May #5 - STUFFED

Title: Stuffed

Author: Eric Walters

Publisher: Orca Book Publishing

Copyright: 2006

ISBN: 978-1-55143-500-8

Type of book: YA

Setting: New York

1st Sentence:

The credits started rolling up the screen.

Comments:

15-year-old Ian Cheevers sends out a mass email to get people to boycott eating at a local fast food restaurant for just one day after watching a documentary called "STUFFED" about the chain in question. This book is about that and the ensuing results of that action.

To whom would I recommend this: Any tween looking for a book about choices and decisions, my green scene kids

My rating: 3/5

May #4 - ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER

Title: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Author: Seth Grahame-Smith

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-446-56308-6

Setting:Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Washington D.C

1st Sentence:

Facts
1. For over 250 years, between 1607 and 1865, vampires thrived in the shadows of America.

Comments:

So, this is the first book that I ever read that made me want to read more about our 16th President, or any President for that matter. And I looked up stuff as I went along. Most of the text is factual - except for the vampire hunting part. It chronicles the life of Abe Lincoln, from his early life, through the Civil War, his presidency and his assassination.

My rating: 5/5

May #3 - LISTEN

Title: Listen

Author: Rene Gutteridge

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4143-2433-3

Setting: Marlo

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Meredith sat quietly in the center of her room on the carpet that had been freshly steam cleaned for the party.

Comments:

A website pops up called Listen to Yourself and what is being posted is private conversations between Marlo residents. This has fights breaking out and is stirring up a lot of emotions. Damien writes for the newspaper and is in the middle. His best friend Frank is a police officer; he is too. This book was a quick read and for being classified as Christian Fiction, it wasn't too preachy until the very end.

To whom would I recommend this: Patrons looking for a clean mystery with a faith based story

My rating: 3.5/5

May #2 - this world we live in

Title: this world we live in

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publisher: Harcourt

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-547-24804-2

Series or stand-alone: #3

Setting: Howell, PA

1st Sentence:

April 25
I'm shivering, and I can't tell if it's because something strange is going on or because of the dream I had or just because I'm in the kitchen, away from the warmth of the woodstove.

Comments:

The characters of the first and second books meet in book 3 nearly a year after the moon is knocked closer to Earth and Miranda is trying to keep it together, despite her growing feelings for Alex.

My favorite line: Page 197
Librarians! Librarians always know how to find out things. That was their job before the Internet.

My rating: 4/5

May #1 - THE BLIND SIDE: EVOLUTION OF A GAME

Title: The blind side: Evolution of a game

Author: Michael Lewis

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.

Copyright: 2006

ISBN: 978-00-393-06123-9

Book type: Non-fiction

Setting: Memphis, TN

1st Sentence:

Back Story
From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bone is closer to four seconds than to five.

Comments:

Of course the only reason I read this book was because I saw the movie and loved it! Football only holds my interest at playoffs and Super Bowl time. And the book was okay but I have to admit that I liked the movie better only because the book was filled with so much football stuff and there were times when my eyes would glaze over. I did, however, learn a whole lot more about the game, so that's a plus.

To whom would I recommend this: Football fans, readers of feel good stories who don't mind some sports stuff thrown in, people who rave about the movie
My rating: 4/5

April #5 - THE TIME OF MY LIFE

Title: The time of my life

Author: Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi

Publisher: Atria Books

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4391-5858-6

Series or stand-alone: Memoir

Setting: California, New York

1st Sentence:

Prologue
In late December 2007, life was looking pretty good.

Comments:

This memoir was written by Patrick and his wife Lisa before his death, but it was published posthumously. Patrick Swayze led a really interesting life and I was surprised at a few of things that I read: He was a formally trained ballet dancer (working for the Harkness Ballet in New York City & Disney on Parade), he was a carpenter, he showed Arabian horses and had a ranch called Rancho Bizarro. He survived serious knee injuries from his football days, depression, trouble with alcohol, but in the end pancreatic cancer got him. He died September 14, 2009.

To whom would I recommend this:
Dirty Dancing fans, people who like to read autobiographies of stars
My rating: 3/5 - The story was interesting; the writing and editing could have been tighter.

April #4 - HOUSE RULES

Title: House rules

Author: Jodi Picoult

Publisher: Atria Books

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-7432-9643-4

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Townsend, VT

1st Sentence:

Case 1: Sleep tight
At first glance, she looked like a saint: Dorothea Puente rented out rooms to the elderly and disabled in Sacramento, California, in the 1980s.

Comments:

I loved it! Jacob has Asperger's syndrome and he's very much into forensic science. When his social skills coach disappears and is found dead, all clues point toward Jacob. But did he do it? This book, like many of Picoult's others, is written in multiple points of view.

To whom would I recommend this: People who enjoy fantastic family fiction.

My rating: 5/5

April #3 - HERO AT LARGE

Title: Hero at large

Author: Janet Evanovich

Publisher: Harper

Copyright: 1987, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-06-198594-2

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Fairfax, VA

1st Sentence:

Chris Nelson muttered an indiscernible oath and expelled a cloud of frost into the bone-chilling early-morning air.

Comments:

This is the last of her early romance re-releases. If you've read the last 11, you've read this one but with different characters. I so prefer the Stephanie Plum books to these, but I'll read anything Evanovich writes; I just won't necessarily pay for it (I'm a librarian, what do you expect?). She's found a forever fan in me.

To whom would I recommend this: Evanovich fans and fans of light romances.

My rating: 3/5

April #2 - THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN

Title: The Spellmans strike again

Author: Lisa Lutz

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4165-9340-9

Series or stand-alone: #4

Setting: San Francisco, CA

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Phone call from the edge #28
Morty: What's new, Izzele?

Comments:

Izzy's agreed to take over the family business and the family is as nuts as ever.

To whom would I recommend this: I recommend it to fans of Janet Evanovich. Some like them, some don't.

My rating: 3.5/5

April #1 - WORST CASE

I'm back. I make no promises. The two deaths in my family this year really took a toll on me and my priorities kind of shifted. This blog is still very important to me as I've been keeping it for five years now. However, once I got behind, it just didn't seem that important to catch up, you know. But, something clicked and I said that I had to so here I am. I will do my best to stay on top of it, but like I said, no promises. Thanks for hanging in.


Title: Worst Case

Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-316-03622-1

Series or stand-alone: #3 in Mike Bennett Series

Setting: New York City, NY

1st Sentence:

The stocky man with the salt-and-pepper hair felt light-headed as he crossed beneath the marble arch into Washington Square Park.

Comments:

This book, I thought, was typical Patterson. Quick moving, 1-2 page chapters, not a lot of depth but enough action to keep me flipping the pages. I did however, have a patron who came in saying she was downright disgusted by this book and upset that Patterson would "stoop to this level". She was talking about the killing of kids, something that I don't have a problem with but apparently she was outraged. When Patterson's latest book came out I asked if she'd read it and she said, "Nope, and don't think I'm gonna." Did Patterson go to far? I don't know. I'll continue to read his books just because I need a little brain candy now and again.

To whom would I recommend this: Patterson fans, most of them anyways.
On a side note, it seems that I read so many books set in NY that I have a hard time finding a new link for the travel section up above, but I try.

My rating: 3/5

March #4 - NEVER LOOK AWAY

Title: Never look away

Author: Linwood Barclay

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-553-80717-2

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting:Promise Falls, NY

1st Sentence:

"He's really out of it."

Comments:

This book comes with a lot of twists and turns that rock the boat with every chapter. I'm hesitant to write too much about it for fear of giving away too much as I've been known to do. The book starts out in an amusement park where a young child goes missing. He is soon recovered but then mom disappears -- and she doesn't come back. If you're not afraid of reading more about the book, look here. I love this website for reviews and information on books, and this one had me giggling.

To whom would I recommend this: Fans of any kind of domestic terror (love this term) book - readers of Mary Higgins Clark, Erica Spindler, PJ Parrish and the like.

My rating: 4/5

March #3 - NOT AS CRAZY AS I SEEM

Title: Not as crazy as I seem

Author: George Harrar

Publisher: Graphia

Copyright: 2003

ISBN: 978-0-618-49480-4

Series or stand-alone: YA stand-alone

Setting: Belford, MA

1st Sentence:

Prologue
"Hello, Devon. I'm Dr. Wasserman."

Comments:

Devon, a 15-year-old, has just moved to Belford and begins school mid-year at a new and prestigious prep school. However, his OCD, his compulsion to sort things into groups of four and keep things near cause him problems and he needs to get to the root of the problem before it becomes a real problem in the long run.

As a sufferer of OCD, I thought this book accurately portrayed someone with the affliction. I could relate to many of the things Devon did and the feelings he had when someone tried to quash his tendencies.

Upon preparing this blog entry, I enjoyed finding out the author resides in Wayland, MA. I was a nanny in neigboring Weston for several years back in my younger days.

To whom would I recommend this: People interested in OCD. Tweens and teens who read any kind of book about differences.

My rating: 3.5/5

March #2 - RAIN DOGS

Title: Rain dogs

Author: Sean Doolittle

Publisher: Bantam Dell

Copyright: 2006

ISBN: 0-440-24281-9

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Valentine, NE

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Coleman's Landing
The offices of Tyler & Tyler sat next to a taxidermy shop with a stuffed coyote in the window.

Comments:

When Tom Coleman's grandfather dies, he is left a river resort in Nebraska. Tom, who is fighting his own demons, sees it as an opportunity to start anew. But when he moves to Valentine, he has a run-in with an old flame, finds himself in the middle of an illegal drug operation and all he wants to do is just get by. Personally, I liked SAFER better, but I enjoyed this book.

To whom would I recommend this:
Any of my mystery/suspense readers. I think readers of James Lee Burke and Tony Hillerman would like this book.
My rating:3.5/5

March #1 - THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS

Title: The murderer's daughters

Author: Randy Susan Meyers

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-312-57698-1

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Brooklyn, the Boston area

1st Sentence:

Lulu
July 1971
I wasn't surprised when Mama asked me to save her life.

Comments:

The book opens with a murder that changes the life of the two girls featured throughout the book. Merry and Lulu must adjust to life without both parents and this book chronicles how the early life events affected each of them. I thought it was a very satisfying read.

To whom would I recommend this: Mystery readers and patrons who like a more literary style of writing. People who like a great debut novel.

My rating: 4/5

My March sucked!

March was a very hard month for me. I got very little reading done, although my posts for March are forthcoming.
The first part of March I lost my nephew, a police officer in Prince George's County, MD. Because his death was in the line of duty, it was the whole shebang of a funeral...very moving, very emotional, very draining. His crew out there is holding several fundraisers in his memory for the Fraternal Order of Police #89 and the FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL FUND and for both COPS and HEROES. They have been very good and generous to Tommy's widow and parents, as they were to us when we were out there. Please take a look and donate if you shall.
















On the day we returned from Maryland, I lost my grandma after her very long fight with Alzheimer's. I will be doing my annual Alzheimer's walk this year. In years past, the walk was in her honor. This year, it will be in her memory.

When it rains, it pours. Two deaths in one week's time was almost more than I could bear. I won't be attending any more funerals this year. I don't think I have another one in me. I have also lost my zeal for reading. But I'll find it again; books have always been some of my best friends, something I could always rely on. That's something my grandma taught me very early in life. I love you, lady and miss you more than you can ever know.

February #7 - GONE

Title: Gone

Author: Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4169-7918-0

Series or stand-alone: #3

Setting: Fieldridge, MI

1st Sentence:

June 2006
24/7/365
It's like she can't breathe anymore, no matter what she does.

Comments:

This book rounds out the trilogy that included WAKE and FADE. Janie is a dreamcatcher - she falls into other's dreams when they sleep. Raised by a single mother, she just found her biological father and finds that he is dying. She must come to terms with that, who she is and what she will become.

To whom would I recommend this: 13 and up (language)

My rating: 4 Stars

February #6 - SAVING CEE CEE HONEYCUTT

Title: Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt

Author: Beth Hoffman

Publisher: Viking

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-670-02139-0

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Willoughby, Ohio & Savannah, GA

1st Sentence:

Momma left her red satin shoes in the middle of the road.

Comments:

When Cecelia's mother dies, her dad sends her to Savannah to live with her great-aunt where she learns about the love of family and acceptance. It's 1967 or 1968 and the Southern women are an odd lot, but she falls in love with them and they with her.

To whom would I recommend this:
Just about anyone who reads. This was one of my favorite books so far this year.

My rating: 5 stars

February #5 - LOCKDOWN: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE

Title: Lockdown: Escape from Furnace

Author: Alexander Gordon Smith

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-374-32491-9

Series or stand-alone: #1

Setting: Furnace Penitentiary

1st Sentence:

NO WAY OUT
If I stopped running I was dead.

Comments:

Summary from book:
When 14-year-old Alex is framed for murder, he becomes an inmate of the Furnace Penitentiary, where brutal inmates and sadistic guards reign, boys who disappear in the middle of the night sometimes return weirdly altered, and escape might just be possible.

To whom would I recommend this: Hesitant readers in the 13-17 age range and even those who are fans of science fiction books. It was a strange altered reality quality to it.
My rating: 4.5 stars

February #4 - I, ALEX CROSS

Title: I, Alex Cross

Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-316-01878-4

Series or stand-alone: #15

Setting: Washington, D.C.

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Fire and Water
Hannah Willis was a second year law student at Virginia, and everything that lay ahead of her seemed bright and promising - except, of course, that she was about to die in these dark, gloomy , dismal woods.

Comments:

Alex's niece is found murdered and the hunt for her killer begins. It turns into a chase of depravity as a sex club is prominent and it involves heavy hitters in Washington. Some surprise twists through the book lead to a happy ending.

February #3 - WHY MY THIRD HUSBAND WILL BE A DOG

Title: Why my third husband will be a dog

Author: Lisa Scottoline

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-312-58748-2

Series or stand-alone: Non-fiction

1st Sentence:

Quote: A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she's in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Comments:

This book includes funny stories, scenes from the author's real life - everything from going braless and motherhood to healthcare, failed marriages and getting along with an aging, crazy mother.

Some are quite funny, some poignant...

February #2 - NOT MY DAUGHTER

Title: Not my daughter

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-385-52498-8

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting:Zaganack, ME

1st Sentence:

Susan Tate never saw it coming.

Comments:

In sleepy Zaganack, ME where everything is PC (Perry & Cass) Susan is the principal of the high school. When her teenage daughter drops the bomb that she's pregnant, Susan is disappointed. When she finds out that it's a pact involving her daughter's two best friends, she mortified - because that type of behavior is definitely not PC - and town people try to make things very difficult for Susan and her daughter.

I would recommend this book to patrons who enjoy Jodi Picoult; I read a lot of similarities and it's part of the reason I've read a couple of Delinsky books.

February #1 - STILL LIFE

Title: Still life

Author: Joy Fielding

Publisher: Atria Books

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4165-8527-5

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: South Philadelphia

1st Sentence:

Less than an hour before the car slammed into her at a speed of almost fifty miles an hour, throwing her ten feet into the air, breaking nearly every bone in her body and cracking her head against the hard concrete, Casey Marshall was sitting in the elegant narrow dining room of Southwark, one of South Philadelphia's more popular white-tablecloth restaurants, finishing lunch with her two closest friends and stealing glances at the beautiful, secluded courtyard behind their heads.

Comments:

Casey is in a car accident and finds herself in the hospital "locked in" - aware of her surroundings but unable to communicate that. Everyone around her thinks she is in a coma. And some feel safe in talking and she learns many interesting things -- like the cause of her accident and why!

January #7 - WHEN YOU REACH ME

Title: When you reach me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-385-73742-5

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: New York City

1st Sentence:

So Mom got the postcard today.

Comments:

Summary from the book:
As her mother prepares to be a contestant of the 1970s television game show, "The 20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

This book was the Newbery Award winner for 2010 and it referenced A WRINKLE IN TIME many times.

My favorite thing about the book was how each chapter was titled and written including something from the $20,000 PYRAMID, for example THINGS YOU KEEP A SECRET.

January #6 - LIGHTS OUT TONIGHT

Title: Lights out tonight

Author: Mary Jane Clark

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Copyright: 2006

ISBN: 978-0-312-32317-2

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting:Warrenstown, MA

1st Sentence:

Sunday, July 30
It was just a few feet from the front door of the convenience store to the shiny, new car parked in the spot marked "handicapped."

Comments:

Caroline Enright is a reporter covering a new play that is opening where her stepdaughter is working as an apprentice. When the lead character goes missing, everybody's a suspect.

This was a good, quick read and typical in style to Clark's previous books.

January #5 - CANDOR

Title: Candor

Author: Pam Bachorz

Publisher: Egmont

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-60684-012-2

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Candor, FL

1st Sentence:

CA-CHUNK, CA-CHUNK, CA-CHUNK

Comments:

From the book:

For a fee, "model teen" Oscar Banks has been secretly - and selectively - sabotaging the subliminal messages that program the behavior of the residents of Candor, Florida, until his attraction to a rebellious new girl threatens to expose his subterfuge.

Kind of like THE STEPFORD WIVES but for/with kids. This was a fun book that could have you looking at your neighbor kinda funny.

January #4 - UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY

Title: Undead and unworthy

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Publisher: Jove Books

Copyright: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-515-14773-5

Series or stand-alone: #7

Setting: Minneapolis, MN

1st Sentence:

Bored, I crossed the carpet in five steps, climbed up on Sinclair's desk, and kissed him.

Comments:

A continuation of the series, Betsy and Eric have been married for two months but married life's not easy she's finding out. What with having to raise her half-brother, being haunted by a really annoying ghost and ancient vampires released who are out for blood - namely hers.

These books are always easy brain candy reads for me but seven books into the series and I still enjoy the campy humor I find in them. I'll read #8.

January #3 - THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS

Title: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an accidental country girl

Author: Ree Drummond

Publisher: William Morrow

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-06-165819-8

Series or stand-alone: Non-fiction

Setting: Oklahoma

1st Sentence:

Introduction
I grew up on the seventh fairway of an idyllic golf course in a corporate town of 35,000.

Comments:

This book should be illegal because it is full of food porn. The cookbook is country living, hot guys in chaps, children, and food, glorious food. And I mean GLORIOUS food. Her website is filled with stories and photos about life on the ranch and recipes, recipes, recipes!

Did I mention the food?!?

'Nuff said.

January #2 - THE SECRET BETWEEN US

Title: The secret between us

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-385-51868-0

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Driving distance of Boston

1st Sentence:

They were arguing in the seconds before impact.

Comments:

From the author's website:

Physician Deborah Monroe and her teenage daughter Grace are driving home one night in a raging rainstorm when their car hits a man who is on foot on the road. He subsequently dies, throwing Deborah and Grace into emotional turmoil. They share a secret concerning the accident, a lie that takes on a life of its own and threatens both their everyday lives and the special bond between them. And it refuses to go away, growing larger with each denial, jeopardizing ties Deborah has with her renegade sister and their father, a recent widower, and with the ex-husband whose role in their children's lives is at stake. As details emerge about the accident victim - an aloof local teacher who wove his own web of secrecy - Deborah must find a way to reconcile her worst fears with the truth of that terrible night.

The Secret Between Us is about a lie gone wrong, about making bad choices for the right reasons. This book explores the limits of responsibility - mother to daughter, daughter to father, husband to wife. It examines the price that we pay for denying the truth.

This was the first Delinsky book I read and I think mainly because I've always categorized her as a 'romance' author. If I had to pick one thing that I didn't like about this book, it's something I've been seeing more and more of and that is loose ends with no resolution. It seems the things that stick out as important to me get left by the wayside and then I am left to wonder what happened. I'm not a big fan of that at all.

Delinsky's new book, NOT MY DAUGHTER, was just released in January and I already have my name on it to read once it's shelf-ready. It looks really good.

January 2010 #1 - PLEA OF INSANITY

Hey, happy new year! Here's wishing you all a year of fantastic reading!

Title: Plea of insanity

Author: Jilliane Hoffman

Publisher: Vanguard Press

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59315-507-0

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Miami, FL

1st Sentence:

The old, two-story Spanish-style house sat back away from the street, nestled behind lush tropical foliage and towering palms.

Comments:
When David Marquette is arrested for killing his wife and three children, Rick Bellido brings Julia Vacanti on board to help prosecute. But when David enters a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, it turns Julia's world upside down.

I thought this was a great legal story with some interesting plot twists and good character development. Hoffman's book, RETRIBUTION, remains on my list of all-time favorite reads.

Another note of interest: I ordered a copy of this for my personal library. The copy that I read was hardcover, the copy I received was paperback. And they have different beginnings. I'm now interested to read the paperback to find out how many differences there are. It's not like I read or received an ARC or Uncorrected Proof. Anybody know why this could be?

December #5 - 13 1/2

Title: 13 1/2

Author: Nevada Barr

Publisher: Vanguard Press

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-593-155-53-7

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Rochester, MN and Jackson Square, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA

1st Sentence:

Prologue
"By the Month or by the Night" read the sign over the entrance to the trailer park.

Comments:

Dylan, aka Butcher Boy was convicted of killing his family in the '70s. Polly was Mississippi trailer trash. In present time, their paths cross but is history destined to repeat itself?

I did have some problems with the vagueness of the writing and the way that it jumped around from character to character, but I enjoyed the setting very much.

My favorite thing about the book was the meaning behind the title.

December #4 - THE HELP

Title: The help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-399-155-34-5

Series or stand-alone: Stand-alone

Setting: Jackson, MS

1st Sentence:

Aibileen
Chapter 1
August 1962
Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960.

Comments:

I had reservations about this book because it goes so far outside the scope of what I typically read, but I loved it and nearly a month later and it is still with me. It also made the list of my top 5 favorite books read in 2009.

Skeeter Phelan, a white woman who is disgusted with the prejudices around her enlists the help of some of the black women who work for her friends to tell her what it's like to work for the white families for which they work. And write a book about it. But times in the south in the sixties aren't all that easy and the women face danger by speaking ill of their employers. I thought it was a great representation of the time and I think it would make a fantastic movie!

December #3 - LAKESHORE CHRISTMAS

Title: Lakeshore Christmas

Author: Susan Wiggs

Publisher: Mira

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7783-2689-2

Series or stand-alone: #6

Setting: Avalon, New York

1st Sentence:

The boy came to the edge of town at twilight, at the close of a winter day.

Comments:

Maureen Davenport is the town librarian and has volunteered to head up the local Christmas pageant/program working with Eddie Haven, childhood star serving community service for an accident that happened years ago.

The story was okay and if I was going to read a Christmas story around Christmas time, I guess reading about librarians would only be second to reading about vampires. However, I didn't like the way the story wasn't resolved and I will never know who got the engagement ring. It was like the author just wanted to wrap the story up. This is one reason I avoid romances. Oh yeah, and the sap would be another reason.

December #2 - WEEKENED WARRIORS

Title: Weekend warriors

Author: Fern Michaels

Publisher: Zebra Books

Copyright: 2003

ISBN: 0-8217-7589-8

Series or stand-alone: #1

Setting: McLean, VA

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Washington D.C.
The traffic was horrendous on Massachusetts Avenue, but then it was always horrendous at this time of day.

Comments:

Seven women, all who had wrongs done to them, come together to enact their own kind of justice when the legal system fails them.

I liked the premise, the plot had potential, and I liked the revenge extracted in the book. However, the writing and dialogue made me cringe every time I read another passage and although my patrons really seem to LOVE this series, I will not be reading another.

December #1 - ON BULLSHIT

Title: On Bullshit

Author: Harry G. Frankfurt

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Copyright: 2005

ISBN: 0-691-12294-6

Series or stand-alone: Non-fiction

1st Sentence:

One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.

Comments:

The only reason I read this book was because it came across my desk as a book that I was sending out through interlibrary loan and it was short and I remembered all the fuss it received when it first came out. Normally I would not read this type of book. And probably won't again.

The author note says he is a renowned moral philosopher and a Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Princeton University. My dad is a degreed philosopher and he is one of the biggest bullshitters I know.

Want to guess what my opinion was of this book?

November #4 - LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS

Title: Level 26: Dark Origins

Author: Anthony E Zuiker

Publisher: Dutton

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-525-95125-4

Series or stand-alone: #1

Setting: Malibu Beach, CA

1st Sentence:

It is well-known among law enforcement personnel that murderers can be categorized as belonging to one of twenty-five levels of evil, from the naive opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture-murderers who inhibit Level 25.

Comments:

This book is the first digi-novel, a very interesting concept, written by the creator and executive producer of the CSI shows. You read the book and then there are chapters where you go to the website and watch a short video clip to enhance the reading experience. The bad guy, Sqweegel, is a very creepy and gooey guy and I liked the digital interaction. I'll be looking for the second book.