FINISHED -

1. "CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS" by Susan Wiggs (Lakeshore Chronicles #10) (A+++++) A single father who yearns to be a family man, Logan O'Donnell is determined to create the perfect Christmas for his son, Charlie. The entire O'Donnell clan arrives to spend the holidays in Avalon, a postcard-pretty town on the shores of Willow Lake, a place for the family to reconnect and rediscover the special gifts of the season. One of the guests is a newcomer to Willow Lake - Darcy Fitzgerald. Sharp-witted, independent and intent on guarding her heart, she's the last person Logan can see himself falling for. And Darcy is convinced that a relationship is the last thing she needs this Christmas. Yet between the snowy silence of the winter woods and the toasty moments by a crackling fire, their two lonely hearts collide. The magic of the season brings them each a gift neither ever expected - a love to last a lifetime.
2. "SNOW ANGEL COVE" by RaeAnne Thayne (Haven Point #1) (A+++++) Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward's Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke - literally - and now she's stuck in an unfamiliar, if breathtaking, small town. Precariously close to being destitute, Eliza needs a hero, but she's not expecting one who almost runs her down with his car! Rescuing Eliza is pure instinct for tech genius Aidan Caine. At first, putting the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge in Eliza's hands assuages his guilt - until he sees how quickly he could fall for her. Having focused solely on his business for years, he never knew what his life was missing before Eliza, but now he's willing to risk his heart on a yuletide romance that could lead to forever.
3. "DIRTY DEEDS" by Lorelei James (A+++++) Dirty deeds...when good, clean fun isn't an option. Just once, good girl Tate Cross wants to experience a red-hot, no-strings-attached affair. She's temporarily left her graphic artist position in Denver to settle her aunt's estate in Spearfish, South Dakota. However, Tate receives a city mandate: she must comply with new landscaping regulations before she can resell the property. Given Tate's precarious finances, she asks her friend, Val for advice.  Val swears her brother - owner of a local construction company and a man well versed in purely physical relationships - might consider trading dirt work for art lessons. When Tate meets the mysterious Casanova, can she convince him to toss in a few sex lessons as well? Nathan LeBeau believes few women look at the Native American man beneath the filthy work clothes and hard hat. He's kept past liaisons casual - a fact his sister shared, hence Tate's sexy proposition of wanting a hands on demonstration of his sexpertise. But in truth, he's tired of relationships based solely on sex. His goal of proving he's not completely hopeless in matters of the heart is second only to his dream of expanding his business. What happens when Tate desires no-holds-barred sex and Nathan favors a good old-fashioned romance? A battle of wills ensues. And Tate is willing to get down and dirty to get what she wants.
4. "VAUGHN" by Emma Lang (Circle Eight #4) (A++++) A con man. A rancher's daughter. A wildfire out of control. Elizabeth Graham spends her days running the business side of the Circle Eight ranch. Her knack for numbers and organization lent themselve to her position in the family. She has just turned twenty-one and doubts she will find a man to spend her life with. Elizabeth doesn't believe in love, after all, and when she meets a charlatan named Vaughn Montgomery, her opinion doesn't waver. At first. Vaughn Montgomery is down to the lint in his pocket and the handsome smile he uses as a weapon. His last con went wrong and he fled west. Now he finds himself trapped in the middle of nowhere Texas. And at the mercy of a hard-nosed woman who wears shapeless dresses and whose tongue can cut blocks of wood. Unwilling to bend and unable to forgive, Elizabeth and Vaughn get caught up in a web of lies that stretches from Houston to the heart of Texas. She finds herself falling for the man who can't seem to tell the truth and he can't get enough of a woman who can only speak truths. Surrounded by danger, they embark on the ultimate con to save the Circle Eight and their love.
5. "BAD BOYS TO GO" "BRINGING UP BABY" by Lori Foster (A++++++) Gil Watson has always been the responsible one, running the family business and keeping his brothers out of trouble. Of course there was that one wild night on a business trip...the one that resulted in a daughter he never knew he had. Now that the girl's mother is gone. Gil wants to do the right thing by his little girl, even if it means a marriage of convenience with the woman who's been raising her. Anabel Truman is sarcastic, free-spirited and totally wrong for him. But the sensations she rouses in him feel totally right...stirrings that have nothing to do with being good and everything with being very, very naughty...and once Gil gets unbuttoned, there's no going back. "THE WILDE ONE" by Janelle Denison (Wilde: Watson Brothers #2) (A+++++) Untamable, sexy and a complete rogue, Adrian Wilde more than lives up to his name. The sports enthusiast loves any kind of adventure - especially with the opposite sex - and he's determined never to let any woman change his bad boy image. It's a feat he manages well, until Chayse Douglas asks him to pose for her charity beefcake calendar. He agrees, but only if Chayse is willing to get those picture at his cozy mountain cabin. It promises to be one provocative weekend, especially when Adrian discovers that Chayse wants him to teach her the erotic pleasures only a bad boy can know...and as the nights turn very steamy, Adrian finds that sweet, sensual Chayse is the only woman who can tan his wild heart.  "GOING AFTER ADAM" by Nancy Warren (A+++++) Going after philandering husbands is private investigator Gretchen Wiest's usual gig, but she's never had one kidnap her - or leave her weak with attraction. The ruggedly handsome Adam Stone is no two-timing husband but a single whistle-blower on the run from two determined hit men after the evidence he's secretly stashed in Vegas. Now, Gretchen and Adam are in for a wild ride, posing as a couple on their way to the Elvis Chapel of Love., But in a city of brigher lights, little clothing and vibrating beds, it's hard to resist the temptation of all-night pleasure...and even harder not to fall for their own masquerade.
6. "UNEXPECTED" by Lori Foster (A++++) Who's protecting who? Eli Conners expected hired mercenary Ray Vereker to be a tank of a guy with forty tattoos  not the feminine ideal with lethal combat skills. While Eli certainly needs Ray's help, the rest of him is thinking he might have something to offer her. Ray's as good as any man when it comes to storming enemy compounds and loading an AK-47, but who could blame a girl for succumbing to mind-blowing temptation in the steamy jungle? But now it's back to business. If only Ray wasn't feeling hot, bothered and dizzy. Suddenly Ray's precise, no-nonsense mission is veering wildly off course, derailed by raging hormones, out-of-control desire and a delirious love that is completely unexpected.
7. "THE WAY HOME" by Cindy Gerard (One-Eyed Jacks #2) (A++++++) Killed in action - the most dreaded words imaginable for a soldier's wife. Jess Albert has been living with them for four years, since the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Finding blessed numbness in routine, she doesn't dare to look ahead, any more than she can bear to look back. Then Tyler Brown, a former special-ops warrior, shows up at her small general store in the Minnesota North Woods, jarring her back to life. Jess knows better than to fall in love with another man who places duty to his country before love of his wife - but there's no denying the longing and the hope for a future that Ty makes her feel. A world away, a man ravaged by years of captivity and torture, a man with no memories, finally escapes - clinging to life and sanity in a hostile land., In his darkest hour, he awakes in a lantern-lit cave to find a woman at his side.. Dark-haired and dark-eyes, her touch is daring, despite the resentment he hears in her voice and sees on her face. Rabia is bound by honor to save the lost American soldier in her keeping, this broken warrior from a war that has brought so much devastation to her land. But is it honor igniting her compassion for her enemy, or is it something more? While a Black Ops team plans a daring rescue mission to bring the soldier home, two women on opposite sides of the world walk a dangerous path between betrayal and honor and must find for themselves where to draw the line between duty and love.
8. "THE PERFECT PLAY" by Jaci Burton (Play-by-Play #1) (A+++++) Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star both on the field and in the bedroom, but a sexy determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game. For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara's not interested in getting to know football's most notorious playboy any better. As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley, even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Her life is complicated enough without begin thrust into the spotlight as Mick's latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.
9. "JAIMIE: FIRE & ICE" by Sandra Marton (Wilde Sisters #1) (A+++++) Jaimie Wilde comes from a family of risk-takers. Maybe that's why she doesn't believe in taking risks. She's a logical, practical woman. Zacharias Castelianos has taken risks all his life. Ex-Special Ops Marine, ex-government operative, Zach lives for challenge. He's fearless. Then he meets Jaimie. A power blackout strands them in his Manhattan penthouse, fifty stories above the city streets. Jaimie is there by mistake. She's an unwanted guest and Zach, newly returned from a dark mission, isn't in the mood for company. Until she's in his arms. They have one amazing night together, but when morning comes, Jaimie is gone. Zach tells himself he's over her. Jaimie tells herself she's over him. They're both lying to themselves and they're going to discover that the hard way, when her life is in danger and only he can protect her. It's time for Jaimie and Zach to face the greatest risk of all - the hot passion that ignites between them and quickly turns into an unquenchable flame.
10. "SWAN POINT" by Sherryl Woods (Sweet Magnolias #11) (A++++) Determined to build a new life for her family after her divorce, Adelia Hernandez has bought a home in the historic Swan Point neighborhood of Serenity. Promoted to manager of Main Street's most fashionable boutique, she feels revitalized and ready for a fresh start as a single mom. But barely into this new independent phase, she crosses paths with the sexiest man to hit Serenity in years. Gabe Franklin, back in town to make amends for past mistakes, has no intention of settling down, but Adelia's proving irresistible. Cheered on by their friends, "The Sweet Magnolias," Gabe is bringing long-absent passion and laughter into Adelia's life. To his surprise - and hers - sometimes a rolling stone is just what it takes to building the rock-solid foundation of a family.
11. "SLEEPLESS IN SAN FRANCISCO" by Ryan Field (A+++) When young Noah Richardson sends an e-mail to the producers of the home renovation TV show, "Dream Away," he has no idea that the host of the show, Jonathan Haynes, will be intrigued and touched by his sad story. Noah, his father and their black lab, Tucker, have recently relocated to San Francisco to start a fresh new life and heal their wounds. And their house is in dire need of renovation. Jonathon Hayes is desperate to find an interesting house to film for the show. So he gets on a plane and flies to San Francisco the day after he reads Noah's e-mail. But Jonathan soon finds out that Noah's father, Ed, didn't know about Noah's e-mail and he has to convince him to do the show. 
12. "REVENGE" by Rebecca Zanetti (Sin Brothers #2) (A+++++) (Kindle) Deception and desire...the one man she can't have - Matt Dean was born to fight...and fill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out he's gone rogue in a relentless quest or the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho...and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure. The one woman he can't resist - Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She's spent years running from her own past - the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt's strong arms offer her protection and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she's ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt's past and putting everything - and everyone - he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?
13. "LADIES' NIGHT" by Mary Kay Andrews (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) Grace Stanton's life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. Moving in with her mother,, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called the Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man. When their "divorce coach" starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at the Sandbox and the bonds that develop lead to the members of the group to try to find closure in ways they never imagined.
14. "BROKEN OPEN" by Lauren Dane (Hurley Boys #2) (A+++++) Beyond passion and beyond their control. Five years ago, Tuesday Eastwood's life collapsed and left her devastated. After an empty nomadic existence, she's finally pieced her life back together in the small Oregon town of Hood River. Now Tuesday has everything sorted out. Just so long as men are kept for sex and only sex. Then she met him. Musician and rancher Ezra Hurley isn't the man of Tuesday's dreams. He's a verboten fantasy - a man tortured by past addictions whose dark charisma and long, lean body promise delicious carnality. But this craving goes far beyond chemistry. It's primal. It's insatiable. And it won't be satisfied until they're both consumed, body and soul.
15. "WILD CHILD" by Molly O'Keefe (Boys of Bishop #1) (A+++++) Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America's teenage "Wild Child," with her own reality TV show. Now she's a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community and Monica's presence is just too...unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for awhile. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet to disregard and her kisses even sweeter. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead to someplace wonderful.
16. "CHRISTMAS ON 4TH STREET" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #12.5) (A+++++) Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life and she intends to make the most of it. That's why she's opening her own store in Fool's Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that's magical about her favorite season. Business is booming and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush. Gabriel's memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugarplums, thanks to his drill sergeant father. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from an injury sounds as appetizing as fast year's eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle...and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can't stop sharing. Gabriel didn't think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse. "YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS" (A+++++) - Bonus Story
17. "SEDUCING SIMON" by Maya Banks (A+++++) One fateful night, Toni Langston seduces her best friend, the guy she's been in love with forever. Two problems - he doesn't remember a thing that happened and now she's pregnant. Toni Langston has been in love with Simon, her best friend, for years. The night Simon breaks up with his long time girlfriend, he and Toni make love. Toni is devastated and humiliated when, in the heat of the moment, he calls her by his girlfriend's name. The next morning, Simon remembers nothing of the previous night and Toni is only too relieved not to remind him. Two months later, she discovers she's pregnant. She wants Simon to love her, apart from any obligation he might feel because of the baby. So she embarks on a quest to seduce her best friend, to make him see her as more than a little sister, to make him love her as much as she loves him. It works. Maybe too well. Now when thing are perfect, she faces telling him of the secret she's kept.
18. "HOPE BURNS" by Jaci Burton (Hope #3) (A++++++) Molly Burnett dreads returning to her hometown of Hope for her sister's wedding, especially knowing she'll have to endure a weekend with the one man she never wants to see again. It's only a couple of days, so Molly will try to forget her painful past with her high school sweetheart Carter Richards. Because despite the bitter memories, she still can't forget what they once meant to each other. But when Molly is forced to extend her stay, Carter sees this as his second chance to do things right, to start over again with the only woman he's ever loved. This time, he isn't going to let Molly run. Together they're going to confront the past and put it behind them and hope for a future as bright as the flame that still burns hot between them.
19. "SOMETHING NEW" by Cameron Dane (Foster Siblings #2) (A+++++) A product of foster care, survivor Abby Gaines shields her heart and doesn't believe in romance or love. Not even for Rodrigo Santiago and Braden Crenshaw, the two men - friends - starring in her erotic fantasies. Tough-as-nails Rodrigo wants Abby with a passion. Just being near her makes him hard. To hide his desire, Rodrigo trades barbs and challenges everything Abby says. Rodrigo's secret? Recently, someone else has begun arousing heterosexual Rodrigo's libido too. Another man. Braden Crenshaw. Bisexual, Braden has bounced between men and women in affairs that never last. He's tired of hurting people but has never believed menage relationships can work...until Abby and Rodrigo make him ache for something new. When Abby begins dreaming of her parents' brutal double murder, the visions unearth new elements that make Abby question everything she thought she knew about the crime. Once Braden and Rodrigo discover the nightmares haunting Abby, they vow to help her find answers and love whether she wants their assistance or not.
20. "JO" by Tracy Hughes (Return to Calloway Corners #2) (A+++++) Always a rebel searching passionately for a cause worthy of her fiery nature, Jo Calloway was on a collision course with the impossible. A rock 'n' roller whose lyrics incited Jo's wrath, he shattered her beliefs with his own idealistic vision. His passion, his commitment, was directed at America's homeless. E.Z.'s causes had names...and faces. Meeting E.Z. taught Jo the most important lesson of her life and the hardest - changing the world meant nothing unless you loved the people in it.
21. "ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS" by Barbara Freethy (Callaways #1) (A+++++) The second oldest of the Callaway clan, Aiden Callaway veered from the family tradition of urban firefighting and became a smokejumper, never questioning his choice until the job took the life of his friend, Kyle, and left Aiden with injuries and fractured memories. Everyone blames Aiden for what happened, but he doesn't remember, nor is he sure he wants to remember. The truth may clear Aiden of blame but destroy Kyle's reputation and hurt the people he left behind. Aiden seeks help from an unlikely ally...Sara had always been untouchable, sweet, innocent, his sister's best friend and the girl next door. But one reckless night in their youth took their relationship to a new level. Sara has never forgiven or forgotten the way Aiden brought it crashing down, but she's no longer that girl with the crazy crush. She's a woman in search of her own truth. The sparks between Aiden and Sara have been smoldering for a very long time. Sara is afraid to take another chance on a man who broke her heart and Aiden knows better than anyone how dangerous an intense fire can be. As teenagers they weren't ready for each other. Are they ready now?
22. "DARE TO LOVE" by Carly Phillips (Dare to Love #1) (A+++++) Since finding out that his father had another family on the side, Ian Dare swore to be the upstanding responsible man his cheating parent had never been. When it comes to his relatives, he gives his all but in relationships he offers the bare minimum. But one glimpse of sensual Riley Taylor arouses his protective instincts and Ian is entranced. He will do anything to possess her...but does that include extending an olive branch to the half-brother who is a constant reminder of the pain he'd rather forget? Independent and always in control, Riley Taylor makes no apologies for choosing men carefully. Relationships have never been a priority and she believes herself hardened to domineering men - until she meets charismatic Ian Dare. He manages to turn a simple kiss into an all out assault on her senses. Their affair heats up and they soon realizethey complete each other in ways neither imagined. But Riley's family includes a man Ian would rather live without.
23. "THE RESCUER" by Dee Henderson (O'Malleys #6) (A+++++) He's running away...Stephen O'Malley is a paramedic. He's been rescuing people all his life. But he's on the run now - from the burden of his profession, from the grief of losing his sister, from a God he doesn't want to trust. He paused to help a friend...Meghan may be blind, but she's not crazy. Someone is walking through her house, going through her things, so she turns to the one man she trusts to help her. Stolen jewels are turning up in unexpected places and Meaghan is caught in the middle of a criminal conspiracy. Stephen is glad to help out a friend - only she's slipping under his guard and threatening to become more than just a friend. This time she may be the one to rescue him...Stephan is being chased by the God she loves as Meghan is showing him what it means to love and be loved. But Stephan's about to find out just what sacrificial love really is on a night he will never forget - a kidnapping, a tornado and a desperate search to find her alive.
24. "MATTHEW" by Emma Lang (Circle Eight #1) (A+++++) It is a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas, the ranch their parents fought for...and died for. To the eight Graham siblings, no matter how much hard work or hard love it takes, life is unthinkable without the Circle Eight. In the wake of his parents' murder, Matthew must take the reins of the Circle Eight. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him...until after the wedding night. Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they're walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever.
25. "HEARTBREAK CREEK" by Kaki Warner (Runaway Brides #1) (A+++++) Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war-torn South and into a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she's made a terrible mistake. Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler before being killed by Indians. He's hoping this new one will be a practical, sturdy farm woman who can help with chores and corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny Southern princess who doesn't even know how to cook. Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage - until Declan's first wife returns after being held captive for the last four years. Now an honorable man must choose between duty and desire and a woman who's never had to fight for anything must do battle for the family she's grown to love.

CURRENTLY READING - 

1. "Taking Chances" by Molly McAdams (Taking Chances #1) (Kindle)
2. "The Lodge on Holly Road" by Sheila Roberts  (Life in Icicle Falls #6)
3. "Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "The Wild Ones" by M. Leighton (Wild Ones #1)

I have all of these going:

Desert Noir by Betty Webb

O Jerusalem by Laurie King

The Twelve by Justin Cronin

and After Her by Joyce Maynard

I am actually enjoying them all.......

Get In The Van by Henry Rollins - Mostly a diary of touring with Black Flag in the early/mid 80s. It was kind of boring and depressing, all the sows were the same and it really, really sucked. Everyone was all about trying to kick the crap out of Henry and stealing their stuff. The cops were all crooked and tried to beat them up all the time. Henry lived in a shed and was severely depressed, even though at that time we didn't call it that. I was at one of the shows during his diary and I don't recall there being all the fighting and violence he describes. There was always a mosh pit and it was always majorly violent in there but it stayed contained and you didn't go near it if you weren't into it. I don't know, guess I missed it. Lots of pics.

Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels - audio - Collection of anecdotes from British GP. I enjoyed it, and the views on how the NHS works and should work. Kinda short, somewhat light, fully entertaining.

The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum - Another good one, when she's good she's very good. She doesn't do real strong mystery, she's much more into the whys and you know most of what's going on as it happens. Not everything though, she holds enough back. I think she's a really good writer and does a great character. She can make you feel sorry for the pedophile in this story, or at least see why he is like he is. Short book, I was sad it was over.

He Who Fears The Wolf by Karin Fossum - A bank robber, and escaped mental patient and a fat juvenile delinquent make an unlikely little group of friends. Kind of.

Not A Match by Brian Donovan - audio - Book about a guy's experiences with online dating. Just a string of tales about crazy women but it was entertaining. And short, the audio was only just over two hours.

You Are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney - audio - NF about how our brains fool us and the stupid things it makes us think, and why. It was mostly things that you either know already or are logical if you thought about it. I was disappointed in the amount of info that was new to me. I guess it's a beginner's level brain book.

The Library Of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard - I read it out of my Scandinavian file on the kindle, I didn't know what it was about. Almost all my Scandinavian books are mysteries so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a paranormal thriller, that wasn't that thrilling. It was alright if you like that kind of thing but I don't.

The Secret Place by Tana French - The 5th Dublin Murder Squad book and right up there with the first as far as quality. It was intriguing all the way through.The only bad thing is there is no #6 yet.

Dirty Daddy by Bob Saget - He writes like he speaks so it was easy to hear his voice while reading which I really like in a memoir. I can see where it might be a bit rough for some who don't realize he is nothing like Danny Tanner but the low reviews kind of annoyed me. He dug deep in parts and talked a lot about his cohorts, I enjoyed it.

Finished: The Music of the Spheres by Elizabeth Redfern  --- An involved story set in 1795 London.  The French Revolution is being fought in France and England has become the place where many French citizens have sought shelter. Jonathan Absey works for the English government in one of the many departments investigating spies and also is trying to find out who murdered his daughter. The plot is too involved to try to condense, it has to be read to understand it.  But it is intriguing, complicated and thoroughly engrossing. 

Reap the Wind by Iris Johansen --- Third in the Wind Dancer series, this brings the Wind Dancer saga into the current time. Caitlin Vasaro and Alex Karazov hunt for the Wind Dancer statue after it is stolen during the publicity campaign for Caitlin's new perfume.  A page-turning ending!!

Mistletoe Man by Susan Wittig Albert --- 9th in the China Bayles series.  China's worried about her best friend, Ruby, who's been acting very strange and then she becomes involved in helping solve another murder.  A quick, fun read.

Heart of the Night by Barbara Delinsky --- Savannah and Susan are fraternal twins, but as different as can be. Raised in a wealthy family, Savannah became a lawyer and Susan enjoys the social life of the wealthy.  When their friend is kidnapped and brutalized, they put aside their differences and, along with the two men who've become an important part of their lives, they support their friend.  Interesting premise for a story line, very good read.

Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods--- A fun read from the Sweet Magnolias series. Karen Ames married Elliot Cruz, but she can't seem to fully trust him because of her first marriage to a man who left her with 2 kids and a lot of debt. They both learn what makes a marriage work, especially when seeing Elliot's sister handle her difficult marriage.

Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson --- A continuation of the New Orleans series, Kristi Bentz, daughter of New Orleans police detective Rick Bentz [from previous books in the series], has enrolled at All Saints College.  4 girls have gone missing and Kristi, along with her former boyfriend who's now teaching a class at the college, dig into their disappearances. Paranormal at it's best; a real page-turner.

Currently reading: Not started yet, but probably Malice, the next of the New Orleans series by Lisa Jackson. 

Up next:  undecided

Books read in 2014:   Jan. -- 8,  Feb. -- 7,  Mar. -- 7, April -- 4,  May -- 9,  Jun. -- 11,  July -- 9,  Aug. -- 11, Sept. -- 7,   Oct. -- 3

Currently Reading:

Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood

Finished: 

Somerset - Leila Meacham - 4.00 Stars

Don't Breathe a Word - Jennifer McMahon - 3.00 Stars

Where'd You Go Bernadette - Maria Semple - 3.00 Stars

Pretty From a Distance - Cat McCarrey - 5.00 Stars

Psychic - My Life in Two Worlds - Sylvia  Browne - 3.5 Stars

The Dry Grass of August - Anna Jean Mayhew - 4.00 Stars

Grace - T. Greenwood - 4.00 Stars

reading The Big Sky by A B Guthrie. I made it to the half way point and then skimmed over the 2nd have and read the end so now I may not finish the book. I should not have done that, but I may eventually read the 2nd half.

reading the Splendid Exchange which is a history of trade in the world. only mildly interesting so far.

also reading Best Sport Writing of 2010. There is one of these each year going way back. I read one a couple of years ago that was 1991 and really enjoyed it.

Reading "The Lost Daughter", enjoying it but haven't made much time for reading.  I have been listing to "The Romanov Sisters"   which is interesting but often too detailed and I find myself drifting off.

I only finished one book in October, can’t count how many I quit.  I hope this month will be better.

I find myself drifting off

I can't listen to books for that reason. I fall asleep every time.

Margaret,   Must be the season for book quitting.   I must have started 12 books and only finished 4.  It doesn't even matter that I sorta like them.  I just can't seem to get interested in anything.  And then I did finish one (But Not for Long by Michelle Wildgen) and after I read it, I was like, "what did she bother to write that for? what was supposed to happen?"  Why did I finish it is the bigger question.  

The Tsunami Countdown: Boyd Morrison       I really liked this one alot.

Dust (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 21): Patricia Cornwell           I was disappointed with this one.  It just seemed like there was no emotion.

Standup Guy (Stone Barrington, Bk 28): Stuart Woods            A good read.

Storm Front (A Virgil Flowers Novel): John Sandford        I was disappointed with this one.

Finished

• The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen
• Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Currently Reading

• Desertion in the Time of Vietnam by Jack Todd
• Dirty Work by Gabriel Weston

Listening to

• Telling the Bees by Peggy Hesketh

Currently reading 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal, his autobiograghy/homage to his father who died when he was 15.  He loves telling the stories of his crazy-but-loving extended family, and, if you believe him, he himself was already a comdian by the age of five...full of schtick, one-liners and routines even then!  It's an enjoyable read, non-taxing, but...I was hoping I'd be laughing out loud, or tearing up with empathy, by now, but it just hasn't happened yet.  Am hoping for some real emotion to hit me as I contiue reading...

re: Billy Crystal. In the video series that Ken Burns did on Baseball, Billy Crystal appears in some of the videos telling anecdotes about his experiences at Yankee games. Some of the stories are great.

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell- Fabulous and incredibly unusual so far, just like all of his books. :)

Yes Please by Amy Poehler- Huge fan of hers since UCB, the book is just as warm and funny as she always appears to be.

Reading:  Genesis of Shannara, The Skies of Pern,  The Drawing of the Three, Stolen, Ship of Magic.

Finished:  The Wiseman's Fear, Bitten, Dhampir, Shattered, Odd Thomas, Dark Fever.

.Kicked to curb:  Gone Girl.

Judye / maysied

Both of these books are very good reads.  

Winners   Author: Danielle Steel                     

Shattered Secrets (Cold Creek, Bk 1)     Author: Karen Harper           

@ Charles K - Listening to books in bed will put me right under, yet I can listen in the car just fine.

@maysied  - do you like Odd Thomas? I enjoyed the first two books but haven't liked the recent ones.  I read Gone Girl and saw the movie the other week, it was a good adaptation.

I finished "The Lost Daughter" which was good, and "Romanov Sisters", I had to skip a few chapters and cut to the end when my library audio was coming due.  I started "Just What Kid of Mother are You" in audio, the reader may turn me off on this one, we will see.  I also picked "The Mountain Between Us" (Charles Martin) back up.  I like his books but I just wasn't in the mood before.

I am trying to thin my TBR a little bit, there are some books I have had for years but never seem to start them, I need to let some go.

Nan Z - How did you like "All The Light We Cannot See" and "The Bird Sisters"?

Margaret:  I'm not impressed with Odd Thomas.  I could take it or leave it.  The audio on Gone Girl is too strident for me.  II might kick i to the curb.  I loved both Rothfuss' books.

Judye/maysied

Lisa H.,

The Bird Sisters was ok -- nothing to write home about.

All the Light We Cannot See is our neighborhood book club read for December.  It's great so far.  I'm about 20% into it....it reads easily, the main characters are likeable, can't wait to see what happens.  Sister-in-law read it and loved it.

Hope this helps,

Nan

Doctor Sleep (Shining, Bk 2): Stephen King             Good, but I liked The Shining better.

Private Down Under: James Patterson, Michael White                Another good Patterson book.

Currently Reading:  Wicked Widow by Amanda Quick

Up Next: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

I'm currently reading books for a challenge in Good Reads called Double Identity.  I never knew so many authors wrote under two names.  I knew of a few but I didn't know that Dean Koontz and Dan Brown had pseudonym's.

I finished " Just What Kind of Mother Are You" today on audio, I was enjoying it so much that I hardly read anything in print this week, which is odd for me, audio is usually just for the car for me. 

Then "Edge of Eternity" came up on audio from the library tonight, they should keep me busy for awhile, I don't even know how many hours it is, but I enjoyed the first two books on audio.

I am plodding through my very first Agatha Christie mystery: By The Pricking of My Thumbs.  And, unfortunately, it's not really grabbing me.  The main charachters are quaint and chatty, maybe even too chatty.  Worse, their stumbling upon the mystery seems forced; I feel it's lucky they even found a mystery based upon the scant happenings.  I have more of Christie's mysteries on my TBR shelf--I stumbled upon a few very nice old hardbacks with pristine dustcovers at a yard sale recently---and I had really looked forward to devouring them, but now I am hesitant.  I'll try not to judge other of her works because of this one mildly disappointing book that I regretfully picked up first.

ETA:    I felt I must add that this book did not get better.  I actually loathed it.  Some of the events were actually preposterous, the mystery did not engage me at all, and the main characters were annoying and cloying, rather than quaint and sweet.  Agatha Christie, alas, is not my cup of tea.  

Yesterday I read Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  Wow.  Couldn't put it down.  I loved her book Left Neglected and this was another unforgettable read.

I don't usually like first person reads, but this author has a way of letting the reader into the character's head without making it too much.  There are no subplots, just the story of this woman not so slowly dealing with early onset Alzheimer's disease.  She is a Harvard professor in linguistics and within a couple of years, cannot remember how to converse in spoken language.  Fascinating and very sad, but not a bummer.  Not sure how Genova brings if off, but she does.  5stars.

I also read the book The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls.  How did I read it also in one day?  By skipping lots of it.  I just didn't get into this book.  Great premise for a story but just not done very interestingly, IMHO.

Edited for spelling and to add another book.