Grab a Book & Play Booktivity! discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
What Are You Reading?
>
Where is your Bookmark?
All of them are text.Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa
(Read Aloud) Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard by Mawi Asgedom
Haunted Hamlet by Kathi Daley
Zoe Donovan series Book #9
2.5★'s
When a ghost hunter is found dead in a haunted house just days before Halloween it looks like the killer may be living impaired. Zoe must juggle the annual Zoe Donovan Spooktacular with zombies on the run, the annual pumpkin carving contest, a haunted hayride, a relationship in crisis, and a little behind the scenes investigation.
It was okay. Anyone that just wants a story for Halloween will find that this is adequate. I found the "investigation" unbelievable...unrealistic ... and on many levels, non-existent. The supposedly haunted house wasn't even scary. The police must have really been incompetent idiots to let this woman and her friends investigate as if she was the only one with sense enough to do so. It did have some cute dogs and a fun sounding Halloween carnival...other than that it was a mediocre story.
Mod
TEXT –
Karma by Cathy OstlereAUDIO in the car –
Drums of Autumn by Diana GabaldonMP3 Player AUDIO –
The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg
With Malice by Eileen Cook - 3 Stars
Her trip to Italy was supposed to be the time of her life, but Jill wakes up in the hospital with her leg in a cast and remembering nothing of the last 6 weeks.
Jill's wealthy father has had her transported from Italy to the US for the best medical care. Jill soon finds out that she was in an accident, one that the Italian government thinks wasn't so accidental.
Jill struggles to remember the events that happened in Italy and hopes that her memory isn't correct.
I kept waiting for some big twist or shocking moment in this book and it never came. It sort of slugged on throughout the story and ended on a bland note.
The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau
The Book of Ember Book #3
2.5
It’s 50 years before the settlement of the city of Ember, and the world is in crisis. War looms on the horizon as 11-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town’s respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. Her garbled words are taken as prophetic instruction on how to avoid the coming disaster. If only they can be interpreted correctly.
I needed a book for a challenge and my reading buddy, Brian, needed a book for a school book report so we decided to read this one together. Brian loved it but I found the story started well but fell flat before I even got to the middle. One of the biggest faults I found with the book was the lack of plot development. I can't be too critical though. It gave me my challenge book and gave Brian a great adventure.
Little Girl Gone by Gerry SchmittAfton Tangler series Book # 1
3★'s
On a frozen night in an affluent Minneapolis neighborhood, a baby is abducted from her home after her teenage babysitter is violently assaulted. The parents are frantic, the police are baffled, and, with the perpetrator already in the wind, the trail is getting colder by the second. As family liaison officer with the Minneapolis P.D., it’s Afton Tangler’s job to deal with the emotional aftermath of terrible crimes—but she’s never faced a case quite as brutal as this. Each development is more heartbreaking than the last and the only lead is a collection of seemingly unrelated clues. But, most disturbing of all, Afton begins to suspect that this case is not isolated. Whoever did this has taken babies before—and if Afton doesn’t solve this crime soon, more children are sure to go missing.
I thought the writing style seemed more than just familiar and then I learned that Gerry Schmitt also writes as Laura Childs. Family liaison officer, Afton Tangler is assisting Susan and her husband with their trauma of their missing 3 month old baby girl, Elizabeth Anne. It was a small thing... but it bothered me that as the search for the child continues...Afton...the key character in this sad and sometimes depressing story...finds that she needs to inset the comment that the lead FBI agent in the case is “tall and lanky with steel gray hair and warm brown eyes the color of precious amber.” This, and other pronouncements by Afton concerning the agent takes the story from a well told mystery and crime novel, to a romance in almost the blink of an eye. I wish the author had kept to the this tale that she had started so well. I guess readers who don’t mind gratuitous injections of romance into a grim and disturbing plot line will just overlook it and read on.
What She Knew by Gilly MacMillian
3★
In a heartbeat, everything changes…Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes. Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.
As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most. Where is Ben? The clock is ticking.
This is a realistic page-turner...almost too realistic. You feel as though you are in the middle of the investigation...complete with blogs and Facebook posts. I gained a great deal of sympathy for the family to which this unimaginable crime has happened. It had a good story line and excellent characters but was just a little too long and became bogged down at times with all the transcripts. While there was little new ground broken with the missing child scenario... when it is done reasonably well...as this one is...you have a very reliable book.
Quick & Dirty by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series Book #43
3★
When a slam-bang of a crime brings a beautiful new client into Stone Barrington’s office, little does he know his association with her will pull him into a far more serpentine mystery in the exclusive world of art. It’s a business where a rare find could make a career—and a collection—and mistakes in judgment are costly. And under its genteel and high-minded veneer lurks an assortment of grifters and malfeasants eager to cash in on the game. In the upscale world of New York City’s luxury penthouses and grand Hamptons estates, it will take a man of Stone Barrington’s careful discernment and well-honed instincts to get to the truth without ruffling the wrong feathers...because when it comes to priceless and irreplaceable works of art, the money and reputations at stake are worth killing for.
Everyone in this series is richer than God, more beautiful and sexy than anyone that Hollywood ever dreamed of...and always right. Just once I'd like to see one of the main characters have to go to the bank and beg and offer their first born to get a loan. I didn't particularly care for this one as I'm not really interested in the art world but I did rather enjoy watching Stone and the cops chasing after the fake Van Gogh that was always one step ahead of them throughout the entire book. It was a quick read and not a waste of time by any means.
Blood Brother by Jack (J.A.) Kerley
Carson Ryder series Book #4
4.5★
Carson Ryder is the homicide detective with a hidden secret that could destroy his career.These brothers have murder in their veins. Detective Carson Ryder's sworn duty is to track killers down.Hes never revealed the fact that his brother. Jeremy. is one of Americas most notorious killers - now imprisoned.Secretly. Ryder has used Jeremy's homicidal insight to solve cases.Hes made a career out of it.Now his brother has escaped and is at large in New York.With Jeremy the chief suspect in a series of horrifying mutilation-murders. a mysterious video demands Ryder be brought into help.It looks like a straightforward manhunt.It couldn't be more different - or more terrifying.A dangerous cat-and-mouse game develops between Jeremy and the NYPD.
If you like gritty, sometimes gruesome murder novels this entire series will satisfy the "blood lust". This one explored more the love/hate relationship between Carson the detective... and Jeremy...his killer, formally imprisoned, brother. The entire Carson family has secrets that they are more than happy to have stay hidden but were bound to come to light. In many ways it was a lot like Silence of the Lambs. It's twisted tale...for lack of a better word...but you must read on to discover all the surprising revelations which this reader hopes will be built on in the next book.
Mod
TEXT –
The Making of the President 1960 / Theodore H. WhiteAUDIO in the car –
All Creatures Great and Small / James HerriotMP3 Player AUDIO –
A Piece of the World / Christina Baker Kline
As of 11.07.2017I am reading Where Night Stops by Douglas Light. I got a PDF of this to read and review in advance for Douglas to help promote the book. I'm nearing-ish the halfway point. My review will hopefully come in the next week or so, but I am going to be very busy, so I can't may any promises.
The publication date, as of right now, is January 16th, 2018 .
Deep Freezeby John Sandford
Virgil Flowers Series Book #10
5★'s
Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota, a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt—and as it turned out, homicidal—local school board, and now the town’s back in view with more alarming news: A woman’s been found dead, frozen in a block of ice. There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty years ago that has a mid-winter reunion coming up, and so, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into twenty years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say: High school is murder.
The character of Virgil Flowers began his "career" in the Davenport series and has taken on a persona all his own. He's smarter than he wants people to believe he is...he's methodical in his investigations...hanging on like a dog with it's favorite bone until he gets his suspect...and he takes the reader right along with him page after page. I have never been disappointed with anything that John Sandford produced in either of these series.
Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth
3★'s
A hauntingly beautiful and shocking psychological thriller in the vein of the bestselling novels of Tana French—a darkly compelling story of secrets between two teenage friends in a small English town. Ashworth already has created great buzz in the U.K. thanks to her stunning debut novel, A Kind of Intimacy, winner of the prestigious Betty Trask Award, and now Cold Light places her in elite literary company—alongside Laura Lippman, Kate Atkinson, and other acclaimed masters of intelligent, emotionally powerful mystery and suspense. An unforgettable tale of friendship and memory—and the shattering truth behind a forgotten dead body newly unearthed.
What can I say about this story? I guess the best description is that it's the sad story of teenage friendship gone wrong in the most devastating way. How well can we really know a person? Annie convinces herself that her neighbor is in love with her. Annie...like the majority of the characters... live largely within their own heads. Following the death of a teenager, a reconstruction process is under way to work out exactly what happened. The search for the truth peels back so many layers that the reader finds themselves asking "is there a real person inside?" I believe the biggest problem I had with the book is that I just didn’t like Annie or feel much compassion for what she and the others were going through as a consequence of their own making.
November 8, 2017 Currently reading: TEXT -
LaRose by Louise Erdrich--for a library book club and loving her writing as usual...Personal AUDIO -
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman--just because I love her writing, too...I guess this is a prequel to
Practical Magic
Random Harvest by James Hilton
This is a very good story.... it's completely readable and well constructed. It is a tale of lost identity due to shell shock in the last world war. The main character has become a successful industrialist but has a two year gap in his memory. His personal life has remained detached and almost unnaturally unemotional but he continually seeks clues to those missing years. The reader gets his story in a series of flashbacks as one phase after another is revealed. There is an element of suspense...of mystery...of romance...which when all combined makes for memorable story.
Paranormal Intruder by Caroline Mitchell
3.5 ★
The book certainly gets you attention. It's an entertaining story rather you are a believer...a totally absolutely no way disbeliever....or a maybe it could happen, individual. I love haunted house stories...so I was just wanting to be entertained, but since Caroline Mitchell wrote and published the book as a real life experience for her family...I had to ask some questions about the events. Okay... all of a sudden they had this uninvited guest raising hell in their home...didn't they for one minute consider this "thing" to be dangerous? Instead they tried to communicate with it in a variety of ways. It knocked, growled, threw things, constantly rang their cell phones, followed them around, and set fires... and generally made life truly unbearable. They left the house, BUT... they kept returning. They even invited it to the local pub where it knocked, raised tables and followed them home. Didn't DEMON ever enter their minds? No one would really help them try to get rid of it...not the church...not the investigators...everyone just wanted to see the activity and be entertained by it. It got to where they were playing games with whatever this was. This just didn't seem plausible to how anyone with this thing hanging out in their home would react. Never throughout the entire book did any one come close to telling them what it was...where it came from...or what it wanted. IF it was a true story, as was claimed, there remained too many questions and not enough answers.
And No Birds Sang by Farley Mowat4★'s
In July 1942, Farley Mowat was an eager young infantryman bound for Europe and impatient for combat. This powerful, true account of the action he saw, fighting desperately to push the Nazis out of Italy, evokes the terrible reality of war with an honesty and clarity fiction can only imitate. In scene after unforgettable scene, he describes the agony and antic humor of the soldier's existence: the tedium of camp life, the savagery of the front, and the camaraderie shared by those who have been bloodied in battle. The title paraphrases a line from a John Keats poem in which Farley quotes:
"O what can ail thee, Knight at arms,
Alone and palely loitering,
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing!"
I have always had great admiration for that generation who went to war and survived its horrors. This is a brutally honest account of what the author, Farley Mowat, witnessed and felt as his company went through Sicily and Italy in the allied invasions of 1943 and 1944. The book starts on a light and often humerus note with stories of his attempt to get into the army and the war, and some of the stories of his training in England. He finally goes into battle his mood and the mood of the book darkens as we witness the change that takes place within him and others he knew as they fought battle after battle ... after battle. The book is so well-written and even the letters that he sent home have such eloquence to them. May we never forget those dark days and may we have sense enough to never repeat them.
[Darkness Rising] by Lis Wiehl
East Salem Trilogy Book #2
3★
Dani Harris thought there wasn’t much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist in East Salem. And Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldn’t overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status. But as they race to uncover what’s really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrian’s Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. And now their focus is on making sure Dani and Tommy don’t interfere. When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not just murder and betrayal—but angels and demons.
I love stories of the paranormal...horror...demons but somehow this story just didn't present that eerie feeling that a good paranormal book delivers. I've read a lot of forensic science books and my degree involved a lot of biology...but even I found myself skimming over some of the medical/forensic terms. It could have been presented in terms that most readers would understand. I did like the story...I just wished the plot had come together better.
11/15/17 Currently reading:TEXT -
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant--for a library book club. Had to finish 3 books for this week, due to the upcoming holidays--think I'll make it!Personal AUDIO -
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck--highly recommended by a reading friend!AUDIO in the car -
Testimony by Scott Turow--too soon to tell if we'll stick with it!
The Jungle by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul
Oregon File Series Book #8
4.5★'s
Jungles come in many forms. There are the steamy rain forests of the Burmese highlands. There are the lies and betrayals of the world of covert operations. And there are the dark and twisted thoughts of a man bent on near-global domination. To pull off their latest mission, Cabrillo and his remarkable men and women must survive them all. A devastating new weapon unleashed in thirteenth-century China . . . a daring rescue in the snowbound mountains along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border . . . a woman gone missing in the jungles of northern Thailand and Myanmar . . . for Cabrillo and company, all of these events will come together—leading to the greatest threat against U.S. security that the country has ever known.
The story is drawn with colorful word pictures of the surroundings...the jungle... the water travel... and the cast of characters. There are bizarre and unlikely puzzles that keep the reader on the edge until the very last word...and the last word is uttered by a surprising guest. Overall a perfect addition to this amazing series.
Red Lily by Nora Roberts
In The Garden series Book #3
3★
A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…
Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn’t looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she’s ever had—including Roz’s son Harper. To Hayley’s chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper—as much more than a friend. If Hayley gives in to her desire, she’s afraid the foundation she’s built with Harper will come tumbling down. And that wouldn’t be the only consequence, since her dreams are tangled up with Roz and the nursery. Hayley will have to put the past behind her to know her own heart again—and to decide whether she’s willing to risk it
Romances are not my favorite or even second favorite genre but my mother had the book and she said I should try it. You know you should do what your mother says...right? It wasn't a terrible book or even a bad book...it just wasn't my type of book. I did find parts of it that caught and held my interest. The last part of the book seemed to ramble a bit...or in all fairness it could have just been me. Overall it was an entertaining read but if I hadn't needed a book that fit a category for a challenge I probably wouldn't have pick this up..but isn't that the whole point of a challenge?
Mod
TEXT –
The Xibalba Murders / Lyn HamiltonAUDIO in the car –
The Good Lord Bird / James McBrideMP3 Player AUDIO –
The Lost City of the Monkey God / Douglas Preston
All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
2★'s
I believe I am in the minority one this one. I just couldn't get into it after the first few chapters.
It begins in the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut, where everything seems picture perfect. Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, struggles to pretend this horrific event did not touch her carefully constructed world. As Tom and Charlotte seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them
I read a lot of real crime books as well as really gritty non-fiction books so I know it wasn't the violent rape that earned this book a 2 star rating. Actually that was the most interesting part of the entire book. The parents were so divided on the "treatment" that their young daughter received...a drug that would make her forget that the rape ever happened. I strongly believe it was more for the mother's benefit but the father didn't have enough backbone to say "no". Then most of the remainder of the book was an account by the psychiatrist that went on and on. I lost any interest in the book before the half way mark.
Watching Edie by Camilla Way
4★'s
An interesting psychological portrait of two girls who become very complicated women. Their relationship has already unraveled when they were teens, but years later it had a forced reconstruction when their individual needs emerge. Both characters took turns telling their story from their own perspective. I began to like one more and one less as the story progressed. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt too afraid to stand up to a bully or to defend a friend.
The Midnight Line by Lee Child
Jack Reacher series Book #23
5 ★'s
Jack Reacher just wants to return a ring that he found in a pawn shop in a small town in South Dakota. The owner had been a West Point graduate and Jack knows she wouldn't have just given it up without a good reason. Little does he know that following the ring's trail was going to involve him in a bigger more deadly scheme.
I am a big fan of the Jack Reacher series in spite of the 'Tom Cruise is not Reacher" debate. The character of Jack Reacher has always been a loner and because of that most of the time becomes suspect where ever he goes. This time he not only was accepted by the local law but he manages to not upset the apple cart too much, He shows a lot of compassion and understanding for this wounded 5 time Iraq veteran and even bent some of his most basic rules for her. Long time Reacher fans will find this an outstanding addition to the series and new readers will diffidently want more.
[The Wasp Factory] by Iain Banks
4.5★
"I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me."
Those lines begin one of the creepiest Scottish characters and novels that I have read in some time. Frank Cauldhame, is a weird and scary 16 year old who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly "Sacrifice Poles" to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory. Those that choose to push their luck soon find that any luck they had had run out. If the author was going for shock value he achieved it with flying colors creating characters carrying out some really sick and violent acts... the ultimate dysfunctional family. This book is NOT for the faint of heart or stomach.
The Death Sculptor by Chris Carter
Robert Hunter series Book #4
4.5 ★
A student nurse has the shock of her life when she discovers her patient, prosecutor Derek Nicholson, brutally murdered in his bed. The act seems senseless - Nicholson was terminally ill with only weeks to live. But what most shocks Detective Robert Hunter is the calling card the killer left behind.
This is the 4th book in the Robert Hunter series which follows the investigations of a unique squad of the Los Angeles Police Dept. Just as I thought Chris Carter couldn’t get any more twisted and gruesome along comes this addition to the series...The Death Sculptor. The serial killer is the stuff of nightmares which challenges all of Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia's skills. An added plus for the book is that the reader uncovers a little bit more about Robert’s past...and we are introduced to Alice who is brought in to assist the team in tracking down this killer. The plot line was a little unbelievable, although I'm sure there is some evil piece of humanity out there that probably could accomplish this. At any rate it makes for a disturbing but entertaining police procedural with a total surprise at the end. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Supernaturals II: In The Still of The Night by David L. Golemon
Supernatural series Book #2
4.5★
Five years ago, the ghost-hunting Supernaturals disbanded after being accused of faking their footage of the haunting at Summer Place. Now, the eccentric, but brilliant, team of scientists and paranormal experts are being asked to join forces once again― this time to save the President.
I read the first book in the series...[The Supernaturals]...and found it to be one of the best haunted house stories that I had ever read. The way the book ended though I wasn't sure that it was meant to be a series so when [Supernaturals II: In the Still of the Night] came out I was overjoyed to say the least. All the team with all their "ghost hunting talents" were back together...but they didn't have quiet the same pizzazz that the first book had. This one is sometimes a little hard to follow but the story in itself in intriguing. Anyone that craves haunted house and ghost stories as I do will be thrilled with this offering. I do sincerely hope there will be a third one.
End Game by David Baldacci
Will Robie series Book #5
5★
Will Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive. They're the ones the government calls in when the utmost secrecy is required to take out those who plot violence and mass destruction against the United States. And through every mission, one man has always had their backs: their handler, code-named Blue Man. But now, Blue Man is missing.
Last seen in rural Colorado, Blue Man had taken a rare vacation to go fly fishing in his hometown when he disappeared off the grid. With no communications since, the team can't help but fear the worst. Sent to investigate, Robie and Reel arrive in the small town of Grand to discover that it has its own share of problems. A stagnant local economy and a woefully understaffed police force have made this small community a magnet for crime, drugs, and a growing number of militant fringe groups. Robie and Reel find themselves up against an adversary with superior firepower and a home-court advantage, they'll be lucky if they make it out alive, with or without Blue Man .
Assassins Will Robie and Jessica Reel are forced to become detectives to solve a baffling disappearance. They are clearly out of their element but know that the country depends on the return of the man known as "Blue Man". The citizens of the small town of Grand, Colorado have issues with strangers asking questions. Both Robie and Reel have stumbled into a vast conspiracy that will probably get them killed. To make matters all the worse they are having personal issues. Robie has fallen in love with Reel. Never a good idea in their line of work. As always, an excellent book from a truly talented author. David Baldacci has been one of my very favorites from his first book on and that has certainly not changed. Another excellent series.
Nov 30, 2017 Currently reading:TEXT -
Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City by Kate Winkler Dawson--heard the author speak at the Texas Book Festival and couldn't wait to read itAUDIO in the car -
American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World by David Baron--recommended by a fellow book club memberPersonal AUDIO -
I See You by Clare Mackintosh--just for the fun of it!
Lie to MeLie To Me by J.T. Ellison
4.5★'s
“You aren’t going to like me very much”...that is the opening sentence. Intriguing so lets's find out who and why that is referring to. Problem is that we never really defined that character. Also at the start we meet Ethan who seems to have been blindsided by the death of his son and his wife’s disappearance. Every time I convinced myself he was completely innocent, something else came to light that made me question myself. There are multiple points of view in this story and each one just adds to the mystery. This is an engrossing physiological thriller that had so many twists and turns. I had no idea how this would end but I have to admit I was amazed with the jaw dropping conclusion. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good domestic mystery or has read and enjoyed Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door.
Mod
TEXT –
Rio Grande Fall by Rudolfo AnayaAUDIO in the car –
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. VanceMP3 Player AUDIO –
Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick
The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
5★'s
When Richard Paul Evans wrote The Christmas Box, he intended it as a private expression of love for his two young daughters, Jenna and Allyson. Though he often told them that he loved them, he didn't feel that they could ever really understand the depth of his feelings until they had experienced the joy of rearing their own children, and by that time their relationship would have changed forever. In writing The Christmas Box, he hoped that at some time in the future they would read the book and know of their father's love.
As Evans began to write, he was amazed at the inspiration that flowed into his mind and heart. He completed the moving story of a widow and the young family who comes to live with her in less than six weeks, and bound twenty copies to give as Christmas presents to family and friends. In the following weeks, those twenty copies were shared and passed along from family to family, from friend to friend, and what began as a tale for two little girls became a message of miracles, hope, and healing for people throughout the world.
This story is so relevant to this day when people tend to chose work over family. It points out how it can affect family life… how important it is to focus on our family and make sure that we spend time with them…in a nutshell, just how short life really is. The memories of Christmas that they share in the story are all so real. There are very few books that can capture that much emotion… especially in a story of only twelve chapters. However…in those twelve chapters, you manage to get frustrated, angry but feel the love all at the same time. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a good Christmas read. This is also on DVD and it is equally as good.
Haunted by James Patterson & James O. Born
Det. Michael Bennett series Book #10
Detective Michael Bennett is ready for a vacation after a series of crises push him, and his family, to the brink. He settles on an idyllic, small town in the beautiful Maine woods, a recommendation from a former colleague. But just when Bennett thinks he can relax, he gets pulled into a case that has shocked the tight-knit community. Kids are disappearing left and right with no explanation-until several bodies turn up in the woods. As Bennett investigates, he discovers that the seemingly perfect town is reeling from a deadly addiction, and the violence is about to reach a fever pitch. Far from the city streets he knows so well, Bennett faces off against a horrific evil next door that threatens a town, the law, and the family that Bennett loves above all else.
Other than the Alex Cross series, this is the only other Patterson series that I really like. i started reading it because it was about a large Irish family which I certainly know a great deal about from personal experience. The family has eleven children, a live in Irish nanny who has become a love interest to widower Detective Michael Bennett, and Seamus, Michael's 85 year old grandfather and a well respected priest. It's an unbelievable, perfect family...a bit "too" perfect. There is always a murder or something that Michael is investigating so that levels the playing field. Anyone that wants a police procedural without a lot of grit or violence will enjoy meeting the Bennett family.
The Whispering Room by Dean KoontzJane Hawke series Book #2
3★
"No time to delay. Do what you were born to do. Fame will be yours when you do this."
These are the words that ring in the mind of mild-mannered, beloved schoolteacher Cora Gundersun--just before she takes her own life, and many others', in a shocking act of carnage. When the disturbing contents of her secret journal are discovered, it seems certain that she must have been insane. But Jane Hawk knows better. In the wake of her husband's inexplicable suicide--and the equally mysterious deaths of scores of other exemplary individuals--Jane picks up the trail of a secret cabal of powerful players who think themselves above the law and beyond punishment. But these ruthless people bent on hijacking America's future for their own monstrous ends never banked on a highly trained FBI agent willing to go rogue--and become the nation's most wanted fugitive--in order to derail their insidious plans to gain absolute power with a terrifying technological breakthrough.
I was a die hard Dean Koontz fan for years. I loved his spooky, otherworldly novels...then along came the "Odd Thomas" series. it was a bit different but still retained the qualities that I read Koontz novels for. Now we have the "Jane Hawke" series. It would probably be a great series...by any other author. It's not badly written...it's not an unbelievable storyline...the characters are not unlikable...it just isn't the Dean Koontz that I had grown to love that penned novels like [The Servants of Twilight]...[Lightening]... [Watchers]...and so very many, many more.
Proof by Dick Francis
3.25★
Wine merchant Tony Beach has expertly catered his latest society soiree, but the fun's over when a team of hit men crash the party…literally. The event leaves Tony with a bitter aftertaste of suspicion and sets off a mystery that's an intoxicating blend of deception, intrigue, and murder.
I can't say anything bad about this book. It had all the qualities for a good mystery... deception, intrigue, and murder. I guess the thing I had the most problem with was the combination of the liquor, horse racing, and the murder at the beginning of the book. When you go back and take it all in I have to admit that it was a very complex plot. The author did a commendable job of almost tying all the loose ends up and offering some excitement at the end that the book had mostly lacked throughout. If you like mysteries a little on the cozy side...you should really like this book.
Typhoon Fury by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison
Oregon Files series Book #12
4.5★
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon sail into a perfect storm of danger when they try to stop a new world war. Hired to search for a collection of paintings worth half a billion dollars, Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon soon find themselves in much deeper waters. The vicious leader of a Filipino insurgency is not only using them to finance his attacks, he has stumbled upon one of the most lethal secrets of World War II: a Japanese-developed drug, designed, but never used, to turn soldiers into super-warriors. To stop him, the Oregon must not only take on the rebel commander, but a South African mercenary intent on getting his own hands on the drug, a massive swarm of torpedo drones targeting the U.S. Navy, an approaching mega-storm, and, just possibly, a war that could envelop the entire Asian continent.
There are two things a reader is always guaranteed when picking up an Oregon Files book...excitement and an excellent, and entertaining read. [Typhoon Fury offers both of these elements in spades. The way Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon go after their mission like a force of nature itself. The bad guys are numerous...sometimes almost too numerous...and at one point there are actually three factions vying for "Typhoon". Although at times it seems the story is off balance...just hang in there reader and go along for the ride. You diffidently won't be sorry.
The Passenger by F.R. Tallis
3.5★'s
1941. A German submarine, U-471, patrols the stormy inhospitable waters of the North Atlantic. It is commanded by Siegfried Lorenz, a maverick SS officer who does not believe in the war he is bound by duty and honor to fight in. U-471 receives a triple-encoded message with instructions to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest—and a British submarine commander, Sutherland, and a Norwegian academic, Professor Bjornar Grimstad, are taken on board. Sutherland goes rogue, and a series of shocking, brutal events occur. In the aftermath, disturbing things start happening on the boat. It seems that a lethal, supernatural force is stalking the crew, wrestling with Lorenz for control. A thousand feet under the dark, icy waves, it doesn't matter how loud you scream.
It's a good story and the events that unfold will leave the reader guessing about the two "passengers". I found this to not be actually about a supernatural happening but a much more subtle and intriguing story that focuses more on the boat’s crew and the psychological stresses of war...especially a war that you are confined in a "tin can" far below the ocean surface. I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been more focus on the supernatural element. Not a bad book by any means and well worth the time to read it...just don't expect any ghost of ghoulies to appear. This is also on DVD under the title U-471
The Bird Box by Josh Malerman
4★'s
Something is out there . .. Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from. Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster? Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?
One of my biggest problems with this story is that we never actually get to see the "unfathomable thing" that tears one’s mind apart nor do we even find out what it was. That was a bit disappointing that we had had work our imaginations overtime and still not know if we were right. On a positive note the character of Malorie was ingenious. The world is ending, everyone she knew and loved is dead, and now she finds that she is pregnant. From that moment until she finally gets the courage to leave her haven for the past four years her plan was to survive and to see that her twins survived any way she possible could. [Bird Box] is not quiet on the order of Stephen King's It but it's very close. A good physiological...sometimes really scary read.
Don’t Say A Word by Beverly Barton
4★'s
One by one, they will die. He has waited patiently, planning their final moments. Their tortured screams, their pleas for mercy--all will be in vain. Homicide detective Julia Cass has witnessed plenty of crime scenes. But the murder of a Chattanooga judge is shocking in its brutality. Teamed with FBI agent Will Brannock, Julia delves into an investigation that soon unearths more bodies--all mutilated in the same way, all left with a gruesome souvenir of a killer's ruthless rage. The only way to stop the slaughter is to predict the next victim. But when you're dealing with vengeance at its most ruthless, one wrong move can make you a target. . .and the next word you utter could be your last.
I could have done without the author making Will Brannock…an otherwise smart and good detective…such a conceited, “God’s gift to women” playboy. I have read everything that Beverly Barton wrote but this reads like it was written by someone else and her name put on it. I will overlook the inconsistencies in the writing style since I know that it was the last book that she wrote before she died. However as a result much of the character development was sadly lacking and the ending was abrupt. I gave it 4 stars because of the wonderful relationship I had over the years with this author.
P.S. I found out that someone else had finished the book after Beverly Barton's death.
The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson
4★'s
Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations? Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet. But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.
It’s a delightful, heartwarming story about how something as small as a dog can enter our lives and offer friendship, comfort and love. One truly outstanding aspect of this story is the excellent, detailed development of the main character, Betty. You will feel sympathy for her plight and at the same time she will drive you crazy. The author manages to bring all of the characters into the plot and connect their lives. This book is definitely a keeper.
Nightrise by Jim Kelly
Phillip Dryden series Book #6
3★'s
Journalist Philip Dryden is shocked to be informed by police that his father has been killed in a car accident – he drowned during the fenland floods of 1977, 35 years before. At the same time, two unrelated cases are demanding Dryden’s professional attention: a body riddled with bullets found hanging in the middle of a lettuce field, and a couple protesting that the local council has buried their baby daughter in a pauper’s grave without permission. As Dryden pieces the clues together, he realizes that the three cases may be related after all.
I found the book to be rather "dry" compared to the first five books in this series. It was almost as if there were too many plots that the author was trying to connect. I did find the mystery of Phillip's father very intriguing. Too bad that the story wasn't build entirely around that link.
The Return by Sharon Sala
4★'s
As a legacy of hatred erupts in a shattering moment of violence, a dying mother entrusts her newborn daughter to a caring stranger…. Now, twenty-five years later, Katherine Fane has come home to Camarune, Kentucky, to bury the woman who raised her, bringing a blood feud to its searing conclusion. At the cabin in the woods where she was born, Katherine is drawn to the ravaged town and its violent past. But her arrival has not gone unnoticed. A stranger is watching from the woods, a shattered old man is witnessing the impossible, and Sheriff Luke DePriest's only thoughts are to keep Katherine safe from the sleeping past she has unwittingly awoken.
It's not what I really was expecting but I wasn't disappointed or sorry that I kept reading. It was smoothly written with the main characters being likable and believable. Even the towns people had their moments in the sun. All of the characters aroused emotions from pity, to exasperation mixed with shades of the Hatfield's and McCoy's. Overall an excellent read producing it's own kind of suspense.
The Moon Tunnel by Jim Kelly
Phillip Dryden series Book # 3
3★'s
"The man in the moon tunnel stops and listens to the night above, shivering despite the sweat which trickles into his ears, making the drums flutter like the beat of pigeons' wings.". This is the opening sentence in the book that serves to beckons the reader to move further into the Moon Tunnel.
Journalist Philip Dryden is doing a story on an archaeological dig at the site of a WWII POW camp. More is found than artifacts when a tunnel is uncovered containing the skeleton of a man who had been shot in the forehead. What makes it more unusual it that he had been traveling toward the camp rather than escaping from it...thus beginning the story of murder...artifacts... and family secrets. Where the plot line was intriguing, the story was difficult to keep up with as there was so much back story written in italics that seemingly went on page after page. If the reader can preserver it does come to a satisfying conclusion.
The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
4★'s
A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach. The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California. None of it is familiar.
What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes, and if so, why doesn't he remember? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him - beginning with the police that kick in the door of his dingy motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night. All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself. But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?
The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayesis one of those books where it's hard... actually maybe impossible...to say much about it without revealing a few key plot points so I will try to be very selective here. Much of the suspense generated by the narrative comes from Daniel believing that he has experienced a recent traumatic event that has caused him to block his memory of the past. You, the reader, quickly suspect there is much more to it. As Daniel begins his search for himself and the story behind his bizarre predicament you will always find yourself rooting for Daniel in spite of what the various law enforcement agencies believe. His journey makes for an entertaining...intriguing... fast-paced crime thriller.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
4.5 ★'s
Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences-and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined.
I had never read the book but the DVD..."Christmas With The Kranks' that is based on this book has been and remains one of my favorite holiday offerings for years. Skipping Christmas is the only Grisham book that I have ever read with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers. It's a light-hearted, funny poke at the craziness we sometimes make of Christmas. Read the book or just watch the DVD...you won't regret it.
Closed Circle by Robert Goddard
5★'s
Targeting the beautiful daughter of a wealthy munitions dealer in the hopes of receiving a payoff from her father, scam artists Guy Horton and Max Wingate find their plan upset when Max really falls in love.
I've started to notice a reoccurring theme in Robert Goddard's books. A theme that provides for a fascinating, intriguing story with an array of believable characters with all too human qualities. They aren't always good guys but most have some redeeming qualities. The crimes committed in the past always come back to haunt the protagonists in the present. The Closed Circle was no exception...but what a story! Goddard is a master story teller and writes in such beautiful prose. The story sees our hero...Guy... stumble through twists and turns while uncovering truths that may turn out to be lies in the end. This is one of Goddard's very best. It's like watching a Hitchcock movie.
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
4★'s
For the past six months, Arthur Moses's days have looked the same: He tends to his rose garden and to Gordon, his cat, then rides the bus to the cemetery to visit his beloved late wife for lunch. Sometimes in the evening he'll take a walk and stop to chat with his nosy neighbor, Lucille. It's a quiet routine not entirely without its joys. The last thing Arthur would imagine is for one unlikely encounter to utterly transform his life.
Eighteen-year-old Maddy Harris is an introspective girl who often comes to the cemetery to escape the other kids at school and a life of loss. She's seen Arthur sitting there alone, and one afternoon she joins him—a gesture that begins a surprising friendship between two lonely souls. Moved by Arthur's kindness and devotion, Maddy gives him the nickname "Truluv." As Arthur's neighbor Lucille moves into their orbit, the unlikely trio bands together, helping one another, through heartache and hardships, to rediscover their own potential to start anew.
It's full of profound observations about life as well as being a beautiful and moving story of compassion in the face of loss...of the small acts that turn friends into family and of the possibilities to achieve happiness at any age. While Berg takes some improbable narrative turns, her well-drawn characters remain steadfast in the novel. You won't be able to resist the kindhearted Arthur, who believes that aging means the “abandoning of criticism and the taking on of compassionate acceptance." I thoroughly enjoyed my time with these people.
Watching The Ghosts by Kate Ellis
Joe Plantagent series Book #4
4.5★'s
Boothgate House has a sinister past. Once an asylum for the insane, serial killer Peter Brockmeister was sent there on his release from prison in 1978. Three years later, it closed, and Brockmeister died in mysterious circumstances. Solicitor Melanie Hawkes is investigating the suspicious events when her young daughter is kidnapped. Meanwhile, Boothgate House resident Lydia Brookes is burgled. And why is a paranormal researcher fascinated by the building’s basement? As Joe uncovers the appalling truth, he faces an evil that threatens those closest to him – and puts his own life in jeopardy.
Watching The Ghosts is an exciting story. There are plenty of viable suspects on hand besides the actual responsible parties to keep the reader guessing. The only problem that I had with the book was that there were a couple of events that just weren't carried through on. That being said I would like to say that there is plenty to like about the book. The paranormal theme is again present in the story line...and Joe seems to be coming to terms with whatever agenda he wishes to pursue since leaving the priesthood and joining the police. I guess the sum of it is that the mystery is convoluted but not confusing. Looking forward to what appears to be the last book in the series although I hope I'm wrong.
P.S. I found that there is another book that came out in 2015 called Walking By Night Book #5 . I am now a "happy camper."
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Grab a Book & Play Booktivity!
Books mentioned in this topic
Signature Kill (other topics)The Jefferson Key (other topics)
Friend Request (other topics)
The Charm School (other topics)
Hidden Figures (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nelson DeMille (other topics)Margot Lee Shetterly (other topics)
Nicole Krauss (other topics)
Daphne Sheldrick (other topics)
J.D. Vance (other topics)
More...
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (Non-Fiction)
4.5★'s
In the 1920s, the richest people per capi..."
I just finished listening to this and was surprised to learn this history of the Osage and the killings by white men to take away the oil rights inheritance of their Indian wives. Most interesting about the early "scientific" methods of the FBI and the young J. Edgar Hoover...