Grab a Book & Play Booktivity! discussion

Wow! Its 2020. We wish you many, many good reads for this new decade!!! :D

Tell us......
1. FINISHED
What you finished reading?
a. What did you think about it? (in 3 or 4 sentences)
b. Did you like it or not like it? ( how many stars ★★★★★)
c. Did you recommend it to others?

2. CURRENT
What are you reading now?

3. NEXT
What do you plan to read next?

Thin Ice - Paige Shelton
Alaska Wild series Book #1
4★
A good story with an unusual location but I thought that in the end there were still more questions than answers. Since this was the first book in the series hopefully the next one will provide more answers.

1. FINISHED

Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Mans Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science by Curtis Ebbesmeyer
a. What did you think about it? It starts with a résumé-like biography of the author which I didn't like and on which point I almost stopped reading it, but after that it really turns to the subject of the oceans and their currents and from that point on I liked it a lot. You can tell the author is very passionate about his topic and also about the environment, and he might not be the best writer, but I think he's a great teacher. I really liked the way he explains things and I learned a lot reading this book.
b. Did you like it or not like it? parts were 2 stars, parts 4, I settled on an overall 3 stars
c. Did you recommend it to others? Yes, I would, after the first (for me) boring part it was an interesting read

2. CURRENT
What are you reading now?
Tempting Levi by Jules Barnard (40 % in, non-brainer book fast-food that delivers what it promises)
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer (just a few chapters in, but so far I like it a lot, short stories of her life with my kind of humour)

3. NEXT
What do you plan to read next?
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott III - so far I liked everything I've read from Neil deGrasse Tyson and I'm very interested in the subject, looking forward to it a lot

2. CURRENT
What are you reading now?


by J.P. Delaney

Silence - Thomas Perry
Jack Till series Book #1
3★
I don't believe that it was his best book.but it was still enjoyable. Some of the characters need more depth and more information about who they were and why they did some of the things they did. For example: Are there really husbands that make bargains to go off to the other side of the country with paid female surrogates? Do said surrogates hang around for years waiting in case they get a chance to go off with the husband...who actually brings the kids with him??? I also would have liked to have known why the bad guys were so eager to kill Wendy although there were times that I would have happily killed her for them. Oh...where in the world do you find a "tango-dancing assassin"? Not a bad book but not as good as [The Butcher's Boy.]

A Sudden Light – Garth Stein – 3***
This is a ghost story, an historical novel, a coming-of-age story, and a tale of dysfunctional families and long-held secrets that MUST COME OUT. I found it very atmospheric and liked the way Stein handled the paranormal elements.
My full review HERE

Murder in County Tyrone – Padraig O’Hannon
The Irish Mysteries Volume 1
4★
My mother and my grandmother were born in County Tyrone and I still have an aunt and several other relatives that remain there…so not only the challenge in the Mystery & Suspense group on LibraryThing but the connection with family intrigued me to pick this up at a book sale. As if I needed any excuse to read about Ireland:)

Lawyer John Costa, gets the chance to clear the girl he’s secretly in love with of a dreadful murder charge. Seems that she’s supposed to have been involved in a bomb attack in Northern Ireland years ago that claimed the life of more than 30 people. If Angela is innocent or just an accomplished liar remains the question throughout the entire story. John and his team begin to work on a defense for her but very soon find that there are layer after layer of half truths and forgotten truths that rear their ugly heads. It presents a fascinating story that may never tell the entire truth. The characters are many…some innocent…some guilty…most of them emotionally scarred. The need for justice drives both John…who wants to see Angela cleared… and the Northern Irish cop who wants to see Angela convicted. The book is a tragic look at the time of the Irish Troubles. I grew up hearing first hand how this issue still lives on in the people that my grandmother left behind and in the very heart of this beautiful, magnificent land.

The Seal King Murders - Alanna Knight
The Inspector Faro Series Book #16
4 stars

The year is 1861 and Inspector Faro's rest is disrupted when he is given a special assignment by old friend, Detective Superintendent Macfie. Macfie’s cousin-in-law, a champion swimmer, has drowned in mysterious circumstances. Could his death have really been an accident, or is something more sinister going on? Arriving in Orkney to investigate, he is met with rumors of missing artifacts, the myth of the seal king, a dead body under the floor of Scarthbreck, his first love, and a mother who is determined to find him a wife. But, in Faro’s opinion, no matter how distracting the local legends are or how valuable the artifacts, one man’s life or needless death, is truly beyond price.

It’s a good piece of historical detective fiction with plenty of action and twists to keep the reader interested. There are two plots going which sometimes becomes a little hard to follow but the outcome is not too hard to guess. Overall it was well written and a very enjoyable read.

(3*). It was a nice book fast-food. Rather generic alpha-male meets independent woman and they fall in love after some denying and quarreling. Everyone is beautiful, everyone is (at least) very well off. Whilst reading it, leave your feminist- and book-critic glasses home, grab some chocolate and tea and just let it wash over you.

(4,5 *, roundet up to 5)

I never really heard of Amy Schumer before, and I mostly added this book to my TBR because of its cover and title and it was tagged autobiography, humor and feminism, all things I like. And I really, really loved most of this book. One or two chapters I could have lived without, and she talks a bit too much about faeces for my tastes, but beside that, I loved it. She shows very clear that you can be bold and strong even when you don't feel like that all the time, and that you should love and embrace yourself no matter what. She seem to have worked very hard to get where she is, and takes no sh*, not from herself or everybody else. She seems to be an impressive woman, she shares a lot of personal stuff, and one of the things I liked most was how close she is with her siblings. I'm very glad I stumbled over this book, was a great way to start the year!

FINISHED:

5 Stars

Emma's Story: After a break in at her current house, Emma is looking for something new that will make her feel safe and secure. Once she sees One Folgate Street, she knows this is it. But the owner who designed it has the strangest rules: no throw pillows, no books, no photos or other clutter. It's intended to transform the occupant, and that it does.

Jane's Story: After a personal loss, Jane is looking for something new, which she, too finds in One Folgate Street. Shortly after moving in, Jane learns of the death of the previous renter. To make things stranger, the previous renter is similar to Jane's age and appearance. Jane soon finds herself trying to find out just how the woman died and soon finds herself experiencing the same thing as the girl before.

A great read for my first book of the year. I've absolutely devoured the 2nd half of this book, finishing it in almost one day. The story switches back and forth between the two stories, and slowly you start to see the strange similarities between the women and their experiences.
Of course, there was a nice twist at the end, but then there was a small, second twist that really wasn't expected. This was the first book by Delaney that I've read and I really enjoyed it.

Good Girls Lie - J.T. Elliston
4.5★

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous. In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.

I've been a fan of J.T. Elliston for many years. Her books are always well written with multiple possible outcomes. I have learned that no matter what I think will happen...something else always does. This one was no exception. I began to suspect what happened in the end was a possibility but never put the entire picture together. The only thing I can say negatively about the book is that it was about 100 pages too long. What I can tell the future reader is a quote from the book itself that sums it up very well..."look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened."

(2*-)

Single mother with horrible past gets rescued by super-rich guy with horrible past and they decide in the space of some weeks that they .(view spoiler)[should get married and have kids together (hide spoiler)]. End of story. It has good ratings but I did not like this book, it is very unbelievable and there are some plot errors, in my opinion, like (view spoiler)[one of the kids starts of as 2 years plus, but later in the book it seems it is back to baby-age (hide spoiler)].

Silver Lake - Kathryn Knight
4.5 Stars

Rain Anderson can't decide which is more unsettling--encountering the ghost of her missing friend, or reuniting with the man whose love she foolishly rejected. But one thing is certain: the past has come back to haunt her, quite literally. Five years ago, Rain's tight-knit group of high school friends unraveled when one vanished during their senior year. Now, a parent's deathbed request has reunited the friends at Silver Lake, including Jason Lansing, the man Rain discarded. Rain and Jason discover the powerful attraction between them has survived, but though Jason is willing to forgive, he can't let himself forget. The possibility of falling for Rain again is too risky. Slamming doors, crashing objects, and flaring fires--clearly the ghost has a message to share. As Rain and Jason struggle to unravel the truth, they must face a desperate spirit in need of help--and a burning passion that refuses to die.

This is the first book by this author that I have read. Of course it was the promise of a ghost story that prompted me to read it. It’s part mystery and part romance with visits from Brandy, the ghost of Rain’s friend that went missing many years ago. I wondered if the ghost of Brandy hadn’t been tied to Rain all the time but it took the friends getting together again at Silver Lake to make her appear and become active. Whatever it was it made for a very good ghost story. I could even overlook the romance. I will be searching for more of Kathryn Knight’s books.

The Girl in the Woods - Gregg Olsen
Waterman & Stark series Book #1
4★

A schoolgirl found it on a nature hike…a severed human foot wearing pink nail polish. A gruesome but invaluable clue that leads forensic pathologist Birdy Waterman down a much darker trail—to a dangerous psychopath whose powers of persuasion seem to have no end. Only by teaming up with sheriff’s detective Kendall Stark can Birdy hope to even the odds in a deadly game. It’s a fateful decision the killer wants them to make. And it’s the only way Birdy and Kendall can find their way to a murderer who’s ready to kill again

What begins as the mysterious discovery of a foot wearing pink nail polish quickly escalates into so much more. As Kendall Stark, the sheriff’s detective, and Birdy Waterman, the local pathologist, begin their investigation things seem odd but not as odd as they will become. I had read this book when it first came out but had forgotten most of it. One good thing about ageing is that you get to often be surprised over and over again:) If you like well thought out crime novels with well developed characters who all manage to be reasonable…rational… and entertaining…you should like this book as well as Gregg Olsen’s others.

The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons – 4****
This work of Southern gothic / horror fiction is a little slow to start but once it gets going it's riveting! I stayed up way too late a couple of nights "waiting for that other shoe to drop." It left me on edge and vaguely anxious; spooked by noises in the night (or in the daytime). A perfect Halloween read!
My full review HERE

Dead Woman Walking- Sharon Bolton
4★
It begins with a spectacular balloon ride over Northumberland National Park in Scotland. Soon crime rears it's ugly head as Jessica and Isabelle...two sisters aboard the balloon...witness a man chasing a woman and then murdering her. All 13 passengers in the balloon sees this happen so now the killer has 13 more victims that he has to silence. About a quarter of the first part of book takes the reader along for the events in the balloon basket that you know has no chance of ending well...but it was an amazing journey. There is flashbacks and added excerpts of the lives of some of the passengers that really could have been left out since their only purpose seemed to be unneeded filler. Overall it was another good read from Sharon Bolton.

Blackberry Winter – Sarah Jio – 2**
I had heard such good things out Jio and this book in particular, so I was looking forward to reading it. The premise is interesting, though I figured out the connection between Claire and Vera long before any of the characters did. But both these women just irritated me. The personal travails of these women held the story back, IMHO, forcing the reader to slog through all these personal dramas much as the people of Seattle slogged through piles of snow.
My full review HERE

The Wolf In Winter
Charlie Parker series Book #12
4★
Charlie Parker has taken on the task of finding a long-lost daughter of dead homeless man in Prosperous, Maine. This time Charlie may have bit off more than he can chew. Prosperous, Maine is a place where dark secrets are a dime a dozen and outsiders are regularly escorted to the town’s limit...that is if they’re lucky. One of the biggest secrets is how the town of Prosperous became so prosperous. This secret will be protected at any cost by every citizen of the town. One of the things that I really like about this series is that even though it has a supernatural flavor...the stories are always filled with good old common mystery. They will appeal to the fans of things that go bump in the night as well as the fans of the more traditional suspense genre.

Man’s Search For Meaning – Viktor E Frankl – 5*****
I first read this book when I was in college and it has remained with me ever since. This is both a memoir and an inspirational lesson in how to survive and thrive. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl relates his experiences in Nazi concentration camps and shares the experiences, too, of his patients, to show that, while no one can completely avoid suffering, we can choose HOW to deal with and process those experiences to find meaning and a renewed sense of purpose.
My full review HERE

The Hiding Place - C.J. Tudor
4.5★
Going home is not always a great idea as Joe soon finds out. Some things are just best forgotten and never brought back into the light of day. This story had all the creep-factors that make for a good mystery with a paranormal flavor. If you are one that enjoys a well-written crime story with a strong dose of horror...then this is diffidently for you.

Evil Games - Angela Marsons
D.I. Kim Stone series Book #2
5★
I loved everything about the first book, Silent Scream, where we first met D.I. Kim Stone and her team that functions like a well oiled machine. Kim is such an interesting character. She sees things in black or white… there are no shades of grey. If someone is guilty they are guilty regardless of the circumstances. Kim believes in the system and that people should be held accountable for their crimes. The subject of this one was almost unbelievable…at least you hoped that it wasn’t possible…yet Angela Marsons made it work beautifully. In Alex…she has created the perfect adversary…one that the reader will love to hate…one who pushes Kim’s buttons and leads her into danger…which she can see but can’t avoid. The way they played off each other was very clever and made Alex a very chilling character. Kim Stone is going to find a permanent home on my bookshelf.

5 Stars & a heart

Korea, 1943: Hana is living her life as a haenyao, a female diver in Japanese occupied Korea. She is lucky to live this life of freedom, as most Koreans aren't. But soon Hana's world changes when she saves her sister from capture and ends up in Manchuria. She becomes a "comfort woman" in a Japanese occupied brothel.

South Korea, 2011: Emi has spent nearly 60 years trying to forget the sacrifice that Hana made for her to save her life, but she must face the truth in order to make peace.

The story switches back between the stories of each of the sisters. This story is heart wrenching, moving, and captivating. It's one of the few books that has ever made me cry. The horrors that Hana goes through as a result of saving her sister are heart breaking.
Definitely a 5-star read and a favorite.

The Crow Road - Iain Banks
4.5★
It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach. Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances.

This story almost literally begins with a bang. Two things brought me and this book together...well actually three...,many of you know by now that I will read strange things in order to fulfill a challenge. Other than the challenge...I had to see if grandma literally exploded...and it was written by one of my favorite authors, Iain Banks. I had read about half way through and thought that Prentice must surely be a long lost cousin of mine. He would have fit in perfectly with my big, gruff Scottish grandfather. His exploits in this eccentric Scottish family are funny and so desperately true. You will find a bit of everything in here...mystery, magic, myths and it conveys it all with a first hand account that could only have been told the better if wee Prentice were telling you the story himself over a dram or two. Not a dull moment in it and always surprising. This book is definitely worth reading. Oh...and don't forget to find out about grandma:)

The Empty Bed – Nina Sadowsky
The Burial Society series Book #2
4.5
I found Catherine and her mysterious network to be impressively connected and intriguingly motivated. I thought the plot line that the Burial Society rescues people that find themselves in dangerous situations was fascinating and the author has build on this theme to produce an exciting, well done story. Catherine herself is an outstanding character that excels in empathy and efficiency. The short chapters make for easy reading and the action defies logic. It’s a whirlwind adventure through Hong Kong. I understand this is book#2 in the series so I will be looking for book #1. Some of the background from the first book would have gone a long way in aiding with understanding some of this one.

I received an advance copy of this book from Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are entirely all my own.

Finished

5 stars
Taken from the inside cover of the book. "Winterdance is an unforgettable account of Gary Paulsen's most ambitious guest: to know a world beyond his knowing, to train for and run the Iditarod."
Gary Paulsen goes into the race with no real clue on what is going to happen to him and his dogs during the 1,180 mile race across the Alaska. Paulsen gives a very straight forward account of the ordeals he encounters. Some of things he witness from other races and non races are disgusting, heartbreaking and humorous. None of the his description are over the top but are very real look into life while pushing your body and soul thought his unforgiving terrain. I highly recommend this book if you like reading about others adventures and life learning lessons.

Where The Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
1★
I thought the story was totally unbelievable. We meet a little girl…now keep in mind that she is 6 years old. She has been left alone in a shack in the middle of the North Carolina swamp. Now here is where I had many problems with it. She raises herself. She lives in that same shack all this time. No one lifts a hand to help her or check on her or even misses her in more than 20 years? In all that time nothing ever needs repairs or breaks down? What does she do for clothes? I don’t think she could wear the same clothes all this time. My two kids were lucky if they could wear the same clothes for 6 months when they were 6 years old. The whole thing just fumbled and stumbled around…maybe it was searching for a place to end its misery. I am a member of the minority here I know...as I see almost 800 people rated it 4 or 5 stars. Sorry, but I just don't see it. Oh yeah…there was a murder.

The Weight of Blood - Laura McHugh
4★
It’s composed of two parallel stories that are set almost two decades apart. Although it can often be confusing to have a story that is told from multiple points of view…I didn’t find that to be the case here. Each chapter clearly indicates whose viewpoint it is. The author also very nicely conveys the atmosphere of this small, Ozark community…or for that matter any small community where everyone knows everyone else’s' business and superstitions are a normal part of everyday life. This is not a “whodunit”… nor is it a thriller with over the top situations and one-dimensional characters. It is really more about the relationships between people and the secrets they keep and why. There are a few TSTL moments but otherwise it is a worthwhile read.

The Haunting of Rookward House
3★
As most of you know...I am the ghost story junkie and will l freely admit to being a devoted haunted house story fan. I have read some really good ones by this author. Having said that...I was rather disappointed to find that this one was so predictable. I just knew in advance everything that was going to prevent Guy from leaving and always lead him back to Rookward. It was a worthy 3 star read but it was more creepy than actually scary.

The Other Girl - Erica Spindler
4.5★
I've read almost everything that Erica Spindler has written and always found that she crafted a story sprinkled with characters that you can both love and hate...feel empathy for and want to strangle... sometimes at the same time. Miranda was a character that fell into a world that was against her seemingly from the very first. I became frustrated..(4.5 stars instead of 5) with the people in authority and the way they treated her as a 15 year old girl and later the way these same people treated her as a decorated police officer. I knew who the "other girl" was early in the book but the perpetrator was a well kept secret almost to the last page.

Flight Behavior – Barbara Kingsolver – 4****
Kingsolver has crafted a story of one woman’s awakening, and simultaneously a warning about climate change. I found the story compelling from both perspectives. I know many people criticize Kingsolver for being preachy, but I did not find her message overbearing. Dellarobia Turnbow is a fascinating character. And her personal journey was what really elevated the book for me.
My full review HERE

The Secrets of Roscarbury Hall- Ann O'Laughlin
4.5 ★
It's a novel with both joys and sorrows. I really like how Ann O'Loughlin made the reader care about the characters...how she intertwined Irish history into the story to give us a better of understanding of why things happened as they did. The author just keeps putting twists into the plot so that when you think you are almost at the end...you realize you have a long way to go to unravel the pieces of this puzzle.

Latinos In Milwaukee – Joseph A Rodriguez & Walter Sava – 3***
This is a short history of the various Latino immigrant populations in Wisconsin’s largest city. The authors interviewed many current residents, some whose families had been in the area since the early 20th century; and outline the various reasons and opportunities that brought these immigrants north.
My full review HERE

The Secret Footprints – Julia Alvarez – 5*****
This children’s picture book tells the Dominican Republic legend of the ciguapas – a race of extraordinarily beautiful people who live in caves beneath the sea and come onto land only at night. Fabian Negrin’s illustrations are rich and atmospheric, taking me straight to the tropics.
My full review HERE

Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott III - 3*

From the title I thought it would be an easier read, designed for people who know nothing about this subject and want an introducion in it. It was not my first book on this subject, but so far for me it was the one I understood at least of all. Parts of it were very interesting and I enjoyed them a lot, but big parts were very mathematical an I understood zero. Pages full of equations and stuff, and in the end I mostly skipped over them because they could have been written in Farsi, for all I could make of them. I also was a bit disappointed in the parts by Neil deGrasse Tyson, because, unlike with the other books I've read written by him, I did not like his writing style in that one.
I think it's very worth reading if you have good grip on maths, otherwise it can get a bit overwhelming.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay - 5*

very raw and intense autobiography. I really liked the writing style, the way she talked and how she let you almost uncomfortable close, and I think I really like HER. I have another book of her on my TBR Bad Feminist, and after this one I'm really looking forward to reading it

The Woman In the Window – A J Finn – 4****
This psychological thriller (with a capital ‘P’ !) takes its inspiration from the classic films of Alfred Hitchcock. A trained psychologist, Anna Fox is now an agoraphobe, trapped by her own mind in a 19-century Harlem brownstone. When she witnesses (or thinks she does) a murder during one of her binge-drinking episodes no one believes her tale. A real roller-coaster ride of a thriller. I was engaged and entertained from beginning to end.
My full review HERE

The Names of the Dead by Kevin Wignall
3 Stars

Wes is a former CIA agent who was put in a French jail for an anti-terrorism mission gone wrong. When he learns of a terror attack in Spain that killed his ex-wife, he is released early and sets out to find out the truth. He quickly finds out that he has a 2-year old son that he knew nothing of and he quickly suspects that his ex-wife knew something bad was going to happen to her and puts the boy into hiding.

This is a spy/espionage book that really fell flat for me. I don't know if all espionage books are like this, but it really lacked the whole thrilling aspect of what the storyline could have been. I don't even think that it would make a good movie. LOL! Don't think I'll be reading another one of Wignall's books and I don't think that the espionage genre is for me.

There’s Something About Christmas – Debbie Macomber – 2.5**
It’s a Debbie Macomber Christmas story – cue the music and the snowflakes, grab some hot chocolate and enjoy the holiday romance. It’s a fun, fast read, if totally predictable.
My full review HERE

13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey - Kathryn Tucker Windham & Margaret Figh
5★
The book is intended for children so you won’t find these stories to be even remotely scary…but rather true tales of haunted places in Alabama. The "Jeffrey" part refers to the friendly little ghost named Jeffrey, who appeared in the Windham house in Selma, Alabama years ago. I don’t know when I have read stories of this type told so beautifully. These are indeed “Southern treasures”.

From Scratch – Tembi Locke – 4****
This is a wonderful memoir full of love and tenderness, grief and frustration, joy and a sense of belonging.
My full review HERE

The Story Hour – Thirty Umrigar – 5*****
Umrigar alternates viewpoints between these two women – an Indian immigrant and her African-American psychologist. I was completely engaged from page one through all the ups and downs of the story. I was anxious about how things would work out, sympathized with them when feelings were hurt, felt anger at some situations, and eagerly hoped for a resolution.
My full review HERE

Adventures of a Vegan Vamp by Cate Lawley - 3*

Mallory went out with her colleagues from work and when she wakes up a few days later, she has no memories of the evening and a massive thirst - just not for blood, because it turns out she only can stomach water and liquified plant products. She meets some strange people, quits her job and went on a mission to find the person who turned her. And, not really anything happens, everything is rather predictable and it wents down without a big showdown or something, but save for some turn at the end I liked it enough to have rated it 4 stars. I liked Mallory and most of the other characters and it was a fast but very fun read.

In A House of Lies - Ian Rankin
John Rebus series Book #22
4.5★
I have been a long time fan of the Rebus series but for some reason have missed a couple of issues. This one comes a couple of years after the 2 that I have yet to read but I often read out of order. I found my hero, John Rebus retires and not in the best of heath. Something new for John and a bit worrisome for the reader since I began to wonder if Ian Rankiin was planning to close out this series. I also found that another character, Michael Fox was being highlighted more...that was also disturbing since I never cared for this character from the first time he stuck his head in one of John's cases. I cringed a bit as this older version of Rebus keeps trying to edge in... get inf...and drop tips....but we can see that he's still got the right stuff. Hopefully Rankin will have his heart in the right place and keep John Rebus going.

One Big Pair of Underwear - Laura Gehl
4★

Count and share with…underwear! Come along on a zany adventure with hilarious pictures from the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. What’s one thing that two bears, three yaks, four goats, and six cats have in common? They hate to share. But look out—here comes a pack of twenty pigs ready to prove that sharing makes everything twice as fun!

Take one counting book...mix it with a comical tale of underwear-sharing...add some tongue-twisting rhymes...and soon there will be uncontrollable laughter. For those of you that may wonder if I have finally flipped out or am going through my second childhood...let me try to explain. It was for a challenge... and I "borrowed" 3 five year olds to share it with me. They loved it and so did I. The teacher in me competed with the biologist in me, and came to the conclusion that a fun and silly story with a focus on math and sharing concepts was okay for any age.

The Lucky Elephant Restaurant - Garry Ryan
Detective Lane Series Book #2
4.5★

When the young daughter of popular radio talk show host Bobbie Reddie disappears along with Bobbie’s ex-husband, Detectives Lane and Harper are on the case. Haunted by flashbacks from a previous missing child case, Lane once again takes to the streets of Calgary looking for answers.

The book starts out with the mystery already known with Lane and his partner working to proof what they think they know. They are thoroughly convinced that the mother is responsible for the deaths of her four-year-old daughter and her ex-husband. Lane is now concerned with gathering the proof since the other child, a son, is clearly traumatized. While the search goes on his hands are being tied by an orchestrated campaign to convince the public the Calgary police are harassing a popular talk show host and religious leader. I like the characters of Lane and his partner, Arthur. They are smart…methodical and very likable. Anyone that likes a good detective series will like this one.

Moby-Dick, Or, the Whale – Herman Melville– 4****
Melville writes in great detail – ad nauseum – about the intricacies of whaling, the various species of aquatic mammals, the arduous and dirty (even disgusting) job of butchering the carcass. But he also explores the relationships developed among the crew, the sights of new ports, the weeks of tedious boredom broken by a day or two of exhilarating chase. I understand the enduring quality of the work, so despite its flaws, I still give it a high rating.
My full review HERE

In The Blood - Lisa Unger
5★

Lana Granger lives a life of lies. She has told so many lies about where she comes from and who she is that the truth is like a cloudy nightmare she can't quite recall. About to graduate from college and with her trust fund almost tapped out, she takes a job babysitting a troubled boy named Luke. Expelled from schools all over the country, the manipulative young Luke is accustomed to controlling the people in his life. But, in Lana, he may have met his match. Or has Lana met hers?

The book, from the very first chapter is a train wreck on it's way to happen. You know it's going to happen..you don't know when...but you just can't look away. it also brings up the debate of nature vs nurture...are some people just born bad? Lisa has a secret... but I didn't figure it out until I was nearly finished with the book. Fans of physiological, dark thrillers will not be sorry they read this one.

The Lost Girls of Paris – Pam Jenoff – 3***
Another WWII story featuring women working as spies through the underground resistance and facing untold dangers. There’s much to like about this tale, though I am frankly tired of the back-and-forth timelines used by so many writers these days. Still, the story, which is partly based on true events, moved quickly and held my attention.
My full review HERE

Desperation - Stephen King
3★

A little mining town...Desperation...that many will enter on their way to somewhere else. But getting out is not easy as it would seem. Located off a desolate stretch of Interstate 50, Desperation, Nevada, has few connections with the rest of the world. It is a place, though, where the seams between worlds are thin. And it is a place where several travelers are abducted by Collie Entragian, the maniacal police officer of Desperation. Entragian uses various ploys for the abductions, from an arrest for drug possession to "rescuing" a family from a nonexistent gunman. There's something very wrong here, all right, and Entragian is only the surface of it. The secrets embedded in Desperation's landscape and the evil that infects the town like some viral hot zone are both awesome and terrifying. But as one of the travelers, young David Carver, seems to know - though it scares him nearly to death to realize it - so are the forces summoned to combat.

I love Stephen King and always look forward to a book he has written. While the story is good in the usual Stephen King fashion...the book itself is way, way, way too long with way, way, way too much useless detail... long and drawn out dialogues... and the excessive over-the-top character development. After about 100 pages or so the plot thins and I found myself caring little for the characters. That was unfortunate as the paperback edition had 693. Still he is still the King of Horror...Long live the King!

The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters – Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger – 4****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The Tragic and Glamorous lives of Jackie and Lee. The authors have crafted a mini biography and exploration of their complicated and tight relationship. I found it fascinating and full of the kind of gossip that enthralls me. It’s an interesting look at the dynamic between these two sisters and their claims to fame.
My full review HERE