Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson

WOW! I can finally say that as much as I always enjoy reading James Patterson's books that Alex Cross's Trial has to be the best one he's ever written.

This book is about the racism that existed in this country a hundred years ago. It still exists today, but my hope is that everyday it shrinks into the background, and we all realize that everyone is created equally regardless of skin color.

Alex Cross writes this story about a distant relative and the pain and suffering his family endured during the early 1900s in the South. So many people of that time were set against the intermingling of the African-Americans into their society unless they were working for them. This book points out the many problems that existed. The white man was very fearful of the black man taking jobs away from them and looked down on them as second class citizens for many, many years.

Not all white men felt this way though. The lawyer in this book took it upon himself to defend black men and their families. He went south from D.C. to his home town to experience the horrors first hand of the beatings and lynchings. He was appalled by the fact that these were the people he had grown up with, and they were the ones responsible for so many unspeakable acts.

Patterson really hit on a topic this time. I feel like today we, as a society, still struggle with the whole race issue at times, but we have made great strides in alleviating the problem. We still have a long way to go, but I think as each generation becomes more and more tolerant we will achieve the goal of acceptance for everyone.

Undone by Karin Slaughter

Let me start with saying that after I read the last book in the Grant County series of Karin Slaughter's I was ready to come UNDONE! My friend suggested this series a few years ago and ever since I've been reading them there has been something that just makes me want to scream. After finishing Beyond Reach late one night I almost called her up to just scream---WHY????????

Ok, so now I will go on. Undone has a page at the beginning that says "To my readers.....thank you for trusting me." Hmmm....trusting you--she drives me crazy, but in a way that always keeps me coming back., but at least everything was settled from the last book in the first few pages.

I really liked this one much better. Sara is in a good place. Characters from previous Atlanta series books are combined with the Grant County ones and it goes quite well.

Event though I'm always getting frustrated when I read her books; she does it so well. I keep coming back for more and if you start the series you will too. You can't wait to find out what twist will appear in the pages to come!

Great book!

Cherry Bomb by J.A. Konrath

Happy! Happy! Happy! How else can I describe how I felt when Cherry Bomb finally arrived in our interlibrary loan delivery. I, and probably many others out there who read J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniels series, have been anxiously awaiting a long YEAR to find out who died at the end of the last book. Talk about a cliffhanger!

Thank goodness, he didn't make us wait too long to find out. Cherry Bomb opens at the cemetery and I guess that's all I can tell you now. It would be so wrong to let you know on here. Suffice it to say that the evil serial killer Alex is still around and ready to murder again and as many people as she feels necessary until she gets to her true target!

I pretty much read the book straight thru and stayed up until I was done. It was totally worth it! Get ready for murder, monkeys and madness! Let me know what you think. I LOVE these books! Now I wait again......

Border Music by Robert James Waller

As I was browsing thru the stacks in our library I found a Robert James Waller book that I had not read--Border Music. He is the author of Bridges of Madison County and High Plains Tango. I loved those books and thought why not try this one. I was not disappointed, plus this is a definite case of you can't judge a book by it's cover. This one is not appealing to me in the least and I must admit, covers play a big factor in what I pick up to read.

Border Music is about a man who drifts thru life and happens upon a woman who he immediately falls for. They start to make a life together and then his past comes back to haunt their future.

I'm not sure how to describe it, but Waller has a way of writing that gets me everytime. It's like I "know" what he is writing about.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich has done it again! Finger Lickin' Fifteen is another hit for her. The humor she is able to put into the pages of her books is unbelievable. I was sitting on my front porch reading and laughing out loud as people driving by were looking at me strangely. Stephanie, Morelli, RANGER (Whom I love), Lula, and Grandma Mazur combine to make a comedy you will totally enjoy!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

I love to listen to audio books while I work. Still Alice is the first audio book I've blogged about because usually I get the jist of the story while listening, but not the full effect of the book, if that makes sense. This book was different.

Alice is a 50 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. What a horrible thing to have to face when you are at the height of your career ( a professor at Harvard University) and with your children out there beginning their lives and families.

The book goes on to describe the slow deterioration of Alice and how her family, friends and colleagues react and interact with her after the disclosure of the disease. I think that the person who is hardest hit by the day to day challenges Alice faces is her husband. He is having a very hard time with the whole thing. Her children on the other hand embrace their mother and do whatever she needs to make her feel loved and wanted.

Still Alice is an emotional story that will touch your heart.

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

There is just something about natural disasters and how they happen that just fascinate me-especially hurricanes. I love the beach, waves and thunderstorms. I often wish I could be on the beach at the very beginning--you know while it is still reasonably safe to be there. I know I'm a little weird, but that's just how it is.

I just finished Isaac's Storm and I have to admit one my greatest fears is coming true--I'm beginning to like reading NON-FICTION. Who would have thought? Anyways, this book covers the hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas in September of 1900.

Isaac Cline was stationed at the fairly new weather station in the Galveston area. He had a house not more than a few blocks from the waters of the Gulf. This area and much more of Galveston was just a few feet above sea level, so you can just imagine what kind of damage could be seen if a huge storm surge were to hit this area.

With the beginning of the weather service there was a great need to not alarm people because many were very skeptical about the abilities of man to forecast the weather. At the time, Cuba was relying on a lot of intuition and experience to forecast large storms, but the United States believed that only scientific evidence should be used and therefore, discounted the forecasts made by the Cubans as emotional feelings, instead of facts. This turned out to be a huge mistake in this case. Cuba had alerted the U.S. of this gigantic storm that was heading toward the U.S. shores, but the U.S. ignored the warnings and eventually ceased to receive any correspondence from them.

Isaac was among those who thought this storm was not going to pose a great threat to their homes and lives. His brother, Joseph, felt exactly the opposite and actually encouraged those who could evacuate to do so. The storm hit and Isaac's house, along with many others were destroyed. The loss of life was great, including his own wife. The city of Galveston was devastated by this hurricane.

This book is a very interesting read. We are able to see how our weather service has grown from the simple calculations and tools used in the beginning to the computer models and satellite information we rely on now.

Undead and Unwelcome by Mary Janice Davidson

VAMPIRES! Oh how I am loving these vampire stories by Mary Janice Davidson and Charlaine Harris. They are my favorites!

I just finished Undead and Unwelcome, the 8th installment in the Betsy Taylor series, and loved it as I knew I would. Betsy Taylor, the vampire queen, has once again become entangled in a dangerous situation. This time it is with the werewolf population. One of their own was murdered in the process of saving Betsy's life, now she has to convince them that she is not at fault. Add, in the fact that her stepsister is a spawn of Satan and is killing her fellow vampires to "help" her out and she has a real mess on her hands!

If you have not tried these books, you should! They are fun and fast reads!

Sanctuary by Ken Bruen

I love Ken Bruen! I love his writing style, his characters and anxiously await any new releases of his.

Sanctuary continues the story of Jack Taylor, an ex-Irish guard. Taylor is a man who seems to invite danger and pain wherever he goes.

Taylor is ready to leave Ireland and come to the States when he receives a note that includes a list of people to be killed. So far 2 have already been crossed off the list and it's up to him to discover who is doing this and why. This is nothing new to him and he reluctantly dives in and tries to convince the police that this is a serious threat. As usual, they have no use for Jack but he ends up winning in the end--at least he solves the case.

Jack has his usual battles with his addiction to alcohol and his propensity to anger those around him, but I still am anxious to find out what will happen to him next. I guess I like Jack as well. I'm always rooting for him!

If this sounds interesting to you, you may want to go back and read the previous Jack Taylor novels as well!

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Sarah's Key is a story of the imprisonment of French Jews and the lasting effects of a young girl's journey. Julia is a writer and discovers that the family apartment she is about to move into used to be inhabited by a Jewish family that was taken during the Vel d'Hiv Roundup. Her initial writing assignment is to write a piece on the history of this Roundup, but once discovering the connection her inlaws have with this event in history she becomes obsessed with the family that used to live there--especially the little girl Sarah.

Sarah is a young Jewish girl who was taken from her house in France by her country's own policemen. She is very scared and is not sure what is happening, but at first feels secure in the fact that these are Frenchmen so it probably isn't so bad and that she will soon return to her home. Add to the fact that her little brother is hidden in their secret hiding place in the apartment and she is the only one who knows where he is and has the key to open the secret compartment.

As Julia pursues the story she finds out many things about her husband's family, a part of WWII history that she wasn't aware of and finds many things in herself that has been lost or forgotten.

This is an unforgettable story about the horrors of war and the perseverance of people in difficult situations.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

What a book! I cannot even believe I made it thru the 800+ pages of Anna Karenina, but I did. This book was a book discussion book, so I had to read it, but then I fell in love with it and couldn't put it down. Add to the fact that it is a classic and totally readable how could you not like it.

The book is about several Russian families and their lives and loves. Even though the book is named after Anna I found other characters much more interesting like Kitty and Levin. As the story progresses many things happen to them all. Usually I find Russian stories very difficult to read, it seems that the characters are often called by so many different names that I get confused AND I can never pronounce the name. I must admit in this book I just started glancing at the names and then continuing on so I didn't stumble while reading. (Does that make sense?)

Tolstoy does a great job of transforming his characters as the story progresses and in the end you can see just how far they have come!

Don't be intimidated by the fact it is a classic, or that it has so many pages: it's worth the time!

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

This is a book I have wanted to read forever. It just seemed like I never got around to it but I think this was the perfect time. In the past several years I have found a new author I like: Ken Bruen. He writes about the Irish guard and I love it. His style is fantastic and it prepared me for reading this book.

I don't know much about Ireland except for what I read in fiction books, but Frank McCourt's childhood certainly portrayed a view of Ireland that leaves the reader wondering how he survived it. He grew up in the 1930's and this book takes you thru his teen years and WWII.

He was the oldest of eight(?) children and became the man of the house once his father disappeared for good. The family's life struggles are unbelievable. I cannot even begin to tell you the things they endured. He did not want to end up like his father and was determined to get a job as soon as he turned 14. He worked in various places and saved his money so that he could return to America. This is where the book ends.

He has since written 2 more memoirs 'Tis and Teacher Man. I plan to read these in the near future.

The 8th Confession by James Patterson

The 8th Confession--add this to the growing list of James Patterson's books that I have read. There is something about his writing that just grabs hold and keeps me going. Usually I am unable to put the book down until I am completely done. Then I sit there wondering when the next book in the series will be published. When I realize that it will be another year until I can read more about these favorite characters it's a little depressing. The only good thing is that there are usually several books written by Patterson each year to keep me happy!

The Women's Murder Club is the focus of this eighth installment of this series. I really do like these very self-sufficient women. I'm sometimes disappointed in the choices they make and I won't reveal anything here but I was thinking there could have been a different maybe more tolerant outcome to some things. I don't know, maybe that's me thinking I'm much more liberal than I really am.

All in all, it's another best seller I'm sure. I liked it and as always anxiously await the next one!

Heart of Ice by Gregg Olsen

Heart of Ice is a book with a lot of suspense and many characters who could be the killer. Exactly the kind of book I love. I must admit it took me awhile to figure it out, but I did have my suspicions on the one who truly did it. Some of the characters carry over from a previous book called A Cold Dark Place. I couldn't trust that character in that book either.

Gregg Olsen usually writes true crime books. I think that is why his fiction stories are so detailed. He certainly has done the research on real cases.

If you like murder, a little romance and police stories, you will enjoy this book!

Head Games by Tim Downs

Tim Downs has quickly become one of my favorite authors. He writes suspenseful type stories with a small hint of inspirational fiction thrown in. If you aren't usually an inspirational book fan this one is different. He is very subtle about it. I recommend all of his books!

Head Games is about 3 men who were stationed in Desert Storm together to use psychological warfare on the enemy. They were very successful in their job. Over 75,000 troops surrendered without injury. Fifteen years later, the leader of a group of men who were going to surrender and were killed, is seeking revenge on the three men.

This fast-paced book takes you thru the elaborate plot Hashim planned to get back at these Special Ops. You will love the thrill and the fantastic ending!

Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark

Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark was a typical Clark kind of book. It took me awhile to get thru but I have to be fair--I was sick and couldn't read much of anything.

The book is about a prosecutor who is trying a case against a husband for the shooting and killing of his wife. There are various characters throughout the book that you think may be the killer instead but you may be surprised when you reach the end of the book.

While reading the book I kept thinking about what does the title have to do with the book? I kept thinking I was either really sick and not comprehending anything or was really dense and just didn't get it. I'm happy to report that in the end it all comes together and makes complete and perfect sense.

I would definitely suggest this book to others. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark will like it!

Long Lost by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is one of my very favorite authors. His characters Myron Bolitar and Win Lockwood III are always engaged in some type of dangerous situation. Myron is supposed to be a sports agent, but seems to always land himself in many predicaments that his best friend Win has to bail him out of.

Long Lost is about a woman Myron met many years ago when they were both in a bad place in their lives. He is shocked when he receives a call from her after 8 years of silence inviting him to Paris. He arrives in Paris and discovers she needs help more than she needs his company, but being the great guy that he is--he decides to help her out!

This is a fast paced book with the usual humor and wit. If you like this one you will definitely need to check out the rest of his Bolitar/Lockwood novels.

MAX by James Patterson

Maximum Ride is back in MAX by James Patterson. This book is the latest installment in the Maximum Ride series or Bird Kids as some of you might know it. It is about six children who were genetically mutated with bird DNA and now possess wings and other powerful traits that vary from child to child. These "Superpowers" are very helpful when they find themselves in difficult or dangerous situations--which you will find happen very frequently.

This book finds Max's mother kidnapped, the other bird children growing up and becoming more independent, and Max falling in love and feeling confused and happy and all those other emotions that come with that.

Even though this book is about children it is a book that will interest all ages. It is fast paced and keeps you reading and reading.

All I can say is: When does the next book come out?

Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum

Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum was a very interesting book. I can't believe here I am reading another non-fiction book. What is wrong with me? Not that there is anything wrong with non-fiction books, it's just that I don't usually read them.

For the past several years I have been interested in visiting New Orleans. I'm not sure what draws me there. The pictures I've seen of the architecture and the cemeteries really intrigue me.

This book tells a story of the city of New Orleans from several different people starting in the 1960's and follows them and the story of the city thru 2007. Hurricane Katrina was devastating to many people's lives and the place they called home. Even though I don't think that the hurricane is the central focus of the book, I was waiting for it to happen. Some of the people showed such spirit and determination to get back to their homes so they could start living their lives again, others were just too overwhelmed by the obstacles they now faced.

It is unimaginable to me what the city looked like after the water receded. I try to picture it in my head and I know that I don't come close to what the true devastation was. I hope someday to visit and see a New Orleans that has bounced back from one of the worst natural disasters in our country and enjoy the historical significance of the town.

I really enjoyed the insight into New Orleans this book provided.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult will be another bestseller for this author. If you have ever read any books by Picoult you will know that there will twists and turns that make your heart break and keep you reading until the very end.

I have to admit after reading only 50 pages of this book I was convinced I was going to stop. I 'm not sure what made me continue on. There is something about her books that make me so unsettled. Having read many of her previous books I know there will be some kind of conflict that would twist you inside out if you were in the same position and that makes me very uncomfortable.

This book is about a little girl who is born with a bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease of the bones that makes them very susceptible to breaks. If a child is diagnosed with this disease and survives birth they are in for a life of many broken bones. The little girl, Willow, is such an optimistic child, who charms you with all her knowledge and her sunny personality despite her physical difficulties. Once again though, Picoult, shows how one person in a family and their problems can affect the rest of the members of the family, especially when that one person has something that is so overwhelming and requires so much special attention.

Read this book and let me know what you think!! I'd really be interested in your perspective.

Emma by Jane Austen

Well I can finally say now that I've read a Jane Austen book. Emma was a selection for my classics book discussion. I've often wondered in the past several years what all the hoopla was about Jane Austen with the movie Jane Austen's Book Club, and several other fiction books written about Jane Austen's books and people's love of her writing.

It is unbelievable to me that Emma was written in 1815. I just read a book that is almost 200 years old and I got thru it. It was not an easy read, but the story itself wasn't too bad. In certain parts I found myself not reading fast enough because I wanted to know what happened. It is about a young woman, Emma, who thinks she is a great matchmaker to her friends. She is actually pretty oblivious to the fact that she really doesn't see people and their feelings the way they truly are.

She attempts several times to set up her "friend" Harriet with a few men, but it always backfires. Finally, during the last attempt she realizes something about herself, which I won't tell you, but I would say it makes the story complete.

There are many characters throughout the book and some I liked and some I didn't. After reading the notes at the end though I was surprised to find that Emma's character is mostly unliked by alot of readers. I didn't necessarily feel that way.

This book is definitely worth the read. I would consider reading another of her books, especially since this was deemed her most difficult read of all of her works.

The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

The Forever War is an interesting book. We decided in our staff book discussion group to read books each month from a different culture or country. One of my co-workers suggested this one.

The book is about the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. A news reporter tells the story of his time spent in both of these countries. He gives many details of the soldiers daily lives and also befriends many of the people who call those countries home. It is very interesting that our news media for the most part tells us the people there are grateful for our presence. Reporters see a different side of the story--at least this reporter did.

The people there are torn between needing the money the United States is providing to upgrade their cities and infrastructure and the real desire to see the soldiers gone. Many say they did not necessarily like the way Saddam ruled, but with no "real" government in place yet, they just want their country back to the way they remembered it.

It was definitely an eye-opening book. It takes great courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which, for reporters to risk their lives each day to bring us reports from over there.

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

True Colors is the perfect name for this novel. Kristin Hannah has done it again with a story line that makes you never want to put the book down. As usual, my tears were flowing also. For some reason her books always make me cry.

The novel is about a family who loses their mother in their early teens and how the three sisters and their father carry on. They are sisters thru thick and thin with several occasions that are harder for them to get thru than others. You follow them thru their lives and loves, their ups and downs and find yourself rooting for them to just be happy!

I always read Kristin Hannah's books and this was definitely worth the read!

Blown Coverage: a Riley Covington Thriller by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

Wow! What a fast paced thriller this book was! Last year I read Monday Night Jihad by the same authors and loved it. This is just a continuation with the same cast of characters.

Blown Coverage is about Riley Covington who is a professional football player and a former special ops member. Riley is still trying to recover from the attack in Monday Night Jihad and is returning to football, even though he isn't sure this is what he wants.

Things change quickly when he is attacked and survives and realizes that the Cause is after him and will not stop until they get him. The story plays out with his friends trying to help him amidst several more terrorist attacks on American soil.

This book is classified as Christian fiction and is exactly what I love about that genre. It's a thrilling ride with plenty of action with the basis of the main character's life relying on the guidance and protection of his Lord.

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

The Double Bind is another book discussion book. It was a very easy read. The thing I really loved about it was all the references to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We just read that book for our Classics discussion and it was perfect timing.

The Double Bind is about a young lady who works in a homeless shelter. She had been brutally attacked during college and withdrew into herself for awhile afterwards. During her work at the shelter she meets Bobbie Crocker, an elderly homeless man. He suffered from mental illnesses. After he passes away they find a bag of photographs that he claimed to have taken. She is assigned to go thru them in an attempt to possibly have a showing of these wonderful pictures. The photos become an obsession with her when she recognizes herself in one of them and also places where she grew up.

As the story progresses and her obsession grows she withdraws from her friends and co-workers. The ending was a bit of a shock for me. If you decide to read this book please let me know if you figured things out before the end. It took me a while to start wondering!

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

What was I thinking when I picked up this book to read next ---after finishing Mary? I had just said that 700 pages was entirely too long. Well, this book came very close to that with 670+.

I stumbled upon Nelson DeMille a few years ago when I listened to his books Wild Fire and Night Fall. I loved the sarcastic sense of humor in his characters. This book was no different.

The Gate House is about a man and woman who had divorced after she had an affair with a Mafia neighbor, who happened to be the client of her husband. She ends up shooting the Mafia man when he tells her he doesn't love her, and it was just about the sex. Fast forward 10 years when the husband and wife are reunited at the deathbed of another neighbor and things start to progress from there. The slain man's son has taken over the "business" and is seeking revenge to show his power and control.

The husband/wife team start to realize they've never stopped loving each other, and he does everything in his power to protect her. Throw in a pair of in-laws that detest him, his mother who drives him crazy, a meddling priest and a killer out to get them and you've got a great ride!

Interestingly enough, as I was searching for the titles I listened to on tape I found out The Gate House is a follow-up to the book published in 1990 titled The Gold Coast. So maybe if you think The Gate House sounds interesting you might want to start with The Gold Coast! Happy Reading!

Mary by Janis Cooke Newman

Mary was a great book. I have to admit it was a bit daunting when I picked it up. After all it is over 700 pages long and it took me a week and half to finish. That was hard. I'm used to reading 2 or 3 books a week.

Mary tells the fictional account of Mary Todd Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln has long been a favorite president of mine. I think mostly because I've always loved the fact that he was determined to read anything and everything that he would go to great extents to get books to read. I truly admire that and would like to think that I would have been the same way.

I was totally unaware of any information on his wife. She apparently suffered from mental illnesses. This book tells of how after President Lincoln was killed how her oldest son committed her to an insane asylum. The story goes back and forth between her stay at the asylum and her married life with Mr. Lincoln and her sons. I also learned how he suffered from a type of depression throughout most of his life.

The book flowed wonderfully and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep in mind that it is fiction and should be read as such. I have not yet done any further research on the true facts of Mrs. Lincoln's life, but hope to do so soon. We will be discussing this book in my book discussion group and am anxious to see what the response is of my members. I'm hoping it will be at least half and half. I know some really do not like fiction based on true stories, but I'm sure there will be some who have just read it and enjoyed the story. We shall see!

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake was a surprise to me. I really didn't think I'd like it. Just recently we read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, a winner of the Booker Award, for our book discussion and it was a very difficult read. So of course, when I realized the Namesake was of an Indian culture too, I thought, "Oh, here we go again!" I was pleasantly surprised. Lahiri is able to write in a flowing manner.

The book tells a story of a family who moved to America from their homeland of India and began to form their own roots here. The parents retain many of the traditional values and rituals of their homeland while beginning to incorporate American traditions and holidays into their lives for their children's sake. The book follows Gogol thru his life and the ups and downs that come with being "different" in a foreign land, even though I feel he leans more toward the American way of life than the Indian culture of his parents.

In the past several years I have become very interested in reading books about foreign lands. They have to be fiction and I know that many things in there may not be all factual, but I get a feel for what it is like there without reading those dry non-fiction titles. I admit I am a FICTION kind of girl! I would recommend this book to others and would even read more things from this author.

We plan, as a group, to get together and watch the movie and compare it with the book.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Well, what can I say about this book? I chose this book for one of my book discussion groups and thought it was time for us to read a "classic" again. I'm not sure this was the right choice, but I got thru it.

Mrs. Dalloway is about Clarissa Dalloway and one day in her life. She has planned a party for the evening and we hear about her day and how it progresses to days end with the culmination of the party. Throughout the book you meet many people. Some of those you like and some you don't. Some you don't even care about. I would say to me the most interesting characters were Septimus Warren Smith and his wife Lucrezia.

This book was very hard to read. I find it difficult to get thru a book without chapters and this book didn't have any separations at all for the whole 194 pages. Also, there isn't much dialogue. It is mostly descriptions. The thing that bothered me most was that often you did not know whose point of view the story was coming from because of the lack of any kind of separation. I went thru the SparkNotes so I could at least keep everything straight. It helped tremendously.

The consensus with the book club was that it wasn't that great for them either. One woman did finish it and the other didn't.

Hurricane by Karen Harper

I've found a new author I like. I love it when I do that--especially when there are several titles that I can read right in a row.

Hurricane was very action packed. It's the kind of fast paced thriller that I love. It has suspense and a little love interest thrown in for good measure.

I have to admit that hurricanes fascinate me. I can't imagine going thru one, but I often think about seeing the ocean right before one hits. The beach to me is paradise. As a matter of fact, I finished this book last night and I dreamed of being on a beach. If only it were true because right now looking out the window snowflakes are falling.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Wow! What a book! I usually don't pick up children's fiction or even young adult fiction unless one of my children is reading it or I want them to read it, but this book has interested me for a long time now. It's the winner of the Caldecott award and well deserving of it!

The story is of a young orphaned boy who is left by his uncle to maintain clocks in the train station while he goes off to who knows where. The boy keeps the clocks in order hoping no one realizes his uncle is gone and has been for awhile. The boy has a few remnants of his fathers--one being a notebook of drawings and an automaton his father was trying to repair. He is determined to make it work which takes him on adventures thru the train station and into the surrounding neighborhoods. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens in the end!

I have to say though, the coolest part of the book is the illustrations. They are fantastic. Much of the 500+ pages are illustrations which makes for a quick read but well worth the time! If you get a chance to read it, let me know what you think!

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The other weekend I was home and had nothing to read. This is so unusual. I work at a library-- how is it there is nothing in my bag? Well I had brought home a copy of the Good Earth for my son because he was reading one of Buck's children's titles and thought hey he might like this. Well, needless to say, once he saw how big it was that was out the door.

Anyway, I picked it up. I just have to say I loved it. It was a selection I had to read in high school and had at the time thought it was a decent book. It had stayed with me thru the years--at least the fact that I had read it. This time through though was different.


It is a novel set in China starting out with a son who lives with his father on land that they own. It would seem that was the most of their possessions. The son is finally ready to start a family, but with little money and possessions his father had to go to the great house in the city and purchase a slave for him to be his wife. She was kind and a hard worker. She produced three sons for him and 2 daughters. He was satisfied with her.

He loved his land and wanted to expand his possessions. After many trials and almost starvation he was eventually able to. As life goes, money sometimes creates new problems and the rest of the book describes how he was able to amass wealth but the problems that came with it.

It truly was an amazing book. I couldn't put it down.

Welcome

Welcome to my new journey! I am going to try to keep this up to date and hope someone out there finds it useful. I love to read! I read every chance I get.