FINISHED -

1. "PRIVATE AFFAIR" by Rebecca York (Rockfort Security #3) (A+++++) Does everyone have something to hide? Olivia Winters and Max Lyon knew each other way back when, but she was one of the cool kids and he was a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Olivia's a successful model now and Max a PI much in demand. Then Olivia's old high school friend is murdered. And a rash of "accidental" deaths may be murders, too. Max is the only man Olivia can trust to help her investigate. As they team up, Max is captivated by Olivia's courage under fire and Olivia finds that the bad boy she remembers from the fringes of her social circle might just be the best man she's ever know.
2. "ONE IN A MILLION" by Susan Mallery (A+++++) All bets are off...One in a million  that's what widow Stephanie Wynne figured her chances were of finding a man who could help her raise her kids instead of acting like one himself. After experiencing that with her late husband, she was happy to finally be in control of her own life. Sure, it could get a little lonely, but there were ways around that. FBI negotiator Nash Harmon was trained to be cool and detached in every situation. But when he came to Stephanie's B&B, there was something about her lively family that drew him in and for the first time in his life he understood why people had ties. Only Stephanie didn't want ties...at least, not to him. It would be his toughest negotiation, the odds were against him, but somehow Nash would convince her that she had, indeed, found the one. "A DAD FOR HER TWINS" by Tanya Michaels (New Author For Me) (A+++++) When Kenzie Green relocates to Atlanta, she isn't looking for a man to complete her family. Then she meets her enigmatic new neighbor across the hall Jonathan Trelauney seems to know just how to handle Kenzie's domestic handful. And her kids are already falling in love with the widowed artist. Kenzie's twin son and daughter are shattering his peace...and JT loves every minute of it! They're slowly but surely bringing him out of his reclusive shell. Now he'd like to do the same for their independent single mom. Can JT make Kenzie see that he's a man she can count on? That he can be the husband and father her family needs?
3. "FANTASY" "THE WIDOW'S AUCTION" by Sabrina Jeffries (New Author For Me) (A+++) In an exclusive gentlemen's club in Victorian London adventurous ladies are available to the highest bidder. Yet how far with a modest widow go to fulfill her fantasy of being auctioned off as a rake's midnight plaything? "LOUISA'S DREAM" by Emma Holly (New Author For Me) (D) From the depths of the dark unknown a child of midnight has arrived in a spiritual Tibetan refuge to rid herself of wicked desires. Here this ageless beauty meets the one man who can save her - or damn her soul forever. "MR. SPEEDY" by Elda Minger (New Author For Me) (A+++++) in a private, all-male school for seduction she might just graduate with honors. If she can only maintain her disguise long enough to teach the man of her dreams a few lessons. "THE AWAKENING" by Christine Feehan (Leopard People #1) (A+++++) Under the blazing heat of the Borneo sun a beautiful naturalist's dream comes true - to live among the feral jungle creatures. But an untamed, irresistible beast of another sort forces her to explore her own wild side. 
4. "I GOT YOU, BABE" by Jane Graves (The DeMarco Family #1) (A+++++) She picked the wrong man...On the run for a robbery she didn't commit, Renee Esterhaus is stuck in the middle of Texas with a broken car and a sadistic bounty hunter hot on her trail. Desperate for a way out, Renee decides to make a promise she never intends to keep - offer the first man she meets a night of unforgettable pleasure in return for a ride. A night to remember, all right, since the handsome guy turns out to be a cop with a pair of handcuffs and zero tolerance for sweet-talking criminals. Only to find Mr. Right...John DeMarco was supposed to be on vacation, far away from the lowlifes he endured on a daily basis. Even with his guard down, he doesn't expect to be duped - especially by a beautiful blonde con artist whose claims of innocence and tempting curves are nearly impossible to resist. Renee is not a woman he can trust...so why does he feel himself falling in love?
5. "PART TIME COWBOY" by Maisey Yates (New Author For Me) (Copper Ridge #1) (A++++++) Sadie Miller isn't expecting any welcome-home parades on her return to Copper Ridge. Least of all from part-time rancher, full-time lawman Eli Garrett. The straitlaced, impossibly hot deputy sheriff glares at her as if she's the same teenage hoodlum who fled town ten years ago. But running from her demons has brought Sadie full circle, ready to make a commitment at last. Not to a man, but to a bed-and-breakfast. On Garrett land. Okay, so her plan has a tiny flaw. Eli works too hard to let a blonde ball of trouble mess up his town. But keeping an eye on Sadie makes it tough to keep his hands off her. And if she's so wrong for him, why does being with her feel so right?
6. "THE CLOSER YOU COME" by Gena Showalter (New Author For Me) (Original Heartbreakers #1) (A++++++) Just released from prison, Jase Hollister has one goal: stay out of trouble. Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, sounds like the first pace and his two brothers-by-circumstance to settle down and live a nice, simple life. But model citizen isn't exactly this rugged bachelor's default setting - especially when it comes to a certain hot-blooded Southern beauty. Brook Lynn Dillon has always been responsible. NOt that it's done her much good. The down-on-her-luck waitress is broke, single and fun-deprived. Until Jase comes along. He is dangerous, sexy and tempting as sin and the sizzling passion between them is undeniable. But can it melt her resistance? After all, the right kind of trouble might be just what they both need.
7. "CALIFORNIA GIRL" by Patricia Rice (A++++++) Free spirit Alys Seagraves and her elderly, eccentric friend Mame are about to embark upon an epic road trip along historic Route 66 when Mame suffers a medical setback that throws a wrench into their plans. Never the willing patient, Mame sneaks out of the hospital, determined to go it alone as she relives the memories of her honeymoon along the famous highway. Now Alys has to trail the spunky senior westward and bring her back to reality. Yet Alys isn't alone. Mame's nephew Elliot Ross, a very sexy but very serious doctor, is sharing the driving duties. Elliot has a voice like velvet and eyes to match. The impromptu couple will be spending many hours together together in an aging pink Cadillac - and the sparks are destined to fly. After retracing the romantic path that Mame and her late husband followed long ago, Alys and Elliot will discover on the sunny shores of California that one must always live for the moment...and take a chance on love.
8. "TAKEN WITH YOU" by Shannon Stacey (Kowalskis #8) (A++++++) Hailey genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she's happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She's spent her entire life in Whitford, Main, and if she hasn't found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she's probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees. Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett's idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety - a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blond. He can't resist pushing her buttons, even though she's made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn't for her. Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she's determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that's easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he's renting the house right next door.
9. "THEN CAME YOU" by Jill Shalvis (Animal Magnetism #5) (A++++++) One night's torrid fling will turn her world upside. Veterinary intern Emily can't believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship. Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steam night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn't just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans.
10. "TAKE MY BREATH AWAY" by Christie Ridgway (Cabin Fever #1) (A++++++) Poppy Walker has a plans to restore the family resort and she's sticking to it. So when a good-looking guy with plenty of cash rents one of her half-repaired vacation cabins, she figures he's just what the handyman ordered. But when a storm blows through, it takes down some trees, her roof and then...her self-control. Even though she's been burned before by a wealthy passer-through, she can't stay away from the brooding but gorgeous stranger in the bungalow next door. Former teen idol turned Hollywood exec Ryan Hamilton wants a private place in which to endure his very personal heartbreak. Finally, in this rustic mountain cabin, he has all the seclusion one man could want - until sparks begin to fly with his sexy, formerly chilly landlady. By the time the weather dies down, they're both hot, bothered and certain they're still wrong for each other. But there's no telling how they'll face the new storm brewing on the horizon.
11. "THE SWEETEST SUMMER" by Susan Donovan (Bayberry Island #2) (A+++++) A mermaid statue on Bayberry Island could be the cause of heartbreak or everlasting romance for a practical-minded police chief and his first love. Every instinct told Police Chief Clancy Flynn that his island's claim to fame was nothing but a silly tourist attraction. But now and then, he couldn't help but wonder if his lifetime of bad romances - starting with the pretty tourist who broke his fourteen-year-old heart - could be traced back to a childhood prank involving that very statue. Then once day the pretty tourist comes barreling back into Bayberry - all grown up and on the run with her niece. Though Evelyn McGuinness is wanted for kidnapping, she tries to persuade Clancy that there's more to the story. Now the by-the-book police chief must make the toughest decision of his life: to take Evelyn into custody - or into his arms.
12. "KEPT" by Jami Alden (Gemini Men #2) (A++++++) Ethan and Derek Taggart: they're the men of Gemini and when it comes to sheet-scorching undercover work, nobody does it better. The only one they answer to is big brother Danny - that is, until the right women come along to grab the reins and crack the whip as hard as the Taggart men like it. Security is Derek Taggart's game and he plays it straight - no margin for error, no time to fool around...except for one hot little number who changes everything. He takes her home when she needs a ride - one she'll never forget. The problem is Derek can't forget her, a total about-face for a guy who keeps his enemies closer than his lovers. Then he finds out the sexy dynamo is Alyssa Miles, notorious party girl and darling of the gossip rags. It's time to walk away and never look back, which would be a hell of a lot easier if his agency didn't desperately need the high-profile gig her family's offering: a minor detail that consists mainly of Derek watching Alyssa 24/7. Keeping an eagle eye on every inch of Alyssa's nubile body isn't exactly a hardship - the problem is keeping his hans off and his brain on when things go dangerously wrong.
13. "WISHES & STITCHES" by Rachael Herron (Cypress Hollow Yard #3) (A++++++) It has always been Naomi Fontaine's dream to practice small-town medicine - an ambition that brought her to Cypress Hollow, the charming, tight-knit community her late friend, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter, loved so well. But no matter how hard she tries, Naomi can't seem to fit in here. Then rugged Rig Keller moves in to take over half of Naomi's medical practice and instantly charms everyone in town...including Naomi. Rig saw what a broken relationship did to his brother and has no interest whatsoever in getting serious. But the temptation to play doctor with his new partner is just too strong to resist. Any chance they might have of being truly knit together by love, however, depends entirely on what secrets they are willing to reveal...and on Rig's willingness to risk his heart and Naomi's desire to open her completely.
14. "BARE NERVE" by Katherine Garbera (Liberty Investigations #3) (A+++++) Once upon a time, there were three little girls. Charity. Justine. Anna. Individually they're lethal weapons,. Together? They're the force to be reckoned with at Liberty Investigations. Their bodies may be made for sin, but everything else is for kicking ass. The daughter of an English aristocrat and former British ambassador, Anna Sterling doesn't need to get her hands dirty to obliterate the bad guys. She can destroy lives using nothing more than a laptop. Now her formidable hacking skills have uncovered a black market gun-running operation and Anna - along with a group of ex-mercenaries headed by Jack Savage - travels to Algiers to track down the leader. Jack is as rough around the edges as Anna is refined, which makes the blazing night they spend together completely inexplicable - and mindblowingly hot. Jack's the best at what he does and he'll make no apologies for his methods - or for wanting gorgeous, sophisticated Anna anywhere and everywhere he can get her. If she's wary of him now, she'd be even more shocked by the man he used to be. But the only way to keep her safe and take down the enemy, is to risk the one thing Jack never thought to lose - his heart.
15. "WAITING FOR YOU" by Kristan Higgins (Blue Heron #3) (A+++++) Is your first love worth a second chance? Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love...just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell broke her heart...an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some professional-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends. But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them - but to find out, Colleen, has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.
16. "COLORADO DAWN" by Kaki Warner (Runaway Brides #2) (A+++++) After only two letters and one visit during her six-year marriage to a Scottish cavalry officer, Maddie Wallace decides to build a life without him. Accepting an assignment from a London periodical to photograph the West from a female perspective, she sails from England, determined to build a new life as an independent woman. After injury ends his military career, Angus Wallace returns home to find his wife gone, his family decimated by fever and himself next in line to an earldom. His new mission is clear: to find his wife and sire heirs. His search takes him across an ocean and half a continent, but he finally tracks her to Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. There, his biggest challenge awaits - convincing his headstrong wife to return home as his viscountess. Amid statehood struggles, claim-jumping and railroad disputes, their passionate battle rages...until word comes that Angus has become the earl. Now they must decide between a life in the mountains of Colorado or in the glittering ballrooms of London...and between duty and desire.
17. "A TIME FOR HOME" by Alexis Morgan (Snowberry Creek #1) (A+++++) Welcome to the small rustic town of Snowberry Creek. As Nick Jenkins travels from the war zones of Afghanistan to his comrade's hometown, the kinds of wounds he carries with him have little to do with the shrapnel damage to his arm. Burdened with the guilt of failing to save his friend Spence. Nick is nonetheless determined to find a home for the dog that had been Spence's constant companion. Callie Redding Spence's childhood best friend, is shocked to learn that he left her his old Victorian home. She's even more surprised when one of his war buddies shows up with a dog at his side - and a heavy weight on his shoulders. As a tribute to their friend's life, Nick agrees to help Callie turn her inheritance into a welcoming bed-and-breakfast for the town of Snowberry Creek. But as they work through their grief together, they also share something far more precious...the belief that love is worth fighting for.
18. "HUSH" by Cherry Adair (Lodestone #1) (ebook I won from the author in a Facebook contest) (A+++++) A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise. Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death - where they don't know the rules. A one-night stand that will change his life forever. Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, death-defying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life... until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense. An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences. Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game:  a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead - at any cost.
19. "LEFT TO DIE" by Lisa Jackson (Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli: To Die #1) (A+++++) Nothing's more terrifying than being left alone to die. One by one, the victims are carefully captured, toyed with, then subjected to a slow and agonizing death. Piece by piece, his exquisite plan takes shape. The police can't yet see the beauty in his work - but soon, very soon, they will. In the lonely woods around Grizzly Falls, Montana, four bodies have been discovered. Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli have been hoping for a career-making case, but this is a nightmare. Even with the FBI involved, Selena and Regan have nothing to go on but a killer's cryptic notes and the unsettling knowledge that there is much worse to come. When Jillian Rivers opens her eyes, she's trapped in a mangled car. Then a stranger, claiming to be a trail guide named Zane MacGregor, pries her free. Though she's grateful, something about him sets Jillian on edge. And if she knew what lay out there in the woods of Montana, she'd be truly terrified. Because someone is waiting...watching...poised to strike and make Jillian the next victim.
20. "BEHIND CLOSED DOORS" by Shannon McKenna (McCloud Brothers #1) (A+++++) Someone's watching...Surveillance expert Seth Mackey knows everything about the women his millionaire boss Victor Lazar toys with - and tosses aside. But Lazar's latest plaything, Raine Cameron, is different., Beautiful. Vulnerable. And innocent. Just looking at her triggers a white-hot passion Seth can barely control as night after night, he watches her on a dozen different video screens. Raine is pure temptation, but Seth can't slip up: he's convinced Lazar had his half-brother murdered. His secret investigation - and his life - are on the line. But then he finds out that Raine may be Lazar's next victim. Raine knows she's being watched - but no one can see the secrets in her heart. She has reasons of her own to seek revenge on Victor Lazar, and she will, despite her fear - and the distracting presence of Seth Mackey. His fiercely masculine good looks and animal sensuality stir her fantasies when she's alone...and lead her to a bold plan. Offering her body to him, surrendering totally to his ruthless desire, might well push her beyond all emotional limits - and beyond fear itself.
21. "LEFT TO DIE" by Lisa Jackson (Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli: To Die #1) (A++++++) Nothing's more terrifying than being left along to die...One by one, the victims are carefully captured, toyed with, then subjected to a slow and agonizing death. Piece by piece, his exquisite plan takes shape. The police can't yet see the beauty in his work - but soon, very soon, they will. In the lonely woods around Grizzly Point, Montana, four bodies have been discovered. Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli have been hoping for a career-making case, but this is a nightmare. Even with the FBI involved, Selena and Regan have nothing to go on but a killer's cryptic notes, and the unsettling knowledge that there is much worse to come. When Jillian Rivers opens her eyes, she's trapped in a mangled car. Then a stranger, claiming to be a trail guide named Zane McGregor, pries her free. Though she's grateful, something about him sets Jillian on edge. And if she knew what lay out there in the woods of Montana, she'd be truly terrified. Because someone is waiting...watching...poised to strike and make Jillian the next victim.
22. "NO STRINGS ATTACHED" by Susan Andersen (Razor Bay: Bradshaw Brothers #3) (A+++++) Some mistakes are worth repeating...Tasha Riodan's one night with Luc Bradshaw was the best of her life. The following two - when he left her to be thrown into a Bahamian jail on bogus charges - were her worst. Now, seven years later, the undercover DEA agent is back. Invading her town. Her restaurant. Her fantasies. She's can't trust a man who lied to her. Yet neither can she trust herself - not when their chemistry burns even hotter than before. Learning he has two half brothers shocks Luc. Discovering they live in the same town as Tasha - that's a different kind of thrill. Their mutual lust is still off the charts, but he can't get her to listen to his side of what happened on that long-ago night. Good thing he's got powers of persuasion that go deeper than words. Because nothing has ever felt this right.
23. "GIDEON" by Cherry Adair (Lodestone #2) (A+++++) (Kindle) No memory of his past...Powerful cartel leader Sin Diaz lives a dangerous life filled with secrets and lies and surrounded by people who claim to have known him all his life. Yet flashes of another life, totally unrelated to the jungles of Cosio, hang tantalizingly on the edges of his memory. He'll trust no one until he remembers his true past.  No visions of her future...T-FLAC operative Riva Rimaldi's mission is simple. Go undercover, learn terrorist Escobar Maza's agenda, then kill him. But when the helicopter she's on crashes deep in the jungle she finds herself in the wrong hands. Is the sexy as hell leader of the ANFL, Sin Diaz, the enemy of her enemy, worse than Maza himself? Together they hold the key...Sin and Riva must work together to stop a madman who will go to any lengths to attain his terrifying goal. But can they unravel the truth in time? The countdown clock is ticking. What they don't know could get them killed.
24. "AGAINST THE HEART" by Kat Martin (Brodie's of Alaska #0.5) (A++++) (Kindle) Some women find trouble wherever they go. Some are lucky to find a man tough enough to handle it. When Meriwether Jones takes her four-year-old daughter and runs from trouble in L.A., that trouble follows. By the time Meri reaches rural Spokane, she's out of gas, out of money and out of ideas. Ian Brodie has troubles of his own. His father is the shell of the man he once was, lonely, bitter and determined to stay that way - even after Ian, an ex-cop, now the owner of Brodie Security in Seattle, shows up to help him get his farmhouse clean and his life back in order. Hiring Meriwether Jones to help seems the answer to Ian's prayers. But Meri is keeping a dangerous secret, one that poses a threat to all of them. As Ian delves deeper, the danger increases. But the biggest threat he faces is losing his heart to Meriwether Jones and her sweet little girl.
25. "ROGUE" by Danielle Steel (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) Maxine Williams, a dedicated doctor with three great kids, a challenging career and the perfect new man in her life. Her only problem? Her irresistibly charming, utterly infuriating ex-husband, a.k.a., the rogue. Being married to Blake had been an amazing adventure for Maxine. Brilliant, charismatic and wholly unpredictable, Blake Williams made millions and grabbed headlines as a dot-com entrepreneur. His only shortcoming was as a husband - first his work and then his never-ending quest for fun kept him constantly on the move, far away from Maxine and his family. For five years, Blake and Maxine has worked out an odd but amicable divorce, with friendly though infrequent visits, a yacht he lends her every summer and three children they both adore. Blake enjoys his globe-trotting lifestyle - dating a succession of beautiful, famous and very young women - while Maxine raises their kids in Manhattan and pursues her passion, working as a psychiatrist, a world-renowned expert on childhood trauma and adolescent suicide. Then everything changes. For Maxine, it starts when she falls in love with Dr, Charles West, a man who is everything Blake is not - mature, grounded and present. For Blake, it begins when a devastating earthquake strikes near one of his palatial foreign homes and he sees hundreds of orphaned children in need of shelter. Now, Blake wants Maxine in his life again - as a partner in a humanitarian project that could change countless lives. For Maxine, the choice is clear. But Blakes sudden transformation - from carefree playboy to compassionate, responsible grown-up - raises questions she's never managed to answer...and some she's afraid to ask. After all, Maxine is on the cusp of a new life, about to marry Charles and almost certain that Blake Williams, a.k.a. the Rogue, is a man capable of doing anything - except change.
26. "RAGGED RAINBOWS" by Linda Lael Miller (A++++) Would it be betrayal if she never knew? Mitch Prescott was Shay Kendall's savior. He'd bought her mother's mansion on the Washington coast, a financial albatross that Shay couldn't handle. And now he offered her true financial independence - a dream as seductive as Mitch himself. All she had to do was help him write an expose on her mother, a former Hollywood star. It felt disloyal, even though her mother would never know the difference. Once a legend, Rosamond was wasted away in a long-term care facility, clutching a doll she thought was her baby. It would be painful, recalling her mother's fickle love and the worst moments of Shay's life. But it could be the one thing that finally allowed Shay to move forward. And find her own love. "MIRACLE BABY" by Janice Kay Johnson (New Author For Me) (A++++++) To help his brother's widow and save his niece's life, Nate McCabe decides to do the one thing he never thought possible...become a father.
27. "GASTIEN: THE COST OF THE DREAM" by Caddy Rowland (New Author For Me) (Gastien #1) (A+++++) Young Gastien Beauchamp begins his journey to Paris with two goals in life. The first is to become an artist with his own studio, following his own rules. That is an almost impossible dream for a peasant. Gastien has no money, no formal training and is a naive eighteen year old fresh off the farm. Paris spits out talented men into the gutters every day. "Good" gets you nowhere. "Great" maybe gets you a bowl of soup. The second is to become the greatest lover in France. That should be easy. With his stunning looks and his willingness to learn, the women of Paris are about to be awakened in a way they have only dreamt about in the 19th century! Gastien swears that he has no interest in love. Love would only take away his dreams. But he is innocent and does not realize that sex without love can be quite empty. Before he can learn that, he must face obstacles and heartaches that will threaten to destroy his very soul. Insatiable, burning passion. Focus and drive. Raw, natural talent. Armed with those, Gastien is determined to succeed at any cost. Poor Gastien. If he could only know in advance what struggles lay before him, he might think twice about leaving home However, he is young and full of hope. The dreams burn relentlessly inside of him, not allowing him a moments rest. And so the journey begins.

CURRENTLY READING - 

1. "Cowboy Up" by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Son's of Chance #7)
2. "Changing the Game" by Jaci Burton (Play-by-Play #2)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "The 12th of Never" by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (Women's Murder Club #12) (unabridged audio CD)

i just finished an excellent book, Crazy Ladies by Michael West(a woman). I liken it to Billie Letts' books, Honk 'n Holler and the book/movie about the woman who lived in Wal-Mart. 

I am now reading The Blonde Theory. I don't read Chick Lit very often, but this is good.

love your rescue family

I'm starting the month on a light note.  I'm a few chapters into The Case Of the Fabulous Fake by Erle Stanley Gardner, a Perry Mason mystery.  These are always quite enjoyable.

Finished: Off the Record by Bonnie Hearn Hill.  New author to me and this one isn't grabbing my attention.  I think I've come in in the third novel in a series and I don't like to do that.  This ended up being a fairly good book, would have been better if I'd read the previous two in the series.  Geri LaRue is a hearing-impaired reporter who has just inherited a huge fortune from a woman she has never met. When she tries to find out why people start dying [as in murdered].

Return to Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank--Another of Frank's great stories about the South Carolina Lowcountry. Beth Hayes has been asked by her mother to come back to the family home on Sullivans Island to take care of it for a year while she[her mother] goes to Paris to work. At first Beth is resentful to have to put her life on hold, but she changes her mind when she meets the man of her dreams.  All is not as it seems, however, and as the story develops, Beth has to do a lot of maturing.  Loved this book!

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews --- I love Mary Kay Andrews' books.  Three life-long friends meet at Nags Head, NC to spend the month of August together.  Ellis has just lost her job with a bank and is devastated, Julia, a model who feels like she is over- the-hill, age-wise, and wants to quit, and Dorie, newly separated from her husband and pregnant.  Each one has to come to terms with her future and then throw in Maryn/Madison whose running from her husband. Great book!!!

Thanks For The Memories by Cecelia Ahern-- New author to me and an interesting concept for the plot---can a blood transfusion between the donor and recipient cause the two people to become connected?  Not far enough into it, but enjoying it so far.  This turned out to be a delightful read.  Joyce Conway received a blood transfusion after losing her baby.  Then she starts having memories that aren't from her own life and she believes they have to do with the person whose blood she received. After many missteps the two meet.  

I started reading Ladies of the Night by John Westermann but only got to about page 20 before I had to quit.  The story line sounded interesting, but I can't stand to read a book with so much vulgarity.  I know there are people who talk that way, but I won't be around them and I sure won't read a book where they talk that way.  I'm not a prude, but vulgarity adds nothing to a story.

Currently reading: Loving Time by Leslie Glass

Up next:  undecided

Currently Reading:

Blue Asylum - Kathy Hepinstall

Finished:

Leaving Time - Jodi Picoult - 4.00 Stars

Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - 4.00 Stars

The Girl on the Cliff - Lucinda Riley - 4.2 Stars

A Week In Winter - Maeve Binchy - 4.00 Stars

The Last Letter From Your Lover - JoJo Moyes - 3.00 Stars

Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand - 4.5 Stars

Fly Away - Kristin Hannah - 4.00 Stars

Ester, do a search for Michael Lee West.  She has a bunch of similar books, and I think Crazy Ladies is the one that has a sequel.  I listened to a couple in audio and really enjoyed them, maybe more than the ones I read in print.

A Cold Dish by Craig Johnson.  The first in the Walt Longmire series.  Interesting to see how the characters were changed for the TV show.

Still listening to China Dolls by Lisa See and narrated by Janet Song.  I had put it on hold while I listened to The Neon Rain the first in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke.

Bonnie, how is the Lisa See book?  I've read and enjoyed her other novels.

Currently reading:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laura King

American Tapestry by Rachel L. Swarns

Finished:

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore (not my cup of tea)

Alex & Me by Irene Pepperberg...excellent, I learned so much about bird behavior and language research

Melody, China Dolls is quite good, but for some reason, it is taking me forever to finish it.  Sure, I stopped to listen to something else, but I think I am getting tired of it.  I was thinking about her books the other day, and how there were a couple I read in print but didn't care as much for as I did when I listened to the audio versions.  Janet Song & Jodi Long narrate her books and are just awesome.  I think my favorite of hers in audio were Snow Flower and Dreams of Joy.  There were times where the latter just hit me so hard in the gut it took my breath away.

Your favorites?

ETA: Oh, the Beekeeper's book looks so interesting.  We keep bees (not now due to being in a temp rent), and I enjoy anything related to it.  I tried to listen to Mrs. Penumbra's, and while everyone else in my audio swap who listened really enjoyed it, I was so bored, and could not finish it.

ETAA: Just finished and overall was quite happy with the book!

Reading:

Joe Biden: A Life of Trial & Redemption.  by Jules Witcover.  Not sure yet about this one--seems like everyone author could find loves Joe.

The Last Fish Tale by Mark Kurlansky.  I like watching Wicked Tuna so figured this would be a good book to read for a little more background.

N is for Noose b Sue Grafton.  Slowly getting through series in order.

Miami Noir, edited by Les Standiford.  Have read a couple other of these city Noir books and usually a good mix of stories about the undersides of a city.

Just finished:

The American Sun & Wind Moving Picture Company.  A different sort of book, just sort of liked it.  Have it posted & is only copy in system if anyone interested. 

i have the sequel on my wish list

I'm reading "In the Woods" by Tana French and it's pretty good so far. This may be my favorite for March. We'll see.

Yes, I agree with the person (above) who said  that they had trouble getting into Mr. Penumbra;s Book shop, I did too. I thought that I would have no problem getting onto a book about a bookshop, but I think that it's too Cyber-y for my taste!

Also, of all of Sue Grafton's alphabet series, I had the hardest time getting onto N is of Noose, she seemed to lose her steam on that one, don't lose faith though, she get's better. 

​For March I am reading a bunch of books, as usual, I don't always finish but here's a sample:

Lucky Us: Amy Bloom: on my kindle

The Blazing World:Siri Hustveldt: for a group discussion

Hope:A Tragedy:Shalom Auslander: Hilarious satirical predicament story but sad and angry in some parts. Anne Frank pops up in your attic, what to do?!!

The Two Towers:Tolkien: Research for a project in my art program. 

Going to start for Starting Over List (See my Profile) A Walk in the Woods: Bill Bryson (also for a a book group)& The Innocent:Ian McEwan.

Living with a Wild God:Barbara Ehrenreich: What happens when "miracles" ( or: anamalous experience)  happen to an atheist?

This should keep me out of trouble for a while! 

Ester, strangest thing.  I just logged on to this thread and it said I was ignoring your posts.  Why, I never!

Once someone told me, I don't know how she saw it on her end, that I was ignoring myself.  I could see how I could do that, but how could someone else see it?

Anyway, have you read any of her other books? 

I sent this book to my nephew and he said, 'Pretty funny."    but I was unprepared for just how funny the narrator made this audio book, Sht My Dad Says - Audio CD - Unabridged     Author: Justin Halpern, Sean Schemmel (Narrator).   My own  Dad died on Feb. 7th and listening to this was actually very healing.  The narrator is fantastic.  I love when they can do great voices for each character.   5 stars, if you like this type of thing.  Lots of the four letter words, lots of heart.  

Sh*t My Dad Says was one of the funniest audios I've ever listened to.  The sequel --of sorts--was a huge disappointment.  You're right, Pam, lots of heart. 

My condolences on your father's death.

I' almost finished with My Old Man And the Sea by David Hays and Daniel Hays.  This is the true account of a father and son who sail around Cape Horn, told in diary format alternating between the two.   I didn't like the book at first and put it down several times, mostly (it turns out) because it opened with an entry of the father's and he boringly went into the history of sailing and boats and lore and all manner of info that just didn't catch my interest.  But I kept hearing good things about it, so I decided to read the book differently: rather than chronologically, I read all of the sons entries, and then went back and read all of the fathers.  And now I have to say, I just love this book.  The journey was often perilous, often tedius, they bickered, they had fun, they had a remarkable shared experience, they saw the world together.  I highly recommend this one after all!  Glad I stuck with it.

I haven't read anything really great until now:   An Island to Oneself by Tom Neale.  Man moves to a desert island and is not boring in his descriptions about how he lives and uses what the island offers to survive.  He took a lot of stuff with him but since the island is not visited by anyone for years at a time, he must make what he needs and didn't bring with him from the island flora and the flotsam of crap that he finds on the beaches.   I love this book for the simple, yet absorbing writing.