FINISHED -

1. "A SONG FOR MY MOTHER" by Kat Martin (A++++) Years after running away with her boyfriend in her junior year of high school, Marly Hanson returns to Dreyerville at the request of her daughter, Katie, who has recently been treated for brain cancer. Katie has never met her grandmother, Marly's mother, Winnie. But Marly and Winnie have been estranged for years and confronting the past for each of them is painful. The homecoming is bittersweet, but revisiting the conflict between them is crucial if Marly and her mother are ever to find the bond they shared before Marly left Dreyerville.  To complicate matters, living next door to Winnie is handsome sheriff and widower Reed Bennett and his son, Ham, who is close to Katie's age. Ham and Katie become fast friends, while the parents find their attraction to one another going deeper than mere friendship. But Marly's time in Dreyerville is limited and risking her heart isn't something she's willing to do. As the days slip past and though she tries to avoid it, Marly and Reed become more deeply involved. Can she risk loving the handsome sheriff and giving up the future she worked so hard to forge for herself and her daughter? Can she make a life in Dreyerville after what happened all those years ago? Will Marly finally realize that her true destiny and ultimate happiness lies in coming to terms with her past?
2. "THE LAST ORIGINAL WIFE" by Dorothea Benton Frank (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) Leslie Anne Greene Carter is the last original wife among her husband Wesley's wildly successful Atlanta social set. His cronies have all traded in the mothers of their children they promised to love and cherish - 'til death did them part - for tanned and toned young Barbie brides. If losing the social life and close friends she adored wasn't painful enough, a series of setbacks shake Les's world and push her to the edge. She's had enough of playing the good wife to a husband who thinks he's doing her a favor keeping her around. Now, she's going to take some time for herself - in the familiar comforts and stunning beauty of Charleston, her beloved hometown. In her brother's stately historic home, she's going to reclaim the carefree girl who spent lazy summers sharing steamy kisses with her first love on Sullivans Island. Daring to listen to her inner voice, she will realize what she wants...and find the life of which she's always dreamed.
3. "A MILLION DIRTY SECRETS" by C.L. Parker (Million Dollar Duet #1) New Author For Me (A++++++) Delaine Talbot has a secret. When a matter of life and death threatens to tear apart her family, Delanie makes the ultimate sacrifice. She autions herself off at Chicago's most exclusive erotic club. Now she belongs to Noah Crawford, a wealthy mogul who introduces her to a sseductive feast of the senses, awakening desires she only dreamed about. Noah doesn't know why Delaine sold her body for a cool two mil. But it's the perfect business arrangement. The inexperienced beauty will learn to satisfy his every sensual need, yet never touch his heart. Almost immediately their relationship generates heat - in more ways than one. When they fight, they take no prisoners. When they love, they show no mercy. When they're together, they never want to leave each other's arms. But soon, their intense physical bond will take an unexpected turn - evolving into something neither has bargained for: the promise of a lasting love.
4. "CAUGHT" by Jamie Alden (Gemini Men #1) (A+++++) Got an investigation situation? Call the Gemini Men: Ethan and Derek Taggart. Yeah, they're twins. Double the trouble and twice as sexy - women can't get enough of them or their older brother Danny, who keeps 'em in line when things get wild. The three Taggart men are hot, hard and ready to take on all comers. Ex-military. Tall. Chiseled,. Intelligent and arrogant. And so hot he's on fire. That's Ethan Taggart. Male to the max. Toni Crawford, computer genius turned PI, can't stop looking at him and Ethan's returning the favor. Nice and slow. Those piercing blue eyes of his are about to melt her down but...nothing doing. Toni has to stay cool. Focus on the assignment: the teenage daughter of a multimillionaire just vanished in plain sight. Chasing down leads, investigating every freaky angle, pushing past the boundaries of a hellish underworld of sex and drugs, Ethan and Toni are forced to work closely to stalk an unseen enemy with a taste for cruel games. Risking their lives to save the missing girl is only half the battle. Their blazingly sensual attraction grows every second, until there's no turning back. Their passion is about to explode...and Ethan and Toni soon find that danger breeds the hottest desire of all.
5. "MARCELLI PRINCESS" by Susan Mallery (The Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road #5) (A++++) A smart, independent woman with a gorgeous four-year-old son, Mia Marcelli lost her one true love. Four years ago, while working undercover for the CIA, she watched Diego, the father of her unborn child, perish before her very eyes - crumbling the world around her. But one morning she awakens to find Diego lying next to her, alive and well with an unbelievable confession: he is really Rafael, Prince of Calandria and he had been working covertly on the same mission when they met - his death had been staged. Utterly stunned, Mia is wary and delighted - she may have suffered a broken heart, but her breathtakingly handsome lover is back to reignite the passion that existed between them. Little does she know that Rafael has returned to give his newfound son a proper upbringing back in Calandria - even if it means seducing Mia into marriage. But when Rafael find s himself truly falling for this luscious beauty, he must decide between his royal duties and the woman who has claimed his heart.
6. "ALMOST SUMMER" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #6.2) (Read on my Kindle) (A+++++) Ever since she was young, Paige McLean has longed to see the world. Still, she never imagined the world would land on her doorstep in the form of a charming British surgeon who needs a place to stay when his plans fall through. After a devastating loss, Alistair Woodbury has vowed to live his life alone. But in all his travels, he hasn't encountered a town as welcoming as Fool's Gold, nor a woman as caring - or as beautiful - as Paige. Her compassion warms him almost as much as their stolen kisses. When it's Alistair's time to leave, will his brief visit turn into a lifetime stay?
7. "THE CHANCE" by Robyn Carr (Thunder Point #4) (A+++++) With its breathtaking vistas and down-to-earth people, Thunder Point is the perfect place for FBI agent Laine Carrington to recuperate from a gunshot wound and contemplate her future. The locals embraced Laine as one of their own after she risked her life to save a young girl from a dangerous cult. Knowing her wounds go beyond the physical, Laine hopes she'll fit in for a while and find her true self in a town that feels safe. She may even learn to open her heart to others, something an undercover agent has little time to indulge. Eric Gentry is also new to Thunder Point. Although he's a man with a dark past, he's determined to put down roots and get to know the daughter he only recently discovered. When Laine and Eric meet, their attraction is obvious to everyone. But while the law enforcement agent and the reformed criminal want to make things work, their differences may run too deep...unless they take a chance on each other and find that deep and mysterious bond that belongs to those who choose love over fear.
8. "SHORELINE DRIVE" by Lily Everett (Sanctuary Island #2) (A+++++) Dr. Ben Faulkner is a veterinarian on warm, welcoming Sanctuary Island, a refuge for wild horses. Though he's dedicated his life to healing animals and rescuing the ones no one wants, Ben is nursing deep wounds of his own. After tragedy tore his family apart, he gave up his dreams of finding happiness long ago...until Merry Preston arrives on the island. Vivacious, friendly and instantly loveable, Merry is everything Ben is not. She's also nine months pregnant and attempting to carve out a new life for herself and her unborn child. Though Ben tries to keep his distance, when a raging storm cuts them off from the mainland, he's forced to help bring her new baby into the world. It's a harrowing experience that leaves him with one great certainty: I want these two to be my family. Seeing his opportunity, he makes a dramatic proposal to the young mother: a marriage of convenience. If Merry marries him, he'll draw up a contract naming her son as his heir and promising to provide for them both. But as they'll learn, love is more than a business proposition...and it'll take all the magic hidden in Sanctuary Island to turn Ben's proposal into something real and lasting.
9. "TO WED IN TEXAS" by Jodi Thomas (Texas Brothers - the McLains #3) (A+++++) If any town needed guidance on the path to peace it was wild and dangerous Jefferson, Texas. Delivering it was the widowed Reverend Daniel McLain's calling. Unfortunately, Daniel's own serenity is disrupted when his young daughters' nanny abandons her job, leaving the widower to appeal to his late wife's family for help. But instead of the elderly aunt he's expecting, he's greeted by Karlee Whitworth, the family's forlorn cousin who's desperate for a place to stay and eager to prove her worth - by caring for the twins and by mending Daniel's grieving heart. Now two lost souls are about to discover a happiness they were destined to share.
10. "HOPE FLAMES" by Jaci Burton (Hope #1) (A+++++) When it comes to love, they already know the rules...by heart. Thirty-two and finally setting up her veterinary practice in the town she once called home, Emma Burnett is on her own and loving it. Independent and driven, she's not letting any man get in the way of her dreams. Not again. That's fine with Luke McCormack. Divorced and hardly lacking in female company when he needs it, he's devoted to the only faithful companion in his life - his police dog. Still, there's something about Emma he can't shake. When a series of local break-ins leaves Emma vulnerable, she seeks help from the first man to spark her desire in years. And now they're giving each other something they thought they'd lost forever...hope.
11. "HAWKES HARBOR" by S.E. Hinton (New Author For Me) read by Dick Hill (unabridged audio CD) (A+++) A petty criminal and lost soul finds redemption through his encounter with a monster. Dr. Phillip McDevitt, director of Terrace View Asylum, is intrigued by his newest patient, a troubled young man recently transferred from the state hospital for the criminally insane. Jamie Sommers suffers from depression, partial amnesia and an unaccountable fear of the dark. Dr. McDevitt is determined to help Jamie conquer his demons, but the more he probes the young man's fractured memories, the stranger his case becomes. An orphan and a bastard, Jamie grew up tough enough to handle almost anything. Taking to the sea, he found danger and adventure in exotic ports all over the world. He's survived foreign prisons, smugglers, pirates, gunrunners and even a shark attack. But what he discovered in the quiet seaside town of Hawkes Harbor, Delaware, was enough to drive him almost insane - and change his life forever.
12. "GRACE ON FIRE" by Elle Amery (New Author For Me (Quartzton #3) (A++++) Freed from a painful marriage by her husband's accidental death, Grace Muscat is beginning to come alive again But when she overhears the town's sexiest firefighter call her "frigid," she realizes Don Marshall's right: she has to learn how to enjoy sex. Who better to teach her than he one hellishly sexy friend, Wyatt Bennett? Wyatt will do anything for Grace; after all, he's been in love with her for years. His heart is already entangled, so sex couldn't possibly complicate things further, could it? In fact, sleeping with Grace could be his one chance to make her to fall in love with him. However, when it becomes clear that Grace is only out to snag Don Marshall, Wyatt discovers he's faced with the conflict of being a supportive friend and a man in love. Will he be able to teach Grace the ultimate lesson - that the flame of love is what burns the hottest?
13. "WITH A TWIST" by Deirdre Martin (Wild Hart #1) (A++++) He's a tall order. She's a hot dish. But are they ready for the main course? Natalie Bocuse dreams of managing her own chic Manhattan restaurant. In the meantime she's waitressing at her sister's French bistro in Brooklyn. Among the regulars is Quinn O'Brien, not only the best reporter in New York but the most handsome. He'll do anything for a story - even break hearts, though Natalie swears hers will stay untouched. When Quinn offers Natalie a waitressing job at his parents' Irish pub in Manhattan, she can't refuse. She'll be a step closer to her goal and temptingly close to Quinn. But them Quinn's new editor-in-chief steps through the pub's doors and wants to order what's on Natalie's menu. Now Quinn will do anything to stop the presses. Pursuing the greatest story of his life, his own love story, Quinn's going to need the luck of the Irish to win Natalie's heart - or else it's c'est la vie.
14. "LONESTAR HOMECOMING" by Colleen Coble (Lonestar #3) (A+++++) For most, it's the safest place on earth. For Gracie, it's the last place she wants to be...and the one place she must return. With nothing but five dollars and the wedding dress she's wearing, Gracie Lister flees with her daughter by train to West Texas, to the town she ran away from so long ago. There they find refuge in the home of Michael Wayne - devoted single father, seasoned soldier - who gives Gracie a job caring for his two children and the hiding place she needs from her former fiance. Michael and Gracie aren't looking for love, but it finds them right away. And then trouble comes to call in the form of Gracie's ex-fiance who is now on the FBI's most-wanted list. Together, Michael and Gracie must find the strength they need to protect their newly forged family.
15. "TART" by Lauren Dane (Delicious #2) (A++++++) Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life, running her successful bakery, Tart, when Gideon Carter comes back into her world. Returning home to help run the family farm, Gideon is now back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate and it isn't long before the former childhood friends play catch-up - in bed. That's not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he's hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever. Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio's scalding liaisons take them places they've never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally complicated emotions and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she'll have a choice to make when she returns.
16. "TOO MUCH TEMPTATION" by Lori Foster (Brava Brothers #1) (A+++++) Grace Jenkins has had little experience with men, but she can't help dreaming about strong, sexy Noah Harper. There's a rough edge beneath his polish that hints of no mercy in the bedroom - exactly what the passionate woman inside her is hungry for. Burned by a cheating fiance, Noah wants no complications in his life. Yet Grace's sweetness and innocence are hard to resist. Though his conscience tells him she deserves more, his body wins the decision and he promises to take her to the limits of whit-hot desire. Shy Grace brazenly accepts...and gets more than she bargained for.
17. "DYING TO TELL" by Rita Herron (Slaughter Creek #1) (A++++++) What happened to Sadie Nettleton's twin sister at the psychiatric hospital all those years ago? Ten years have passed since Sadie Nettleton fled Slaughter Creek leaving behind the only home she ever knew - and the only man she ever loved. Unable to cope with her sister's madness or the terrible secret she and her sister shared Sadie swore never to return. But when her grandfather is murdered and her sister charged with the crime Sadie has no choice but to confront her past. Sheriff Jake Blackwood cannot forget the once-in-a-lifetime love he shared with Sadie Nettleton - or the pain of her betrayal. Now she has returned and she needs his help uncovering the truth about her grandfather's murder and what happened to her sister at the asylum. But as they delve into the secrets haunting their hometown, Sadie finds herself at the mercy of a madman who will do anything to keep the truth buried. Can Jake protect Sadie from her dark past? Or will he lose her and his heart - forever?
18. "BEFORE SHE DIES" by Rita Herron (Prequel to Slaughter Creek #1) (A++++) She thought this small town nestled in the Tennessee mountains was the perfect place to raise a family...until she found out what was happening to the children in Slaughter Creek.
19. "TEMPTED" by Robyn Carr (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) Widowed at thirty-three with two small kids, Beverly Simpson wants someone to blame. Angry, hurt and full of regret for what she's lost, she rails against a once trusted God and hides her loneliness behind a sassy exterior. Joe Clark, intrigued by Bev's irreverent approach to life, stubbornly pursues her. However, the pair have two very different outlooks on life. Joe is a dedicated preacher, while Bev insists she no longer even believes in God. Despite being polar opposites, they can't hide their attraction to each other, but reconciling their beliefs may be harder than they imagined. Will faith and love be enough to mend a damaged heart?
20. "NEVER LOOK BACK" by Linda Lael Miller (Look Book #2) (A+++++) A hungry attraction. A hidden enemy. Devoted defense lawyer Clare Westbrook, used to working for others, can now call the shots on her own terms. A multi-million-dollar inheritance from the father she never knew has allowed her to start her own practice. And with her teenage niece, Emma, whom she's raised as a daughter, on a school trip to Europe, Clare has been able to focus on turning a storefront in a tough Phoenix neighborhood into the legal firm of her dreams and offering her services to the troubled community. But just as she opens for business, explosive shots take out her street-level windows - and nearly take her life. Someone clearly has targeted Clare, though she doesn't know who or why. All she knows is she must surrender to Tony Sonterra's protection if she wants to survive. Sonterra has designs on a career move to the FBI  and on rekindling his scorching,  no-strings-attached affair with Clair. But can the man who sparks her passion be trusted with her life? Or is someone using Clare, the only person Tony has dared to get close to, to get to him?
21. "THE EDUCATION OF MADELINE" by Beth Williamson (New Author For Me) (Plum Creek #1) (A+++++) The right man comes along - Madeline Brewster practically owns Plum Creek, Colorado. But at thirty-two, she knows she has missed any chance for happiness. Until she finds a tall, strong, handsome Irishman on the wrong end of the hangman's noose. Suddenly this unconventional woman comes up with an outrageous idea. Teague O'Neal has rugged cheekbones, tousled black curls and eyes as blue as the sky, even if he is caked in Colorado mud. The men insist they caught him horse-thieving and there's something desperate about him that says he'd do anything for a a buck. Maybe it was pure chance, or maybe it was something more that brought Madeline and Teague together. But one thing's clear, between a woman who has just about everything she could ever want and a man who's lost that and more, they might find something in between worth living for.
22. "STRAIGHT UP" by Deirdre Martin (Wild Hart Saga #2) (A+++++) Even a man on the run can enjoy the thrill of the chase. After getting on the bad side of New York's Irish mob, Liam O'Brien thought he could weather the storm back in Ireland. Working as a bartender in his parents' old village of Ballycraig, he's not looking for any trouble. But he could use a bit of fun. Aislinn McCafferty has already been scorned once by a man at the wedding altar. Now, any man who tries to woo her is quickly and coldly disaptched. The unknowing Liam soon learns this the hard way - and is immediately intrigued. Eagerly accepting a wager from the pub's owner, Liam begins a determined pursuit of the stubborn and beautiful Aislinn, who in turn uses all of her wiles to rid herself of the charmingly determined Yank. But neither of them expects this donnybrook of the sexes to turn into love.
23. "SECRETS ON THE SAND" by Roxanne St. Claire (The Billionaires of Barefoot Bay #1) (A++++++) Zeke Nicholas has turned his mathematical genius skills into a mountain of money. But Zeke sits on that mountain all alone, longing for the one thing money cannot buy: a lifelong partnet and true love. Zeke grew up near Barefoot Bay and is staying at the resort for a week while he's in town for a family event. Enter Mandy Mitchell...the maid. Except, Mandy is much more than that to Zeke - she was the object of his every teenage dream back in the days when she was known as "Mandy the Magnificient" but he'd earned the unflattering high school senior adjective of "Ezekiel the Geekiel." Zeke is no longer a geek - he's gorgeous. And Mandy doesn't feel so magnificent since her marriage fell apart and left her up to her eyeballs in debt and dispair. The minute they meet again, Mandy knows he's exactly the kind of trouble she should avoid...but Zeke does have one thing Mandy needs to gain the independence she craves. Will he give it to her? One look at Mandy and Zeke turns his relentless ability to get what he wants into a full-on seduction and he's ready to give her anything. Gut can Mandy face down the secrets of her past to find a fairy-tale future with Zeke?
24. "ALL HE EVER NEEDED" by Shannon Stacey (Kowalski Family #4) (A+++++) He won't stay put for a woman, and she won't chase after any man. Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase - and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he's called home to help with the family lodge, he's intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn't need a man. If there's one thing Mitch can't resist, it's a challenge. After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto "Men are a luxury, not a necessity." But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she's tempted to indulge. They're the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual.
25. "LEAVE ME BREATHLESS" by HelenKay Dimon (A++++++) Permission to approach. According to Judge Bennett Walker, trying to kill him is a dumb idea. They might make him wear a big black nightgown to work, but it covers a lot of muscles and he's definitely packing beneath it. He's also an ex-prosecutor and an ex-GI Joe. So when his brother brings in Callie Robbins to protect him, Ben has a few issues. First, he doesn't need a bodyguard. Second, she's a 130-pound girl - more smoking hot than smoking gun. And third, what if his body wants her guarding the night shift? Callie has no problem brushing aside Ben's disbelief. She left the FBI to escape the boys' club, but she can be deeper undercover and twice as lethal as any beefy John Doe. As for whether someone's after Bennett or not, the death threats and car bombs look pretty convincing to Callie. Of course, she might be distracted, sitting inches from the sexiest judge in DC for ten hours a day. Keeping him safe is no picnic. Keeping it professional - that might be impossible.
26. "MIDNIGHT RUN" by Lisa Marie Rice (Midnight #2) (A++++++) Claire Parks has been very sick, but she's fine now - just fine - and ready to paint the town red. Wel, pink. On her first excursion into the wild world of dating she meets Bud, a tall, sexy, good-looking lumberjack., She won him fair and square, her prize for not dying. But after a weekend of wild sex, she discovers he's not what she thinks he is. Undercover police officer Lieutenant Tyler "Bud" Morrison can't believe his eyes. What's a princess doing in a dance club known for its rough trace? She needs rescuing and rescuing women is what Bud does best. He saw Claire first - finders keepers. After a weekend of the hottest sex he's ever had, he's definitely keeping this one. When trouble comes her way, he pulls out all the stops to protect her. Except Claire doesn't want Bud at her back. She wants him in her bed.
27. "A WEDDING IN VALENTINE" by Emma Cane (Valentine Valley #1.5) (A+++++) It's the wedding all of Valentine Valley has been waiting for! Bridesmaid Heather Armstrong arrives for Nate and Emily's big weekend only to discover that one of the ushers is the man she had a close encounter with when they were trapped by a blizzard seven months ago - and he's the bride's brother! Cowboy Chris Sweet never forgot the sexy redhead, although she disappeared without a trace. At first the secret creates a divide between them, but as they grow closer during the romantic weekend, will Heather dare risk her heart again?
28. "KISSES LIKE A DEVIL" by Diane Whiteside (Devil #5) (A+++++) His wicked desire could free her or enslave her. Strikingly handsome, wealthy and accomplished Brian Donovan has succeeded in everything he puts his mind to - except marriage. Now as a favor to his former military commander Teddy Roosevelt, Brian is investigating a powerful new weapon invented in the small European country of Eisengau. The task carries prestige, danger and an enticing complication in the lithe form of Meridith Duncan. With her deliciously, candid approach to all things sensual, Meredith is unlike any woman Brian has known. In fact, she wants him to ruin her reputation - and Brian eagerly obliges, initiating a passionate, playful and wildly erotic affair. A feminist who believes in free love, Meridith has always battled convention. When her parents urge her toward an odious marriage, Meridith turns to the dashing, thoroughly masculine American who could be her only hope of escape. But nothing is as simple as it seems and as competition to acquire the new weapon turns deadly, two lovers are drawn into a treacherous game where the stakes run as high as their raw, mutual desire and the greatest risk of all may lie within an untested and all-consuming love.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "The Immortality Clause" by Abigail Hawke (The Immortelle #1) (New Author For Me) (ebook that I received to to a review for the author)
2. "Wounded Wings" by Shauna Allen (Cupid Chronicles #3) (PDF book I received in return for a review)
3. "A Sandcastle Christmas" by J.D. Faver (The Edge of Texas #5) (Reading on my Kindle (New Author For Me) 
4. "Blaze of Glory" by Catherine Mann (Special Operations #2)
5. "Rainshadow Road" by Lisa Kleypas (Friday Harbor #2)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "Three Days on Mimosa Lane" by Anna DeStefano (Mimosa Lane #2) (unabridged audio CD)

Currently Reading

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

Finished

1. Blowback by Brad Thor (Scot Harvath # 4)
2. Cell by Robin Cook
3. No Lesser Plea by Robert K Tanenbaum  ( Karp & Ciampi #1)
4. Cemetery Dance by Preston & Child ( Pendergast # 9)
5. Cross my Heart by James Patterson ( Alex Cross # 21)
6. Running Blind by Lee Child ( Jack Reacher # 4)

Finished --- Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank ---Poignant, funny, thought-provoking story about the Winbley family of Tall Pines plantation in the lowcountry of South Carolina.  Told from Caroline Wimbley Levine's point of view, she reveals deep-seated feelings about her ex-husband, her brother and his family and herself.  While Caroline is a bit of a snob, she also cares deeply about the people she loves and tries to correct what she sees as their flaws. In the end she comes to terms with their flaws, and deals with her own hang-ups. Well worth the read.

Recipes for Easy Living by Curtiss Ann Matlock --- A sweet coming-of-age book about a 12-year-old girl named Corrine who lives in Valentine, OK.  Christmas is coming and Santa Claus is making himself known to people of Valentine in the way of gifts of money. Corrine has all the questions and feelings of a young girl, trying to figure out how she's suppose to act around her mother who has been allowing Corrine's aunt to raise her, her blossoming feelings for a boy she's always considered just a friend and her secret desire to own a horse of her own. Matlock writes with empathy and makes the reader feel a part of Valentine and its people.

The Snake Tattoo by Linda Barnes --- 2nd in the Carlotta Carlyle series... I really like Carlotta.  The 6'1'' red-headed PI is working two cases.  One trying to find a runaway teen-age girl and the other trying to find a missing witness to clear her former cop "boss" from a brutality charge. A fun, quick read.

Shell Game by Carol O'Connell --- Mallory is investigating the murder of a illusionist [magician] and finds it's tied into the murder of a woman during WWII involving the same group of men. There's lots of twists and turns and the plot sometimes seems to get bogged down with all the references to that murder and how it relates to the present. Lots of time spent on setting up illusions for shows and it was hard to visualize all the details for someone not familiar with magic tricks. Mallory is an odd character [when she was 11-years-old a psychiatrist diagnosed her as a sociopath, and her background makes that understandable when the first books of the series are read]. She's  a brillant cop who seems to have no redeeming qualities when it comes to normal human emotions. The reader is torn between pity and disgust when trying to figure her out. That's what makes this series so fascinating.

McNally's Secret by Lawrence Sanders --- 1st in the Archy McNally series. I've read several of this series already and never had read how it all began.  Archy is working through his "Discreet Inquiries" to find some stolen Inverted Jenny stamps.  What he finds is much more.... always a fun read with Archy!!

Hanging Time by Leslie Glass --- Another series with a strong female character....love it. April Woo is a Chinese-American detective with the NYPD, an Hispanic "supervisor"/partner and a totally old-world Chinese mother who thinks April should just get married. April has some hang-ups, mainly based on her Chinese up-bringing and isn't always as self-confident as she should be, but she's an excellent detective and proves it as she works to solve the murders of 2 young women. With the help of a psychoanalyst, Jason Frank, [who has some conflicts of his own] and her partner, Mike Sanchez, she gets the job done. Excellent series, even if it is an older one.

Dark Road Home by Karen Harper --- First in the Amish Maplecreek series, Good story about an Amish man, an "English" woman and how they work to solve the hit-and-run killing of 4 Amish teenagers. Easy read, lots of background into Amish life. Interesting.

Currently reading---  The Company of Cats by Marian Babson

Up next --- ???

Nancy --- The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank sounds really good.  I'll have to put that on my reminder list---I really enjoy Frank's books.

Books read in 2014:   Jan. 8,  Feb. 7

Finished

• Anonymous Sources by Mary Louise Kelly
• This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
• Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• The Kept by James Scott

Currently Reading

• Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
• The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

Listening To

• Me before You by Jojo Moyes

Becoming Johnny Vegas - Johnny Vegas - memoir by the British comedian. I'm hoping for a sequel because this book is great about his early life and how his other personality came to be but it ends just as johnny is coming into his own. He says he isn't qualified to tell johnny's story, let's hope johnny feels qualified.

Black Knight in Red Square by Stuart Kaminsky - Spy mystery set in cold war Russia. There wasn't that much mystery since you know pretty much who did it and why, it's more about the capturing of the perp. I didn't love it, like I said not much mystery and I don;t really like spy stuff. It's for the challenge. It was ok, just not gonna make the top 10. It has really good reviews though, maybe I'm just biased against spy stuff.

The World Of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes - Some background of the house used in the tv series, how it cae about, and how the stories relate to what times were really like back then. Not too much new info, some war details and a lot about how society ruled everything. There were so many ridiculous rules they had to live by and were held back by. Some quotes and background on some of the actors too, and details about their costumes.

Her Enemy by Leena Lehtolainen - Finnish mystery, I had never seen a single one of the names before except for the mc who was called Maria. The others were names like Antti, Armi, Eti, Sanna, Not to mention the last names. It's a little distracting but I like unusual names. Not too complicated, not a lot of danger, but a good story.

Stand And Deliver - Adam Ant - audio - Memoir by Mr Ant. Curiously he left out Vanity, he named other celebrity unions, kinda weird. I was surprised how long he had mental problems, since way before he started show biz. Seems he's finally gotten it together so I' happy for him.

Murder On The Leviathan by Boris Akunin - Book 3 in the series, I accidently missed book 2 and it was apparent;y important because the MC is an ambassador now where he was a cop in book 1. Have to go back and check that out. Good story, told differently. The story was told by alternating characters, giving this book no clear MC even though it is the Erast Fandorin series. There were good characters and no clear bad guy.

Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories And Other Disasters by Jean Shepherd - audio - More stories from the A Christmas Story author, of Ralphie growing up, becoming a teenager, and a grown man in New York. Funny but homey, just like the movie. It starts with an elaboration on the top wars from the movie but I think the junior prom story was my favorite.

Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen - I love Carl. His books are somewhat similar but he's good enough that I don't mind. A man has trouble come looking for him, through no fault of his own, and does what he has to do. This one involves a terrible plastic surgeon, a terrible lawyer, a terrible talk show host (who sounds an awful lot like Geraldo Rivera), some seriously terrible cops, and the usual cast of good guys. The environmental angle was a bit less in this one but greed still abounds.

A Million Ways To Die In The West by Seth MacFarlane - audio - Not a terribly original story but peppered with trademark MacFarlane humor. Definitely worth it.

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid - Excellent mystery, I read it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. Four Scottish college students (literally) stumble across a dying woman in the snow and become the lead suspects in her murder, turning their lives upside down.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik - Chick book but it had a good story. A group of women who live in a neighborhood become lifelong friends through a book club they form.

Jeannie Out Of The Bottle by Barbara Eden - audio - Memoir. I've always thought she seemed to be a very well brought up lady and her book just confirms that. Her personal life wasn't perfect, especially since she lost both of her children, but there's no big cry fest or looking for sympathy. Despite being married to one jackass the love life doesn't sound bad at all by Hollywood standards. She's still gorgeous, still working, still healthy (I assume, she makes no mention of any physical issues), married to a man she loves. Not a lot of major bummers here. 

Swordfishtrombones by David Smay - audio - From the 33 1/3 series, which dissects famed albums and the people who wrote them. They all have different writers and this one missed. Full of fancy and weird analogies that make no sense. He was trying to be way too cute and totally ruined the story. It was more like a bad LSD trip than anything else. Sucked.

Just started He's Gone by Deb Caletti for a book group, only 25 pages in. I hope it gets better.

Sorry about the double post below.
 

FINISHED

Anteater of Death     Author: Betty Webb

Dark Water Dive (Underwater Investigation, Bk 2)    Author: Kathy Brandt

Dogsong     Author: Gary Paulsen

READING

Force of Nature (Love Inspired Suspense) :: Dana Mentink

Midnight in Austenland, I read Austenland awhile back and just saw the movie so it was a good time to read the 2nd book.

I am lsitening to Next Best Thing by Weiner, half way done but it is getting old, this one is not her best work.

I read a lot of WW2 stuff last month, so I am doing fluff right now.

ETA - I like Franks books too!  Last Orginal Wife was good.  I have Low Country on my TBR, I like to read her books in the summer.

Margaret,

I like Frank's books anytime!!   Especially if I've been reading alot of mystery/thrillers, she's a nice change of pace.

CURRENTLY READING:

The Language of Sisters - Amy Hatvany

FINISHED:

1.  Doctor Sleep - Stephen King - 5 Stars On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.  Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes Doctor Sleep.  Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of "The Shining" and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon

2.  Villa Triste - Lucretia Grindle - 4.5 Stars Florence, 1943. Two sisters, Isabella and Caterina Cammaccio, find themselves surrounded by terror and death; and with Italy trapped under the heel of a brutal Nazi occupation, bands of Partisans rise up. Soon Isabella and Caterina will test their wits and deepest beliefs as never before. As the winter grinds on, they will be forced to make the most important decisions of their lives. Their choices will reverberate for decades. In the present day, Alessandro Pallioti, a senior policeman agrees to oversee a murder investigation, after it emerges the victim was once a Partisan hero. When the case begins to unravel, Pallioti finds himself working to uncover a crime lost in the twilight of war, the consequences of which are as deadly today as they were over sixty years ago.

The Crying Tree - Naseem Rakha - 3.5 Stars Irene and Nate Stanley are living a quiet and contented life with their two children, Bliss and Shep, on their family farm in southern Illinois when Nate suddenly announces he?s been offered a job as a deputy sheriff in Oregon. Irene fights her husband. She does not want to uproot her family and has deep misgivings about the move. Nevertheless, the family leaves, and they are just settling into their life in Oregon?s high desert when the unthinkable happens. Fifteen-year-old Shep is shot and killed during an apparent robbery in their home. The murderer, a young mechanic with a history of assault, robbery, and drug-related offenses, is caught and sentenced to death.  Shep's murder sends the Stanley family into a tailspin, with each member attempting to cope with the tragedy in his or her own way. Irene?s approach is to live, week after week, waiting for Daniel Robbin?s execution and the justice she feels she and her family deserve. Those weeks turn into months and then years. Ultimately, faced with a growing sense that Robbin?s death will not stop her pain, Irene takes the extraordinary and clandestine step of reaching out to her son?s killer. The two forge an unlikely connection that remains a secret from her family and friends.  Years later, Irene receives the notice that she had craved for so long?Daniel Robbin has stopped his appeals and will be executed within a month. This announcement shakes the very core of the Stanley family. Irene, it turns out, isn?t the only one with a shocking secret to hide. As the execution date nears, the Stanleys must face difficult truths and find a way to come to terms with the past.  Dramatic, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting, The Crying Tree is an unforgettable story of love and redemption, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the transformative power of forgiveness

I'm reading Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (the novelist). So far, it's fantastic. I can't imagine anything else is going to surpass it in becoming my book of the month.

FINISHED

Second Honeymoon
Author: James Patterson, Howard Roughan

READING

Mercy Falls (Cork O'Connor, Bk 5)
Author: William Kent Krueger

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Author: Lionel Shriver

Finished Vortex.

Still reading To See Her Face Again while listening to Divergent.

Just started Day of the Long Sun audio.  Comment:  Vocabulary of a  Oxford English professor, super fast reader of a FF tape, voice of educated auctioneer.  (very hard to follow)

Judye / maysied

I have started about eight books and put them all down at least once.  I am going to read some fluff and see if I can get back on track. 

just started Mrs Bridge by Evan S Connell. don't know what to make of it yet.

I finished Austenland (corny and light but not as good as the first book) and I have picked Winter of the World back up, I put it down half way thru, we will see if it piques my interest.  I loved Fall of Giants, but this one underwhelmed me.

Just finished James Patterson Alex Cross Series and Womens Murder Club series, can't wait until the next book in both series is released. Also waiting for the next book in the Sword of Truth series. I am starting the prequels to Lord of the Rings, also starting The Sword of Shannara series.

Just finished..

The Mountain Between Us: A Novel
Author: Charles Martin

Six Years
Author: Harlan Coben

Storm Runners: The Surge

Author: Roland Smith

I just finished Shanghi Girls by Lisa See.  I liked the beginning but struggled to finish it.

We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler.

I finished I Promessi Sposi [TheBetrothed] by Alessandro Manzoni. This is labelled by many as the finest Italian novel. Period. I agree. Period. Written in 1828, revised totally by the author. The translation I read tries to be faithful to the revision by the author. The Penguin revision weighs in at 625 pp. For anyone interested in serious literature, I could not recommend it more highly.

Just re-read The Ugly American by Lederer and Burdick.  Bought my copy in the 1960's while in college in Boston (I know this because I wrote the date and place in the book.)  Still a very powerful novel of how bad American diplomats can be.

Started Something Happened by Joseph Heller. Bought this book when DH and I were in Iran in 1975-76. Don't remember reading it. I'm on page 116 and the MC seems like a self-centered narcissistic jerk.  Does it get any better?

Can you tell I'm trying to get some stuff off my TBR?  LOL

READING

Wild :: Pamela S. Beason

FINISHED

Gone The Next: Ben Rehder

I just finished "Saving CeeCee Honeycut", it was good.  It was like  "The Glass Castle" meets "Steel Magnolias" meets "The Help". 

Not sure what I wil start next in print.