Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Book #2)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the Harry Potter series, aqnd it revolves around Harry's second year of schooling at Hogwarts.

The second year sees the last of the Weasley children, Ginny finally attending Hogwarts. We met her briefly in the first book, but this book introduces her into the story and starts the build of her character. It also sees the building of the budding friendship between the trio, Harry, Ron and Herminone. I always feel that the friendship between the three as moving too fast in the movies, but when you read the books, you see the slow building of the friendswhip, the tests, the trials and the miscues. It is just so much more realistic.

Second year sees harder classes, old professors and new, old friends and new friends and another attempt by Voldemort to come back and get rid of Harry for once and all, this time he againg uses another to do his work.

So many have read the books or either seen the movies, so I don't want to say too much about the storyline, but for those of you who have only seen the movies, you really have to read the books. There is so much more depth and character development in the books that you come to feel as if you really know the people and they are parts of your world and not just book characters.

If you are young or old, and have never read the books, they are wonderful for anyone. There is always a resounding theme of good vs evil in the books, and I really feel that they encourage children and help them deal with different issues in life and grew into a good person.

The books are so well-written, with so much thought and development, they are great for kids and adults alike.

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Book 1)

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some days you just have to go back a read a good book again, and that has been me in the last couple of weeks. I watched the Harry Potter movies on tv with the kids, and it just gave me a desire to go back and to read the books, so much is edited from the movies, and I understand that, but that is another reason I love the books so much more that the movies.

Everyone knows that this is the first book in the Harry Potter series, and it begins with some brief information about how Harry came to be living with his Aunt and Uncle, and not so much as to why they hated him so much, but a little. It also starts the story of Harry learning more about his parents and the truth about who he was and what he was, a wizard. I really love the beginning sequence with the Durdsley's trying to prevent and latr run away form the owls that are delivering Harry's school letters. That is one of my favorite parts.

This book also introduces Ron Weasley, his soon to be best friend, and Hermoine Granger to Harry. It builds that bond between the three that will continue to course through all the books, growing and changing and they grown and change. Harry mets the Weasley family quite by accident, and yet it is probably the best family he could have hoped to met. Could imagine how the book might have been different had it been a different family that helped Harry onto the train, say the Malfoy's for example?

Another thing I really like about reading the books, is the backstories, the filling in of facts, what happened before that is in the books, but only skimmed over and revealing the bare minimum in the movies. I love hearing that. In fact, I know the author is done with this series, but I would love to have a book on the whole series from Hadrig's view with his backstory included, and one from Snape, and Dumblevore and even Professor McGongall, and how about Mr and Mrs Weasley, now that would be a story!

This is a great book series for kids and adults alike. If you have a child that doesn't like to read, says books a boring, then sit and read this story with them, even if you are the one doing all the reading, that is what I did with my son, reading it to him a little at a time, and he became so engrossed in the books, that by the time I finished reading them to him, he went back and checked them out of the library and read them to himself! And this was a child that struggled with reading! This book has my full endorsement!

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Death by Sudoku by Kaye Morgan (A Sudoku Mystery, #1)

Death by Sudoku by Kaye Morgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love a good cozy mystery and something little to read, so I picked up this book at a local discount store as we were headed to the airport for a trip to New York, figuring this would be good lite reading for the plane.

Death by Sudoku is billed as the first book in a brand new series, and after reading the book, I am not sure how the series can or will continue, but as the first book it was pretty good.

We met, Lisa, who has been a publicist in Hollywood for a number of years, but after the recent death in her family, she has left her estranged husband, moved back to the family home, and begun writing sudoku puzzles and articles about the craft of solving the puzzles, under an assumed name in that small town. She is lured back to Hollywood by a friend to compete in a Sudoku tournament, where she runs into a "washed up" actor friend, and finds that he believes someone is sending messages in a certain papers sudoku puzzles, when the guy turns up deceased the next morning, Lisa feels she has to take him seriously and discover what has happened and why.

The story is pretty well written and it does use more brain power to figure out the sudoku angle, and for plane reading i was great, especially since we were stuck in Baltimore on the way to New York and the way home both. If I find the second book, I would have to give it a try, but at the moment, I am happy with it as a single book.

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Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have read any of my reviews, you might already know that once I discovered writer, Harlan Coben, I have falling in love with his ability and stories. I love the way he writes, how done to earth and real life his books seem to be and how engaging they are. So when I found this book at the local Goodwill store, I was in seventh heaven!

On the surface, this seems like a book that any parent would read and be involved in. Tia and Mike Baye are spying on their own son, well at least his online activity. He has seemed so changed and different since his best friend committed suicide recently that they feel the need to spy to see what is going on and hopefully prevent another suicide in their community. What they discover is that what is going on is much deeper than just a teenage boy committing suicide, there are so many more levels and so many more people are involved, and a young child is faced with trying to protect his family without understanding the truth of what is going on!

I was sucked in from page one. I understood the parents, I felt for them and I understood why they made that choice, not that I agreed with it, but I could feel their pain and concern and why they felt this was the option they needed to go with. Again, as in other books, as the story progresses you hear some names you already know, they were mentioned in this book or that book, background characters, but it gives that homey feel, like in my small town where it seems like every person you run into knows another person you know and such. It just really makes it so much more believable. But the twists and turns that the story ends up taking is nothing I could have imagined, or thought of, but yet it was realistic.

If you haven't read a Harlan Coben book, I would recommend this one as a great starting place. Try this one, let me know, but I feel very confident that you will enjoy it and be hooked on the author the way I am!

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Just One Look by Harlan Coben

Just One Look by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not long ago I discovered the author Harlan Coben through the First-Reads program here on Goodreads, and I was blown away by his writing and story-telling abilities. So much so, that I began a mission to find more books by him and to read them. I found this book at my local Goodwill store and was so excited, I was thrilled to read another Harlan Coben book.

Let me start by saying that this book did not fail to live up to my high expectations! I was engrossed in the book from the very beginning, and haunted by the innuendoes and twists that this story took, never realizing the final outcome until I read it, and even then, I went back to re-read some places to see if I had missed something that would have lead me to the ending, which I never found. It was so well-written and encaging. I can't say enough about the author and his ability. I have recommended this book to a number of people already.

Grace and Jack Lawson seem to be a normal, average middle American couple with two children until the day that Grace picks up some pictures at the photomat, and in the pictures is an old pictures, maybe 20 years old, that seems to have her husband in the group. Where did that come from? And why? The picture changes everything, recalling a time about 20 years earlier when Grace was involved in a life changing event, and somehow, this picture seems to be mixed up with that. As Grace questions, Jack disappears, and as an investigation continues, the former lives of Jack and Grace are uncovered and intertwined into a wild and unbelievable set of happenstances.

I found some characters that I had read in another book, and yet this is not a series, it's just that the books seem to be set in nearby locations and towns, so some characters carry over from one book to another, mostly backgrounds, but others as well, and it becomes like watching real life in that you meet a person and come to find out that they know someone that you know from another event. It is actually neat, and it really makes it that much easier to connect with the books, and the story and the characters, they seem so real!

If you have never read this author, you have just got to try one book. I have found that if I have no idea what to read next, all I have to do is pick up one of his books and I have an a perfect fit. He is an amazing writer and story teller.

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A Crafty Killing (A Victoria Square Mystery, #1) by Lorraine Bartlett

A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Crafty Killing is the first in the Victoria Square Mystery series, and if the first book is as good as the rest, this is going to be one wonderful series.

Katie Bonner is young, and had big dreams, dreams of a bed and breakfast for her and husband Chad, and he was on board, then he got into Artisan's Alley, which was an antique and craft market, although some vendors wanted no crafts and others did, it wasn't doing too well, but Chad saw visions for it. It created some in fighting between Chad and Katie, and just when it looked like she might be starting to listen to his thinking, he was killed in a car crash. Katie inherited Chad's part of Artisan's Alley and didn't really do anything with it, until the fateful day that Ezra, the owner of Artisans Alley was found dead, now Katie, still in shock and grief over losing Chad, is confronted with owning a whole building she resents, still feeling it caused Chad's death, and having to take over that building and make it work.

Along with trying to make the store profitable and a success, she has to mend some bridges with the community that Ezra burned, and she starts understanding Chad and his desire to get into this now, instead of waiting for the time when they could open a B&B, and trying to figure out what really happened to Ezra, only to find another dead body in the building. Now she really needs to know what is going on, and the one person that befriends her only turns out to be more and more involved in it all as she goes along. When will it end, will she ever figure it out, and will she quit resenting the building and let it become her dream?

I just wanted to hop in the book and hug Katie at times and at other times wanted to slap the whining little girl. I felt she was so wrapped up in the dream of the B&B, that she couldn't or wouldn't listen to Chad about other options and things that might actually be more their style and to their advantages than a B&B. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and how it all turned round in the end, it was not who you ever expected in the beginning, and still to the end it was not who I expected.

It was well-written and I found myself feeling like I was there, rooting for this town and the creative area of town, and just really even dreaming myself of where it could go and what it could become. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, really wanting to see where it goes and how it changes.

I hope that I was able to share enough to get you interested in the book, but not too much as to spoil the story for you, but I do hope you will take a chance and read this one, you won't be disappointed. Thanks!

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Feint of Art (An Annie Kincaid Mystery) by Hailey Lind (Juliet Blackwell)

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Feint of Art by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Feint of Art is the first book in the Annie Kincaid Mystery series which is written by Hailey Lind, which just happens to be a name created when Juliet Blackwell and her sister write together. Now, I happen to love Juliet's books, and I am not sure what name her sister writes under normally, or if she does, but I would be happy to say that she is just as good as her sister, if this book is any indication. I loved it!!

The story revolves around our main character, Annie Kincaid, she is the grand-daughter of a master art forger, spent time learning from him and passing some pretty good forgeries herself, but she went straight, now owning a studio that deals in faux finishes and murals and even some restoration of a old piece, which I am thinking who better to clean up and fix a master than a forger, really. She is scrapping by, but their are still people in the art world that want nothing to do with her, but more of them want her knowledge, because when it comes right down to it, when you spend a great deal of money on a painting that is suppose to be an old master you want it verified, and if I was verifying an old master, who better than a master forger to tell me if it is real, or one of their works. Of course, they all want it kept on the down-low that they are using her services and she is fine with that for now.

The story begins with Anne being called by an old flame to verify a new painting at the gallery he works for, only for Anne to have to tell him it is a fake. The old flame makes plans to met back up with her in a couple hours and she waits at the coffee shop only to be stood up, what else is new. So on her walk back to her truck, she sees police lights and finds out that the security guard that let her out just an hour ago is dead and there is no sign of her old flame anywhere. When she can't reach him still days later, she begins to look into what is going on out of concern for the guy, which leads her into a whole mess of things she never imagined!

This was just so well-written and so easy a story to follow, I just loved it and I look forward to more in this series, because I was blown away by all the art information that was tucked into the book, it never seemed like a "teaching moment" but more like real conversation and it was so neat and interesting. I really liked it and I hope you will take a chance on the book and give it a read!

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Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Circle, #4) by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Deadly Notions by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deadly Notions is the fourth book in the Southern Sewing Circle Series, which is a cozy mystery series. One of my favorite feel-good type of books to read when I am down is a cozy mystery, and when it is set in a small town in the south, even better; add in a little sewing and I am in a wonderful place.
This summer I set down one rainy afternoon, while the kids were playing games together on the computer and read this little number.

I have loved this series from the start, and am always anxious when I get ahold of the next book in the series, and it just happened to come in the mail from a swap so I was able to spend the time involved in the book, while it rained.

Tori is the head librarian at the Sweet Briar library, and transplant from Chicago. The Sewing Circle took her in the minute she arrived and have been helping her learn the souther ways to her new home town, like never, ever bring lemonade to a meeting, even if you did squeeze if by hand, all southern ladies drink sweet tea. But this time, the sewing circle has it's hands all tied up helping Melissa with a birthday party for her daughter Sally, but this can't just be a normal birthday party, no it has to meet the high standards and expectations of one mom in the group, Ashley Lawson, who just happens to be a wonderful dress designer, and would do anything in the world to make her daughter, Penelope, the net big thing. She has a way of talking down to all the other moms, and their party attempts, and heaven forbid you don't invite her child, well lets just say she has power in that tongue of hers. The bigger problem is that all this worship of her small daughter has lead to a massive chip on Penelope's shoulder, and none of the kids really like her, but they are forced to deal with her, or worse her mother.

With the Sewing Circle's and Tori's help, including the use of the library as a location it turned out to be quite the party after all, and everyone went home happy. Hummm, I wonder if our local library would be willing to let people use the reading room for dress up and book reading for a party? It actually sounded like a really cute and fun party idea for a seven year old. Until the next morning, when there are police at the library and Ashley Lawson is dead. The problem, there wasn't a soul at the party that didn't say something negative about the Mom, but none of them would have wanted to hurt her would they? Now it becomes Tori's job, along with those wonderfully helpful and noisy ladies of the sewing circle to find out who really killed Ashley and protect Melissa, one of their own and host of the party.

I am telling you, this is a delightful book. Lots of touches of southern charm, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, followed with more southern charm. As the series continues, the relationships of the women of the sewing circle are deepened, even Rose and Tori and getting along better, and understanding each other better. And then there is the relationship between Tori and milo, even that is growing, in spite of some miscues and sabotage in this book. It was so much fun to follow the twists and turns and the rocks and bumps and finally to the end, where everything worked out for the best.

I just love this series, and I hope I didn't say too much about it to spoil the reading, but yet enough to encourage you to take a chance a try the book. I love to share good books I have found, and I hope you find it enjoyable too. Now, off to find the next book in the series!

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Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag

Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book at a library sale. Now when I added it to do my review, I find out that it is the third in a series, and I hate to read books out of order, but I think I can manage this one.

I have read a few Tami Hoag books before and I have always enjoyed the way she writes and how she spins a story.

This was amazing, it was a well written story with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing the whole time. The murders were intense and might be hard to handle for some, but the details and well written and give you just enough information to understand the crime without being overly gory or too intense.

The emotions of the people in the story are so easy to relate to you, and you find yourself understanding and feeling for all the people in the story, not just the good guys. Even the emotions or lack of emotions in the bad guys are understandable.

This is a hard book to review in that you don't want to tell to much about the story for fear of giving awsay too many things and spoiling the book for the next person, but at the same time you want to get enough information to spur someone into reading it.

The story follows two main detectives and other minor detectives as they try to make a case in the brutal murder or a woman and her two children. Everyone in the case, including the town, blames a drifter. The story opens with the judge in the case having to make a hard decision about the drifters past, weather it is admissable in court or not. The thing is the writer really dealves into the judges mind in making the decision, you understand her conflict and her reasoning for making the ruling, even though it makes her unpopular in a minute in town, she does what she feels she has to based on the laws.

The story goes from there and tells what happens after the ruling, how it effects certain people in the case and the unhinging of minds.

I would encourage anyone who loves a mystery to read this. It will keep you guessing and make you respect and understand the work of the police, the lawyers and the judges more too.



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Murder In Miniature by Margaret Grace

Murder in Miniature by Margaret Grace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder in Miniature is the first book in the A Miniature Mystery Series, and although it was a good book, i can't say that I am climbing the walls looking for book two. The story was fine, and I enjoyed the details of the miniatures world, but something about it made it difficult for me to read.

Maybe it was having grandma as the heroine, but I don't think it was that, but no matter how I tried i just could not relate to this book.

Geraldine is a grandma who lost her husband two years ago, and gets caught up in the only two murders in her small town in forever, while her granddaughter is here for a visit. She reasons through the questions and makes wonderful conclusions, not far fetched jumps, but yet at the same time I couldn't get into it and I find I am even having a hard time writing about it! Wow, that almost never happens with a book.


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Glossed and Found (A Bath and Body Mystery, #3) by India Ink

Glossed and Found by India Ink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Glossed and Found is the third book in the Bath and Body Mystery series by India Ink. I am one that just simply has to read books in the order they are meant to go in, but as I read this book, parts of the story seemed familiar, like I had read them before, but yet other parts of the story I knew I hadn't read before, and I know I didn't read the second book before a couple of days ago. I am thinking I might have picked this book up at one time, not realizing it was book three, and then maybe read parts of it, but even if I did, it was a book worth reading again!

Auntie and Persia run Venus Envy in small town, Gull Harbor, WA. It is an upscale bath and body shop that recently added a hairdresser and a makeup artist. Persia has been gifted with a sensitive smell that allows her to pick up on subtle undertones in a fragrance, and so she creates custom blends for her clients, along with all the fragrance blends for Venus Envy's line of bath and body products.

The day of the Thanksgiving Gala in Gull Harbor, Lisa Tremont, the makeup artist at Venus Envy, ducks out early leaving a note that she had to meet someone about the suspicions that she had regarding her late fathers estate. Persia is mad at Lisa for ducking out, but she also knows Lisa wouldn't do it if it wasn't important. Lisa had a date for the Gala, but she never makes it to the Gala, and never calls her boyfriend to cancel. Her sister Amy is worried sick, but there isn't much her boyfriend, the chief of police can do, since Lisa is an adult.

When no one has heard from Lisa in a couple of days, Amy files an official missing person report, but that isn't good enough for Persia and Amy. With the police budget already stretched to the limits and more cuts in the future, Kyle, the police chief can only do so much, especially since there isn't a ransom note and no clues as to what happened to Lisa. Persia is always checking things out on her own, usually to the chagrin or Kyle, but this time she asks his permission to talk to Lisa's clients, as the owner of the shop where she works, and report back to Kyle. This time kyle is glad to have thee help, because he just doesn't have the resources available to do alot on this case.

Another well-written and enjoyable book. I felt pulled in and routing for Persia to find Lisa, and for Kyle to get more money from the council, although that issue is still left hanging at the end of the book, some of the things mentioned in the book about what to do about the council were brought up and I look forward to the next book to see which ones come through and what help it does give the town. I find myself enjoying the town of Gull Harbor and wishing it was a true place that I could visit, but for now I will just have to keep reading about it in this series.

View all my reviews Just found out from the authors webpage that she is no longer writing this series, nor does she feel that she could ever make money writing cozy mysteries, so this is the last. We'll never know if Kyle got more funding, if Auntie truly did run for a seat on the council, and what happened on Persia and Auntie's trip to Hawaii. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. I am also disappointed in the authors disregard for fans and for the genre. Her current work is way out of my realm of reading, it is a more specific genre than cozy mysteries, and I can't believe that she could really be making more money writing that drivel, but if that is what she thinks, then so be it.

A Blush with Death (A Bath and Body Mystery, #2) by India Ink

A Blush With Death by India Ink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Blush with Death is the second book in the Bath and Body Mystery series by India Ink. I read the first a long time ago, then found the second and third at a used book store the other day, so now I can move on.

Venus Envy is a bath and body shop in Gull Harbor, WA. Auntie owns the shop and employes her niece Persia Vanderbilt as her custom fragrance blender.
Persia has a sensitive sense of smell that allows her to pick up on subtle undertones in a fragrance. This works well in her Aunt's shop where she custom blends fragrances for her customers. but also for the line of body products, lotions, oils, bath salts and such that they sell at Venus Envy.

Things were going great until Bebe Wilcox moved to town and opened a competing shop. The problem with Bebe is that she doesn't want to play by the rules, she wants to be top dog right now, and the only way to do that is to run Venus Envy out of business, which she works hard at by spreading rumors about the products at Venus Envy, that the are inferior and shoty materials were used to make them, which is not true of the Venus Envy products, but is true of Bebe's products. Then the roses are sabotaged. Auntie and Persia grow their own roses, and in fact went to all the trouble to make sure that they were certified as organic, but the gardner finds pesticide residue on the roses, so he rushes samples to a friend at the University lab and he gets results back quickly and to Auntie and Persia, someone deliberately put a strong pesticide, and a large amount on the roses. In fact so much that all the roses will have to be dug out, and at least three feet of soil under them and all replace, but it will take two to three years before the roses are mature enough to harvest their petals for the Rose Water that is a hugh seller at Venus Envy!

There isn't enough proof to get police chief, Kyle to do anything, so Auntie and Persia take matters into their own hands by staging a public argument and Persia moving out for show, then getting a job at Bebe's to snoop!

This is just an awesome book. There are recipes in the book for a number of the oils that are talked about in the story. It's a well-written book and the characters are real and easy to relate to in some ways, and different than people you might know in your own life, but at the same time you can relate to them. I really enjoyed the book, and the concept of the upscale Bath and Body shop in a small town. It's a fun read.

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Sentenced to Death (A Booktown Mystery, #5) by Lorna Barrett

Sentenced to Death (A Booktown Mystery #5) by Lorna Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Booktown Mystery is probably one of my favorite series, and so when I was able to get my hands on book number 5, Sentenced to Death, of course I was all over reading it!

It;s Founder's Day, a celebration that Bob Kelly had cooked up to drive more tourist traffic into town and promote the town. Of course Bob couldn't be bothered to do the leg work or give the opening speech, so Tricia's good friend, Deborah Black is doing it all. There is a plane pulling a banner behind it that is circling all around the town square, some loops are pretty low, and it has Tricia worried. Then Deborah climbs into the gazebo to give her opening speech, but she has to stop three time for the noise of the low flying plane to move out before she can go on. As she is talking Tricia notices the plane looks to be nose-diving the gazebo, and there isn't any sound, the engine is dead, and before anyone can say or do anything, the plane crashes into the gazebo. The pilot and Deborah are both gone in the blink of an eye.

As the days pass on, and Deborah's husband David sells his wife's store even before she is buried, refuses any help from his wife's family aside from leaving his young son with his wife's mother and never having a thing to do with him, then plans a funeral within days of getting his wife's body only for people to show up and realize there is no service, just a mingle time. Tricia has had enough, and she proceeds to give David a piece of her mind about his behavior, then she decides that something is wrong with this picture. She begins to investigate, and it takes her on a multi level trip through the lives of the pilot and his wife, Deborah and David, and the daycare center were little Davey broke his arm just a couple weeks prior.

Another in the series of well-written and enjoyable books by Lorna Barrett. I find myself wanting to be in a town like Stoneham, to be a part of the lives of the people around there. It just draws you in and makes you want to read and enjoy the books. looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery, #4) by Lorna Barrett

Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really like this Booktown Mystery series. So I picked up books 4 and 5 of the series, and finished them as quickly as I picked them up!

Book 4, or Chapter & Hearse, starts out with a launch party of Angelica's new cookbook, but no one shows up, except this larger than life cut-out of Angelica. Bob Kelly, Angelica's boyfriend since she moved to Stoneham, is suppose to be there, but his car is parked in from of History Repeats Itself, and never shows up for the party. Tricia has never really like Bob all that much, so she finally decides that she is going down to History Repeats Itself and give Bob a piece of her mind, but before she can get there, she hears a loud whoosh, and the next thing she knows she is lying on her back, in the street with the firefighters and paramedics helping her up and moving her away from what used to be History Repeats Itself, it was the victim of a gas explosion, the store is gone and worse yet, the owner Jim Roth is dead. Bob Kelly is being carted away to the hospital, but he is being uncharacteristically tight lipped and refusing to talk to anyone, including the police.

Angelica leaves on a promotion tour of her book, and strange things keep happening to her, and finally Tricia can take it no more and starts investigating on her own. The twists and turns, and two different yet intertwined stories are going on at the same time, and it turns out that they all are related to Jim's death, actually his murder, turns out the gas meter was tampered with, it was no accident.


Another awesome story, well-written and enjoyable by Lorna Barrett. Will review the 5th next, then I can't wait for the next to come out!

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A Cancer Prevention Guide for The Human Race by Robert A. Wascher

A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race by Robert A. Wascher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got a copy of this book through the Goodreads First-Reads program.

I entered to win a copy because it seemed like so many people in my life had recently been diagnosed with cancer, but at the same time I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I mean, it says lower your cancer risk by 60% on the front cover, and I thought oh this is probably some guy telling me the latest fad to prevent cancer, it's not going to be worth it.b So I put off reading it for a bit, but I can't stand having such a large pile of to-be-read books, and having so many of them that were First-Reads that i needed to read and review, so I picked it up and started reading.

The book was not what I thought it would be. it was not some kook telling me the latest fad to prevent cancer, it was actually someone who did what we all want. He found all the studies, both highly scientific, moderately scientific and even non-scientific, and he took all that information and complied it into useable information. He summarized the research, and told you that this is the gist of what the highly scientific research is showing and this is what the other research is showing, and based on all that, this is what I think would benefit you in your life to reduce your risks.

For each thing that he notes as possibly helping to reduce your risk of cancer, he provide research to back up his claim, and he even tells you that this item has been talked about, but there is no research to show it is effective, and he even tells you if the research has shown something to be non-effective or even harmful.

I was pleasantly surprised, and glad that I read the book. It was not a fad book, but a compilation of the research out there, including footnotes with the exact study information and where to find the study so that you can check it out yourself. It is written so the common man or woman can read and understand it, without a bunch of overused medical terms.

For anyone with a family history of cancer, this is a good book to read. I think it gives good information and it is spot-on and worth the time. it is also a quick read, well organized and helpful.

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West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life by Jerry West

West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life by Jerry West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I received this book through the Goodreads First-Reads program. I like stories about real people, and I love hearing how they overcame things to become the people they are today.

This was a good book, but I am just not enough of a basketball fan to really understand and get into it all. I know, I live in Indiana, how can I not be a basketball fan, I don't know, trick of fate, but I have never really been all that into basketball, now football is another story altogether.

There were parts that were really good. The back history into his life, how he made friends and never seemed to notice the differences in skin color between people. I loved that, and I understood it and could grasp it. There were other parts, and to made it almost felt like a lot of name-dropping, when he would talk about another player, had how they did this or that, and tell their story and then wind it back to him. I just got lost in some of those and really had a hard time reading the whole book, as you can probably tell because of the amount of time that has passed since I got the book, until I finally started reading it until now! I mean, it really took me a long time to read this, because I had to keep putting it down and walking away from it for awhile before i could go back and read more.

Now, if you are a die-hard basketball fan, you will love this book. You might enjoy all the references to other players and times and accomplishments and the like. I still think the book was well-written and that it would appeal to men, but i just couldn't do it more than I did.

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The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw

The Hunt For The Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at my kids school book fair, because it was on sale, and it sounded interesting.

The reading level is probably that of a middle school aged child, but I still was able to read and enjoy the book.

Jim, his sister Sally, and their Dad move into a large estate where dad is going to be the head gardener, and they will live in the old servant quarters of the estate, the South Turret to be exact. The Master of the estate, whom they call "his nibs" or "nibs" is a very old gentleman in a wheelchair, but he has installed security cameras all over the estate and nearby village to keep tabs on everyone and everything. This job is important to the family as they have just lost their mom and this is a new start for them, so when the Master makes it clear that the children are to be kept under close supervision, they try to behave, for the sake of a new start. The problem is that almost as soon as they move in, strange things start occurring to Jim, he sees and hears things that are not there, in fact he seems to be being lead on a quest, without him ever wanting to be on a quest, even though it is risking his Dad's job, which is not jim's intention in the least. Turns out that Jim is the one that will have to save the Village, no matter what he wants.

I enjoyed the book and found it well-written. The main character definitely puzzles out things with the thinking of a 13 year-old, but i didn't figure out the clues any faster than he did! i think it is an excellent book for the middle age set, or anyone who likes the puzzle-mystery types of stories!

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An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff & Alex Tresnowski

An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny by Laura Schroff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book through the GoodReads First-Reads program. Although the cover on my book looks nothing like the picture here, it's the same story.

I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good story.

There is a fair amount about Maurice and Laura, together, and how they effect each others lives, but there is a lot of back-story about Laura's life and growing up. I felt this was more a book for Laura than it was a book for Maurice. I am sure had it been written by Maurice, it would have had a completely different flavor.

I found the story compelling, and it moved me through, and although I had hoped for a happy ending, and the book does leave off with everyone in a "good place", I found myself disappointed. Disappointed that laura didn't make enough of a difference, that Maurice still got caught up in the problems of his life, but at the same time I did find the book a worthwhile read. It's hard to explain why I felt a little disappointed at the end without telling future readers too much about the book, and I completely understand if others disagree with my feelings on the book. That is part of the great thing about reading, that we each learn and get something different from the book!

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The Baker' Wife by Erin Healy

The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this book through the GoodReads FirstReads program, and I am sure glad I did! I had been putting off reading it, something about it, it just kept ending up in the bottom of my too-read pile, but for some reason the other weekend, I say no more and read the book, and i am so glad i did.

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I LOVED this book.

The chief detective is the stereo-type of what so many people think of when they hear the word Christian. He thinks he knows the Bible, he knows what God wants and he is perfect, he is without blame for anything and everyone else has sinned, and no matter what he encounters throughout the book, or how many people tell him he is wrong, he can't see his own sin and mistakes. He still thinks he is perfect, even after breaking the law and taking people hostage! i loved it, and yet at the same time I felt sorry for him, but man he had so many chances to change and to admit he was wrong.

His wife, Julia is another matter. After being married to him for so long, she rejects and even hates religion. She is sure that he is wrong, and she has went to the other extreme of her husband, so much as to reject that there i any place in the world for God, and it has effected their daughter, so much so that she sets out to seduce the preachers son, just to prove that they aren't perfect like her dad claims they all are. She is bent on destroying someone just to prove her dad wrong, but along the way she ends up destroying herself. Luckily, she is young enough and is open enough to the people around her to figure things out and to save herself and form some kind of life for the future.

All the characters in the book, twist and wind around into a full circle and as that is unfolding, it is amazing to listen to and to see them each grown and understand life in their own way, and to forgive and move on and become real people. it is not a Christian book in that is preaches a lifestyle to you, if just happens to revolve around a church and one man who thinks he has all the answers. The "baker" and hi wife, and more of the main character, actually, the wife, and I haven't even mentioned them.

Since reading this, I have told a number of people about it, and I was reluctant to start this book, but it turned out to be one of my all-time favorites. In fact, if I can get this to-read pile down, I might just have to read it again!

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Aftertaste by Meredith Mileti

Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses by Meredith Mileti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Love the Goodreads First-Rads program, which is where I got this book. It allows me to read a number of books that I might not have picked up before.

I looked at this book, and I read the back cover, an I just couldn't decide if I thought I would like it, so I kept picking it up and then putting it back down and reading something else, but I have a number of books that I have in that pile and I just decided that it was too big, i had to read from that pile, so I went ahead and picked it up, only to be glad I did. Turns out i really liked the book.

I related to and understood the main character, Mira, who upon finding her husband and the waitress in the restaurant engaged in martial relations, she jumps on and attacks, only to get ordered to anger management classes. I think most women who have been in that situation would have loved to do exactly what she did, and why is she to blame, the waitress knew he was married, I mean really she should have taken some of the blame.

The book follows Mira as she tries to pick up her life, file for divorce, loses her restaurant and moves back with her dad, only to find that maybe that is what she really needed in the first place. I found that I was routing for Mira, I wanted her to leave her ex-husband behind, to find herself and to find a new life outside what she originally thought was important, to find a new purpose for her life and to find the love and joy of life again.

This was so well-written, and the added food content was so much fun! Talk about making you want to cook. Their was recipes and food and it was just mouth-watering. I loved it all so much and I recommend this to anyone who loves to cook!



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Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett (A Booktown Mystery, #3)

Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the third book in the Booktown Mystery Series, Angelica has opened a diner in addition to her bookstore, the Cookery. Tricia's friend from college is in town, out-staying her welcome, and the local food panty is moving into a new home, only Tricia never knew the town even had a food pantry.

This was well-written, as Tricia realizes that she has no idea what is going on in her new town, that she spends so much time in the bookstore, she had no idea there was a food pantry, or anything, and she finds herself exploring this world of other people in order to find out what happened to her college roommate, who is found dead behind the diner.

Sheriff Wendy Adams is missing in this book, in fact she never appears to investigate the murder, she sends a new police officer, and finally Tricia feels that maybe the sheriff's department might be capable of handling this investigation on their own. But then again, she ends up getting drawn into the investigation, not out of fear that the new guy won't do his job, but just the past experiences won't let her relax and let it go, she has to figure it out.

This was another great book. I loved getting to know more about Stoneham and the people there and the history and events of the town. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoy these books!



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Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett (A Booktown Mystery, #2)

Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Bookmarked for Death is the second book in the Booktown Mystery Series by Lorna Barrett. I loved the first book, and this second one did not disappoint me at all. I enjoyed reconnecting with Tricia and her sister, Angelica, coming back to Stoneham, or otherwise known as Booktown.

Tricia owns and runs a mystery bookstore called "Haven't got a Clue", while her sister owns and runs the bookstore next door called, "The Cookery". Although Tricia and Angelica haven't had the greatest of relationships, it is nice to read along and watch them discover new things about each other and bond and build a better relationship than what they had before.

The town of Stoneham, that was dying out, but revitalized when its focus on book sellers and tourist trade was shaped. It just sounds like a place I would love to visit! A town full of bookstores! I mean really, what could be more perfect for someone who likes to read?

Tricia talks a local author into a book signing at her store, but before the night is over finds the author dead in her bathroom. Of course, Sheriff Wendy Adams is still mad at Tricia, and has alot of problems looking past those issues into the murder, wanting to find Tricia guilty, even when he isn't so of course that just means that Tricia will be doing some investigating. What she turns up, shakes her and the town. The best selling books were not written by the author, but by another woman, with a mystery in her life.

I loved this book. I love the idea of Booktown and I enjoy going there in the books. I enjoyed meeting the townspeople, learning more about ones I already knew and growing the town. It has been a blast. I find the mystery and Tricia to be pretty believable as a person and that makes it easier to get into the story.



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Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (A Harper Connelly Mystery, #1)

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed Charlaine Harris as an author, so i thought I would check out this series, the Harper Connelly Mystery series.

Harper and her step-brother Tolliver, travel around using Harpers unique gift to solve mystery's. At the age of fifteen, Harper was struck by lightening in her bathroom, and when she survived, she was left being able to find dead people. Not only can she find them, but she "sees" the last moments, telling her their cause of death, but she is not able to see who did it.

The people Harper and Tolliver met on their travels are mixed, some see her gift as a curse some a blessing, some like it and other hate her for it, but then again, what else would you expect of people. Some people are more open minded and open to things of this nature, and others, who don't understand it, just aren't willing to accept it.

Harper has been called to a small town Sarne to find a missing girl. Her boyfriend at the time was found dead in a field, and no one realized that she might be with him for a number of days. His death was ruled a suicide. Walking the field, Harper was able to tell them where the girl was and how she died, and the fact that the boyfriend most definitely did not kill himself. Her job done, she was ready to move on, only to be called back to Sarne. Harper finds herself having to solve the mystery of what is going on, why these deaths and what secret all these people held in order to get herself and her brother free of Sarne so that they can move on.

I found the book well-written and enjoyable. I wanted to get to know Tolliver and Harper more, to learn about them, in fact I found myself feeling for Harper, rough life add a strange gift, and it can be lonely, and I wanted her to find happiness. It was such a draw, and I found I wanted to journey with them, learn more about them, even fight for Harper.

Can't wait to gt ahold of the second book and continue learning about them.



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A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris (An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, #2)

A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So after finishing Book one of the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series, it wasn't bed time and so I started on book two!

A Bone to Pick is the second book in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery and in this we find Roe attending her mother's wedding to a former Real Murders Club member, then attending the wedding of her former boyfriend and Real Murders club member, Arthur Smith, only to be shocked by the very visibly pregnant bride, then the funeral of a friend and former Real Murders club member. To add to her bewilderment, she is contacted by the attorney only to find out that the friend left everything to her! Everything being a house, a sizable bank account and a mystery.

Roe decides that she must solve the mystery, it is what Jane would have wanted and she proceeds to work on that. All the while trying to decide if she wants to give up her comfortable, and rent free townhouse for the ownership of the little house on Honor Street, only to find out that the house across the street is the new home of Arthur and his wife! As Roe ponders and puzzles her way through another mystery, she answers questions and makes decisions for her life and her future.

Again, this is so well written that it draws you in, I could almost see myself walking around the little house on Honor Street, I could feel the eyes of the neighborhood, and feel for Roe. I was pulled into the story and into her life and I wanted it to keep going. I wanted to know more and to find out more about Roe, even after the mystery was solved. Guess that means I have to find book three!



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Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, #1)

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed author Charlaine Harris's Vampire books with Sookie Stackhouse and so I decided that I wanted to try some more of her books, so I got ahold of some of the Aurora Teagarden Mystery books.

Real Murders is the first book in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series and begins with the monthly Friday night meeting of the Real Murders Club. This is a group of people that get together to study, read and analyze old murders, argue for the conviction or against, or present suspects if never solved. It is all very scholarly, and they are an unlikely bunch that probably wouldn't be friends otherwise. This week, Aurora is leading the discussion of the Wallace Murder in England in 1931. Funny thing happens on the way to the meeting, as Aurora enters the VFW Hall, where they hold their meetings, the phone on the wall rings, and someone asks for Julia Wallace. Ok, now that is enough to freak out little Aurora, or Roe to her friends. She mentions it to another member but they shrug it off, and along the meeting goes, as each member arrives, until Roe is getting concerned. Maime Wright was suppose to open the building, and her car is here but she isn't. Finally Roe decides to check the other rooms for Mamie, only to find her in one room, murder in exactly the same way and staged exactly like Julia Wallace! ACK!

Roe is a down-to-earth librarian and she has never been around anything like this in her life before, and it becomes unsettling to her. Then when a box of poisoned chocolates how up on her door step, addressed to her mother, Roe is even more concerned. What is happening to their little town and why her?

As Roe continues through, she thinks about what is going on and puzzles and ponders over the murder, first one, then a second and so on. As a scholarly person, she puts bits and pieces together that seem logical to her in her studious mind, but not so logical to the police, only for her to find the true murderer before the police do.

I would not consider this a cozy mystery, it' just a mystery. It is well written. I come to like Roe, I feel for her as a person and what she is going through, and I want to see her come out on top. I enjoy the Southern life and the charm of that place in the book, and it is a good book and a good read. She is not a nosy-body, she just puzzles and ponders, she isn't really out to investigate but she just can't get it out of her mind. She is a likable character.

I enjoyed this book, and moved on to the next in the series.



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Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames (A Cheese Shop Mystery, #3)

Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Clobbered by Camembert is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, and in this one Charlotte's old boyfriend comes back from France, which stirs up trouble with Jordan.

This book find us in the middle of winter, a Winter Wonderland Faire is starting, the whole town is excited, except that there is a new lady in town, and she is making enemies at every turn, stirring up old memories and making Charlotte question the truth about her parent's death.

We find Matthew and Meredith working on planning a wedding, and learning to deal with Slyvie living in town. Jordan and Charlotte and back from a vacation together, and she still has more questions about who Jordan is, and with Chip reappearing in town, it makes her wonder if he is the right man for her or not, but not that she would ever take Chip back, that is truly over. Rebecca and Ipo have started dating and they are finally going to have their first kiss, which has Rebecca all a-fluster, growing up Amish, she is not sure about this, but it will work out.

Blackmail, divorce, intrigue and murder all wrapped up in a tidy little book, so much going on and so much more to find out.

Loved the book (hated the last couple of paragraphs - cliffhanger notice) but over all well written, in fact I never guessed who the murder was until about the same moment that Charlotte did, and it was not who anyone thought~

Of course, there is the town grievances, the fued between Slyvie and Matthew, the power struggle over the twins, just a whole lot of fun stuff going on all around the murder, and while you are at it, a lot of good information about cheese and wine! I think those are my favorite parts! I love hearing about the flavors and taste of different cheeses, makes me want to write a list of the ones I want to try and keep it with the book. Same with the wines!



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llan Lokos

Pocket Peace by Allan Lokos

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received a copy of Pocket Peace from the GoodReads FirstReads program! Thank you very much!!

I liked this book, and it came at a time when I was going through some issues that I wasn't sure how to handle. I am still not sure how I will end up handling the issues, but I do know that I have found that there are a number of little tips in this book, that effect they way I look at each day and to make it better from my side.

Pocket Peace is filled with a number of small things each of us can do each day to change how the world around us effects us and how we effect it. One of the simplest, smile at everyone you see. If you tried that just for one day, what do you think you would find happening? You would be in a better mood and so many people around you would be in better moods!

There are more complex and detailed ideas that help you to focus on you and to make peace with the world, mediations and such, but over all I think it is a handy little book that everyone should read at least once!



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Pinned for Murder by Elizabeth Lynn Casey (Southern Sewing Circle, #3)

Pinned for Murder by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pinned for Murder is the third book in the Southern Sewing Circle mystery series. As with this series, it is well-written, stepped in Southern tradition and lore, and enjoyable to the end.

The story begins with the town having been hit by a tropical storm, something that is not all that common, but then again not uncommon in the southern states. The library has minimal damage, mostly the bottom shelf of books, but it fairs better than alot of the older homes in town.

In this story, we visit our favorites from the Sewing Circle, with Rose being our focus, as her house has been damaged. She is depending on the help of a young man that she befriend long ago when she was a teacher, a gentle spirit that is a little on the slow side, some might say. We find him helping Rose, but at the same time being accused of stealing money from Rose's neighbor, Martha Jane when he tries to help her out, at the request of Rose, only for Tori to walk in and find that they money was never stolen, just that Martha Jane had switched her socks and money to the left hand drawer from the right hand draw and didn't remember! Of course, everything would be over if Martha Jane would have apologized or if she had been so spitting mad at everyone in general. But that is not Martha Jane, and she turns up dead the next day.

Poor Kenny Murdock, he is almost tried and convicted without anyone even taking a second look, but the problem is that the money is actually stolen this time, and well Kenny never did learn money in school. He could never understand the difference between a one dollar bill and a ten dollar bill! So why would he steal the money. That is all that was needed, that and the fact that poor Rose i so heartbroken over the whole thing, Tori is investigating again!

This one twists and turns, brings other people into town, and we learn more and more about each of our other characters, and right up to the very end, when we think we know who did it, we find out we didn't! Amazing!

I have really enjoyed this series and the characters, the southern charm and the warmth that just comes from the books when you think of the Sewing Circle sitting around making things right one piece at a time. It just takes me back to a simpler time in the world that I want to hold onto. It's refreshing!



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Snake in the Glass by Sarah Atwell (A Glassblowing Mystery, #3)

Snake in the Glass by Sarah Atwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book three in the Glassblowing Mystery series is as well-written and interesting as the previous books, and I enjoyed the cast of characters that are central to the storyline.

Em, is flying home from Ireland. She and Allison had went on a short vacation to reconnect with Allison's family and to heal some of her old wounds, but much to the dismay of Em and the rest of the cast, Allison has decided to stay on a little longer, which sends Cam, Em's brother and boyfriend to Allison, off in a sulk.

Uncle Frank shows up to visit, which is a great addition to the book. He is a character within a character and love having him in the story. It's not all fun and games, he is here for a little work, being a diamond broker from Australia, he is in Tucson for the annual Gem show. Of course, there is a little something-something going on with Frank and Nessa, but it seems to work.

A strange looking professor shows up at Em's back door wanting to rent her furnace to try out some gem heating techniques he's read about. And that is where things get strange!

Allison comes back, having made her peace with Ireland and her mother's death years before, only to find no one has heard from Cam. So being the good sister, Em talks to her boyfriend, the sheriff Matt, and one thing leads to another, between Cam being missing and the strange professor, Denis, Em and Frank and knee-deep in a mystery that somehow leads them to a dead body in the desert! All in the line of duty for a glass-blowing sleuth!

This story was well-writen, kept me entertained and guess at the killer until the very end. I loved learning more about the characters, and I really love the glassblowing information and tidbits. Also in this, there were added gem tidbits, that were fun and interesting.



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Town in a Wild Moose Chase by B.B. Haywood (A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery, #3)

Town in a Wild Moose Chase by B.B. Haywood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The third book in the Candy Holliday Mystery series is "Town in a Wild Moose Chase". Once again, Candy is sucked into a murder investigation without really wanting to be there, but she is the one to find some of the most important clues.

The scene is the small town of Cape Willington, where her father retired to become a blueberry farmer, a dream of his and her mother's only her mother died before they could make it come true, so her dad, Doc, and Candy are making the dream a reality. It takes lots of hard work, and at least four part time jobs for Candy, one is a reporter on the town newspaper, which is only published once a week in the winter.

It's time for the Winter Moose Fest, and this year a surprise, a white moose is spotted around town, in fact he seems to be leading Candy to a number of the answers in the mystery. The highlight of this years Winter Moose Fest is an Ice Sculptor Contest, and it brings with it some strange characters to town.

We also come to find that one of Cape Willington's founding families, who have had issues in the past and been involved in past cover-ups and murders, is pulling strings on the town, almost like a puppet-master and he wants Candy to know the truth in the last moments before he leaves town. Turns out that Candy and her boss and sometime boyfriend, Ben both have alot of the same questions and are looking into the same people, but each is scared to share with the other, afraid it sounds a little crazy, only for them to find out that they are actually on the same page. Will they finally share all and really dig into the mysteries of the town or not remains to be seen come the next book, but for now they are getting there and they are each worried about the other.

As I read the book, it's not just the mystery that is occurring at the present time that draws you in, but the history of the town, they way things have played out in the past, the way families have feuded and mended or not mended over time, they way this on is considered the founders while the other, interlopers. There is just something about bad blood, old feuds and history that make this really interesting, over and above the current day mystery that is playing out. It's like there are two completely different levels of story going on at the same time in the book.

I look forward to the next book in the series, no teaser from the next book in this one, but plenty of Maine recipes in the back of the book!



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Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames (A Cheese Shop Mystery, #2)

Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Cheese Shop Mystery Series by Avery Aames.  Have to say that this one held more depth in the mystery and I enjoyed it to the end.


I love the family cheese shop, the information and cheese and wine in the book is fun, especially the wine, but I enjoy the cheese too, and the local craftsmanship of the area, The whole town is like a meca for small local farms in all kinds of services from cheese to honey to wine. It sounds like a place you would want to visit.


The characters are first-rate. Cousin Michael and his budding relationship with Meredith hits a snap when ex-wife Slyvie shows up in town, determined to take her twins back. It's really one thing after another with that gal! Then there is the bedding relationship between Jordan and Charlotte, and can she really fall for a man who keeps everything in his past a secret?  Then there are the lesser characters, Rebecca the former Amish child that now works for Charlotte, who has a budding relationship with Ipo, the local bee farmer. And of course the once nerdy computer tech high schooler that Charlotte hired who has blossomed into a wrestler and has his eyes on a classmate.


It is so fun to be invited into their lives and to see how things progress and move.


The mystery this time revolves around the old Zeigler Wine farm, which is being restored into a community college, and the legend of a treasure that old man Ziegler buried before he went mad, has all kinds of people coming into town to take a look around the place, only to have a murder occur at the gala event! The suspects are in the dozens and the twists and turns it takes before we finally get to the real who-done-it is amazing. A well-crafted story that kept my interest right to the end.


Book three in the series is Clobbered b y Camembert and I am looking forward to it, and unearthing more about Charlotte and her life.


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Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Last fall I picked this book up at the school book fair, at a discounted price, but I thought it sounded interesting. This weekend, I picked the book off the shelf and sat down for a few minutes and read the book. Just a quick read.

I loved the story. I loved how it was based on actual events that really occurred, although the dialogue and story are fiction, the camp out, the earthquake and the original people are all real.  maybe it was the fact that the author was related to one of the original people in the event, but he was able to wind a story around this event, but he was able to build up the story, give us a glimpse into the lives of some boys and the Boy Scout Troop on the Island, some history and beliefs of the original island people, and wind all that around to the event. It was not the center stage moment, it just was something that occurred and changed everything they thought and how they acted, but without the front story you wouldn't get how much it changed the lives of the people involved. It was just a well-told story that made you want to know what happened, made you want to root for the underdog, and to hold your breathe till the end!

I loved the book. I am so glad I picked it up. I originally got it for my son, but I am going to have my daughter's read it also. I think the story is well worth all kids reading and realizing that life is bigger than you or me, and that petty differences have to be put aside sometimes and we have to work together for the good of the team at times.


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Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My daughter picked this book up at the school book fair last year, and I was sitting in the house this past weekend, and I just didn't feel like starting a new book, just wanted something small to read at that moment, and I picked this book up.


It is a collection of old stories to scare you, some are better than others, but then again, some have been around for centuries. What I liked the most was the Notes and Sources sections of the book at the end, that told where the author found these stories and some of the history and variations on them. That was more fun than the stories, then again had I been eight to ten years old again at a sleep-over, I am sure the stories all would have had me screaming with my friends.


It's a great kids book, great stories, and some information. Works on so many levels for me as a parent, it entertains the younger one, gives information for the research minded one, and stories for my son to try to tease his sisters with! As a reader, it works as well. Even as an adult, I still found the book to be enjoyable and fun. It was a quick read for me, and just what I wanted Sunday afternoon.



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File M for Murder by Miranda James (A Cat in the Stacks Mystery, #3)

File M for Murder by Miranda James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book 3 in the A Cat in The Stacks Mystery series, and it is so well-written and crafted.  I have enjoyed this series so much. At first, when I realized that the lead character was an older gentlemen in the south, I thought there was no way I would be able to relate and get into it, but he is a father to grown children, and as a mother I can understand what he talks about when he talks about or relates to his children.  He is just so easy to relate to and it makes the stories flow and so enjoyable to read.

In this installment, Charlie's daughter Laura, returns to Athena to teach a semester at the College, in drama.  The recently hired playwright is a former boyfriend and gets her the job when the originally hired drama coach backs out. Problem is, Connor, the former boyfriend doesn't want to be the former, he wants to be the current, and he "brings" with him an admirer by the name of Damtria that will stop at nothing to get Connor back. High drama for the tiny town of Athena. It only gets greater when Laura finds Connor dead in his apartment!

It was wonderful to catch up with the characters from this story. Charlie still has his boarders, Justin Wardlaw from the first book and Stewart Delacourte from the second book. I love that people you met in other installments don't just disappear, but are still there, and play minor roles, but yet we still get to check in on them and see how they are progressing.  Of course, there is the ever present housekeeper, Azelea and her daughter, the highly capable chief deputy, Kanesha Berry.  Charlie's son Sean is still in town and working a little, life in Athena is going good. Of course a good murder investigation is only the next thing to come to spice up their lives!

What Cat in the Stack Mystery would be complete without Diesel, the Maine Coon cat that Charlie adopted when he moved back to Athena and that goes everywhere with him, to work at the college, to volunteer at the library, and he even weighs in on the murder investigation! It's almost like he can talk to Charlie! It is so fun to listen to the interactions and the play between Diesel and the main character and the suspects. Love it!

This is a well-written, beautifully crafted book that will be worth anyone's time, unless you don't like cats, then you might not enjoy it as much, but it is worth the time to read!


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Deadly Blessings by Julie Hyzy (An Alex St. James Mystery #1)

Deadly Blessings by Julie Hyzy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To start off I have to admit that I really like Julie Hyzy as an author. I am caught on her White House Chef Mystery Series, so I had high expectations for this book. Originally I downloaded it on my free Nook for PC application, but my computer crashed and gave up the ghost so I lost that copy but I picked this up at the library, along with book two in the series the other day, and was excited to be able to read this and see if I liked it as much as I did her other series.

Alex St. James is an investigative reporter for a News Magazine on television in the Chicago area. At the beginning of the book, she is dating Dan, her counterpart at a rival production, and he just doesn't seem like he is really invested in the relationship, and the more the book goes on, the more I come to dislike him. By the end of the book, I hate the guy, I think smarmey is a god term for him!

Alex is investigating her own adoption, in secret so as not to upset her parents, and on her own time, which her boss is not happy with, that she is away from the office and job at any given moment. Apparently a shake-up is in the works and he wants her there, probably so he doesn't have to deal with it on his own, but he has a gruff manner and it takes until the very end of the book for me to actually understand Bas a little and actually come to have a bit of respect for him.

Alex is working on a story, a wild and explosive story of Polish immigrants, a Catholic priest and prostitution.  Bass pulls her off the story, but there is something about it that wouldn't let Alex leave it alone, so in the process of working up the "fluff" story that he replaces her on, she finds a way to still dig into the original story and gets extremely caught up in the story and the people, to the extent that she puts her own life in grave danger.

It is an extremely well written story, it pulls you along, there is never a lull in the flow of the story, and I couldn't put the book down, I had to know what happened. We are also introduced to a new guy, Will in the shake up at the office, which leads to some emotions on a personal level for Alex, and I for one am looking forward to seeing how that plays out in the future.

Another wonderful book by Julie Hyzy and I for one am looking so forward to the next, Deadly Interest.


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White House Chef Mystery series

Author Julie Hyzy:
Is an Anthony and Barry award-winning author who writes the White House Mystery Series and the Manor House Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime.
She is a native Chicagoan, although she thoroughly enjoys researching her books, especially when traveling to exciting new places.

Manor House Series:
1.  Grace Under Pressure
2.  Grace Interrupted

White House Chef Series:
1.  State of the Onion
2.  Hail to the Chef
3.  Eggsecutive Orders
4.  Buffalo West Wing
5.  Affairs of Steak

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy (White House Chef Mystery, #5)

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Affairs of Steak is the fifth book in the White House Chef Mystery Series by Julie Hyzy.  She is another of my very favorite authors and I love reading her books.

This book finds Ollie being teamed with Peter Sargeant, you remember the guy who hates her, in helping the First Lady plan a birthday party for theSecretary of State of the President.  They are looking at locations for the event, off-site, not at the White House and they have visited four places. As they are walking to the last location they run into Peter's nephew, although Peter is none to happy about it, and once they make the final location, they find that the assistant that was suppose to met them is nowhere to be found. As they are looking through the venue and the kitchen, Peter notices something that looks like blood, and Ollie opens a hugh tilt-skillet only to find the missing assistant, dead. They call the police and as they are showing the police the body, they hear talking which turns out to be a cell phone, upon opening the second tilt-skillet they find the President's Chief of Staff, also dead.

As we follow along the story, we learn more about Ollie and her relationship with Gav is explored and the reality of weather they are going to be able to have a relationship or not, or are they only going to be good friends because of their respective jobs.  Also, the tension between Ollie and the first-family's personal chef, Virgil that started in the last book when a new first-family was installed in the White House, continues. Even so far that Virgil leaks information to a newspaper that puts Ollie and Peter's lives in danger!

So many things occur in this book, and this series, we learn about the workings of the White House and the Secret Service, I am sure not the true workings, but so many things that are wonderfully written and explained, like the changing pins that each Secret Service Agent wears on his lapel, that can be changed each day, or if on Presidential detail as often as each hour, to keep outsiders out, even comes into play in this story.

I love the story. I love Ollie and Gav. originally, in the first book Ollie was dating a Secret Service Agent, Tom, but he just could not understand or back her knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and her ability to figure out what was going on long before the secret service or other police agencies did.  I could never understand why Tom was so put off by this, or why he couldn't understand her, but I am glad that she was introduced to Special Agent in Charge Leonard Gavin, or Gav as she comes to call him. He is able to understand her, and to even appreciate her abilities, so much so that he teaches her and encourages her, which I find attractive.

I am looking so forward to more books in this series and to the relationship with Gavin. I love the series. Another awesome author. I actually have two books in another series by this author in my to-read pile.


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Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell (A Witchcraft Mystery, #3)

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Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell


Hexes and Hemlines is the third book in the Witchcraft Mystery series by author Juliet Blackwell, who I just happen to really love!

Lily has been asked by Detective Carlos to take a look at his crime scene, it is littered with bad luck symbols, and he wants to know what she thinks. This is a huge step for the detective, he is actually, after her being involved in his last two cases, coming to terms with the supernatural and the fact that witches and ghosts actually do exsist, which is a whole lot better than her said crush, reporter Max Carmichael, who after the last crime and actually seeing her in action, tucked his tail and ran off to Florida! Coward! Of course Lily isn't ready to announce it to the whole world that she is a witch, but she is getting better about letting people get close to her.

The crime scene that Detective Carlos takes her to is on the 13th floor, there is a ladder you have to walk under to get in, broken mirrors, a black cat and all kinds of other bad luck symbols. The funny thing, Lily can't really get a vibe on the place and that kinda freaks her out, so of course she has to get invovled and look into things, especially when she finds out that her friend Browyn's son-in-law was at the dinner the night before and is a "person of interest", which of course is freaking rebecca, Browyn's daughter out to n o end, it is upsetting her "perfect", normal, un-supernatural life.

Of course we learn a little more about Browyn and her daughter, Rebecca and their relationship in this book. We also learn more about Adian and Sailor, who just happens to be involved in this book quite alot, which is really neat, because I like Sailor, in fact I think Sailor and Lily would be a cute couple, but that is just my opinion. We also learn more about Lily. I love how we get small glimpses into her past, things that made her what she is today in each book, and in this book, because we are dealing with this "bad Luck Club" and the symbol of the snake, we learn that Lily is not afraid of snakes and o n incident in her life when she was younger involving her mother and a snake-handling church. It really helps you understand the basic mistrust she has of people, when someone who is suppose to love her can subject her to such a horror.

I am really looking forward to the next book, the Art Deco Ball and learning more about Aidan and lily, and how they are connected, because we know that they both are very powerful witches, and you just know there has to be some connection between them, jut what it is exactly is yet to be discovered. I love finding out more about them in these small doses, as they navigate life and death and reality.

Book Four is titled, In a Witch's Wardrobe, I think, and it is available now. I also hear, from following the author on Facebook, that she is currently working on book five! Love it!


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