Books Read in May

[BJ]

Just finished reading Lisa Gardner's "Crash and Burn." I'm not sure if Lisa Gardner is just that good, or if I am just not that smart, but it always takes me longer to figure out what is going on in a Lisa Gardner mystery, than almost any other mystery author I read. I'm going with she is just that good! This is the third in the Tessa Leoni trilogy (so far!) and I'm hoping she will write more for this character. The first one was actually #5 in the D D Warren saga, but #1 for Tessa Leoni and D D makes a cameo in this book #3. Lisa Gardner is the queen of writing strong women characters who usually have had bad things happen to them at sometime in the past, but persevere. This is certainly true of Tessa and D D. This was an enjoyable, suspenseful read.

[Summer]

Well, it only took 5 months, but I finally checked out my first ebook from the library via OverDrive. LOL. I'm trying out Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire - it was recommended to me months ago.

[BJ]

Started and finished James Patterson's "NYPD Red 3" today. Excellent next installment in Patterson's NYPD Red series. Red is an elite unit of the NYPD. They protect and serve the rich and powerful in NYC. This begins with a beheading of a chauffeur for one of those rich families, with a suspected kidnapping of the 18-year-old son of that same family. Only the family is not cooperating, will not admit to the kidnapping, wants to handle it themselves. As usual this whole thing is so much more. Zach Jordan and partner Kylie MacDonald have their hands full with this case, as well as happenings in their personal lives. Quick and enjoyable read.

[Angel]

I finished a couple of books this week. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy--I technically read most of this in April, but I finished it on May 1, so here it is. LOL

And then I read this neat little book The Youngest Hero by Jerry B. Jenkins. What a great story! Just a nice read. I'm not sure which was the greater story: the young baseball prodigy finding his way to success, or the single mom raising her son through very tough times. Probably the latter. Jenkins just writes good STORIES. It's not formula writing. I always know when I open up one of his books I'm going to read something I've never seen before.

[Beth]

It's the end of the semester, so I have more reading time. Yay! I've already read three library books this month.

Pirate's Alley is the fourth book in Suzanne Johnson's Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. I really liked it, despite having to really dredge my memory for events from book three (which I read over a year ago).

The Mark of the Tala is one of those books that I probably wouldn't have read without the library. I'm so glad I did because I enjoyed it and plan to read the following two books in the trilogy. It's fantasy romance by Jeffe Kennedy (who I had never read before) and will likely appeal to fans of Grace Draven and CL Wilson.

Finally, I just finished Love, Hypothetically by Anne Tenino and it gave me all the feels. It's a second chance M/M novella and is part of her Theta Alpha Gamma series. I am pleasantly surprised at the selection of M/M romance one of my libraries has available in their ebook collection.

[Sandi]

Yesterday I finished listening to Accused by Lisa Scottoline. It's the first in a series, and I enjoyed it. I'm going to RT next week, so I'm taking time off from listening until after I get back!

[Angel]

Just finished The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. Another good addition to the Kane Chronicles. This guy has the magic touch (pun intended) for youth fiction.

[Adriana]

I've read 7 library books in May so far.



I'm up to 23 books in total which is almost half my goal for the year!

[Lea]

Finished and returned The Residence - which I recommend if you like a little gossip with your politics and White House history.

[BJ]

Today I finished "French Coast" by Anita Hughes. Love this author! This book starts in San Francisco where Serena is a editor at Vogue magazine, daughter of a retired U.S. Senator and engaged to be married to her "perfect match", Chase, who is ready to begin his campaign for mayor of San Francisco. The night that she accepts the engagement ring from Chase, she also tells him that her next assignment is in Cannes, interviewing the retired editor of French Vogue. Serena goes to Cannes where first, her reservations have been messed up and she has nowhere to stay until she is befriended by another woman she meets in the hotel bar. It is the story of finding love, losing love, and finding it again. I was very involved in this story and never wanted to put the book down. Excellent enjoyable read!

[Angel]

Just finished a cute little whodunnit: 52 Steps To Murder by Steve Demaree. Funny and clean. A quick read.

[BJ]

Angel wrote: "Just finished a cute little whodunnit: 52 Steps To Murder by Steve Demaree. Funny and clean. A quick read."

I have this one and a couple more by this author on my Kindle, some of the freebies I've found on Amazon. Good to know that it will be a good read! Thanks.

[BJ]

Ruth Reichl wrote a trio of memoirs. I read the first which was about her growing up years with her parents. Comfort Me With Apples is the second in this trio. I finished it today. This covers the period in her life, her marriage, beginning of her career, infidelities, divorce, remarriage, and a heartbreaking attempt at adoption of a little girl. When she writes about food, I get hungry and want to go in the kitchen and get cooking myself. Her writing style just draws you in and I found it really hard to put this book down. I felt she was very honest and didn't gloss over the things that put her in a bad light, or the parts that brought back heartbreak. I am definitely going to be checking out the third and final in this trio and soon. Excellent read.

[Angel]

Finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger. That's a little beyond my normal line of allowances. Excuse me while I go wash my brain out with soap....

[Angel]

Finished The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. You never know where he's going, do you?

[BJ]

Finished "Garden of Lies" by Amanda Quick. I'm not usually into Victorian romance, but I always read this author. This one was not as engaging or as suspenseful as usual. Still a fairly quick read, just not up to her usual standards.

[Sandi]

I've been listening to Discovery of Witches which in not a library book, but something I bought from Audio a long time ago and never listened to, but it's also why I'm not posting anything!

[Lea]

I'm back to work so definitely reading much slower since then. I admire all you high volume readers who also work.

I just finished Rain: A Natural & Cultural History. It was really good.

[BJ]

Finished "Trust No One" by Jayne Ann Krentz this morning I enjoyed it. The story moved alone nicely and the two main characters had good chemistry.

[Angel]

Just read Murder in the Winter by Steve Demaree. Cute whodunnit, but the self-deprecating humor gets a little old, even for me--and I'm a HUGE fan of self-deprecating humor.