other Final Musings by Miles Kington
• Eli the Good by Silas House
• Bone Fire by Mark Spragg
• Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
• The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

• The Time it Snowed  in Puerto Rico by Sarah McCoy

Currently Reading 

• Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

 Up Next

• Juliet by Anne Fortier
• Harpsong by Rilla Askew
• The Disappeared by Kim Echlin

Listening to

• Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

38. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (can't decide which was better - this or Snow Flower) 

39. Olive Kittridge by Elizabeth Strout (13 stories all involving Olive in one way, shape or form - about love, life, aging, family, etc - wonderful)

40. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Don't usually read non-fiction memoirs, but this was a book group selection - interesting)

41. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (really liked the build-up and the ending)

On deck...

A Reliable Wife

The Terror

Hunger Games Part 3

The Colour of Magic

e

Three Cups of Tea
One Man?s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
 

Finished 16 Lighthouse Road last night and now have started The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen.  I can't make a list of what I'm going  to read for the month because my mind changes so much.  I know that I will read one classic (for my classic challenge), one Oprah book club book, and the rest will be from the numerous series that I have started.

I finished Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott last night.  I really enjoy her personal essays/memoirs.  Not sure what to read next.

Just finished All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Currently reading From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Listening to Riding the Bullet by Stephen King

2.  The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame : Meh.  Don't really understand why it's considered a classic, or why anyone likes Toad.

Finished up Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok and can highly recommend it, as well as The Sweet By and By by Todd Johnson (Audio).

Currently reading Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama and listening to Coal Run by Tawni O'Dell.

I gave up on Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay last night. Truly awful. Not likely to ever pick up another one of his books again.

3.  A Little Fate - Nora Roberts : Not bad.  It's actually 3 short stories.  The  first one, The Witching Hour, is ok, just not up to her usual level.  Winter Rose is a beautiful fairy tale that starts out a little slow but finishes as well as anything she's ever written.  The last one, A World Apart I didn't like much at all.

I am trying to not buy any new books until I have read at least 100 books off of my TBR pile.  So with that in mind I made a list of books that I wanted to read by the end of the year. I have been able to take several of them off of the list so far and these are the ones that are left to read before Jan 1, 2011.  If by some chance you would like to have one of these books, let me know and I will read it next and post it to your wishlist...you will be helping me decide which one to read next.

A Time to Kill by John Grisham

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston

Dust to Dust by Beverly Connor (Currently Reading)

Primal Fear by William Diehl

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton

Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison

Scattered Graves by Beverly Connor

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Mystery of the Tolling Bell by Carolyn Keene

The Presence by heather Graham

High Crimes by Joseph finder

Tribute by Nora Roberts

Being Dead by Jim Crace

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan  Finished 8/14/2010

Jane and the Genius of the Place by Stephanie Barron

A Murderous Glaze by Melissa Glazer

The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver

Cemetary Dance by Douglas Preston

The Footprints on the Ceiling by Clayton Rawson

Which Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard

Sit, Stay, Slay by Linda Johnston

Tregaron's Daughter by madeline Brent

Worst Case by James Patterson

Murder Under a Mystic Moon by Yasmine Galenon

Undead and Unwed by mary janice Davidson

The Diva Paints the Twon by Krista Davis

Married to the Mop by BArbara Colley

Star Trek: Mirror Universe by David mack

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson

Finished The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen and have started Storm Front by Jim Butcher. 

I'm currently reading

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Frankenstien Lost Souls by Dean Koontz

Lover Awkened by JR Ward

TBR list which seems to grow daily

Water Bound by Christine Feehan

Lover Mine by JR Ward

Lover Unbound by JR Ward

Forbidden Magic by Cheyenne McCray

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Sttirg Larsson

Sweep Volume 1: Book of Shadows, The Coven, Blood Witch by Cate Tiernan

Sweep Volume 2: Dark Magic, Awakening, Spellbound by Cate Tiernan

Bite Me if you Can by Lynsay Sands