Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 320
Challenges: 101 Fantasy
Author's Website 


Simple Description: 
This book picks up almost right where the last one stopped.  Sookie is still getting over the fairy war, she's doing some physical therapy to try and get back to 100%.    She is dating Eric, he seems to constantly remind her that they are married, as far as vampires are concerned.   Things get a little tricky when she lets Alcide's pack hunt in the woods on her property on the night of the full moon.  The next morning she is told that there is one grave, although burried pretty far down and old, and the scent of fairies on her land.  The fairies bother her more than the dead body (she assumes it's the one Eric had to get rid of at one point).  She tells Eric about this and he sends over a vampire to scout the grounds a couple days later.  She finds another grave, this one close to the service and fresh.  No sooner did they move that body when the copes show up to search her grounds, thanks to an anonymous tip.

Sookie's cousin, Claude, also asks to move in with her.  He says he needs to be close to somebody with fairy blood and since most are locked in fairy land, Sookie is the closest he has.   However the fairy scent on her property isn't his, this does not sound good.



Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
Here's the thing with this book, it's not as action packed as the previous books where.  However, It was still really good.  You get more of just day to day stuff that Sookie has to deal with because of the vampires and were's and shifters.  I didn't include everything that happens in my review, I needed to leave something for you to f ind out on your own. lol!      I think the author put in a lot of filler info.  By this I mean information that she's probably going to use for another book, but this way you are introduced to things that are happening. She's basically setting up a couple more stories.  At least, that's how I see it.

If I did have one thing that bothered me, it was how Eric calls Sookie Lover.  That just annoys me. Lol!  I don't know why, it just does.

Overall I think this was a good addition to the series, just don't forget to start at the beginning if you haven't read any of the Sookie books yet, if you pick up with this one you'll be lost.



Thanks to Megan with Penguin for providing this book for review.

(psst - I back dated the review since technically I did finish it on the 30th.  Normally I just leave the date that I review it, but since today is a new month, I decided to change it so it wouldn't be confusing.  Also, hopefully my review comes across ok..I'm incredibly pissed at my co-worker today and not in the best of moods.)

Friday Smile: St. Louis Zoo Run

This past weekend was the 25th annual Zoo run.  Ok..it has a longer name than that, but it benefits the zoo and the starting point is right outside the zoo, so that's what we always call it.  I've been doing the zoo run since 1995.  Isn't that crazy?!  I can't believe I've been doing it for 15 years!  The run is 5k, 3.1 miles long.  I used to run it, then got out of running and walked it with my sisters and Mom, now I'm back to running it.  

The zoo run is a family tradition.  My sisters and Mom have been doing it with me for a long time.  Now my sisters bring their kids, my nephews.  In fact, my sisters have done the zoo run each time they have been pregnant. haha!  So the kids have been doing it before they were even born.  This even includes the nephew that will be joining the family in August this year.  I think we can all imagine that I'll be volunteering at the zoo run whenever age catches up with me and I'm unable to walk it any longer.

I wanted to share some pictures taken from the zoo, the run and strolling around the zoo afterwards.  Please excuse the fact that I haven't edited the photo's at all. I spent the rest of the day after the zoo run hanging out in the pool (I can't believe we were in the low 90's in May!), and most of this week I've had stuff going on after work in the evenings, I just haven't had time.


This picture is of us before the race started.  I wish it could have been better, but when asking a stranger to take your picture, I suppose one can't be took picky.  From the left:  My Mom, my sister (her kid has the red hat on), my other sister (who is pregnant) and her two kids, and last is little ol' me.

Are these two adorable or what?

Ok ok..I know...they are MY nephews, but come on, how could you not think this little guy is also adorable?

Had enough of the nephews?  No?  Me either...but I do have some pictures of the animals to show you.  There are a couple I just couldn't help sharing.

What's that you ask?  Why yes, you are correct.  That is a lion in a tree!  seriously..we couldn't stare at this girl enough.  We have NEVER seen a lion in the tree at the zoo!  It was pretty high off the ground too (I was going to share a picture that showed that, however whenever I upload it, the program turns the picture on it's side and you can't see anything anyway.   The zoo keeper said that this little lady has been doing it since she was little, and that it's not very common.

My blog is Carbon Neutral - is yours?

I read about this on A Room Without Books and couldn't pass it up.   The goal is to get a tree planted for your blog, to help with your blogs carbon footprint.  Click on the imagine above or the new imagine on my right sidebar to learn more about it.

Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: MIRA Books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 363
Author's Website

Simple Description: 
This book in the series focuses on Mike and Brie.  This book starts off with a bang, Brie is raped.   This sets the tone for most of the book. While Brie is dealing with this, we also learn that there is somebody getting high school girls drugged at parties and taking advantage of them.  Mike is there for Brie throughout this ordeal.  He loves her, but knows he can't make a move now.  However, he knows what it's like to be attacked.  Brie comes to Virgin River to try and get over what has happened to her.  Mike and Brie do hit it off and with Mike's help Brie slowly gets back to her old self and they realize that what they have is love.  Meanwhile, Mike has been asked to take a job as a security officer of the town.  He won't officially be a cop, but he'll be able to investigate and help out cops in the surrounding towns.  He is determined to figure out who is taking advantage of the highschool girls.

There are some new characters in this one, something that happens in each book and usually leads to one or two of them being the main characters in future books for this series.  Vanni (Vannessa) is pregnant and her husband Matt is serving over seas.   She has moved in with her Dad for the meantime.  Her Dad owns a ranch outside of Virgin River.   Matt worked under Jim and is part of the Marine buddies that come to town a couple times a year.  It gets interesting when we learn that Paul, another one of Marine buddies, is Matt's best friend and secretly loves Vanni.  He would never make a move though, he wouldn't do that to his friend.  We also meet  Tom. Tom is Vanni's younger brother and in highschool.  He helps Mike with the date rapper investigation.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
First off, notice a trend?  No? You might soon. I'm going to be reading one book in this series each month.  I just love this series and I'm buddy reading it with some friends, so we have limited ourselves to one book per month..and I doubt any of us want to be skipping months.

These books are so good.   I love that we still have Mel and Jack as primary characters.  Heck, there are several primary characters.  I just love that the author includes new people in each book, focuses on two people (who end up a couple of course), but also includes those we have come to love.  It's great to see the town and the people grow.   Sure you could argue that it's becoming a bit of a cookie cutter story - it seems that in each book two people who don't know each other well end up falling in love and getting married.  However I don't care. lol!  I love the characters so much and you just want them to get together and find happiness, who cares if it only happens in a couple of months.

I definitely recommend this series.  It is one of my favorite series, and only only 3 books into it.   Also, it's getting somewhat hard to review these books because I don't want to give away things that happened in past books, but yet in order to review it I have to assume you know what has happened.  These books follow closely in time (Virgin River time of course) and seem to pick up where one left off..building on the stories of all the characters you have already been introduced to.  I might just have to stop doing a simple review and just tell you want I think of it.

My rating:
4.5 out of  5 stars (only because I have a hard time giving something 5/5)

Gotta Keep Reading

I came across this at A Room Without Books and just had to share it.  Is it just me..or were you trying to read the titles of the books the students were holding too?

ack - due to my 2 column blog...you can't see all of it.  Click HERE to view it on youtube.

How to be Good by Nick Hornby - DNF

I hate to say it, but I had to give up on this book.    I didn't like it much from the beginning, but thought I would give it 100 pages.  When I got to around 100 I still didn't really like it, but had decided I would continue with it.  Then the author just put something into the story that made me sit back and say "ok..this is just too far fetched and out there.  This isn't worth my time."  So I put it down and picked up something else.

The story is basically that of a husband and wife who have grown to hate each other.  They have two kids, the wife is a Dr, they live in a nice house and a good area, everything should be fine, but they really don't like each other anymore.  The husband is always angry, rants about everything.  The wife has this complex where she feels she is good, because she's a dr, and yet she's unhappy and has an affair.    Then the wife asks for a divorce, but the husband says he refuses to give it to her..just to spite her.   Then he suddenly changes and becomes all nice and caring, nothing bothers him and he wants to do good deeds...such as giving food to the homeless.  While this is what the wife tells herself she wants, once her husband changes she realizes she doesn't like this version of him either.    Then the guy she was having an affair with (she called it off when her husband started to act different) shows up at her door one Sunday evening and the three of them sit down to talk.  And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where I stopped reading.  

Personally..I disliked all the characters in the book.  The husband annoyed me because he was always so angry and did things to annoy the wife.  The wife annoyed me because she thought she was wonderful because she was a Dr. and everything was the husbands fault, and she did things just to annoy the husband too.  The last straw was when the guy she was having the affair with shows up at the door to talk, and while the wife is upset about this, her husband isn't.  They all sit around to chat and the husband is as nice and calm as can be.  This just doesn't happen in real life folks.  Or maybe it does, I don't know.  It just wasn't believable.

What is Kris reading now?

 I took the following from the author's website:




Determined to secure another London season without assistance from her new brother-in-law, Mary Alsworthy accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation: to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip, before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England. Every spy has a weakness, and for the Black Tulip that weakness is black-haired women-his "petals" of the Tulip. A natural at the art of seduction, Mary easily catches the attention of the French spy, but Lord Vaughn never anticipates that his own heart will be caught as well. Fighting their growing attraction, impediments from their past, and, of course, the French, Mary and Vaughn find themselves lost in the shadows of a treacherous garden of lies.

New Author Challenge - Completed

I'm excited to share the news that I have finished another challenge this year.  Hip Hip Hooray!

The New Author Challenge is being hosted by Literary Escapism.  The goal was to read either 15, 25, or 50 new authors in 2010.  I had wanted to focus on books I already owned, so figured I should go with a low number and signed up for 15.  I'm surprised I finished it this fast!

Here's a re-cap of what I read for this challenge:
Trickster's Choice by Tamara Pierce
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Prime Time by Hank Phillippia Gregory
Girl Mary by Petru Popescu
Spinning Forward by Terry Dulong
Defenders of the Scroll by Shiraz
The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Excalibur Murders by J.M.C. Blair
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Fireworks over Toccoa by Jeffery Stepakoff
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua
Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

You can see all reviews HERE.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books/Viking-Penguin
Genre: Fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: 
New-to-me Author: yes
Author's Website 


Simple Description: 
CeeCee is a 12 year old girl when her mother dies.  The thing is, her mother suffered from mental illness and caused a lot of issues for CeeCee, but she still loved her and feels her loss.

Her father is a traveling sales man (it is the late 60's) and has never been around much for CeeCee.   After her mother's death, CeeCee meets her great Aunt Tootie and moves to Savannah Georgia to live with her.
Living with Aunt Tootie opens up a whole new world for CeeCee.  She quickly finds love and wisdom in both Aunt Tootie and her cook Oletta.  She is taken care by these woman, whereas in the past she has had to take care of her Mom.   There are also some eccentric neighbors and friends that CeeCee meets too.

Throughout the story you grow with CeeCee as she comes to terms with her childhood, her Mom, and possibly even her Dad.


Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
This book has been getting a lot of exposure in the book blogging community.   Part of me was really excited to read it and part of me dreaded it because I was afraid of disappointment. I'm here to tell you that I wasn't disappointed.   I just loved this book, adored it, didn't want it to end.

You can't help feeling sorry for CeeCee because of what she has experienced.  Then when she moves to Georgia and is taken in by her Great-Aunt Tootie and her Cook, Oletta, you see her finally getting the love she  needs.  

There is also this concept of a life book.  This is something that CeeCee's neighbor, before she moved, told her about and it shows up in the story several times.  I won't describe it here for you, but let's just say it's one of the main things that really stuck out in this book and made me like it so much.

I actually read several reviews on Amazon where this book received poor reviews.  Mostly the problem was that people thought CeeCee was too mature for her age, thought the story was predictable and had been done before, and thought Oletta should have sounded more educated than she really did.   Sure..I could agree with all of those, but I could also argue with all of those.

I for one, am going to give this book a 4.5/5 stars.  Yup..I liked it that much.

I did listen to the audio version of this book.  jenna Lamia is the narrator and I think she did an awesome job.


 This audio book was rented from my local library.

What is Kris reading now?

I took the following from the author's website:


Katie Carr is certainly trying to be good. That’s why she puts up with her husband David, the self-styled “Angriest Man in Holloway.” But one fateful day, she finds herself in a Leeds parking lot, having just slept with another man. What Katie doesn’t yet realize is that her fall from grace is just the first step on a spiritual journey more torturous than the interstate at rush hour.

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

Copyright:  2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 224
Author's Website

Simple Description: 
Alan Christofferson's life seems perfect.   Tragedy strikes in many forms and within a few short weeks he has lost his wife, his own business, his house, basically everything.   Alan is devastated, he doesn't want to live if he can't have his wife near his side.   The thing is, before McKale died she asked him to promise two things, one of which is that he live.   Alan sets out on a walk that starts in his current home town of Seattle, Washington and the destination is Florida. It should be noted that in this book, he is still in Washington when the book ends.  He takes some clothes, a tent, a backpack, and other necessities.  He leaves everything else.  

Alan meets some interesting characters in his journey.  We start off with his assistant Feona.  She seems like one heck of a woman.  He stops for dinner at a diner and the waitress ends up having more insight into life than somebody her age should have.  He also comes across another woman who is introduced in the story and I believe she will be a prominent figure in the next book.

The walk starts out at first as a way for him to just do something he always thought about, walking across the US.  He was numb in life and couldn't stand to just stay home.   Along his journey he starts to come to terms with what happened and grow as a person.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I thought the book was pretty good, I liked it, I think others will too.  It's the first in a series (not sure how many there are supposed to be in the series but I know there is going to be at least one more).  I think it ended pretty darn well. It closed the story to a point where you knew there would be another book and there was more to be told, yet it also wrapped things up a bit.

I can't say this is a favorite of mine by the author, but I do think it's a good book.  I had a couple of things annoy me, and it might annoy you, it might now.  It's not enough to keep me from reading other books in the series, it's just something that keeps me from raving about the book.  First..there is enough in the book that I wonder if it's classified as Christian lit.   I tend to run screaming from Christian lit, it's just not my cup of tea. Haha - I just looked through the sheet that came with the book (it was a surprise arrival from Simon & Schuster) and read the following sentence: "Newcomers and existing fans alike will thrill at the story of Alan Christofferson's spiritual journey, and will be eagerly awaiting the next installments."  So there you go. haha!  It's not preachy, but it reminds of some of my relatives and others I talk to who are deeply religious and always end up weaving God and religion into whatever topic is currently being discussed.  You know the type.  Right?  Hello?  I'm not alone in this am I?  Anyway....it's something that seemed painfully obvious to me as I read the book, but didn't annoy me enough to keep me from enjoying the book or turn me off of reading more in this series.  

The other thing that annoyed me was that the author seems to think we all want to know everything that Alan ate and drank along this journey.  At first I didn't really pay attention..but then it was every single meal.  I didn't think it was necessary and I'm not really sure what the point was.  I can see the point when he is having to eat what he bought and can't find a place to stop at and runs out of food.  However, I'm not sure what the point was in telling us everything he consumed when he did eat at a diner.   I found it funny that most diners claimed to have word famous milkshakes, but I don't think it needed to go further than that.   While this doesn't ruin the story, I found it odd and I feel like it kept me from liking the book more than I did.

What you really want to know is what I rate it right?   I rate it a 3.5/5.   I think it could have been a 4/5 if the food was kept under wraps and I wasn't turned off by Christian lit.  


Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review.

What is Kris reading now?

I took the following from the author's website:

Alan Christofferson is a successful Seattle advertising executive who seems to have it all: a beautiful home, a sky-rocketing career, and an idyllic marriage to his childhood sweetheart, McKale. However, unbeknownst to him, on the day that Alan successfully pitches a three million dollar advertising campaign to a key account, events are already unfolding that will soon take from him everything he holds dear.

Within a few short weeks, Alan Christofferson loses everything: his company, his fortune, and even the woman he loves. Betrayed by his business partner, Kyle, stripped of most of his material possessions and all of his emotional connections, Alan is left adrift in a world that has suddenly grown cold and meaningless. At first he considers taking his own life; instead, equipped with little more than the clothes on his back and his diary, he sets off on a walk across America, from Seattle to Florida. THE WALK covers the first 12 days of Alan’s journey, which will take him over 250 miles, from Bellevue, WA to Spokane, WA. As he journeys across the country, Alan will learn how to move beyond despair toward a profoundly new understanding of life, helped along the way by the unexpected kindness of strangers.

Masterfully written and emotionally resonant, THE WALK is destined to become an instant classic. As always, Evans’ intimate grasp of human motivation and frailty lends an impressive authenticity to his writing. A tightly crafted and character-driven work of art, THE WALK shows Richard Paul Evans at his finest, his most inspirational and his most moving. Newcomers and existing fans alike will thrill to the story of Alan Christofferson’s spiritual journey, and will be eagerly awaiting the next installments.

Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton

Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Berkley Prime crime
Genre:  Mystery
Pages:  281
Challenges:  Cozy Mystery, New Author
New-to-me Author:  yes
Author's Website 

Simple Description:
Becca is running late, as usual, for the local farmer's market where she sells jelly.  When she arrives she finds more activity than usual, the type of activity involving the police.   A new seller to this farmer's market was found dead, murdered.   Becca's friend, Abner, found the body and is currently mia and the police's top suspect.  Becca doesn't think Abner is the murderer, but he is acting funny.  Becca decides that she'll do some investigating on her own, even though everyone warns her not to.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:

I thought this was a good start to a new series.  You can't help liking Becca, even though she is very blunt about asking questions and not very smooth at it.  You know she has the best intentions, even though sometimes you question her choices.

I couldn't help but love the setting.  The story mostly takes place at different farms and farmer's markets. I think I'm not alone when I say that I can't help wish I worked on a farm (even though I know that in real life I would probably go nuts) and therefore reading about it appeals to me.

I think there's a lot of room for Becca to grow and for the series to turn into a great one.  I definitely plan to read the 2nd in the series, whenever it's published.


Thanks to Meghan with Penguin for providing this book for review.

Friday Smile - Myla

Myla has 3 beds.  She has a bed in the master bedroom, where she sleeps at night.  She has a bed (okay okay..it's really an old comforter) on the floor in the office, and she has a doggie bed in the family room where we spend most our time (when not sleeping or working of course).  Now she has another one.  Several weeks ago when husband was sick, he was sleeping in the couch so as to not wake me up with his coughing or spread the love, er, I mean germs.    One of the extra couch pillows(they line the back of the couch) ended up being on the floor by the couch.   Myla quickly claimed it as her own.   She's so darn cute sleeping on it that we couldn't possible take it away.  

Sometimes she just rests her head on the pillow.

Other times she puts most of her upper body on the pillow (when the pillow is up like it is now, she sometimes will pull it down so she can lay flat on it)

There there are time she thinks she much smaller than her 100lbs and tries to curl up on the pillow.

Oh, and it appears the pillow is for nephews with super cute curly hair too.

What is Kris listening to now?

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

The following was taken from the author's website:

Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years she’s been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille— the crown-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town. Though it’s 1967 and they live in Ohio, Camille believes it’s 1951 and she’s just been crowned the Vidalia Onion Queen of Georgia.

The day CeeCee discovers Camille in the front yard wearing a tattered prom dress and tiara as she blows kisses to passing motorists, she knows her mother has completely flipped. When tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, a previously unknown great-aunt comes to CeeCee’s rescue and whisks her away to Savannah. Within hours of her arrival, CeeCee is catapulted into a perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricities—a world that appears to be run entirely by women.

While Tootie is busy saving Savannah’s endangered historic homes from the wrecking ball, CeeCee encounters a cast of unforgettable, eccentric characters. From the mysterious Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in an outdoor tub under the watchful eyes of a voyeuristic peacock, to Oletta Jones, the all-knowing household cook, to Violene Hobbs, the loud-mouthed widow who entertains a local police officer in her yellow see-through peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

But CeeCee’s view of the world is challenged in ways she could have never imagined: there are secrets to keep, injustices to face, and loyalties to uphold. Just as she begins to find her ballast and experiences a sense of belonging, her newfound joy collides with the long-held fear that her mother’s legacy has left her destined for destruction.

Laugh-out-loud funny, at times heartbreaking, and written in a pitch-perfect voice, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a spirited Southern tale that explores the intricate frailties and strengths of female relationships while illuminating the journey of a young girl who loses her mother but finds many others.

The Hollow by Nora Roberts

Genre: mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: audio book challenge
Author's Website

Simple Description: 
This is the 2nd book in the Blood Brother's trilogy, I reviewed the first one here.
This book follows all of the 6 main characters as they battle the evil spirit that brings pain and destruction and death to the town of Hawkin's Hollow every 7 years.  At first they don't experience any of the evil but they know it's there..and waiting.   When things do start to happen it's even worse than the girls could have guessed and worse than the boys have seen in awhile.  It's getting stronger.  Sybil feels like part of the key might be in making the three pieces of stone the boys have become one.  This will require a blood ritual.  Will it work or will it cause more destruction?

This book we focus mostly on Fox and Layla.  Fox wrestles with being attracted to Layla and finally makes a move on her.  She is more hesitant to get into a relationship even though she does like Fox.   It doesn't help any that Layla is also currently working for fox as his administrator.  Of course, they are also paired up because they seem to have the same ability, they can read minds, kind of.  They can know what people are thinking and feeling.   Fox tries to help Layla get used to this new ability and also show her how to use it and to block things out.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
This one was just ok.  I didn't like it as much as I liked the first book in the series but I think that's in part because I don't like Layla has much as I liked Quinn (the main girl in the first book).  I thought Layla needed to just calm down and not get so upset/pissed off about things that  Fox did or that happened.  I can understand where she is coming from, but it just seemed like she was too quick to anger.   The story itself is what kept my interest in the book and why I kept listening to it.  I do enjoy the idea of it, the three boys and the 3 girls pairing up and using their special talents to fight this evil spirit that has been causing issues in Hawkins Hollow for years.  I'll definitely be renting the 3rd audio book in a couple of months so I can finish this trilogy.

I give this book a rating of 2.5/5 stars.


 This audio book was rented from my local library.

What is Kris reading now?

 I took the following from the author's website:

Becca Robins leads a simple life, making jams and preserves on her very own farm. But when there’s a murder in her quaint little town, she puts herself in the line of fire to defend her friend’s innocence—and goes from making jam to being in one… 




(don't you just love that last line....."and goes from making jam to being in one.." )

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

Copyright: 2010 (paperback version)
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 287
Challenges: 101 Fantasy, Series Challenge
Author's Website


Simple Description:
This book starts exactly where the last one left off.  Mercy has agreed to be Adam's mate, however before they can really discuss it and be comfortable with it, Stefan shows up in Mercy's living room (as does her Mom).  Stefan has been tortured and is close to dying, well, as close to dying as a vampire can be.  Adam allows Stefan to feed on him because he doesn't want there to be a blood tie between Mercy and Stefan.

Soon Mercy realizes that the head of the local vampire seethe, Marsilia, knows the truth about what happened in the last book and is out to get Mercy and her friends.  To make matters worse, things happen that cause some issues with Adam's pack and Mercy but I'm not going to give details because I don't want to give anything away.

Mercy leaves town for a bit to try and take care of a ghost that is haunting an old college friend's house.  It's there that she has a run in with another vampire, one far worse than she has ever met, and some nasty ghosts.

It seems that Mercy can't stay out of trouble, even when she wants to.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
This series has become one of my comfort reads.  I go to the books when I just need something that I don't have to concentrate on really hard and know that I'll like it.  I just adore Mercy.  She is such a wonderful character.  She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she does what she feels is best regardless of what those around her might think.  She's a strong female character and I like that.  This book did not disappoint, it's another great installment to the series.

There's always a bunch going on in these books, I mean what can you expect when you have werewolves, vampires, and the fae all in one book?

If you like urban fantasy and you haven't check out this series yet, I urge you to do so.

On a rating scale, I give it 4.5/5  (I have a hard time giving something a full 5/5).


This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me.

What is Kris reading now?

This series has been one of my comfort reads, so the perfect book for me to have picked up next.

Here's what amazon.com has to say about it:

Briggs makes a well-deserved move into hardcover with the rousing fourth adventure for kick-ass were-coyote auto mechanic Mercedes Thompson. Healing in body and spirit after the events of 2008's Iron Kissed, Mercy is preparing to marry alpha werewolf Adam Hauptman when an old friend asks her to help fend off a nasty ghost. It's a good time for Mercy to leave Portland, Ore.: vampire queen Marsilia is after her and her vampire friend Stefan for successfully hunting down a monster that should have killed them. Mercy leaves Adam to negotiate peace with Marsilia and heads to Spokane, Wash., to investigate the ghost, an unexpectedly complicated task. Though action supersedes characterization, the preternatural culture of vampire seethes and wolf pack politics is deeply intriguing. Briggs provides plenty of detail about Mercy's complex world without boring info-dumps, satisfying both new and longtime readers. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Genre: fiction
Pages: 307
Challenges: War through the Generations Challenge, New author challenge
New-to-me Author:  Yes
Author's Website 

Simple Description:
Puttnum (or Putt) was born during WWII.  His father didn't want him, mostly because he felt sick that he couldn't fight for his country and is therefore stuck at home having to provide for yet another mouth to feed.  After WWII his father goes into business for himself and slowly the family becomes somewhat rich.  This, however, does not cause Putt's dad to like him anymore.  It seems his son can't do anything right.  Even when he tries.

Putt knows that his father prefers his older sister.  It seems that no matter what he does, he disappoints.  He tries to be tough at the country club pool and ends up causing a kid to lose an eye.  Later as a teenager he  is put in jail for stealing  car.  When it's time to go to college, Putt rebels in a way. He gets a scholarship and joins the ROTC program at the University of Virginia, his Dad flunked out of this school.

Putt has trouble in school though.  Well, not so much with school, but rather in dealing with people.  He has a lot of personal struggles going on.  There is one struggle that becomes too much for Putt.  He feels like he would have been better if he had been born a woman. He feels complete when he wears woman's clothing.  In an effort to deal with this, Putt asks to be sent to Vietnam after he graduates college.  He serves 3 tours in Vietnam and only come back to the states for good when he is injured.  He then gets asked to break up a spy ring and ends up being a hero for America.  Well, at least in the eyes of the army and most American citizens.  Putt knows he doesn't deserve to be a hero.


Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
I struggled with this one.  That's probably (in part) why it took so long to write the review, I finished this book on Wednesday.  While the idea of the story intrigues me, the delivery didn't live up to my expectations.  I was interested in the struggle between Putt and his true feelings and how he reacted to Vietnam and coming home after serving in Vietnam.  While this was part of the story, there wasn't as much attention to it as I would want there to be.  For the most part Putt seems like an angry and lost man.  The reader doesn't really get as much info as I would have liked regarding him liking to dress in woman's clothing, his issues with his Dad, etc.  You seemed to always be on the outside, getting some glimpses of his thoughts and feelings but not enough for me.

Unfortunately, I think the book was just ok.  It held my interest enough that I did finish it, but I can't rave about this one.  There were several things I thought were interesting, I like the personal struggles Putt went through, it just wasn't delivered in a way I thought worked.  Lucky for you readers, I looked this one up on amazon.com and there are 4 reviews, 2 gave it 5 stars and 2 gave it 4 stars.  So it might be worth reading those to get a better idea if this book is

If I'm going to rate it, which I keep saying I'm going to set up a system and still haven't, I would give this one 2.5 out of 5 stars.



 Thanks to Harrison at Bancroft Press for providing this book for review.

Friday Smile - My Grandma

This past weekend my Grandma (on my Mom's side) passed away.  I wasn't going to put any pictures on here or even mention it, but as I thought about what to do for this weeks Friday Smile, I kept thinking of a picture I had of my Grandma. It was from my wedding, almost 6 years ago.  It's one of the best pictures we have of her later in life.  Well, at least I think it is.    So..I thought I would share a picture or two of my Grandma.  I wish I had some of the older pictures of her.  I adore her wedding picture.   My grandma would have been 96 on the 22nd of this month. I hope I live as long and as full a life as she did.

I also thought I would share with you just how large my Mom's side of the family is.   My Grandma has 8 living children, 19 grandchildren, 21 (#22 is due in August) great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.  Isn't that just amazing and crazy?

This is a picture of my Grandma and her 8 living children from 6 years ago at her 90th b-day party.

Used book fair treasures

This weekend there is a huge book fair at a local mall.   I went yesterday and came away with some great finds.  In all, I only spent $22 (I say I only spent $22, the husband's eyes grew as large as saucers when he heard $22 and then they got even bigger when he realized he heard me right).

Here's a list of the books I got and some other tidbits about my finds.

* = author's I haven't read yet but they were on my wish list

Fireside by Susan Wiggs *
Dockside by Susan Wiggs *
74 Seaside Avenue by Debbie Macomber
6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber
Dakota Home by Debbie Macomber
The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere
Last Stop by Peter Lerangis (children's book)
Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble
The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky *
An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor *
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent *
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan *
Up Close and Personal by Linda Howard
Mind Prey by John Sandford
Last Breath by Mariah Stewart
The President's Daughter by Mariah Stewart
Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass
When Will the Dead Lady Sing by Patricia Sprinkle *
Slaying is Such Sweet Sorrow by Patricia Harwin *
Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs
Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton *
Knit One, Knit Two by Maggie Sefton


I was giddy with joy (seriously..as in: giggling out loud and saying "yeah!") when  I found these books:
An Irish Country Doctor because Beth Fish Reads reviewed An Irish Country Christmas in March and the series sounded wonderful.  If I hadn't read that review, I wouldn't have even noticed this book.

The Heretic's Daughter because I know of two ladies in online book groups I belong to who have read this one and liked it.  Oh, and it's hardback and in like new condition.

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan because I've been wanting to read this one for awhile now, and the copy I bought is hardcover and still in great condition.


I was also able to snag a free t-shirt that says Read on the front.  Who wouldn't love a t-shirt like that right?

I happened to say something to the husband about how Sunday (today) all the books are half-off and I was tempted to go again.  He asked how many books I already owned that I haven't read. I said I didn't know.  He said I had to have an idea.  I said no.  He told me to guess.  I said 10. He gave me THE LOOK.  The one that says "Who do you think you are kidding? We both know that's a lie." and of course he is right.  He then told me I couldn't go back today because even if the paperbacks would only be $0.25, I didn't need any more.  I than countered that with "I'll just end up paying full price for 'em then".  At which point he told me I couldn't buy any more books till I've read all the ones I already own (at which point..I went outside to do some yardwork and then running...had to get some of the anger out of my system).  Ladies..you have no freaking clue how hard it is for me not to go back today and buy a ton more books in retaliation.  If I can sneak out...I will.   I mean..come on...paperbacks for $0.25!  Who could resist?


I also am not sure if I should be impress or worried.  Why you ask?  Well, it seems I am able to recognize the Berkley Price Crime Mystery logo on the spine of the books from a good distance.  See..when I go to used book fairs I just skim all the books.  I'm sure I miss some good ones, but most of the time if it's a book I want to read or an author I already read, the title and/or author's name jumps out at me.  I think the evidence is above with my giddy finds.  Anyway, so you have no idea how easy it was for me to spot the cozy mysteries! Lol!  I noticed the logo and was grabbing for it before I even knew the title or author.  Several times I had to stop myself because I was about to start reaching around people, at books they were currently looking at.

ok ok..I'll admit it..I also bought 6 that I already owned.  Ooops....You have no idea how embarrassed I am to admit that, but, I have to admit that they are all in great condition and 4 are cozies. I was actually incredibly happy to find one, but then disappointed when I realized I already had that one in the series.  Oh well...it happens to everyone right?  Right?  Please tell me this has happened to you.   On a bright note, I'll be offering all the cozies as a give away on my cozy mystery challenge blog, after the challenge ends.   

I also bought one book specifically to give away on my cozy mystery blog, Last Writes by Laura Levine

April 2010 Reads

Total books completed: 9

New Authors: 5
Mystery: 3
Non-Fiction: 0
Fiction: 5
Young Adult: 1
Audio: 2
Pages: 2,097
DNF: 0



The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr
Fireworks over Toccoa
Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain
Dark Sky by Carl Neggers
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Best Kept Secrets by Sandra Brown


Challenges:
101 Fantasy Challenge - 4/7
Series Challenge - 1/7 books, 0/3 series
What's in a Name? 3 - 2/6
Chic Lit Challenge - 3/8
New Author Challenge - 12/15
Year of the Historical - 4/12
War Through the Generations - 2/5
Stephanie Plum - 3/5
Young Adult - 4/12
Thriller and Suspense - 4/12
TBR - 5/24
Audio Book - 10/20
Buy 1 Book and Read it - 6/12
Cozy Mystery - 1/6