Printer-friendly versionUpdated 5/8/12

Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
Matthew Norman writes just the kind of book that I love - novels full of humor and humanity, with a good heart behind it all. Tom Violet is having trouble with his wife, trouble at his job, and to top it all off, his father, a hard drinking, Pulitzer Prize winning author, has just shown up at his house and has settled in with no signs of leaving. Tom has a good job as a copywriter, but also has a novel in a drawer that he'd like to publish. But will trading on his father's name be a blessing or a curse? This author reminds me a lot of Jonathan Tropper and Richard Russo. The dialog is tremendous, and the characters are unforgettable.


You by Charles Benoit
You begin the book standing over a bloody body. When did it all go wrong? Was it the school break-in? Meeting master manipulator Zack? Or well before then?

Told through second person narration, this modern day YA noir novel captures the mindset of Kyle Chase, a frustrated teen with anger issues. As he recounts the events that led to the bloody beginning, we see his unraveling relationships with his family, friends, and fellow students. Realistic, dark, and fast paced.


The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters by Jeffrey Zaslow
This social history of a small town Michigan bridal shop is really an exploration of all of the family dynamics that lead up to the big day. Zaslow intersperses the story of this multi-generational family-owned bridal shop with stories of the brides that purchase their dresses there. As the book unfolds, we get a sense of how society's view of weddings and brides have changed over the years, and how the fabric of our family lives have changed as well. This was a very touching book, and a great counterpoint to more frivolous looks at our collective wedding obsession, such as reality shows Say Yes to the Dress and Bridezillas.


Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills
The main character, Paige Rodgers, a.k.a. Mikaela Ollson, changes not only her name but, also, her occupation when she moves to the tiny town of Split Creek, Oklahoma. Mikaela was C.I.A. agent working with Daniel Keary when unrest in Angola in 2002 erupted. There was a botched mission, and five people were murdered under Keary's orders. Mikaela was ordered to take on a new identity and not to tell anyone of the Angolan incident or her parents in Wisconsin would be killed. Not known to Keary,he and Mikaela had a son, Nathan. Mikaela gave Nathan to a woman missionary in North Carolina.

Mikaela becomes Paige Rodgers, a librarian, in Split Creek and grows to know the high school football coach, Miles, but tries to keep her distance from his advances. Keary's men come to town and try to ruin Paige's and Miles's reputations. Keary threatens Paige again and persuades her to enroll herself in a mental institution. Paige and Miles do not quit trying to take down Daniel Keary and, in the end, keep him from gaining the governorship of Oklahoma.

This novel is fast paced and a real page turner for any reader!


Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart
Anne Brumley is ready for love at age 36. She is a bell ringer at St. Michael’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where she feels God has called her to stay. Her relatives try to convince her that she should move for a new start. Meanwhile, her sister Alisha, has an overly ambitious husband and severe post-partum depression. Her cousin, Della, is struggling with settling for a modest lifestyle, especially after seeing her highly successful former fiancé. Roy Summerall is a minister who was recently transferred to ministry at historic St. Michael’s in Charleston. He is unsure whether he should have left his small country church, where he and his young daughter fit in well with the congregation. He is a widower who feels ready to look for that special someone. The relationship among these four characters is highly developed as they experience the importance of family, faith, and God’s plan for their lives.


The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Provence is the main character in an intertwining of two tales contemporary and historic. Hopeful journalist Eve and moody musician Dom meet, fall in love, and move from England into Les Genevriers--"the junipers"--a crumbling villa in the Luberon region. The sunny south of France has a decidedly dark side, as the villa's mysterious history surfaces through Eve's discovery of the original owner's journal. Dom, too, seems to have something to hide, as the topic of his separation from his first wife is a subject never to be discussed. This intriguing tale effectively contrasts the luxurious life of the ex-pat with the earlier hard-scrabble existence of the native, in a much-romanticized region.


The Glass Demon by Helen Grant
This is an engrossing, thrill laden horror tale concerning the members of an English family who travel to Germany to inhabit a medieval castle with their professor husband/dad who's trying to make a name for himself in scholarly circles uncovering a sacred stained glass oeuvre known as the Allerheiligan glass, which has been missing for centuries. The history behind the familial relationships and interactions turns out to be as irresistibly puzzling and tragic as the deaths attributed to the haunted glass.


Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
What an awesome YA contemporary romance, and it's a first novel at that! There were so many things I liked about Anna and the French Kiss. It has loads of romance - stomach churning happiness mixed with the desperate anxiety of first love. Yes, there's a little angst, but thankfully there are no fallen angels, reincarnated lovers, broody vampires, etc. The relationships seem real, whether they're between Anna and Etienne or Josh and Rashmi. The couples fight, make up, and question if they'll stay together after graduation. While the book is definitely romantic, it doesn't shy away from many of the difficulties of staying in or starting a relationship. Looking forward to the companion book Lola and the Boy Next Door.


Tick Tock by James Patterson
Tick-Tock is by far one of Patterson's finest novels. It is the fourth in a series about Detective Michael Bennett. It is written in both the first and third persons. Patterson weaves together two plots into his book; one deals with a copycat murderer, Lawrence Bergner, and his accomplice, Carl, who he has befriended from his homeless state. Bergner, an obese inheritor of family wealth, tries to get even with people from his past who did not give him the respect that he thinks he deserved; Carl carries out the murders.

At the same time, Dectective Michael Bennett's adopted children must deal with the bullying by the town's rough element. He has a very beautiful and intriguing nanny, Mary Catherine, and, also, a former FBI agent, Emily Parker, who he gives his attention to throughout the book.


Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer
After a major romantic fiasco, Adelaide Procter leaves her teaching job to become a governess for a sheep rancher’s ward, Isabella, a mute girl with emotional problems. The rancher, Gideon Westcott, is a handsome Englishman. Isabella’s evil uncle, Viscount Reginald Petchey, tries to claim her, strictly to gain her inheritance. He is ruthless and will let nothing get in his way, including murder. Petchey is not ready for Adelaide’s strong character and convictions, however, as well as Gideon’s strong love for his daughter. Adelaide and Gideon must team together to form a strong defense.

This historical romance, set in 1883 Texas, is filled with humor, adventure, suspense, and excitement. It even has a little feel of Jane Austen. Karen Witemeyer is a new inspirational author to watch.


The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
This big sprawling novel is set at a mythical small liberal arts college in Wisconsin. I loved the midwest vibe. The plot revolves around a talented shortstop that has an uncanny feel for the baseball and the older student who sees greatness in him. This story intertwines with that of the president of the university and his estranged daughter, who all learn a lot about baseball, love, friendship, and being true to yourself throughout the course of the novel. This was one of those books that you hate to see end, because you are so invested in the characters. Amazing first novel.


Family Ties by Danielle Steele
Annie Ferguson became the mother to her sister's orphaned children. For sixteen years, she put her life "on hold' while caring for them. The eldest daughter has an editorial job at Vogue, the son is a law student who becomes involved with his professor, and the younger daughter is an art student who travels to Iran with her Muslim boyfriend. Annie meets a man while she is in the emergency room and begins to experience a relationship with him while dealing with the problems her adopted children face.


Coronets and Steel by Sherwood Smith
Aurelia Kim Murray is a 23-year old Los Angeles graduate student who travels to Europe to investigate her grandmother’s mysterious roots and her own identity. Kim gets drugged and kidnapped when she is mistaken for another woman. She ends up in a country that time forgot, the Eastern European country of Dobrenica. Kim is a historian, a ballerina, a champion fencer, and multilingual. She is also practical, humorous, realistic, and can think on her feet. All her skills are engaged when she gets embroiled in the dangerous politics of the tiny, haunted kingdom, which is under threat by its neighbors and its families in power. This novel should appeal to readers who like fresh urban fantasy with much action/adventure, romance, and a touch of a modern-day fairy tale.



I am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
In this Christmas outing, Flavia investigates a mysterious death during a film production crew's visit to incorporate the crumbling Buckshaw manse as atmosphere in a movie starring a famous actress. During what should be merry-making at a charity performance in the house by the aforementioned actress, a macabre tension, as well as the residents of the entire town of Bishop's Lacey fittingly descend upon the place, and are accordingly trapped during a mighty blizzard. Flavia's precocious talent in her ancient chemical lab results in even more than her usual fireworks, during cliff-hanging peril. Most tantalizing are new clues to the relationship of Flavia with her sisters. The ending can only be described as a Christmas surprise.



Angela Sloan by James Whorton
Fourteen-year-old Angela's life has been far from easy, since the murder of her homesteader parents during an African uprising in 1964, when she was 7 years old. After her immediate rescue from the orange tree she was hiding in by Ray, a CIA agent posing as a beer deliveryman, they make their way to Washington D. C. Ray, now her common law adoptive father, and Angela are passing some quiet years on I Street--Ray occasionally disappearing for periods, and Angela sometimes showing up at school. When tortured, alcoholic Ray's dangerous past comes back for him, he utters the code word and the two separate to meet up later, spinning Angela into a life on the run. No comic set-up has ever sounded bleaker, but existentialist Angela starts executing orders impeccably, later going off-plan and teaming with a Red Chinese illegal called Betty, who stows away in her car. Unconventional and true to period, Angela's voice and story are infectious.



In Search of Rose Notes by Emily Arsenault
Characters with secrets enliven this mystery about a young woman who returns to the small town where she was raised, to re-investigate the disappearance of a friend's babysitter, Rose, whose interest in the paranormal sparked their adolescent games 20 years ago. The still- unsolved case is reopened when new evidence is discovered, and new suspects come to light, as Rose's past relationships are revealed. The intimate pictures of the characters' recollections and all-too-familiar coming-of-age trials make this book stand out.



The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn
In the fourth Lady Julia mystery, Brisbane mysteriously attends a seance, prompting his wife to don a disguise and join the fray. When a murder is committed, Lady Julia's relatives are, of course, in the forefront of the investigation, as a nicely complex mystery unfolds. But be prepared for some sadness this trip, in addition to the usual entertaining adversarial tendencies of the couple.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Rarely do I ever prefer later books in a trilogy to the first but Revis really knocked this one out of the park. We again meet Elder and Amy as they struggle with the reality of their situation on-board the ship Godspeed, meant to colonize Centauri-Earth with humans. New characters are introduced in addition to old favorites from the first book. The pace is fast and again Revis switches between the viewpoints of Amy and Elder which really works as a device to acquaint the reader further with both characters. The story and plot speak to the very essence of what it means to be human and the Revis attempts to define undefinable words such as freedom, hope, love, and revenge. And, once again a cliffhanger ending is going to leave me on the edge of my seat until January, 2013.



Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
Rose McKenna, the main character in Scottoline's newest novel Save Me, must deal with the heartbreaking reality that many children face--bullying. Her third grade daughter, Melly, is bullied for her facial birthmark and has caused her family much stress for several years. Rose finds herself in a position familiar to parents everywhere: do we step in to protect our children or does our stepping in make more problems?

Rose volunteers as a lunch mom at the local elementary school, an explosion occurs, death and serious injury happen, and Rose must deal with the emergency in a split second. Does she save the children she is supervising or find her own daughter at the expense of the others? Rose follows her instincts and intelligence in her exploration for justice--both criminal and emotional. You will not be able to put this novel down once you begin reading it!



Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I was skeptical when I began this book about a mysterious circus that appears in the middle of the night, but I have to admit, the book won me over. This story about two young lovers with magical powers who were pawns in a game beyond their control won your sympathy and kept you guessing about how the game would end and who would prevail. The main and secondary characters were compelling,and the lush descriptions of the clothes and the settings were mesmerizing. Even though I am not a fan of magical realism or circuses, I'm really glad I gave it a try. Kickstart your imagination and take a trip to the Night Circus. It's a good book.



Divergent by Veronica Roth
In a society ruled by five different factions where you were raised and what faction you choose are very important. Set in a presumably future Chicago the first title follows the story of Tris, a girl who goes against her "faction," Abegnation, and chooses to join the strong and courageous Dauntless to the assumed hatred of both her parents.

As Tris trains as an initiate with the Dauntless she, naturally, learns that nothing is as it seems in this perfect and harmonious human society. With the help of her instructor Four she learns the value of bravery and the importance of combining who you were and who you want to be.



The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life Beyond This World by Kevin and Alex Malarkey
Alex and his dad, Kevin, were in a life-threatening car accident. Emergency workers recommended that the coroner be called, but, through prayer by several medical professionals, church members, family, and the public in general, Alex survived. He lingered in a coma for two months; and, when he regained consciousness, he revealed that he spent time in Heaven with Jesus and had experienced what most humans only read about in inspirational writings. Alex received the "Christopher Reeve surgery" which allowed him to breathe on his own and communicate with others what he experienced and felt during that period in his young life.



The Big Steal by Emyl Jenkins
Sterling Glass is an antiques’ appraiser and amateur detective. Following a suspicious burglary, Sterling is hired by an insurance company to appraise the vandalized and missing antiques in Wynderly, a historic manor house/museum with secret rooms. The previous owners were in high society; they traveled the world extensively and brought back rare and exotic antiques. Sterling discovers that many fakes are mixed in with the gorgeous antiques. Also, the Board of Directors of the house/museum has conflicting interests and stories. Her job becomes much more complicated than a simple appraisal.



Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
A beautifully written tale of both heartbreak and redemption. Told in both Haiti and New York it paints a picture both beautiful and terrifying.

The narrative concentrates on a young girl named Sophie. Raised for the first decade of her life in Haiti, she is sent to live with her mother in New York's Haitian community. Sophie, born through a violent act, learns about violent acts perpetuated by family and against family in a graphic description of the Haitian obsession with purity. As Sophie grows, she learns and changes in ways she could have never imagined and is educated about the history of her family, her country, and her connection to the women in her life (and how that impacts her own actions).

The story contains sexually explicit descriptions of sexual abuse and/or rape, and well as some language, and should not be recommended to those that might be sensitive against violent or sexual situations.



Property of a Lady by Sarah Rayne
In this British ghost story, an Oxford don teams with an antiques appraiser to solve a past century's murders, as well as numerous incarcerations in the local asylum. Elements of a modern romance blend well with hair-raising paranormal activities, and if you have a long-case clock (or two) on the premises as you read this late at night, you might be especially susceptible to the creeps.



Big Girl by Danielle Steel
Victoria Dawson always felt out of place in her family. She was light-skinned, "large boned", and blonde. Her mother, father, and younger sister, Christina, were fine-boned, dark haired, and attractive. She had a well-respected career as a teacher but was always belittled by her family by not having a more well-paying position and reminded that she was physically unattractive. Victoria supported and adored her sister. Christina became engaged to a man who was very controlling and manipulative, but Victoria still supported her. Fortunately, Victoria met a young man who saw her real beauty and encouraged her to stand up to her family's unkind treatment.



Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
Girls in White Dresses tells the story of a group of college friends who are recently graduated from college. Each chapter stands beautifully on its own. The novel begins soon after graduation, and takes the women up to their thirties. We get glimpses of the lives of these women, from first (under)employment, bad boyfriends, marriage (or not), and parenthood. While reading this collection of related short stories, my biggest dilemma whether to stop at the end of each section to reflect on what I read, or rush on ahead to see what was coming next. Each story was so well written, I couldn't wait to dive into the next chapter. I found myself reading passages aloud to my husband. There were many laugh out loud passages, but the feeling I was left with was affection for these women, and a hope that everything would turn out well for them. This novel does a wonderful job of chronicling the experience of the current generation of twenty-somethings. Can't wait for her next book.



Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate
Kai is a drifter. She is estranged from her parents, and she works on a cruise ship and drifts from port to port. Donetta is an active senior who is disenchanted with her stagnant marriage. She and her two best friends decide to get away and sign-up for a long-overdue cruise. When a hurricane invades the east coast, neither Kai nor Donetta and friends get on the ship, but evacuate the town and try to outrun the hurricane. During the evacuation, Donetta’s and Kai’s paths intersect along with other evacuees. They end up in Donetta’s hometown of Daily, Texas, and their lives will never be the same. Added to the mix is Donetta’s eligible nephew, Kemp, who might just convince Kai that’s it’s finally time to stay in one port. This inspirational adventurous romance novel is the third in the Daily, Texas Series.



Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
Even though her heart isn’t in it, Claire Prescott is in England on her younger sister’s behalf to present her sister’s paper on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice at a seminar at Oxford. Claire has a lot on her mind right now. In addition to taking care of her younger sister since their parents died, Claire has a lukewarm relationship with her boyfriend and she just lost her job. Claire finds herself in awe of the beauty of the university and its setting. She also becomes overwhelmed at the attention she receives from a tall, dark, and handsome fellow seminar participant. Additionally, she is approached by an elderly lady who claims to have an original manuscript of First Impressions, an early draft of Pride and Prejudice. Her seminar, her flirtation with her potential Mr. Darcy, and her reading of First Impressions all assist Claire in reevaluating her life, but what will she do when her boyfriend from back home flies over and pays her a surprise visit? This romantic novel of self-discovery is a nice companion to Pattillo’s earlier title, Jane Austen Ruined My Life.

Texas Chase by Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown's second book in her trilogy about the Tyler clan highlights Chase Tayler who is hardened by the loss of his young wife and unborn son due to an automobile accident. His family's company, Tyler Drilling, is in desperate need of financial backing or it will soon go into bankruptcy. The woman who comes to his aid who also was a schoolmate of his and the driver of the car when his wife and son lost their lives offers a plan to rescue the company. Tyler agrees to her proposal and the quick-paced novel involves the reader quite readily.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
What if a decade just vanished from your memory? For Alice Love that's exactly what happened. One day, she thinks she's a 29-year-old in love with her husband and pregnant with their first child. Then she wakes up on the gym floor and discovers, instead, that she is 39 with three kids and going through a messy divorce. As Alice comes to terms with the fact she’s not who she thinks she is, she realizes she doesn’t like the woman she has become. Can Alice recapture the spirit of her 29-year-old self and more importantly, can Alice recover her memories of the last 10 years of her life?

Bossypants by Tina Fey
A funny, light read that I enjoyed very much. It is definitely not an in depth account of her life but highlights certain parts that have shaped who she is and how she got where she is in a humorous way. Lots of self-deprecation but it's pretty funny nonetheless.

Descent of Man by Kevin Desinger
Wine steward Jim Sandusky becomes embroiled in a dark mystery when he attempts to prevent two hoods from stealing his car from his driveway late one night. His reaction takes a violent turn, complicated by his already somewhat fragile emotional state. The sparsely populated story encompasses not only his plunge into darkness, but the beginnings of his climb back out, with the help of a likeable supportive cast and, surprisingly, poetry. Desinger's tale is involving, believable, and suspensefully detailed.

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks presents a very interesting slice of future life in America as it's lived politically, economically, socially, and morally, in and around the year 2030. The action he puts forth is fairly easy to imagine having become the norm, the way things are presently going, and as they've gone in the past: youth revolting against age, China replacing the US as the major superpower, and geophysical upheaval that's been predicted for decades. The Brooksian comedy is couched in story here, but anyone who has enjoyed his movies will probably like this as much as I did.

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business: A Memoir by Dick Van Dyke
Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was interesting to read about Dick Van Dyke's rise to fame in the early years, and anecdotes about his co-stars on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Good read for his many fans.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Young Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect society in this iconic dystopian YA book but, as it usually goes, nothing is really as it seems. Jonas is given his work assignment and instead of the seemingly mundane (but important jobs) in the society Jonas is assigned to be the community's next Receiver of Memory. Through special training with the current receiver Jonas is exposed to emotions and memories that he never knew existed. After his training starts he is opened up to all the things wrong with his "perfect" society. The Giver is a fast-paced, moving, and heart wrenching right up until the end. The reader follows Jonas as he learns and changes and the descriptions really put you in the middle of the action.

Birthright by A. Robert Ekirch
James Annesley was born in Ireland in 1715. His father, Lord Arthur Annesley had honor, wealth, and power. Due to living high and wasting his fortunes, Lord Annesley lost everything. In a plan to obtain money, he declared that James was illegitimate so Arthur’s brother would become his heir. When Arthur died at 38, James’ Uncle Richard wanted his title, so he had his 12-year-old nephew, James, kidnapped and sent to the colonies to be a servant. When he was 25 years old, James escaped his master and traveled on a ship to London to claim his birthright. James had to prove his identity with practically no evidence. Additionally, he had no scars or birthmarks. How his identity was established without DNA, photos, or fingerprints was astonishing. James’ dark story inspired five books, most notably Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. A. Roger Ekirch has written a fascinating, well-researched historical literary novel of true crime and adventure.

A Simple Christmas by Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee, pastor who turned to politics, shares thoughts about his life around the topics of patience, sacrifice, loneliness, and family to name just a few. His personal stories about growing up, a young husband and father, governor of Arkansas, and presidential candidate encourage readers to take a step back from their "treadmill" lives and slow down and remember the simple things that make life precious.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

In modern Korea, a 50-something, married mother of three has disappeared from a train platform. Her disappearance is pondered through the grief of her youngest daughter, her husband, and finally, herself, as all three detail their own perspectives of Mom's life, and the mysteries her personal history harbored. This is a beautifully written and moving metaphor for both the gradual and natural benign irrelevance of parents to their grown children, and of less benign neglect between spouses, told in the guise of a missing-person story.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Living in a post-apocalyptic world is hard enough. Living without parents and knowing you'll die at the age of 20? Even worse. That's the life that humans face in this earth, though. Due to the previous generation's desire for perfect kids they have unleashed a mutation that causes their children to die young (women at 20, men at 25).

16 year old Rhine lives in what remains of New York with her brother. Their life is full of turmoil and danger but they at least have each other. That is, until Rhine is taken by the Gatherers to be sold into marriage and bred for the continuation of the species. Living in a lavish compound with her "sister wives" Rhine longs to escape and return to her brother, no matter the cost.

Gone to Green by Judy Christie

Lois Barker is a big-time city journalist who inherits a small-town newspaper in Green, Louisiana. When she becomes editor and owner of the Green News, she discovers corruption, bias, and injustice-- just like any other town. However, there are also many friendly people, a sense of community, and many loyal employees. As Lois adjusts and deals with life in charming Green, we learn about running a newspaper, as well as the importance of friends and faith.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Another page turner by Nicholas Sparks is Safe Haven! The theme that runs throughout the novel deals with physical and emotional abuse. The main character, Katie (Erin), relocates to a sleepy North Carolina town of Southport and takes on a new identity to avoid being located by her detective husband, Kevin. Quite unexpectedly, Katie develops a relationship with a shopkeeper, Alex, who is a widower and the father of two young children. Much action follows as Kevin puts clues together and eventually locates Katie in Southport. Sparks does another fantastic unraveling of his plot throughout the book to keep the reader's undivided attention.

In the Rooms by Tom Shone

Reading along with growing horror as literary agent Patrick Miller stalks after his hero, a reclusive author entering an AA meeting, I realized this story couldn't possibly go well for Patrick. For me, however, it was delightful from beginning to end. There were many laugh-aloud moments and continual restrained guffaws from just about every page, as I welcomed characters from the sublime (Lola, an attractive recovering drinker) to the ridiculous (Felix, a several layer-clad AA attendee with street wisdom to burn) like old friends. This is one of the funniest and most moving crash-and-burn stories to come along. A hilarious description of Woodstock-bound Patrick leaving Manhattan by car one night should not be missed.

The Long Walk by Stephen King

This book is uncomfortably and eerily excellent. The boys and their struggles (as well as the friendships they made on the Long Walk) touched me in a profound way that many books cannot. The description of events and people is at times gory but always honest and King constantly paints a mental picture for the reader. I found myself sharing their anguish, celebrating in their little victories, and feeling what they were feeling. Reading this book was exhausting but incredibly difficult to stop reading and King weaves such a great story I would dare anyone not to get sucked in.

Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson

When an unconventional English country house mistress, Harriet Westerman, engages a reclusive local anatomist, Gabriel Crowther, to help her investigate a murder on her property, the unlikely pair team for an eighteenth century take on crime scene investigation. At the center of the mystery are two children, lost heirs to a neighboring estate's title. The highly detailed and fast-moving story, with all the compelling drama of a latter-day MacBeth, climaxes in a frenzy of madness and violence as Westerman, Crowther, and their improbable allies confront the murderer.

Don’t Blink by James Patterson

The main character in one of Patterson's newest mystery novels, Don't Blink, is Nick Daniels, one of New York's top reporters. While interviewing legendary baseball's Dwayne Robinson, Daniels accidentally captures on his recording device key evidence on a war raging between top Italian and Russian "bad boys". Of course, there is a love interest between Daniels and his beautiful editor, Courtney, who for a brief time is engaged to mayoral candidate, David Sorren, who is involved with all the action between the Mafia forces. Don't Blink is a fast-paced action thriller to certainly involve the reader as only Patterson can achieve!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Amid the remains of North America is the nation of Panem. Lead by the Capitol, 12 distinct districts exist to serve the insatiable and spoiled nature of Capitol citizens.

Every year sees the return of the Hunger Games, a bloodsport in which children of Panem are drawn in the Reaping to fight to the death in an arena for the amusement of the Capitol citizens. Only one child every year can survive. The Games also serve to remind the districts of the Capitol's unyielding control over their lives and well-being.

Katniss Everdeen is a bright and moody child from District 12 (the coal mining district). She is fiercely devoted to her family and her best friend, Gale. She ages tremendously over the course of the work and shows a strength of character not often seen in a young adult novel.

The story is horrifying and gripping. While graphic situations are implied the language itself describes events with accuracy without being disgusting for mere shock value. The whole premise of the book is frightening in both its inhumanity and terror. Both adults and young adults should read this book, the first in The Hunger Games trilogy.

You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers
Heather Sellers is face-blind, officially defined as prosopagnosia which is a rare neurological condition that prevents her from reliably recognizing people's faces. Growing up, unaware of the reason for her perpetual confusion and anxiety, she took what cues she could from speech, hairstyle, and gait. But she sometimes kissed a stranger, thinking he was her boyfriend, or failed to recognize even her own father and mother. She feared she must be crazy. Yet it was her mother who nailed windows shut and covered them with blankets, made her daughter walk on her knees to spare the carpeting, and had her practice secret words to use in the likely event of abduction. As she came at last to trust her own perceptions, she learned the gift of perspective: that embracing the past as it is allows us to let it go. She illuminated a deeper truth -- that even in the most flawed circumstances, love may be seen and felt.



The Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter
Meredith lives a well-ordered life, with a wonderful fiancé and a cozy job. Then she receives a phone call informing her that her estranged father and his second wife have died. She is now the sole guardian of three half-siblings she has never seen, as well as the owner of a dilapidated bed and breakfast. She heads to Nantucket to take care of business until the children’s uncle returns to claim them. While waiting for their uncle, Meredith hires a handyman to restore the B&B so she can sell it. In the meantime, she grows fond of her brothers and sister, plus feels an attraction for Jake, the handyman. Both Meredith and Jake have secrets, however, that may drastically change any dreams they may have. This inspirational romance would be perfect to read on the beach, as well as in front of a cozy fireplace. It is the last title in the Nantucket Love Stories’ Series.



The Postcard Killers by James Patterson
Jacob Kanon, NYPD detective, pursues his daughter's killer throughout Europe. Kimmy and her boyfriend are murdered while vacationing in Rome. Postcards are mailed to Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, before each murder announcing the event. Dessie and Jacob use their unstoppable investigative powers pursuing a brother and sister throughout Europe.



Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat by Grant Achatz
You do not have to be a fan of upscale dining to love this book by Chicago chef and founder of Alinea Grant Achatz about his rise to the top of his profession and his battle with cancer. Anyone who is interested in achieving excellence will find inspiration in the story of Achatz' education as a chef and his ambition to open his own restaurant and push the boundaries of what is possible with both food preparation and the dining experience. I could not put this book down, and the Chicago connection made it even more engossing. This is my top book of the year!



Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer
This fun, lighthearted Regency romance features two adventuresome protagonists caught up in spying, a fake betrothal, and petulant Russian royals. Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes has fended off proposals by inventing a fiancé, the Duke of Drummond. Unfortunately, the Duke is real and ready to make their imaginary romance a reality. The Duke, Nicholas Stauton, needs a wife as a cover for his spy career, but he wasn't expecting a spitfire determined to throw him over for a Russian prince. When the two team up on a mission to recover a stolen painting, they begin to question their ideals of spinsterhood, love, and independence.



Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz
This is a fun read with a surprisingly hole-free plot, considering the authors' collaborative antipathy evident in the hilarious notes and footnotes at the end of each chapter. The two authors alternated the writing of each chapter, resulting in some pretty wild hairpin turns in plot and characterization, yet never lost either momentum or credibility. Lutz's Spellman family mystery series, which doesn't include this stand-alone story, is a favorite, but luckily none of her trademark sardonic humor is missing here.



Emily, Alone: A Novel by Stewart O'Nan
This slow, meditative novel is not for those who read for a fast plot. Nothing much actually happens in this character study of an elderly woman dealing with the loneliness and complications of growing older. She nurses her sister-in-law back to health after a health scare, navigates the tricky waters of dealing with her grown children and grandchildren without trying to impose upon them or aggravate them, attends services for old friends who pass away, and tries to fill the endless hours that loom before her. Emily spends most of her time alone, or at least only with her dog Rufus. We see a glimpse into the shrinking but still meaningful world of an older woman facing the last chapters in her life with grace and dignity.



At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life by Wade Rouse
Finally fed up with the frenzy of city life and a job he hates, Wade Rouse decided to make the bravest decision of his life to uproot his life and try, as Thoreau did some 160 years earlier, to "live a plain, simple life in radically reduced conditions." In this rollicking and hilarious memoir, Wade and his partner, Gary, leave culture, cable, and consumerism behind and strike out for rural Michigan–a place with fewer people than in their former spinning class. There, Wade discovers the simple life isn’t so simple. And though he never does learn where his well water actually comes from or how to survive without Kashi cereal, he does discover some things in the woods outside his knotty-pine cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan, that he always dreamed of but never imagined he’d find–happiness and a home.



Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
Susan Tate's seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, and her two best friends become pregnant claiming that they were ready to love another human being that they deliberately chose to have. Susan, being the local high school principal, is accused of "letting" her daughter get pregnant which in turn jeopardizes her job, financial independence, and future at risk. Susan and the other mothers of the teenagers show that "motherhood was about picking up and moving ahead. It was about trying to do better rather than being paralyzed by what couldn't be changed." Susan teaches Lily to look at the positive when life throws her a "curve ball". Delinsky's book is a fast-paced read for anyone who understands the role of motherhood.



Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio by Annalisa Daughety
Emma Miller seems to have a perfect Amish life in Shipshewana, Indiana. She has a teaching job and a loving family, plus a nice boyfriend she has known since childhood. However, she dreams of driving a red convertible, frosting her hair like in a magazine, and wearing bright clothing. When Emma has the opportunity to help her cousin in her quilt shop for the summer, she readily travels to Charm, Ohio. In Charm, Emma meets an Englisher who has just the opposite problems of Emma. Her parents are divorced, she has no siblings or cousins, and she just broke up with her boyfriend. She longs for a quieter, more meaningful life. Emma and Kelly become friends and learn a lot from each other in this Amish-themed romance. But will they learn what is really important in life?



A Widow's Story: A Memoir by Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates unveils a poignant, intimate memoir about the unexpected death of her husband of forty-six years and its wrenching, surprising aftermath. "My husband died, my life collapsed." A Widow's Story illuminates one woman's struggle to comprehend a life without the partnership that had sustained and defined her for nearly half a century. Enlivened by the piercing vision, acute perception, and mordant humor that are the hallmarks of the work of Joyce Carol Oates, this moving tale of life and death, love and grief, offers a candid, never-before-glimpsed view of the acclaimed author and fiercely private woman.



Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
In BloodFever Lane continues her search for the Sinsar Dubh, the powerful and evil hallow of the Unseelie. While she has recovered from her ordeals in the first book new (and old) enemies await her in BloodFever. Mac learns a lot about herself in this book and while nothing huge is uncovered (in terms of answered questions) we do learn a little more about what is going on. The action is huge and the story is gripping.



Russell Wiley is Out to Lunch by Richard Hine
If, like me, you can't get enough satirical novels about the workplace, you'll want to delve into this insightful, funny tale. While many of his colleagues at the PR firm are being 'downsized' around him, Russell, a mid-level manager, tries to find his equilibrium relative to career success, a failing marriage, and unrelenting lustful thoughts toward a certain co-worker. With the help of 'happy cat'; an anonymous employee in a neighboring building spied upon through his window; and various workplace rules such as that no employee shall have a better quality birthday cake than another, things might just work out, despite looming catastrophe.



Off the Record by Elizabeth White
Judge Laurel Kincade declares her candidacy to be the first woman to be Alabama’s Supreme Court Chief Justice. She has many supporters and comes from a very close-knit family. The campaign is going well until two things challenge it. First, her opponent hires a private investigator to dig up any possible dirt he can find on her. He tries to penetrate her close family ties and family values. Then, she spots a male reporter from her past in her audience. He could easily threaten her campaign if he chose to, but there is also a strong romantic spark between them.
How will Laurel overcome these threats to her campaign and her life? Does she still have a chance to win the election over her strong opponent? Will her faith help her through the battle?
Don’t let the cover of this book fool you. It’s much more intriguing than the cover indicates.



Worst Case by James Patterson
Mike Bennet and Emily Parker are called upon to investigate the two deaths of wealthy young persons. Francis Mooney feels that it is unfair that beneficiaries to wealth need do nothing to gain their inheritances. All monies should go to charities according to Mooney. Ash Wednesday is woven into the plot which is fast paced and engaging. Worst Case is another one of Patterson's high interest mysteries!



A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
This novel is more like a collection of linked short stories, and each story could stand on its own. The stories move back and forth in time, and as your rea, you begin to see the bigger picture of how the characters connect. We meet an aging record producer and his assistant. Each are struggling to come to terms with their past, as we see in flashback. The story takes us from the beginning of the punk movement in the 80s through the present day. We also see things through the perspective of their children, showing how the actions of adults affect their kids. The novel taken as whole is a meditation on and the passage of time and the consequences of our actions. If you like literary novels written in an innovative way, you will like this book. The last chapter is written as a PowerPoint presentation - and it works!



Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
I liked the first book in the trilogy, but Behemoth is even better. Exotic locale, new characters, tons of action, continuing development of relationships, amazing drawings, and a beyond cute loris. Can't wait for the next book!





Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
Unbearable Lightness is de Rossi's story of battling her eating disorder, self-hatred because of her sexuality, all while dealing with her increasing fame.
While the book would have benefited from a talented editor (especially in the first half) it is a brutally honest account of her struggles with eating throughout her life. Her struggle is something that every woman can probably related to on some level-the need to fit into society's idea of what a beautiful woman really is. It is heart-breaking to see her continued plummet into disordered eating as she moves from binging and purging to anorexia and extreme exercise.
The part of the book that is most moving, though, is the epilogue where she talks about her relationship with Ellen and their wonderful bond, and her ability to move past the eating disorder and over-exercising to find a place of peace in her life with both her body and her sexuality. Overall, an extremely moving and worthwhile read.



The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell
It’s 1884 and Jewel Libby has lived in Birmingham, England all her life. However, now Jewel has to get herself and her young daughter away from a sweatshop job and a dangerous landlord. The local vicar helps her relocate to the peaceful farming town of Gresham Green, England. She stays in a forest cottage with Aleda, who is a reclusive writer. Aleda’s surgeon brother, Philip, returns home from London to tend to his ill father. No town is perfect, though, and the inhabitants of Gresham Green must overcome some evil. It turns out that Jewel can be of help to the townspeople in this inspirational historical romantic mystery.



Rainwater by Sandra Brown
Sanra Brown writes an interesting "quick-read" about David Rainwater, a tender-hearted, soft-spoken man, who takes up residence in Ella Baron's boarding house during the Great Depression in Gilead, Texas. David befriends the local ranchers who face foreclosure and financial ruin by agreeing to sell their cattle to slaughter, and, at the same time, creating a way that the local shantytown folk can be fed under the protest of Conrad Ellis and his gang of hoodlums who try to hold the rule of the law. Also, David has an affection for ten-year-old Solly, Ella's son, who has to deal with his misunderstood behavior. Brown does a superb job involving the reader with her fast-paced writing.



Motherstyles: Using Personality Type to Discover Your Parenting Strengths by Janet P. Penley
A great way to identify your own personality type and how to work with your own strengths and weaknesses to be a better parent.It also helps to better understand your relationship with your children who may be of a different personality type. Rather than a general guide for mothers it provides a more customized approach to parenting your children.



Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
Wicked Plants is a fascinating and wonderful collection of facts, stories, and information on a variety of intoxicating, illegal, dangerous, and deadly plants-many of which you might be surprised to realize you grow, care for, expose your children and/or pets to, or eat on a regular basis. Amy Stewart makes the information accessible to the non-scientist. Her background as a gardener and a writer makes it effortless to convey the information (which is well researched) to those of us that are not scientifically minded.



The I Hate to Cook Book by Lisa & Johanna Bracken
I Hate to Cook Book (50th anniversary edition) is a lovely book with both quirky commentary and easy recipes designed to get women out of the kitchen and into life. You probably aren't going to win any awards for low-sodium cooking or avoid using processed foods but the recipes are quick, fun, and actually taste good. The book also provides very helpful tips as you go along and the organization is perfect.



Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline
Scottoline does a fine job grabbing the reader's attention in her latest novel, Think Twice. Identical twins, Bennie Rosato and Alice Connelly, provide the reader with a fast-paced adventure. Rosato, a successful lawyer, is buried alive by her estranged convict sister. With the help of a wolf, Rosato is able to break out of her buried box and pursues her sister who has taken on her identity to gain wealth and her ex-boyfriend. A quick read for any reader is Think Twice.



The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble
Addie Sullivan’s parents died in a shipwreck in 1884 when she was age two. She was raised by lighthouse keepers in Northern California, where she and her parents led a difficult life. After more than two decades, a stranger showed up at her home and presented surprising information about her long-lost family. This new source revealed that her parents weren’t who she thought they were; even her own name wasn’t what she thought it was. When Addie then accepted a position as a nanny in order to bring her past to light, she also discovered danger and romance. This historical romantic mystery is inspirational with a slightly gothic feel.



A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Very sweet book about a 30-something British woman who opens a vintage clothing shop. There are several intertwining stories involving her customers, the men in her life, and her family situation. It all adds up to a delightful, heartwarming picture of a young businesswoman trying to make things work with her new business, while living with the consequences of a decision in her past that haunts her and prevents her from moving ahead. Not quite chic lit, but the descriptions of the clothes were wonderful.



A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth
As a gory highway accident compels unwanted interest, this story of a calculating and dysfunctional woman named Annie creeps under your skin, as you marvel at the spiraling self-destruction humans are capable of. The lengths Annie will go to in deceiving herself and others are astonishing, but never unbelievable, or without emotional motivation, as the tales of her past illustrate. As unreliable narrators go, it's safe to say that Annie breaks new ground.



Dark Echo by F.G. Cottam
Instead of a haunted house story, this tale concerns an antique schooner known as Dark Echo, that seems to be demonically possessed. The mystery surrounding its historical background and infamous jazz-age playboy owner grows creepier by the page, heading for a finale on the stormy North Atlantic, as bodies pile up in its picturesque English home port.



Faith by Lori Copeland
Faith is the first title in the Brides of the West series, set in 1872. This series is about three sisters who each answered an ad for Christian mail order brides. They each traveled to a different part of the west. Faith went to Texas.

Faith was a tomboy who could do many things a man could do. But was that what a cattle rancher wanted in a wife? Her fiancé was Nicholas Shepherd, a rich rancher who was having second thoughts about the marriage. Her future mother-in-law was unhappy that Faith was there. Faith tried to show her worth as a helpmate to her future husband, but he didn’t seem to appreciate it. In fact, their marriage kept being postponed so many times over two months that she was ready to go back home. However, something intervened at the last minute. This inspirational historical romance gives the reader the feeling of life in a small Western town.



Private by James Patterson
Jack Morgan, former Marine helicopter pilot, runs Private, a top-of-the line investigation company. Three cases seems to run side-by-side; there is the NFL gambling scandal, the murder of his best friend's wife, and the murders of thirteen attractive young women. Patterson weaves these three cases well and keeps the reader's attention quite readily. There is lots of action in Patterson's latest novel!



Tinkers by Paul Harding
This is an eloquently written grief-fest whose certain passages made me cry, so awesome the pictures of living and dying they portray, at least as I have experienced them. In Maine, a dying man recalls his life in orderless episodes as he gradually leaves it, contrasting the lives of his father, an epileptic itinerant salesman, and his grandfather, a minister afflicted by senility. The experiences and emotions he recalls in the incremental hours preceding his death could be actual, remembered, drug induced, or all three. It's relative minutiae, except to the dying.



Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto
Hard-boiled and no-words-wasted crime story about a southern hit man on the run, and the young girl he accidentally rescues during a break-in gone wrong. The characters are compelling; the language is plain; the action when it comes, out of nowhere and surprising. A quick and satisfying read.



One Day by David Nicholls
One Day follows the lives of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley on the same day over a twenty year span. Starting in their early 20s, the new graduates begin their tentative romance and friendship. Dexter, handsome, well off, and a bit conceited, has no direction in life, but lots of rakish plans. Emma, beautiful, artsy, self-deprecating, and full of ideals, wants to change the world. As each chapter and subsequent year passes, we see their ups and downs and the many missed and botched opportunities at furthering their romance. The funny dialogue, realistic and sometimes cringe inducing portrayal of adulthood, and romantic elements combine to make a solid read.



A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
This gothic tale of love, lust, and deception was one of my favorite books of the year. The book opens with wealthy businessman Ralph Truitt standing on a railroad platform on a raw, wintry day waiting for the woman who answered his advertisement for a bride. The novel, set in the early part of the twentieth century, explores the complex motivations and deceptions of both parties, and how finding each other changes them both and begins to heal their wounded souls. If you enjoyed Wuthering Heights, you will like this book about passion, lust, betrayal, and ultimate redemption.



A Kiss for Cade by Lori Copeland
This novel is set in Kansas, 1885. It is the second title in the WESTERN SKY series.
When John and Addy die from a disease and leave behind their four young children, Addy's best friend Zoe cares for them as if they were hers. Addy's dying wish to Zoe is to contact her brother and tell him about the children. Her brother Cade is a bounty hunter who left home and left, his love, Zoe, 15 years ago. Zoe doesn't want to see him, but she honors his sister's last request. She is determined, though, that the relationship will only be platonic.
Cade returns to make a decision about his orphaned nieces and nephews. Zoe wants Cade to let the children stay with her, but she also has money troubles with the store she owns. Although she wants nothing to do with Cade, the people of the close-knit town think the orphans should have a mother and a father. They concoct a plan which just might work in this inspirational historical romance.



Holy Water by James P. Othmer
Henry Tuhoe is a suburban New Yorker with many problems: disappearing job, disintegrating marriage, and lately, disappointing experiences at 'meat night', the neighborhood guy-fest. Despite all this, his life is about to change with his expatriation to a small Indian province to market bottled water. The monumental disconnect between the taken-for-granted modern life Henry leaves behind and the typical subsistence level existence he encounters is eye-opening and hilarious. Henry desperately needs a reason to go on, and it's very entertaining to be along for the revelations.



The Long Way Home by Robin Pilcher
Claire Barclay has made a satisfying life for herself after leaving Scotland for New York. She married a loving husband and they are happy running a successful restaurant. Claire must revisit unfinished business from her past when she finds that her beloved stepfather has had a stroke, and she must return to Scotland to handle his affairs. She must decide whether her first love, who has gained her stepfather's trust, is truly acting in his best interest, and in doing so, must confront some unresolved feelings from her youth. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher will enjoy her son's writing, as well as fans of domestic fiction.



The Bells by Richard Harvell
Set in the 1700’s, this great piece of historical fiction tells the story of Moses Froben, born in the Swiss Alps to a deaf mother and then raised by the Church. Already predestined to a life full of music and sound, Moses becomes a part of the boys choir. Unfortunately, an evil choirmaster discovers his beautiful voice and has Moses castrated to preserve it. Thus begins his journey for Moses to accept himself and love. If you enjoy classical music, opera, and historical fiction, this book is highly recommended.



Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on My Pajamas, and Found Happiness by Dominique Browning
This would be a good book to read for someone who had just lost their job, as well as people who dream about jumping off the fast track and spending some time reinventing themselves. The 50-something author talks about the stages she went through after her magazine went under and she found herself unemployed. She made changes in her personal life and the way she looked at her professional life. Finances were not an issue for her, but it was interesting to read about how losing her job affected her life in ways good and bad.



The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Skeeter, the main character of the novel, graduated from Old Miss with a journalism degree in 1962 and moved back to her home town in Mississippi in order to refine her writing skills. She was involved with a group of African-American maids in a movement to change a town and how women viewed one another. The maids who were mentioned the most were Constantine, who raised Skeeter and disappeared suddenly; Abileen, a maid who assisted in the home of Skeeter's best friend, and Minny, who lost one job due to "insubordination" but was hired to "help" a young woman who in all ways was helpless! Kathryn Stockett writes in a manner that is both interesting and, understandably, a bestseller!



Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake
It’s Texas, 1890. British Lady Sydney Hathwell’s father dies and leaves her penniless. Then she runs away from an arranged marriage to an American, and she is stranded in America.

When she contacts her Texan uncle, he invites her to come to his ranch. But due to her name of Sydney, he mistakes her for his nephew, and he says that no human females reside on the ranch. Sydney maintains the deception so that she can travel alone to Texas. Big Tim Creighton, the ranch foreman widower, is afraid that his boss will be disappointed with his foppish nephew, so he and the other ranch hands decide to turn “Fancy Pants Hathwell” into a man before their boss returns. He goes right to work having “the kid” move heavy rocks and plow the fields, help with a tricky calving, muck the stalls, and go headfirst into a well. Sydney can hide her identity only so long by blaming her voice and unusual taste in fashion on being British. When her ruse is revealed, the reader will want to keep reading to discover whether Tim or Sydney is more stubborn.

This inspirational historical romance has many laugh-aloud moments, and Cathy Marie Hake has a good handle on the male mind.



The Black Cat by Martha Grimes
A cat the only witness to solve a murder? All in a few days' work for London Superintendent Richard Jury and his reluctant sidekick, Melrose Plant, aka Lord Ardry. Animals figure in a big way in this latest in the Jury series, which finds him once again working the suburbs. Along the way, Melrose acquires a pedigreed (of course!) stray dog to add to his growing menagerie, all seemingly named after his dreaded Aunt Agatha.



The Information Officer by Mark Mills
Both a dark, engrossing serial-murder mystery and a spy intrigue reminiscent of Eye of the Needle, this World War II thriller takes place on the island of Malta during 1942. It's a challenging read--many fleshed-out characters to keep track of, and a great brush-up on the geography and mechanics of war that rendered the conflict so fascinating. The horror of what takes place isn't necessarily graphic while still coming across strongly, and there's perfect dry humor, camaraderie, and atmosphere in the Graham Green style.



The Actress by Elizabeth Sims
Actress/single mother Rita is approached by a slick LA attorney who offers her big bucks as 'drama coach' to his wealthy client, in hopes she'll come off more sympathetic to the jury, having been arrested for killing her toddler daughter. Rita desperately needs the money, but how many balls can she keep in the air, as she tends her child, fends off her malevolent ex-husband, falls for the attorney, auditions for a movie role, and blows the murder case wide open? Witty and compelling, this is a complex mystery you'll love reading, and hate to see end.



White Cat by Holly Black
Urban fantasy. Cassel Sharpe comes from a family of con men and curse workers, people who can wipe memories, change emotions to love or hate, and even kill others with a single touch. When Cassel wakes up on his dorm roof after a mysterious dream involving a white cat, he becomes entangled in a mystery involving his family, his missing memories, and Lila, the best friend he murdered three years ago.



Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber
When the only child of single mother Sue Young is kidnapped she begins to get mysterious phone calls instructing her to perform unpleasant tasks, including digging up a mysterious parcel along a historic driving route in New England. The story quickly turns supernatural with elements of a long-dead serial killer and zombie attacks. While the action becomes gorier by the page, the chill factor increases exponentially. The story hangs together fairly well with Sue fighting to the death--and beyond--trying to rescue her daughter.



Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House by Meghan Daum
If you are a House Hunters fan, you will love this book. If you are not, you won't get it at all. This is memoir of a woman whose living situation reflects her position in life - always feeling that if she found the perfect place to live, somehow her life would become what she wanted it to be. Although the search becomes frustrating for her (and even more so for the reader), it was interesting to read how her upbringing in a disconnected, dissatisfied family affected her dissatisfaction with her own life and living arrangements. Daum is a very good writer, and I enjoyed this book a lot.



Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts by Tovah Martin
You have to love a tiny, 80 year old free-thinking woman who is fiercely independent and makes her own soap, beeswax candles, baskets from trees on her property, weaves her own blankets using wool she dyed and flax she grew, knitwear, quilts, clothing, marionettes, toys for her grandchildren, and cider using techniques from the 1830s.



Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Newly-urban Audrey has grown up disadvantaged due to poverty and a bipolar mother, but despite this she manages to have put herself through school, and claimed at least a precarious spot at a top-of-the-pile chic New York architectural firm. Having split up with her boyfriend and in need of an apartment, she finds a seemingly perfect haven in an incredibly affordable, fabulous and roomy 19th century building whose only drawback is that, due to its weird and dangerous architectural style and past infamy, is satanically cursed. Still--that woodwork! But Audrey's poor self-image, lack of confidence, and somewhat menacing former boyfriend render her a shaky match for the visions, voices, and violence that relentlessly ensue, and are good, creepy fun. 'Historic' newspaper items sprinkled throughout the story and a highly detailed but entirely fictional architectural style lend frightening realism.



The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
In book 4 of Lisa Lutz's hilarious mystery saga, the Spellman family of private investigators continues its dogged delving for dirt, and shines a merciless spotlight on the well-guarded secrets of sterling citizens as well as conniving jailbirds--namely the Spellmans. In this purported final outing, the blend of subversive humor, mystery, and unaccountable--and possibly undeserved--promise is the wrap-up worth waiting for.



Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
Four childhood friends, Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac, are founders of a business, Vows, one of the Northeast's fastest growing wedding consultants. Each of the friends specializes in a separate service that brides need direction when planning a wedding. Emma, the florist, begins to see Parker's brother's best friend as more than family. He has much to offer Emma--looks, career, friendship, and passion. Follow how this romance grows throughout the book!



The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine
This updated take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility centers on Betty Weissmann, who has just been sued for divorce by her husband of forty-eight years, and her two grown daughters. As the sisters rally around their mother in her time of need, the women are offered the use of a run-down cottage in Westport, Connecticut, and decide to all move in together temporarily. Romantic entanglements ensue, and the sisters become involved in various relationships along the way. This is a witty and light-hearted novel about finding yourself surprised at the affairs of the heart, no matter what your age.



Settled in the Wild: Notes from the Edge of Town by Susan Hand Shetterly
A book for naturalists and poets and those seeking a more present life. While there are calming and restorative descriptions of Maine, this book does not shy away from death and the hardness of nature, so be forewarned. If you are squeamish about the way nature works, you may find parts of this book disturbing.



The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin
Ready to leave the urban life of Stockholm, Joakim and Katrine Westin, along with their two small children, buy and renovate and old manor house on the island of Öland, off the coast of northern Sweden. This is an area with a long history of shipwrecks and where many people have drowned, and where it is said that the voices of the dead can still be heard.

To them their new home equals new beginnings. New beginnings that then become suddenly interrupted by tragedy. Is it the mysterious house, which has caused all this grief? Or is the grief caused by dark family secrets that have followed them?

Rich in setting and suspense, this book will be hard to put down. A great read-a-like for anyone who enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson.



The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon
In this WWI era British mystery, lucky-in-law but unlucky-in-love solicitor Evelyn Gifford becomes emotionally involved with a fellow barrister. Women in the legal profession during this period were few and far between, and not easily tolerated or well-respected, adding to the danger lurking for Evelyn in this tale of love, loss, and betrayal.



Falling Apart in One Piece: One Optimist's Journey Through the Hell of Divorce by Stacy Morrison
Stacy Morrison didn't see her divorce coming, until the night her husband of ten years responded to a curt remark with "I'm done. I'm done with this." And with that, Morrison's life was turned upside down. Already dealing with the birth of a new baby, the possibility of a challenging new job as an editor-in-chief of a national magazine, and the anxiety of living in a house that was structurally failing and flooding on a regular basis, we read about the challenges and self examination that allowed Morrison to come out on the other end of the grief and anger that comes with the end of a marriage. This honest and beautifully written account of her struggle to make sense of what happened and pick up the pieces is inspiring to all women who deal with unexpected setbacks throughout their lives.



Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
The question which may/may not have been on your mind is answered in the recent book by Sarah Palin, ex-governor/vice presidential candidate: "Why did Sarah Palin resign the governorship of Alaska?" Palin takes the reader through her life's story growing up and serving the people of Wasila, Alaska, and later the governor's office in Juneau, Alaska. Sarah is described as the Main Street American woman: a working mom, the wife of a blue-collar union man, and the mother of five children, the eldest of whom was serving his country in Iraq and the youngest, an infant with special needs. Sarah's eyes were opened up when she became John McCain's running mate in the 2008 Presidential election. She shares many of these awakenings in this very informative and interesting autobiography!



That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake
The year is 1892. The town of Gooding, Texas is looking forward to two needed medical persons arriving in town, a veterinarian and a doctor—twins. When the brother Enoch, the veterinarian, and the sister Taylor, the doctor, arrive in town, many are up in arms because they thought they were getting two brothers. Many think women aren’t qualified or that medicine is an inappropriate profession for a woman. Taylor and Enoch set out to prove the small-minded townspeople wrong in this inspirational novel.



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