My Reading List - September 2013

FINISHED - 

1. "GONE TO GREEN" by Judy Christie (Green #1) (A++++) (New author for me) Can a big-city journalist change a small southern town...or will the townspeople change her forever? Lois Barker trades her corporate life at a large paper in the Midwest for the ownership of The Green News-Item, a twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. As the not-so-proud new owner, Lois is obligated to keep the paper for at least a year, despite her doubts and fears. When she pulls into Green, Louisiana on New Year's Day, her expectation of a charming little town full of friendly people is shattered. Instead, she must battle prejudice and financial corruption, while making friends and enemies with a host of fascinating characters who will change her life. As challenges unfold, her year in Green results in a new found faith and unexpected blessings.
2. "BEAU: COWBOY PROTECTOR" by Marin Thomas (Harts of the Rodeo #5) (A+++) The heart of the matter...Beau Adams can't stop thinking about Sierra Byrne. Her feisty spirit and ample curves dominate his thoughts, while he should be focused on getting himself and Midnight, the Harts' prized stallion, to the National Finals Rodeo. When Beau and Sierra's electric connection finally leads to a steamy night together, Beau hopes it's the beginning of something more. As much as Sierra wants to be with Beau, anything long-term is out of the question. A recently diagnosed eye disease will soon leave her blind and she can't ask a rising rodeo star like Beau to take on that responsibility. Thugh she tries to pretend their tryst was just another item on her bucket list, Sierra's true feelings run a lot deeper. Will she let her affliction steal not only her sight, but her dreams of happiness, as well?
3. "THE BAKE-OFF" by Beth Kendrick (A+++++) (New author for me) Suburban soccer mom Amy has always wanted to stand out from the crowd. Former child prodigy Linnie just wants to fit in. The two sisters have been estranged for years, but thanks to a series of personal crises and their wily grandmother, they've teamed up to enter a national bake-off in hopes of winning some serious cash. Armed with the top secret recipe for Grammy's apple pie, they should be unstoppable. Sure, neither of them has ever baked anything more complicated than brownie mix, but it's just pie - how hard could it be? When the competition heats up, what began as a straightforward pact for victory deteriorates into a sugarcoated free-for-all. Amy and Linnie struggle to rebuild their relationship as family secrets, old betrayals and new romances arise. Given the right recipe and an unexpected blend of bitter and sweet, even the oddest pairings can produce something delicious.
4. "CHRISTMAS AT TIMBERWOODS" by Fern Michaels (A++++) (unabridged audio CD) It's the most wonderful time of the year....and for Heather Andrews, security manager at Timberwoods Mall, undoubtedly the busiest. But this Christmas, Heather has more to contend with than frazzled parents and disgruntled Santas. Angela Steinhart, a young woman who designed the mall's spectacular holiday displays, has had a premonition that tragedy will strike on Christmas Eve. And Angela's visions have a habit of coming true. Heather would love to dismiss the warning as holiday stress. But the more she gets to know the quiet, lonely Angela, the more she trusts her. In Lex, her boss, Heather finds an ally - and the glimmer of something more profound. And as the days count own, it will take all of her wits, hope and unflagging courage to stop someone from destroying the season in one split second.
5. "THE HERO" by Robyn Carr (Thunder Point #3) (A++++) In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bned, but she is pretty certain it can't be worse than what they've left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her toThunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need. As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he's not looking for anything else. Instead, he's thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point's high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he's gentle and kind...just the sort of man who could heal Devon's wounded heart.
6. "WILDLY WINSTON" by Lori Foster (Winston Brothers 1#, #2, #3 and #4) All four Winston brothers are scorchingly handsome, sensually passionate - and stubbornly proud. Left alone in the world after their parent's deaths, they learned to depend on each other - and to cherish the bond that held them together. "TANGLED SHEETS" (A+++) Night after night, bar owner Cole Winston is seduced by prim and proper Sophie Sheridan's way with hot chocolate...until her sexy and outrageous twin, Shelly, walks into the bar. "TANGLED DREAMS" (A+++) To uncover a family heirloom, two ghosts orchestrate a most passionate tryst between a demure lady and the sexy bartender she can't get  out of her mind - Chase Winston. "TANGLED IMAGES" (A++++) When Mack Winston agreed to model for a catalog, he had no idea he'd be working with the only woman who's ever intrigued him - serious, standoffish Jessica Wells. "WILD" (A++++)  Underneath her gypsy guise, Tamara is a very stubborn, seductive woman - who may be in very serious danger. But even though she reguses Zane Winston's help, he knows she's the woman for him. Because she's sassy. Sexy. And totally wild.
7. "BE MY BABY" by Susan Andersen (Baby #2) (A++++) Juliet and her romeo Beau...Prim and proper Juliet Rose Aster Lowell doesn't want her body guarded by anyone while she's in New Orleans for the grand opening of Daddy's new hotel - especially not by consummate macho cop Beau Dupree. He's just too big, too pushy, too virle, too...everything! His shameless, hungry-eyed gaze shakes her carefully cultivated decorum like no one ever has, but Juliet is a Lowell - and there's no way she's going to lose control! The lady is downright delectable, but Beau has more important things to do than babysit a beautiful Yankee rich girl. So he decides to get himself pulled off of the assignment by driving the oh-so-proper socialite beyond the bounds of her good-girl restraints. But who would have thought that real passion sizzled beneath Juliet's polish? When she lets her hair down, she just might prove to be more than enough woman to handle Beau - but will he be able to handle her?
8. "CALDER STORM" by Janet Dailey (Calder #10) (A++++) With his rugged-cowboy good looks and the kind of smile that makes a lady's pulse race, Trey Calder could have his pick of women. But he's been holding out for someone special and the minute he lays eyes on freelance photographer Sloan Davis, he knows he's found her. The attraction between the two is immediate and charged as heat lightning, even if they are as different as can be. But Trey's firece passion may blind him to a terrible threat. Within weeks Trey and Sloan are married, settling into a new life together at the Triple C. For the orphaned Sloan, being welcomed into Trey's family is a dream come true and with a baby on the way things couldn't get any better...until Trey makes a startling discovery about his new wife, one that casts coubt about just who Sloan Davis is and what she's really after. Rumors are spreading about Trey, too. Soon passion turns to suspicion. A dangerous game is set in motion. And the stakes are high - everything the Calders have worked for over the generations is on the line. A formidable enemy has been waiting for the perfect time to strike. Someone who has sworn vengeance on the Calder family. Someone who will use whatever means necessary to control their land, their lives and their legacy forever. Someone who would even kill to make it happen. All his life, Trey Calder has been trained to take over his family's ranch, to protect what is theirs. Now the time has come for a Calder son to make a stand and hope that his way is the right way after all.
9. "DEWEY THE LIBRARY CAT: A TRUE STORY" by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (A+++) Can you imagine it, the tiniest ball of fluff in the world, no bigger than a juice box, staring up into your eyes with love? Abandoned in a library book drop slot in the dead of winter, the small kitten who came to be known as Dewey Readmore Books miraculously endured the coldest night of the year. When librarian Vicki Myron found him in the morning, she wrapped him in her arms, gave him his first bath and then introduced him to his new home: the library.
10. "THE LAST GOOD MAN" by Kathleen Eagle (A+++++) Savannah Stephens has finally come home to the purple hills of Sunbonnet, Wyoming, after years of living a life far different from the one she's known. But her return has set Sunbonnet's queen bees buzzing. Why has this successful woman returned home? And where is the unknown father of Claudia, the beautiful six-year-old daughter she brought with her? But Savannah isn't talking. Not to her Aunt Billie who raised her and not to the childhood friends she left behind. Savannah's been hurt deeply and the worst scars of all - the ones she's sure will never heal - are the ones that one one can see or touch. But one person refuses to let her retreat in isolation. When Savannah went east to find fame and fortune, strong, silent Clay stayed in Sunbonnet and tended his horses. But his steadfast love for Savannah never wavered and he's not going to give up on her now. Soon Savannah cannot help but yield to the force of a man with the heart, soul and gril to persist. For her heart knows that she hides from the one thing that can heal the hurt consuming her body and soul.
11. "LONESTAR SECRETS" by Colleen Coble (Lonestar #2) (A+++++) Can a secret be kept forever? Five years ago, Shannon Astor left the beautiful high-mountain country of West Texas as a single mother. She was desperate for a fresh start...and a way to keep the serets of her past buried. It almost worked. Until a chance to make a better life for her daughter leads her right back home. To the very place of the past betrayals. But it also leads Shannon to horse-trainer Jack MacGowan - her handsome high-school nemesis, now a widowed father. His daughter looks so startlingly like her own that Shannon can't help but question the circumstances surrounding her daughter's birth. Wary of each other's intentions, Shannon and Jack reluctantly join forces to untangle a deep mystery that swirls around Shannon's parents, a lost Spanish treasure and a legendary black stallion. If Shannon can learn to entrust her secrets to the man falling in love with her, the truth just might set her free.
12. "SUGAR DADDY" by  Lisa Kleypas (Travis #1 & Sugar Daddy #1) (A+++++) (unabridged audio cassette) She's from the wrong side of the tracks, he's the one man she can't have. Will they find their hearts' desires or will heartbreak tear them apart? Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas - if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is sgronger than both of them. When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon - a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past. Twio men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her.
13. "THE NORTHERN DEVIL" by Diane Whiteside (Devil #4) (A+++++) Every woman needs a devil by her side. Rachel Davis would rather rish death than remain a prisoner of the ruthless man intent on gaining her inheritance. Trapped on a private train with the villain, she makes a desperate bid for escape and runs into the arms of an unlikely saviour. Aristocratic, arrogant and deeply cynical about love, Lucas Grainger is her last choice for a husband - even a husband of convenience. But desperate times call for desperate measures: taking Lucas to bed and submitting to his tender, hungry desires may be her only hope. Lucas Grainger has sworn never to take a wife, but he's not about to let anyone else marry Rachel. He has his own reasons for marrying the gentle, quick-witted widow, reasons she need not know. But holding Rachel night after night awakens deeper hungers than he has ever known and a calculated marriage soon yields to a blissful, blinding - and dangerous - passion. For if Rachel knew who Lucas really was - of the dark secrets that haunt him - she'd never choose him as her protector. Theirs is a union both erotic and enduring and any man who tries to part Lucas from the woman he loves will have the devil to pay.
14. "PIECES OF SKY" by Kaki Warner (Blood Rose Trilogy #1) (A++++++) On a stagecoach traveling through New Mexico Territory, Jessica Thornton is a long way from the cool mists and lush gardens of her native England. An authoress and milliner, she carries the weight of a scandalous secret - a horrible shame that has brought her to the West in a desperate search for the only person she can trust: her brother. No one prepared Jessica for the heat or the hardships. And no one prepared her for a man like Brady Wilkins. For despite the rancher's rough-hewn appearance and her own misgivings, Jessica must put her life in his hands after their stagecoach crashes. And she begins to see the man behind the callused hands and caustic wit: a man strong enough to carve out a home in the wilderness, brave enough to fight for his own and passionate enough to restore her faith in herself - and in her heart.
15. "AGAINST THE MARK" by Kat Martin (Raines of Wind Canyon #9) (A+++++) The perfect murder is a work of art. In one catastrophic instant, Halley Warren's estranged father was taken from her. She never got the chance to reconnect with him, so now she's doing it the only way she's got left: by proving the exposion that killed him was no accident. When Tyler Brodie, the provocative and handsome P.I. hired by Haley, discovers that her father was investigating a suspected art theft, he knows his death is no coincidence. After all, tens of millions of dollars' worth of stolen art could motivate a thief to go to any lengths - including getting rid of anyone poking around where they don't belong. As Haley and Ty get closer to the truth, the truth gets ugly: Did Haley's dad know too much...or was he in on the tae? And although Ty's a consummate professional, he's having trouble focusing on the facts of the case and not the figure of his gorgeous client. The two are determined to get to the bottom of the case, even if it means they die trying.
16. "SHADOW'S STAND" by Sarah McCarty (Hell's Eight #5) (A+++++) Husband of convenience. Lover by choice. Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers - the Hell's Eight brotherhood - to clear his name. That is, util he's unjustly strung up for horse thieving...and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard. Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.Shadow isn't a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei - except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren't closing in on him. If only he's left standing when the impending showdown has ended.
17. "THE HARD STUFF" "STAKEOUT" by Karin Tabke (New author for me) (A++++) Cool. Calm. Collected. That's gorgeous detective Stevie Cavanaugh. Solo surveillance on a male escort with a taste for dangerous play? No big deal. Until special agent Jack Thornton, the sexiest one-night stand she ever had, shows up to watch the action too - and gets Stevie hotter than hot. "BODYWORK" by Bonnie Edwards (A+++) Lisa Delaney's classic Cadillac coupe needs work and she knows exactly who to call: Tyce Branton. The man has a reputation for making temperamental engines purr like kittens. And when it comes to women, he has some very satisfied customers. "CHINATOWN" by Sunny Chen (New author for me) (A++++) NYPD officer Lily Huang is kidnapped by a ruthless gang and held hostage. One man stands between her and her captors, the FBI agent who shares her cell. And desperate pleasure is their only escape.
18. "AMERICAN DIVA" by Julia London (Thrillseekers Anonymous #3) (A+++++) Jack Price has one dream: to own and operate a flight school. For this thrillseeker, any job that gets him one step closer to his goal is worth it...no matter how risky or difficult. So when the opportunity to guard the latest pop sensation comes along, Jack leaps at it. After all, it wasn't that long ago that he had a hot and sexy encounter with America's newest darling and that makes taking this job a whole lot sweeter. Problem is, he didn't expect to find a raging diva in place of the alluring woman he knew that night. And there's no way he's going to let her walk all over him like she's doing with everyone else. Audrey LaRue seems to have become the latest It" girl overnight. Everybody wants her - or wants something from her. She's being hounded by the paparazzi, her fans, the gossip rags...and her lover-turned-manager. Her A-list status is turning her into a class-A bitch, yet she can't seem to stop the mad roller-coaster ride. But now there's a stalker who seems bent on stopping it for her. Only Jack Price, her sexy, fearless bodyguard, is grounded enough to protect her as well as put her in her place. Audrey must learn to trust him, not only with her life but also with her heart.
19. "SLOW SUMMER BURN" by Elisabeth Barrett (Star Harbor #5) (Kindle) (A+++++) Val Grayson has been a strong, steady presence in his younger brothers' lives. Now that the other Grayson men have settled down, Val is able to focus on himself...and he has gorgeous, privileged Cameron Stahl in his sights. Cam has just opened her second antique store in Star Harbor and is more receptive to sexy-as-sin Val's advances. But Cam's family isn't too keen on their precious daughter dating a DEA agent. It'll be up to Val to convince Cam - and himself - that he's worth it. And man, is he worth it!
20. "DOUBLE THE PLEASURE" "DEUCES WILD" by Lori Foster (SBC Fighters #4) (A++++) Dexter Winston is an amazing writer, but he is not an actor. When his brother Hart wants him to step into his life and act like him so he can go train to be a fighter, Dex is a little cautious. that is until he sees Hart's next door neighbor Christy. Christy has always had a crush on Hart but he is so much more her type these days. When he finally starts to pay attention to her she thinks her dreams has come true. She falls in love with him but when she learns the truth - which Hart is she truly in love with? "THE LUCK OF THE IRISH" by Deirdre Martin (A+++++) Maggie O'Brian is a waitress at her family's pub. Brendan is a carpenter who works for his Uncle Joe and is remodeling the Wild Hart. He is more than willing to take his time at work if it means he can be around the feisty Magie. But he may have bitten off more than he can chew because Maggie is in no way going to let herself get hurt again...and Brendan has a secret that could devastate her. "YOUR ROOM OR MINE?" by Jackie D'Alessandro (A+++++) Jack Walter is going to have to spend the whole weekend at a retreat for all his co-workers, with the woman he can't stand. Maddie Price did not plan on being stuck a whole day with the most frustrating man ever, when she suggested this weekend for team building. But she has some important choices to make and that means finding a hot guy to have a one night stand with. "DOUBLE THE DANGER" by Penny McCall (A++++) Dr. Abby West was just performing the routine autopsy when her John Doe turned out to be her ex. Her un-dead ex at that. When he jumps off the table Abby thinks she has lost her darn mind, but it turns out that it is very much sane and in very much danger. Drake did not expect to wake up and see his ex-girlfriend. But she is his mission, or rather her grandfather is. Drake is an FBI agent sent to protect Abby's grandfather who was in the witness protection program. Abby must cooperate with Drake or else she and her grandfather will end up dead.
21. "NAME OF THE GAME" by Willa Okati (Name of the Game #1) (A+++++) Sometimes the things you learn about yourself aren't the things you wanted to know. Seth's a gorgeous hunk of a cop, but off-limits to his roommate Clay, who's desperately trying to find a way to stop thinking about a man who's straight. Seth's also dating Sophie, the bitchy, possessive, girlfriend from hell, so it's a moot point as far as Clay is concernred. Seth is a good guy, a clean cop and a good friend. But when it comes to the girlfriend, he's not sure how to get her out of the picture. When Seth decides to dump Sophie by pretending he's gay, it's Clay he turns to for help in his game of deception. He's seen the way Clay looks at him, even though they've never made a big deal out of it. Surely Clay will help. Clay's been alone a good while, but with his friend Anthony pushing him into playing the dating game and helping Seth, Clay's relationship options suddenly go from zero to a full hand. There's still only one man for Clay and as Seth begins to discover just what it's like walking the other side of the line, the two men start to break all the rules. 
22. "MIDNIGHT LIES" by Ella Grace (Wildefire #2) (A+++++) The winds of fate have blown cruelly on a family that once had it all: money, power, prestige. The lives of three beautiful daughters were forever changed when, on a sultry night in Midnight, Alabama, a murder-suicide shattered the Wilde family. The girls grew up to live separate lives but now have returned home, each to face a danger no one can see coming. Former homecoming queen Samantha surprised everyone by going into law enforcement, but beneath her tough facade lies a wary heart. The tragedy that struck her family is a constant reminder that nothing is ever as it seems. When the man she loves, Quinn Braddock, a doctor and Iraq war veteran, is accudsed of murder, Samantha assumes the worst. Brokenhearted, her confidence shattered, she returns to Midnight. Though exonerated, Quinn still feels the sting of Samantha's doubt, but he can't forget his feelings for her and follows her. Soon after his arrival, a shocking murder terrifies the town and once again, Quinn is under suspicion. This time, Samantha will not turn her back on the man she loves - even if it means walking into a killer's trap.
23. "NAME WITHHELD" by J.A. Jance (J.P. Beaumont #13) (A+++++) It's New Year's Day in Seattle and people are dying around J.P. Beaumont. So nothing, really, is new. Nobody is grieving over the death of Donald Wolf, a biotechnology corporation executive whose numerous criminal activities included illegally trading industrial secrets...and rape. Too many people, in fact, are almost too eager to take responsibility for his murder. At the start of a brand new year, Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont has his own life-shattering problems to worry about - from the imminent death of an ex-wife to trumped-up charges of child abuse. But the justly-slain body floating in Elliott Bay is pulling Beau back to the job - leading him into a deadly morass of jealousies, personal betrayals, more corpses and corporate double-dealings...and closer to a killer he doesn't really want to find.
24. "SPINNING FORWARD" by Terri DuLong (New author for me) (Cedar Key #1) (A++++++) A New Englander born and bred, the last place Sydney Webster expects to find herself starting over is on an island off the coast of Florida. Yet here she is in Cedar Key, trying to pull herself together after her husband's untimely death - and the even more untimely revelation of his gambling addiction. Bereft of her comfortable suburban life, Syd takes shelter at a college pal's bed and breakfast, where amidst the bougainvillea blossoms and the island's gentle rhythms, a plan begins to form. Syd never considered her possibility of turning her passion for spinning and knitting into something more than a hobby, but when the unique composition of her wool draws attention, a door is opened - the first among many. Yet even as she ventures out of her comfort zone, Syd finds herself stepping into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And as long-hidden truths are revealed, Syd faces a choice: spin a safety net - or spin decidedly forward and never look back.

Currently Reading -

1. "Signs of Life: A Memoir" by Natalie Taylor (New author for me) 
2. "Take Me Home For Christmas" by Brenda Novak (Whiskey Creek #5) (ARC)
3. "The Promise" by Dee Davis (Time Travel Trilogy #3) (Kindle)
4. "Lady Be Good" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Wynette, Texas #2)
5. "Stone Creek" by Victoria Lustbader (New author for me)

Currently Listening to -

1. "Crystal Gardens" by Amanda Quick (unabridged audio CD)

Finished in September--- Slim to None by Taylor Smith --- Book is set just after the fall of Saddam Hussein so it's a little dated, but even then the plot is intense and a real page-turner.  Hannah Nicks is a member of Brandywine International, a private military corporation sent into Iraq to rescue two women.  What follows is a real political thriller that will keep the reader up into the night.  Highly recommended!!

McNally's Chance this one written by Vincent Lardo [not Lawrence Sanders] --- I really enjoyed this McNally book.  Archy get involved with a best-selling novelist with surprising results and, ultimately, murder which he helps solve in his distinct way.  A fun read.

Murder in Georgetown by Margaret Truman --- Margaret Truman is one of my favorite mystery writers .... she had the insider's knowledge of Washington, DC and is able to bring that to her stories. While they are a little dated, they never lack the page-turning ability of a good mystery without a lot of blood and gore.  In this one the daughter of a US senator is murdered.  As the story evolves, the reader is drawn into a web of conspiracy that goes far beyond her murder. 

The Cottage by Sandra Steffen --- An author new to me...I enjoyed this book. A sweet love story between two people trying to overcome the past and a young boy looking for his true identity.  How it all comes together makes for any enjoyable read.

The Morning After by Lisa Jackson --- 2nd in the Savannah series,  Savannah detective Pierce Reed and newspaper reporter Nikki Gillette are both working on a case of a serial killer known as "The Grave Robber".  Very intense plot, keeps the reading turning the pages.  The ending is a surprise!

Opal by Lauraine Snelling --- 3rd in the Dakotah series....Ruby's sister, Opal, is growing up and loves the ranch life, much to the dismay of her big sister.  Opal doesn't always do what she's suppose to and sometimes it gets her in trouble as in the case of her friend Atticus and because of that she pays dearly.  An endearing series, especially if the reader enjoys the history of the west.

Currently Reading --- Table For Two by Nora Roberts

Up Next ---

Books read this year:   Jan. - 13,  Feb. - 11,  Mar. - 9,   Apr. - 5,  May - 7,   June - 6,   July - 10,  Aug. - 10, Sept. - 6

Reading:

Johnstown Flood David McCullough

Killing Grounds Dana Stabenow

Finished:

Cross Currents John Shor

Twelve Patients Eric Manheimer MD

Pieces of the Heart Karen White

Heartbroken Lisa Unger

The Time Keeper Mitch Albom

Revenge Wears Prada Lauren Weisberger

Wrecker Summer Wood

Finished

The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith - audio - part of the 44 Scotland street series, about the lives of the people who are connected to a street in Edinburough. Nothing big happens, just slice of life stories. Quite entertaining though. Bertie of the title is a long suffering 6 year old with an overbearing new age mom who makes him go to psychotherapy (and may have had an affair with the doctor).

Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen - audio - Over 18 hours! Good book though. An old note in a bottle is picked up off the coast of Scotland but it's not written in English, and it was written in blood. Several businesses have been burnt down around Denmark, all with a dead man inside. All the men have a distinct characteristic. It's a long ride but all the factions merge together.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - Kinda boring tale about growing up with a dad who works transferring documents and people over the Swedish border during the occupation of Norway by Nazis. Won all kinds of awards. It is beautifully written but the story was dull.

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word - Written by a black man from North Carolina who grew up to be a Harvard-educated lawyer, it reads like one of his case briefs. He tells the etymological and legal history of the word and a little popular history but it's mostly pretty dry old info. I'm not sure if legal briefs from the 1800's are very helpful. Knowing how the word was used then could be, but I was hoping for some more modern info. He delves briefly in the modern day but not much. I didn't really learn anything new, except that if this guy is correct the black community has no more idea what to do with the word than the rest of us.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - audio - A bit of a story by one of my favorite short story men. Arthur is what we call a good ol' boy in the US. Likes to go out on weekends and dabble with the qwives of the servicemen who have been deployed. It catches up with him. Being a British book he couldn't care less whether you like the MC or not, and he's not very likeable. And he doesn't learn very easily.

When Science Goes Wrong - Simon LeVay - 12 tales of science going very wrong. It was ok, too detailed. I like details in some areas but there was too much irrelevant minutia. I don't need the life stories of the 12 victims of a chemical spill, it is not relevant to the story. I skipped over the space chapters, I couldn't handle that much unnecessary info about a subject I didn't care about. I enjoyed the chapters about subjects I liked, like medical and experiments.

Danger To Self: ER Psychiatrist by Paul Linde - another boring skippable book., I'm picking winners lately. The promised ER stories totaled about 5, the rest was about him. How he does his job, how he feels about his diagnoses, how great he is. I didn't like it much at all. He says at the beginning that he paraphrases his patient's words and boy does he, they all sound exactly like him. Street junkie, college student, crazy lady, they all use the same language and voice. And are all so coherant and introspective! Sucko.

Secrecy by Rupert Thomson - audio - It was ok. Set in 1600s Florence it's the story of an artist and an apothecary's daughter and a man who wants to kill them. Kind of an epic, twisty turny story. Love, murder and secrecy.

I Had The Right To Remain Silent.... by Ron White - Part memoir, part comedy routine. The only problem is a lot of it is right from his comedy routines so I've heard it before. The beginning especially. Then it starts more into the memoir kind of thing. Not a complete memoir but humorous instances from his life.

Finished

• Happiness is a Chemical in the Brain by Lucia Perillo
• Schroder by Amity Gaige
• The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
• Ordinary People by Judith Guest
• This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
• When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
• The Door in the River by Inger Ash Wolfe
• Wish You Were Here by Graham Swift
• Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler

Currently Reading

• The Long Exile by Melanie McGrath
• To Be Sung Under Water by Tom McNeal

Listening To

• When Captain Flint was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek
• Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badasss on A Northern Michigan Farm
The author is more or less forced into learning how to live off her small piece of land after divorcing her husband of 19 years. Learning to be self-sufficient and not just gardening for a hobby really interests me, I wish there had been more about that part of it in the book. But overall I really liked it. 

Life After Death by Damien Echols
I have been following the story of the West Memphis Three for several years. This book seems to be a collection of the writings Echols did while he was in prison - as far as I've gotten anyway. He's had a pretty rough life, a lot of what I've read so far is all the misery and agony he endured while growing up. He's a pretty unhappy guy, and I don't blame him a bit. But the reading seems to get kind of tedious in places. I think he has been hospitalized a few times for depression before his arrest so his writing is... of course depressing. I hope his life is a lot happier now that he's been released.

I couldn't get through this one. It seems like he was doing a lot of writing in prison just to vent maybe? Some of the stories he tells about when he was younger and living with his mother I just have a hard time believing because he's always the victim. I do believe he was wrongly imprisoned and I have sympathy for him on that count, but I just didn't want to keep reading one sad story after another.

Currently reading:

The Barrons

I have several going:

The Hero by Robyn Carr

The Virginian by Owen Wister   another oldie but a goodie..

Folly by Laurie R. King   I started this several months ago and got side tracked.

This past week and weekend I finished the entire series by Chris Knopf.  Both Sam Acquillo and Jackie Swaitkowski.   Great characters and great mysteries.

Also read I'll Cry Alone: One woman's journey through heartache and hope  Jacqueline Druga-Marchetti. 

Wednesday bumping.