Melodie's February 2012 Reads

[Melodie]

16 for the month, though one really doesn't count as it was another short story I read on my computer Kindle app.

If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton: 1st in Country Cooking School series and an enjoyable read. This author has another series that I don't like at all, but this one surprised me. The main character and her grandmother run a cooking school in a small Missouri town. And they both can see ghosts! When a body is found in the school's storeroom and Grandma is the main suspect a ghost from the town's past helps solve the mystery. Grade: 8.5

Killer Crullers by Jessica Beck: 6th in the Donut Shop series and another miss. This series is REALLY up & down. Grade: 6

Taken by Robert Crais: 13th Elvis Cole & 4th Joe Pike, and I don't think Crais has another bad book in him! The only miss he's ever had, IMHO, was THE HOSTAGE and I think he learned his lesson on that one. TAKEN is stellar. Elvis bites off a bit more than he can chew, and Joe is on the case. We could all use a friend like Joe Pike! Grade: 9.5

The Asylum by L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson: 5th in the Stefan's Diaries series and another nice distraction if you're a fan of the show..which we all know I am! Grade: 7.5

Ashfall by Mike Mullin: The Yellowstone volcano blows when 15y.o. Alex is home by himself while his parents and sister have gone to his uncle's farm in IL for a long weekend. The story revolves around his decision to set out on his own to get to them. This book was very well written and the details of the happenings right after the blast and the weeks and months after are quite believable. Stumbled upon this one and am glad I did. Grade: 9

File M for Murder by Miranda James: 3rd in Cat in the Stacks series and the weakest so far. I still love Diesel, the Maine cooncat, in the books but the story was just missing something. Grade: 5.5

Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett: 5th in the Booktown series and the only reason I read it is because I have some credits to burn off at PBS. I detest Tricia, the main character in these books, and skimmed a good part of the last half of this book. Won't read anymore in the series. Grade: 3

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons: 1st in new YA dystopian series and a total waste of time. Interesting "world" in this one, but that's as far as it went. Grade: 3

Definitely, Maybe by Heather Webber: this is the short story. Lucy tells the story about she lost her ability to see auras and got her ability to find lost things. Good for what it was. Grade: 5.5

Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington: 1st in Novel Idea series and another good 1st outing. Lila Wilkins loses her job at the newspaper she's worked at for 20 years and takes a job as an intern at a literary agency. When a supposedly homeless man turns up dead in the lobby on her first day on the job she gets drawn into a murder investigation. Grade: 8.5

Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate: a group of short stories about the characters in Kate's FALLEN series. These were pretty bad, except for one, and pretty much helped me decide that I'll forego the last book in this series when it comes out this summer. Grade: 3

Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen (AKA Jeff Shelby): 1st in Deuce Winters series and a really fun read. Engaging characters and lots of humor. Looking forward to book 2, which comes out this fall. Grade: 9.5

Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames: 3rd in Cheese Shop series and the last I'll read. Good enough story, I just can't stand all the cheese talk. She describes it in such a way that you can almost smell it, which for a cheese-phobe like myself is very bad. Grade: 6

Town in a Wild Moose Chase by B.B. Haywood: 3rd in Candy Holliday series and actually not bad until it ended in a miserable cliffhanger that pissed me off so bad I don't intend to read any more in the series. Grade: 3

Blood Red Road by Moira Young: 1st in YA Dustlands trilogy. A very good story, but I found the way it was written to be quite distracting. It was written the way the people talked, so the misspellings, etc were annoying. Grade: 7.5

A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford: newest in Mystery with Recipes series and while better than the last one, not nearly as good as some of the earlier ones. Think I might pass on these in the future. Grade: 6.5

[Dan in AZ]

Good month, Mel, and shorties count. If we read a BFB and only count it as one read, why shouldn't we count shorties as a read too?

[Marcy]

Wow, Melodie - quite a month! Wasn't Taken grand?

[Susie]

Great month Melodie! I've read quite a few of your books, but I do see a few that I've also got on my very long wish list ;)

[Ann]

Great month Melodie!
Ashfall sounds very intriguing!

[Carol/Bonadie]

Boy, I'd better stay away from that cheese shop series. I am a sucker for a good cheese and this would probably drive me to my local gourmet foods store.

[Sandi]

Nice month Melodie. I just Buried in a Book on hold. Looks like it would be a nice change of pace read for me.

[Barry]

Carol, we sooo have to talk about cheese. One of the advantages of a motorcycle is that I do not mind at all doing 400 miles in a day to get just the right cheddar.

[Ann]

Just the right cheddar for a 400 mile drive? That must be some cheddar. ;)
Barry wrote: "Carol, we sooo have to talk about cheese. One of the advantages of a motorcycle is that I do not mind at all doing 400 miles in a day to get just the right cheddar."

[Barry]

Have you ever had a 4 year old VT, or a 7 year old Wisconsin?

[Ann]

I have not, and am pretty sure I am sorry I haven't!
Barry wrote: "Have you ever had a 4 year old VT, or a 7 year old Wisconsin?"

[Barry]

You need to treat yourself. Cabot, Grafton, Sugarbush are all good VT varieties. Red wine is a must. I prefer a hearty rye bread to a cracker to eat it with.

[Brakedrum]

Barry wrote: "Carol, we sooo have to talk about cheese. One of the advantages of a motorcycle is that I do not mind at all doing 400 miles in a day to get just the right cheddar."
Barry, on Sunday we rode the bike to Tioga, TX for some of the best tasting Beef BBQ. In Texas BBQ is not made from pork. Tioga is also the birthplace of Gene Autry. I didn't catch the miles, but we went thru a tank and half of gas, 6 gallon tank.
Saw a ranch with horse, not unusual, except there was a zebra among the horses.

[Barry]

Dare I ask what (or who) the BBQ is made of?

I tried my local bbq place, I asked what the options for my sandwich were. The owner said "bread, meat, sauce. Any of those you don't want?"

[Dan in AZ]

You can make BBQ out of anything. It's all in how the meat is sliced and how good the sauce is. Barrt's "bread, meat, sauce" is the perfect answer.

[Ann]

sounds like a great trip, Lorraine!
Good to hear you and Fred were on the road!
Brakedrum wrote: "on Sunday we rode the bike to Tioga, TX for some of the best tasting Beef BBQ. In Texas BBQ is not made from pork. Tioga is also the birthplace of Gene Autry. I"

[Brakedrum]

Barry wrote: "Dare I ask what (or who) the BBQ is made of?

I tried my local bbq place, I asked what the options for my sandwich were. The owner said "bread, meat, sauce. Any of those you don't want?""

Clark's: http://clarksoutpost.com/

[Carol/Bonadie]

Brakedrum wrote: "
Clark's: http://clarksoutpost.com/
..."

yum! I'm ready for some BBQ!

[Barry]

Back to Big Bubba's?

[Sherry]

Barry wrote: "Back to Big Bubba's?"

we could to that after hunger games if carol wants to come here to see it :)

[Carol/Bonadie]

let's talk...

[Ann]

I am trying to convince DD to start The Hunger Games so we can go to the movie (for films based on books, she insists on reading the book first.)

[Sherry]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "let's talk..."

we're listening...lol
we can firm up plans before we go..

[Carol/Bonadie]

Ann wrote: "I am trying to convince DD to start The Hunger Games so we can go to the movie (for films based on books, she insists on reading the book first.)"

Yes, I'm with your DD. I'd better start soon. Now where is that copy my goddaughter gave me?

[Melodie]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Ann wrote: "I am trying to convince DD to start The Hunger Games so we can go to the movie (for films based on books, she insists on reading the book first.)"

Yes, I'm with your DD. I'd better st..."

You've got 2 weeks, Carol, so get on the stick!! LOL

[Carol/Bonadie]

Melodie wrote: "You've got 2 weeks, Carol, so get on the stick!! LOL ..."

Yeah, yeah.... ;-)

[Sherry]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Melodie wrote: "You've got 2 weeks, Carol, so get on the stick!! LOL ..."

Yeah, yeah.... ;-)"

lol you actually have 3 since we're not going to see it until the 30th. get busy, young lady.

[Donnajo]

I would go see it but I would have to go on my own. don't see my sister going to see the movie we saw the trailer when we went to the movies the last time and she didn't act like she would go for that one. maybe I'll go see it during the day when it's playing.