FINISHED -

1. "TAMED" by Rebecca Zanetti (Dark Protectors #6.5) (A++) (Kindle) Caleb Donovan was never meant to be a prophet. At heart he's a conqueror, his appetite far more carnal than spiritual. He's not inclined to repress his passions and surrender to fate. After all, that's what cost him Lily - three centuries ago. She married another, because it was ordained. Now that he's in the same benighted calling - and forced into proximity with her - all the old desires are roaring back to life. After widowhood and centuries of celibacy, Lily is eager to explore the wild side of life, except now she's vulnerable to another forced relationship, with an enemy. But this time she's determined to choose her own path. And if hot, furious Caleb comes charging to the rescue, it might just change both their destinies.
2. "THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY" by Susan Donovan (San Francisco Dog-Walking Group #1) (A++++) She has nothing left to lose. Her marriage is over. Her newspaper career went belly up. And it won't be long before her two teenage sons are off to college...and then what? Sometimes it seems like the only thing Ginger Garrison can count on is her beloved Bichon Frise and the loyal women in her dog-walking group. But her luck is about to take a wild turn. Will she dare to left loose? A diplomatic snafu has sidelined the globe-trotting nature photographer Lucio "Lucky" Montevez, a man known as much for his wild personal life as his wildlife images. Now stuck in the states and forced to shoot pet portraits for a living, his prospects look downright tame...until Ginger enters his world (along with her boys, her spoiled pooch and her egomaniacal ex-husband). Lucky's always been a love-her-and-leave-her kind of guy, but something about the spirited, sensual Ginger makes him want to stick around. But will Lucky's playboy past end up costing him the only woman he's ever really loved?
3. "A SHOT OF SULTRY" by Macy Beckett (Sultry Springs, Texas #2) (A+++++) Welcome to Sultry Springs, Texas: Where home can be the perfect place for a fresh start. For West Coast filmmaker Bobbi Galllagher, going back to Sultry Springs is a last resort. But with her career in tatters, a documentary set in her hometown might be just what she needs to slavage her reputation. She just can't let anything distract her again. Not even the gorgeous contractor her brother asked to watch over her. As if she can't handle filming a few rowdy Texans. Golden boy Trey Lewis, with his blond hair and technicolor-blue eyes, is a leading man if Bobbi ever saw one. He's strong and confident and - much to her delight - usually shirtless. He thinks keeping his best friend's baby sister out of trouble will be easy. But he has no idea of the trouble in store for him.
4. "HEARTSONG COTTAGE" by Emily March (Eternity Springs #10) (A++++++) Two weary strangers are about to rest their burdens in Eternity Springs, where there's hope for every broken heart. Haunted by the loss of his wife and son, Daniel Garrett left the police force to devote his life to finding missing children. But he still hasn't found a way to mend the wounds of his past - until he attends a wedding in the small mountain town of Eternity Springs...and meets a beautiful, intriguing woman who offers a glimpse of something Daniel thought he'd never have again. Sometimes life give us a second chance at love. Shannon O'Toole isn't looking for romance. Ever since her fiance's death, she's created a quiet life for herself restoring Victorian cottages. Still, she can't deny her attraction to the handsome, broad-shouldered stranger. Daniel makes her feel things she hasn't felt in years - including the desire to share her secrets. But can Shannon trust a detective when doing so could bring danger to her cottage door? In Eternity Springs, everything - and everything - is possible.
5. " 'TIL DEATH" by Sharon Sala (Rebel Ridge, Kentucky #3) (A+++++) He left in handcuffs. Now it's time to set himself free. Nearly twenty years after he was wrongy convicted of setting the fire that killed his father, Lincoln Fox returns to Rebel Ridge, Kentucky. There, deep in the Appalachians, the truth of that terrible night lies buried - and he's sworn to uncover it. His plans take an unexpected turn when, in the midst of a blizzard, he rescues Meg Walker from her wrecked car. Suddenly Linc discovers another reason to clear his name. Meg, his high school sweetheart, had always believed in his innocence and if he wants a future with her, he has to show the world proof she was right. As the community chooses sides, those who once let a teenage boy take the fall for their crime are forced to raise the stakes. They kidnap Meg, leaving her to the mercy of the mountain. And a second rescue may be more than even Linc can manage.
6. "WYOMING RUGGED" by Diana Palmer (Wyoming Men #5) (A+++++) Billionaire oilman Blair Coleman has always taken care of his business. After having been used and cast aside by a woman he thought he loved he loved, his personal life is far from his first priority. He knows only one has ever truly cared for him - but the irresistible blonde beauty is the daughter of his best friend. Niki Ashton has seen her father's friend wounded and she's seen him fight. Blair is the strongest - and most stubborn - man she's ever known. That very heart and passion makes him the man of her dreams, but whenever they've been in danger of getting close, Blair has always pushed her away. It takes a possible tragedy to strip away all of Blair's misgivings. Now it's all or nothing: marriage, baby, family, forever. But will the choice be too much for Niki...or too late?
7. "DARKEST BEFORE DAWN" by Maya Banks (Kelly Group International #10) (A++++++) The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business. Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background. Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government cant...The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they've known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock's true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain - he never lets anything get in the way of duty. But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he's been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She's the only women who's ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounging his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he's spent years working to complete - or will he be forced to sacrifice her for "the greater good"?
8. by LaVryle Spencer "MORNING GLORY" (A++++++) Elly Dinsmore is a young widow with two young sons and a third child on the way, struggling to manage a farm on her own. Raised by strict grandparents who never permitted her any friends, she was quickly labeled crazy by the townsfolk, who never saw her for who she was - a bright and attractive woman with a feisty spirit. Driven by a will to survive, she advertising for a husband in the local paper. Will Parker is a lonely, lanky drifter who roams into town with the clothes on his back as his only possessions, He yearns for the tenderness he has never known and the home he has never had. Will walks across Elly's yard and into her heart. Despite adversity and the echoes of past betrayals that threaten their newfound happiness, Elly and Will triumph by daring to risk their hearts. "VOWS" (A++++++) Strong-willed and saucy, tomboyish Emily Walcott has always had big dreams. Stubbornly defying the mores of turn-of-the-century society, she dresses like a man and works in her father's livery stables, while studying veterinary medicine by correspondence,. Young and ambitious Tom Jeffcoat arrives in Sheridan, Wyoming, with plans of his own. Determined to set up a competing livery business,, he little realizes the challenge of having to reckon with Emily. They are sworn enemies from the moment they set their flashing blue eyes on each other - until the strain of enmity becomes a desire for intimacy and each silently aches for the arms of the other. Their journey is one few will forget. "THE GAMBLE" (A++++++) The spinster milliner of Proffitt, Kansas, Agatha Downing is as prim as a Quaker bonnet, yet her fiery green eyes and fanciful hats tell more than her passionless demeanor. She years to share her life with someone, but her "gim" leg and her thirty-five years dissolve her hope of ever finding a husband. Along comes Scott Gandy, a brash widower who hides his grief beneath laughing black eyes. First foe, then friend, he fills Agatha with a happiness she has never known. Into their lives comes a young boy who helps provide them with a sense of family. But to be a true family requires love and commitment - which both Agatha and Scott are afraid to risk.
9. "MEAN STREAK" by Sandra Brown (abridged audio CD) (A+++++) Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband, Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her. While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself held aptive by a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name. She's determined to escape from him and willing to take any risks necessary to survive. Unexpectdly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can't turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law. Wrong becomes right at the hands of the man who strikes fear but also sparks passion. As her husband's deception is revealed and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer from those who wish her dead - and from heartbreak.
10. "CONTROLLED BURN" by Shannon Stacey (Boston Fire #2) (A+++++) Rich Gullotti lives the good life, fighting fires and dating beautiful women - though none for very long. And thanks to helping his elderly landlords, his rent is low. But when his concerns about their health lead to a long-legged girl appearing on his doorstep, life as he knows it starts getting away from him. Jessica Broussard has no interest in leaving sunny San Diego for the rougher side of Boston, but she's been dispatfched to deal with grandparents she's never met. She's wholly unprepared for the scruffy-but-hot danger-junkie firefighter who lives upstairs. At first, Jessica is determined to get out of Boston Fire country as quickly as possibly. All she has to do is talk her grandparents into selling their monstrosity of a house. But nobody's taking advantage of Rick's friends on his watch, even if that makes Jessica his adversary. Unfortunately for them both, the only thing more urgent than the matter at hand is their sizzling chemistry - and it's quickly becoming too strong to resist.
11. "SECRET AGENDA" (Cooper Security #3) (Cooper #10) (A++++) (Kindle) He'd faced down danger multiple times, but now Pentagon liaison Evan Pike had to deal with the ultimate confrontation. Telling Megan Randall that her late husband had been murdered by his own government was difficult. Keeping their association strictly about business, however, was proving impossible. Especially once Megan's life was put in jeopardy.On the run with a stranger, Megan wondered how her quiet life had changed so drastically. Having Evan as her protector was comforting and she knew he'd do anything to keep her alive. But he was also a man who had her questioning her belief that she'd never love again. And that was even more dangerous.
12. "WRAPPED AND STRAPPED" by Lorelei James (Blacktop Cowboys #7) (A++++) Flower child, vegetarian and humanitarian Harlow Pratt and gruff and strapping cattle ranch foreman Hugh Pritchett have been taunting each other for years. Hugh thinks she's nothing but a spoiled rich girl and he's had enough of that life with his ex-wife. Harlow thinks Hugh is an ill-mannered troublemaker who wouldn't know fun if it bit him on his tight, denim-clad butt. When they're forced together at the Split Rock Ranch and Resort, everything changes. They might be plar opposites, but working out their differences skin to skin in the dark seems to help their compatibility a lot. When trouble from both their pasts comes calling, Harlow and Hugh have no one else to lean on. Can they trust each other enough to make it through the hard times together...or will their tentative truce fall apart?
13. "RISING ASSETS" by Rebecca Zanetti (Maverick Montana #3) (A+++++) (Kindle) Friends with benefits was never the plan…Melanie Jacobs is in trouble. With three jobs - including running her ranch - and dwindling funds, she’s exhausted. Not to mention desperately trying to hide a secret. Unfortunately, her best friend Colton Freeze knows all too well that’s something is going on, and he won’t give up until he knows exactly what he needs to fix. Then Colton learns the truth - that Melanie’s future happiness rests in the fickle hands of fate, and her chances for having a family are shrinking with every passing day. Her only comfort is Colton, but when a heated argument between them turns into an even hotter kiss, the boundaries of their friendship are erased, leaving only a scorching-hot hunger for more. Every kiss - every touch - is a stolen pleasure. But will their new friends-with-sexy-benefits arrangement bring them closer together or destroy everything they once shared?
14. "SEAL ENCOUNTER" by Sharon Hamilton (SEAL Brotherhood #0.5) (A++++) (Kindle) Christy and Kyle meet quite by accident in the very first chapter, and not in any way you could predict. But rest assured, they will find themselves together at the end in an intense and passionate relationship on purpose.
15. "ALL OF ME" by Jennifer Bernard (Love Between the Bases #1) (New Author For Me) (A++++) Playing for the Kilby Catfish is hotshot pitcher Caleb Hart's last chance to salvage his career after a major league meltdown. But the day of his opener with the minor league team, Caleb strikes out with the gorgeous woman who is delivering a petition to run the unruly Catfish out of town. Now, to stay in the lineup, Caleb will need to score big with the feisty brunette he can't keep out of his thoughts. After the nasty ies Sadie Merritt's rich ex-boyfriend spread about her all over town, she's lucky to have a job at all. She can't afford to screw it up by falling for the player who is supposed to be helping her change the image of the fun-loving Catfish. But that's easier said than done when Caleb's voice alone is enough to make her pulse race. And when he surprises her with a mind-blowing kiss, she knows there's no turning back.
16. "SWEET MEMORIES" by LaVyrle Spencer (A++++) Ever since Theresa Brubaker had hit adolesdence, everyone she met focused on her newly voluptuous body. The unwanted attention made her painfully self-conscious, introverted and shy. Then, one Christmas, her brother arrived home for the holidays with an army buddy. Brian Scanlon was different; he looked at her eyes, not her chest and he seemed truly interested in her.  With his gentle attention, he brought Theresa out of her shell. She felt alive for the first time in years. But soon Theresa faced a decision that could free her forever...and tear them apart. "HER SISTER'S BABY" by Janice Kay Johnson (A++++++) Colleen will do anything for her sister Sheila, including having her baby. Sheila's husband, Michael, wants a baby, too. When Colleen offers to be a surrogate for his wife, he's deeply grateful. Then an accident takes Sheila's life, and Colleen and Michael turn to each other in their sorrow only to discover an unacknowledged attraction.
17. "ME BEFORE YOU" by JoJo Moyes (A+++++++) (listened to on a Audible app on my cell phone) They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose. Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life - steady boyfriend, close family - who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel - and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy - but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
18. "BETWEEN THE SHEETS" by Molly O'Keefe (Boys of Bishop #3) (A+++++++) After years of running, Ty Svenson has now parked himself in Bishop, Arkansas, trying to do the right thing and parent a son he didn't even know he had until recently. Over six feet tall and packed with muscles and power, Ty likes to get his hands dirty, fixing his motorcycle at night and keeping his mind away from the mistakes he's made. Then his pretty neighbor shows up on his driveway, doesn't bother to introduce herself and complains about the noise. First impression? She should loosen up. Funny that she turns out to be his son's elementary school art teacher - and the only one willing to help his troubled boy. Ty needs her. In more ways than one. Though Shelby Monroe is safe in her structured life, she is drawn to Ty's bad-boy edge and rugged sexuality. What if she just lets it all go: her worries about her mother, her fear of heartbreak and her tight self control? What if she grabs Ty and takes a ride on the wild side? "What if" becomes reality - intense, exhilarating...and addictive. But Ty wants more than a secret affair. He wants it all with Shelby. But will she take a chance and open her heart? Ty is determined to convince Shelby to take the biggest risk of her life: on him.
19. "THE HOUSE ON MERMAID POINT" by Wendy Wax (Do Over #3) (A++++++) Maddie, Avery and Nikki first got to know one another - perhaps all too well - while desperately restoring a beach-front mansion to its former grandeur. Now they're putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn't have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies - although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie's wildest fantasy once. Tock-and-roll legend "William the Wild" Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family and creatively blocked, but he's still worshiped by fans - which is why he guards his provacy on his own island in the Florida Keys He's not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show...though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool. But whether it's an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "White Heat" by Brenda Novak (Dept. 6: Hired Gun #1) (I received a PDF copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review)  
2. "Christmas on Bellevue Lane" by Anna DeSefano (Chandlerville, Georgia: Echoes of the Heart #3) (Kindle app on my cell phone)
3. "Accidental SEAL" by Sharon Hamilton (SEAL Brotherhood #1) (Kindle)
4. "Cover Your Eyes" by Mary Burton (Morgans of Nashville #1) (New Author For Me)  
5. "Baby, Don't Go" by Stephanie Bond (Southern Roads #3)
6. "After the Dawn" by Francis Ray (Family Affair: Hidden Legacy #3)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

Finished:The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters --- Amelia & Emerson are excavating a tomb in Egypt and, as usual, there are people trying to stop them by any means possible. Always a fun read, although this one did seem to drag a little.

Abandon by Carla Neggers --- A continuation of the U.S. Marshals series. Deputy U.S. Marshal Mackenzie Stewart is relaxing at a friend's lakeside cottage when she is attacked and stabbed. As she begins to investigate, she finds several aquaintances are linked together, but she doesn't know how or why, until some start dying and FBI Agent Andrew Rook becomes involved.

Mallets Aforethought by Sarah Graves --- "Jake" Tiptree and her friend, Ellie White are once again in the middle of 'snoping'. This time they find two bodies sealed up in a hidden room of an old house they are helping to renovate. When Ellie's husband is arrested for the murder of one of the bodies, things get very serious.  A fun cozy mystery series.

Games to Keep the Dark Away by Marcia Muller --- If you aren't familiar with Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series, I highly recommend them.  The first ones were written  in the 1980's era [and therefore no cell phones, etc] but they continue into the 2000s and they are smartly written, and very engaging reading.  Most are fairly short, 200+ to 300+ pages, and read very quickly due to Muller's writing style. Sharon McCone is a private eye who is very good at her job, so when she's hired by a reclusive photographer to find his missing roommate, she stops at nothing to do the job, including finding two dead bodies along the way.

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly  -- I put this one aside for now, couldn't get into it although I loved the first one, The Poet.  I'll try this one at a later date when I'm more in the mood for it.

Murder in Minature by Margaret Grace --- I guess I just needed some lighter reading and this book fit the bill. Geraldine Porter assembles minature houses and rooms as a hobby [lots of interesting hints if the reader wants to try this] and she becomes involved in trying to help a friend whose son is suspected of robbing a jewlery store and then a couple bodies turn up. A fun read and I think it will be an interesting series.

Die For Me by Karen Rose --- A sadistic serial killer has murder at least 9 people in horrendous ways and buried them in a field.  The graves were discovered by a man with a metal detector and it's up to Detective Vito Ciccortelli and archaeologist Sophie Johannsen to identify them and find the killer.  Karen Rose writes a taut thriller that keeps the reader turning the pages.

Out of the Blue by JoAnn Ross --- Part of a trilogy [wish I knew when I was beginning in the middle!] Lark Stewart's stalker has escaped from prison so her aunt asks Lucas McCloud to protect her since he is former FBI [also her former lover]. Guess I'll have to find the other 2 books so I can catch up and continue with the series.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows -- This is one of the best books I've ever read!! The writing is engaging, witty and so believable, written in the form of letters between several different people.  I had no knowledge of the German occupation of the island of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of England, during WWII. This tells the story of the ones who endured that occupation, what they went through and how they survived it. It's the type of story the reader doesn't want to end, with the characters becoming like old friends.  I highly recommend this book!!

Mama Makes up Her Mind by Bailey White -- A series of short essay type stories about life in the rural South.  Fun to read even if some are a little unbelievable. 

Currently reading: 

Up next:  undecided

December books:

Bettyville   George Hodgman

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry    Gabrielle Zevin

Winter Street    Elin Hilderbrand

Shopaholic to the Rescue   Sophie Kinsella

The Boston Girl     Anita Diamant

Winter Stroll   Elin Hildebrand

Somebody I Used To Know    David Bell

As Night Falls    Jenny Milchman

Deep South    Paul Theroux

The Rumor   Elin Hildebrand

Currently Reading:

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

Strange Pilgrims, Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Uzbekistan:  Transition to Authoritarianism on the Silk Road by Neil Melvin

Finished:

Coffee & Kung Fu by Karen Brichoux

The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr and Tanner Colby

Secret Daughter:  A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away by June Cross

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

P is for Peril by Sue Grafton

Finished: A Corpse's Nightmare byPhillip Depoy. Good mystery but left a few questions at the end. Maybe the next book will provide more info?

Now Reading: The Straw Men by Michael Marshall

A Manual for Cleaning Women:  Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin

The author died about ten years ago, and her work was not well known during her lifetime, though this volume has been well-reviewed.  These stories may not be for everyone as they are from her life in the 50-80's mostly, gritty tales of working class people and families, folks struggling with alcohol addiction.   But she has a great voice.  Introduction  by Lydia Davis, another short story writer. 

HAHA!  Did you notice the year for this thread?

So, ok, for December 2015:

Print: 

Choteau Creek...A Sioux Reminiscence

Three Junes  by Julia Glass  Quit this one pretty quickly.  Had tried the audio years back and quit that one, too!

Dinner with Buddha by Roland Merullo.  Third in the series and I love love love it.  These 3 books will be on my keeper shelves forever!

Audio

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.  So many liked this one, but I trudged through it.  Didn't like a single character, so I think that was why.

Soul Catcher by Michael White

The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini   Didn't like the narrator at all, definitely did not like the two main characters, so what is left?  Quit it.

A Christmas Story by Jean Shephard and narrated by Dick Cavett.  Boy, once you've seen and heard the movie, this audio just doesn't cut it.

John Paul Jones, a Sailor's Life by Samuel Eliot Morison. very interesting so far. The book I have is an old Time Reading Program. The book is very old and the covers are stiff and brittle. The front broke off and the back may come off as well.

Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion. This is one of those books I have always wanted to read. Saw the movie over 30 years ago and have wanted the read the book ever since. Finally got to it.

Bonnie, I couldn't do Three Junes either!  I tried twice and put it down and got rid of the book finally.

But, I do want to recommend the author  Will North.  I read The Long Walk Home last year and couldn't believe how much I loved it. Now I am finishing Water, Stone, Heart.  Both books are like watching a movie.  Perfect vacation books in that they read effortlessly, are very well written both for place and characters and never boring.  This guy has me wanting to visit England so bad.  

I also just finished Charles Martin's book, Unwritten.  Don't bother, unless you like to hear the super rich whine about their lives.  It isn't that these characters didn't have really, really bad things happen to them.  But you end up wondering if the wealth of these people somehow made them unable to withstand the sorrow and loss like the rest of the people involved.  

FINISHED

Memory Man    Author: David Baldacci                     Really liked this.

Suspicion    Author: Joseph Finder                           I couldn't put this down.

 Seekers: Return to the Wild #4: Forest of Wolves        Author: Erin Hunter       Another good one in the series.

Reading: The Murder House by James Patterson - I'm liking this alot more than his last one.

Pam, I just noticed where you said you quit 3 Junes also.  Couldnt figure it out, why I disliked it so.  But often if I can't do the audio I can do the print, or v.v.

New year's coming, folks.  Time for new lists and lots of good reads.