TBR Challenge 2010 - fail

I signed up for the TBR challenge for 2010 in hopes that I would read 24 books, the 12 on my main list and the 12 on my alternate list.  As of today, I have only read 10 books total.  I don't see myself being able to read 2 more off of this list by the end of the month (although I do plan to read 1) so I'm going to go ahead and create the wrap up post.

While the challenge itself was a fail for me, reading from my TBR stacks wasn't a fail this year.  In fact, I read more of the books I already own this year than I have in several years passed.  It's just that they weren't on the TBR list so I couldn't count them.   I truly believe that part of this is because of all the challenges I committed to in 2010.  When I signed up for the challenges I looked over the books I already owned (I have them all in an access database) and created most of the lists from books I already owned.  So while I have to say that I failed at the TBR challenge, I'm not upset about it because I know I did read a lot of books off my TBR stacks.

Carbs & Cadavers by J.B. Stanley

#1 Supper Club Mystery
Copyright: 2006
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 300
Challenges: What's in a Name?,  TBR
Author's Website
My rating: 2.75/5

Simple Description: 
James Henry is not where he thought he would be in life.  He's divorced and living at home. To be fair, he moved back to his small home town and into his childhood home after his Mom passed away, in order to take care of his Dad.  Still, he thought he would be somewhere else in life.  He's a shy man, a bit socially awkward.   He's also the town librarian.  He's also a bit over-weight.

Things begin to change for James when he joins a Supper Club.  They call themselves the Flab Five.  There are 5 of them, 2 men and 3 women. All of them have one goal, to start eating healthier in order to lose some weight.

The 5 of them really come together when a young man dies, and it's murder.  This sort of thing doesn't happen  in their small town.  When a girl they believe is innocent is arrested, the Flab Five begin to make some inquires into the murder themselves.  Lucy works in the Sheriff's department and wants to lose weight in order to take the Deputy physical (and pass).  Lucy wants to show the Sheriff and the other Deputies that she does have what it takes.


Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I thought this book was just ok.   I had a hard time relating to James, and he's the main character. I think because his character is supposed to be socially awkward, which means he was socially awkward to me. I just couldn't really connect with him.  I thought he got better towards the end, but still.

The story itself is good though. I liked the idea of the 5 people coming together, all are different, but they come together and decide to investigate this murder on their own in order to help one of their own supper club members and to help a young girl in the community.    The investigating wasn't over-the-top, I thought it was just right for a bunch of amateurs.

I also have to admit that one thing that bothered me about the book was the diet the members go on. I know, I know..it's really not something that should bother me, but it did.  As I've made changes to diet myself over this last year, as I've read more about processed foods and aspartame, etc, I've really educated myself on what is healthy and what people think is healthy but isn't.  Sugar-free items, low-fat, and diet soda are not healthy items.  These members start to eat more of that in their food and I just wanted to yell "Stop!" and take the items away.  I have no idea if this is something that kept me from liking the book more or not. I cringed every time I read it and it was very noticeable to me, it was something that jumped out at me.  I really don't think this is something that would bother others but I mention it here because I'm just not sure if it's one reason I didn't like the book as much or not.

I've talked to a friend who has read the first two books in this series and she said she liked the 2nd one more than the first.  I had planned to read the 2nd anyway and that just makes me much more interested in reading it.


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

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

#1 House of Night series
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: audio
Challenges: Young Adult Challenge, TBR challenge
Series website
My rating: 4.5/5

Simple Description: 
Zoey Redbird is a normal 16 year old, until she is marked.  Marked to be a vampire that is.  The tracker finds her at school, luckily it's towards the end of the day and she can go home without too many people seeing it.   Her Mom and step-dad don't like it and believe she needs to talk to a therapist and they call the prayer group together.  Zoey tries to get them to see that it's not something she asked for, but something that was done to her.   Luckily she is able to escape and go to her Grandma's house. She knows her Grandma will understand.

Before she can see her Grandma though, she falls and has a vision.  She wakes up in The House of Night, the place where all new vampires go.  Here she will go to school and learn about being a vampire.  Luckily her roommate is pretty cool.  Zoey hopes she can fit in here and make friends, but that's a bit hard.  Her mark is already colored in, something that doesn't happen for several years after being marked.  Soon Zoey finds there are other things different about her than the other fledglings. Before the story ends Zoey is going to find out just how different she is.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I loved loved loved this book.  What a great start to a new YA series for me.  Sure, this is another vampire book, but I like that it's a different take on it.  You don't get bitten and become a vampire. Instead, well, they don't really know how one becomes a vampire or what causes one to become a vampire.  They just know that you are and somehow it's known and a tracker finds you and marks you.  

I think Zoey is a refreshing character.  She isn't totally ok with being a vampire, but thinks it's better than death which is her only other option.  She becomes more comfortable with the idea but still doesn't like everything about it.   I liked the character of Zoey, you can't help but feel sorry for what she deals with before she's marked and after she's marked you can't help but root for her.

I liked those who Zoey becomes friends with too.  They are a fun mix of characters, don't totally love them all, but I do like them.  Of course there is going to be one character that we aren't supposed to like, but even she isn't too bad.

This is definitely a series I'll continue with.

I do own this book, and while I did read part of it, I listened to the audio book for the majority of the story.  The narrator is Edwina Wren.  I had heard great things about this audio book, which is why I chose to listen to it instead of reading the whole book even though I already owned it.   The audio version didn't disappoint. Wren changes her voice and her tone and really makes it work for the listener.  If you like audio and these types of books, definitely think you should try and get your hands on a copy of this audio book.    In fact, I've already reserved a copy of the 2nd book in this series on audio from my library.



This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me. This audio book was rented from my local library.

Left to Die by Lisa Jackson

#1 - Selena Alvarez and Regina Pescoli
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Zebra
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 386
Challenges: TBR challenge, Thriller and Suspense
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description: 
In a small town in Montana, the unthinkable has happened, there is a serial killer on the loose.  He is targeting woman.  The police can't find any kind of link between the woman, other than that the were driving the mountain roads at the wrong time.  The killer shoots the woman's car tire and they crash. Then he rescues them and it appears he nurses them back to health for awhile before he ties them to a tree to die in the cold.

Regan Pescoli and Serena Alvarez are the lead homicide detectives on this case.  They go over and over the clues but can't seem to get a step ahead of the killer.  They know about what his time line is, but that's about it.  They have no way to stop him because they don't know where he takes the victims after the car accidents. Plus, due to the snow they keep getting, they usually don't find the cars until after the women are found.

Jillian Rivers was driving to her ex-husbands house when she heard a gun shot and then lost control of her car.  She had recently received some disturbing news, it appeared that her first husband, who was presumed dead, might still be alive.  She wants some answers.   However her car crashes and MacGregor happens to find her and takes her to his cabin and tries to help her get better.  However Jillian doesn't think she can trust him because before she left her house she read an article about a serial killer in this area, is she the latest victim?  What, if anything, does this have to do with her first husband possibly being alive?

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed this book and because the book does stop with a cliffhanger, I'll be reading the next one in August.   It's very interesting because we go back and forth between the detectives investigating the case, the serial killer, and Jillian Rivers.  Throughout the book we don't know who the serial killer is, we don't know if it's the man who has Jillian or not.  We are given glimpses of him through the other stories, but his identity is never revealed.  In fact, at the end of this book we still don't know who he is.

While this book did take me awhile to read it, it did move pretty well.  There always seemed to be something that was going on, some new twist.

I think part of what kept me from reading it faster and possibly liking it more than I did were the two detectives.  Alvarez and Pescoli are main characters in this book and important to the story, but I didn't connect with either one of them.  We know that Alvarez has some secret about her past and while we finally are told part of it, I really don't think that's the whole story.  Pescoli is made to seem as somewhat of a wild and loose single Mom.  I just didn't think the characters were that strong or appealed to the reader much.  I'm hoping with the second book we are able to connect to them more.  I'm assuming we will finally learn the secret Alvarez is carrying around with her.


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

Bookmarked For Death by Lorna barrett

#2 A Booktown Mystery
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime/Penguin
Genre: mystery
Pages: 286
Challenges: Thriller and Suspense, TBR, Series Challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description:
It's been several months since Haven't Got a Clue owner Tricia Miles found a dead body.   She really didn't anticipate finding another one, nor did she want to.  However she has local author and best seller Zoe Carter at the store for a signing and Zoe ends up dead, in the bathroom at Tricia's store.

The local sheriff doesn't like Tricia and because of this Tricia feels she needs to get involved and investigate on her own, so she can prove her innocents and get her store opened again.

At first the author's niece seems to be the prime suspect.  She was rude and didn't seem to really care about her Aunt.  However when Tricia finds out that the niece doesn't get any of the author's money, she doesn't believe there is a motive.  While investigating the murder Tricia does talk to several local residents who know Zoe when she was younger, before she was famous.   The info they tell Tricia makes her realize there is one person who would want the author dead, but who that person is becomes the real mystery.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
It took me awhile to get into this book, which is weird since the murder happens right away.  I'm not sure why it took awhile for me to get into the swing of it either.  Overall I ended up enjoying the story though. I love the town, who wouldn't with a handful of genre specific bookstores!  I like Tricia and her two co-workers too.   Maybe one reason it took me while to really get into it is because I don't like Tricia's sister.  Her sister can be a very nice person and has Tricia's back, if you will, but over all she's just annoying.   I would love to see this character toned down or made to be nicer..something.  

Overall, this is a good cozy mystery, one I think a lot of cozy fans will like.  I, personally, plan to continue with the series.

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

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexia

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Challenges: Young Adult, TBR Challenge
New-to-me Author: Yes


Simple Description: 
Junior, or Arnold Spirit, is a 14 year old boy who lives on an Indian reservation.  He gets picked on by everyone but his best friend.  He is smart but that doesn't really mean anything.  Nobody on the reservation goes to college, they spend their time getting drunk.  They don't have the means or the money to go to college, even if they wanted to.
Then things change.  It'st he first day of school and Arnold is excited because he gets to start math class and he likes math.  When he opens up his new math book he finds his Mom's name on the inside.  The book is so old, his Mom used it in school.  He gets frustrated and throws the book, hitting the teacher in the head.  Later when the teacher comes to Arnold's house to talk to him about it, he tells Arnold that he is smart and suggests he go to a school off the reservation.

Arnold decides to do this even though he knows it means the other Indians will treat him even worse than they already do.   He has some problems becoming adjusted to life at the white school.  There are several deaths that Arnold deals with as well.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I thought this was a wonderful YA book.  It touches on several subjects regarding Indian life. It also touches on one kid being very un-popular and not standing out, to slowly making friends and getting people to believe in him and like him for who he is.    One thing to note is that Arnold likes to draw comics about things going on in his life.  The fun thing with this book is that there are some illustrations, they are the comics that Arnold draws.  I feel this enhances the book and fits in well with the story.

I definitely recommend this one to those who enjoy young adult books.  I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.


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

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Obsidian
Genre:Mystery
Pages: 310
Challenges: Thriller and Suspense. TBR
Author's Website



Simple Description:
M.J. isn't too pleased with Gillie when he tells her they are headed to San Francisco, in a couple of hours, to be on a tv show.  Things get worse when they arrive and meet the other guests, two of which are as fake as can be.  However the 4th guest, Heath, is a true medium.  Their stay at The Duke, the most Haunted hotel in San Francisco, starts off with a bang, with a woman who appears to have jumped to her death but her ghosts lets M.J. know that wasn't the case.

Things go from bad to worse when a dagger is placed on the table for M.J. and Heath to investigate and the evil inside it actually physically hurts the two mediums.

Soon M.J. and Heath are trying to deal with one nasty demon and one nasty murderer.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
I loved it.  I love this series.  It's just a fun cozy mystery.  If you like reading paranormal mysteries, I think you'll enjoy this one.  M.J. is hard on Gillie sometimes, but Gillie sometimes deserves it.  Either way, you can't help loving both of them.  This is definitely a series I would consider a must read for cozy mystery fans or paranormal mystery fans in general.


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

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

Copyright: 2004
Publisher: Touchstone
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 500
Challenges: What's in a name (title), Year of the Historical, TBR
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Hannah Green has been running for her life. She is Spanish and her mother was burned at the stake because she is Jewish. Hannah and her father finally escape to England where they try to keep some of the Jewish traditions alive, but also go to church and make sure they are "practicing" the faith of England. Hannah's father owns a bookstore/printing press and one day when two men come to visit, Hannah see's a vision, a third man that the other two men quickly call an angel. Hannah is asked to come to court and the King likes Hannah because she is truthful and makes her his Holy Fool. Soon the King dies and Hannah becomes part of Queen Mary's court.

England is not at peace. Mary is Catholic and Elizabeth is Protestant. Mary becomes Queen because she is older and the first Tudor heir. Mary wants Elizabeth to be her friend and sister and in line for the next heir. However Elizabeth wants to be Queen now and comes up with plots to over-throw Mary. Hannah is caught in the middle.

Hannah is betrothed to another Jewish man. However she isn't ready to marry yet. She does lust after Lord Robert Dudley, one of the men that came to her father's shop. Unfortunately he becomes branded a traitor and it looks like Hannah is, again, caught in the middle.

Soon Hannah must decide if England is still safe for her. She is under the protection of the Queen, but is the Queen even safe?

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
The Queen's Fool: A Novel (Boleyn) is only the second book I have read by the author, but wow, quickly becoming one of my favorites. I think I enjoyed this book better than The Other Boleyn Girl, but not so much because of the story but because I was used to the author's writing style and flow of the story.

I can't say how accurate the historical "facts" are, but I don't really care. haha! I enjoyed the story, I liked that it revolved around real historical individuals and yet the main character was fictional. I think this is perfect because it gives the author room to really create a story.

Definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction. Heck, I was so engaged in the story that I read instead of playing New Super Mario Bros, something that I've done almost every single day for the last couple of months (wow - it sounds so bad when I admit that out loud! I guess know you all know why I haven't been reading as much).

This is actually the 4th in the Tudor series by the author. Somehow I have read the 2nd and now the 4th. I'm not sure if I want to read the 1st and 3rd now or not. I already know what happens to the royal family, afraid I'll get bored by it, but also think I would still find it interesting. What do you guys think? Have any of you read them out of order and still enjoyed them?

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

I am an Amazon associate. 

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Copyright: 2004
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: Audio Book, Young Adult, TBR, 101 Fantasy, New Author

(wow...I can't believe one book can help me in 5 challenges. haha!)
New-to-me Author: yes
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Ali isn't sure what she wants to do in life, well, kinda. Her mom is The Lioness, the best female fighter in her country. Her Dad is a spy. Ali wants to be a spy, a field agent, but her parents forbid it. If she can't be a spy, what else can she do? When her Mother comes home for a rest and makes Ali her project, Ali decides to take an unexpected trip to a city close by. She leaves a note for her parents and leaves early in the morning before anybody is awake to stop her.

Unfortunatly things don't go as planned. Ali is captured by pirates to be sold as a slave. Luckily she made herself seem like a "fighter" and when nobody wants her she is given to a family for free. Luck is with her because this is a very nice family who treats her well. They are royalty and forced into exile by the current king.

Ali has plans to escape but before she can the Trickster god comes to her with a deal. If she agrees to stay with this family through the summer and keep their daughters safe, the god

will deliver her safely to her home and make sure her parents let her become a spy. Ali takes the deal.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
I thought this was a great young adult book. One thing I love is that Ali is such a strong female character. Not to bash the Twilight books (heck..I did love them) but Bella is so weak. I've read several blogs where that's a concern or a complaint rather. But Ali, she is so freaking strong! She's a great role model for young girls, in my opinion anyway. Ali is super smart and courageous.

The story itself kept my interest. I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of the characters and how the book was going to end.

This is definitely a book I recommend to others who like young adult and a bit of the paranormal. Well, do I call it paranormal? I suppose. Maybe Urban fantasy would be a better genre to put it in. Ali has some "gifts" that are passed down from parents to their children. One of the characters, Nowat, is a crow who becomes a Man so he can help Ali in her attempt to keep the royal family safe.

I did listen to this book. I thought the reader did a very good job. I admit to be confused at times but think that I probably would have been even if I read it, there were a lot of people mentioned in this book. Also, my mind kept drifting while I was driving. I don't think this had anything to do with the book though, rather just with things going on in my life right now.

This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me. (I did read the very end of the book last night at home. I knew I was close to the end and couldn't possible wait till the next day to finish the story. haha!)

This audio book was rented from my local library.

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Mystery
Pages:304
Challenges: Reliquiae Challenge, 101 Fantasy, Series Challenge 4, TBR Challenge
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Mercy Thompson is asked to repay a favor to Stefan. Stefan just happens to be a vampire. There is something evil hunting in the Tri-cities and Stefan has found it and wants to approach it. He believes it is another vampire, who is also a sorcerer, and might have power over Stefan. If Mercy goes in her coyote form, the other vampire probably won't be able to control her.

This vampire does get away from Stefan and Mercy, and Stefan is sent to hunt it. Two of the local werewolves also join in. Things get worse when Stefan and one of the werewolfes disappears and when the other werewolve is found beaten and left for dead.

Mercy knows she's the only one who can find the sorcerer and put and end to the killings and increase in violence.

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

This is the 2nd book in the series. I really enjoyed it. I love Mercy's character, I think she is a very strong female. The story held my interest the entire time and whenever I had to put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I haven't felt this drawn to a book in awhile.

I know these types of books aren't for everyone, but I personally find them a lot of fun. One of the things I like about this book over some others is that the vampires and werewolves and other creatures aren't made to be all cuddly and nice. Sure, they don't go around killing people, but there is a sense of fear that goes with them. You know that at any moment they could lose control and harm somebody. I like that because it's what I think we all expect these creatures to be like.

This is definitely a series I recommend to those who like a bit of paranormal are drawn to these types of stories.


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

The Witche's Grave by Shirley Damsgaard

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Avon

Genre: Mystery
Pages: 262
Challenges: Reliquiae Challenge, Thriller and Suspense, TBR
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Ophelia has been having dreams, rather good dreams if I may say. She's been dreaming about a man that she has a connection with. When she is at a function at a local winery and meets the mans he's been dreaming about, it feels like a true connection and they have known each other for ages. He feels the connection too. They take a walk and when they stop, Stephen is shot.

Bill, the local sheriff, thinks that Ophelia was the target. Ophelia dismisses this until she is shot at while in her backyard. Abby and Ophelia send Tink to stay with their relatives while they try and figure out what is going on.

Ophelia thinks this is all due to the latest book that Stephen is writing, and she decides to take a trip to St. Louis (my town...woohoo!) to talk to his assistant. When she does find the assistant, she is in the hospital because she's been mugged.

To make the matters more interesting, Ophelia keeps having dreams where she is a French model living in Paris during WWII. She "lives" this ladies life and learns how she tried to help those who were hunted by the Jews. Abby thinks this is Ophelia in a pas life, but Ophelia doesn't really think so. Ophelia believes it has ties to what is going on in present day, but not sure how it comes together.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
What can I say, this is one of my favorite cozy series. I love the paranormal aspect to it (did I mention that Ophelia and Abby are modern witches? Don't worry..no spell casting..more just being in-tune with nature and energy). I love Ophelia because she's so uncertain with her life and things going on, yet still trying to make the most of it. I think she grew in this one and I cant' wait to see how she grows in the next one.

I definitely recommend this book/series to others. This is the 6th, and of course I recommend starting with #1.

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

TBR Challenge 2010

I'm excited that once again MizB is hosting this challenge. This one shouldn't be a challenge to completed, but it always is. In 2009 I had planned on challenging myself to read all 24 books, that didn't happen. However I'm going to challenge myself to do that again this year. If I read 12, great - I do complete the challenge, if I read all 24 - awesome.

There is a dedicated page for this challenge, it can be found here. Please note..the sign-up is not currently up and per the post it won't be until January 1st.

The gist of the challenge is to pick 12 books that you have had for at least 6 months as of January 1st, 2010. You can also create a list of 12 alternate books. So at the most, you should have a list of 24 books that you have had for at least 6 months on the day the challenge begins. You can not substitute books on the list, you have to stick to the list. The challenge runs January through December.

Here's my list:

Main List of 12:

The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
A Vintage Murder by Michele Scott
Trickster’s Choice by Tamara Pierce
Too Pretty to Die by Susan McBride
Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie
Left to Die by Lisa Jackson
Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barret
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexi
The Witches Grave by Shirley Damsgaard
Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Alternate list of 12:
Death Dealer by Heather Graham
The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
Crime Brulee by Nancy Fairbanks
The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson
Fowl Prey by Mary Daheim
A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins
Fine Feathered Death by Linda O. Johnston
Feint of Art by Lind Hailey
A Hoe lot of Trouble by Heather Webber
Carbs and Cadavers by J. B. Stanley
A Flicker of a Doubt by Tim Myers

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Copyright: ?
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: TBR Challenge, 1st in a series
New-to-me Author: No
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Jack Spratt is the detective in charge of the NCD, Nursery Crime Division, of the local police. He is called to the wall where Humpty Dumpty has, well, fallen and died. He starts to investigate and soon learns that Dumpty was murdered. The more he looks into the case, the more confusing it gets. Detective Mary Mary is assigned to the NCD early in the book. She doesn't' want to work for the NCD but had to get away from her last position. She really wants to work with another detective that is very well known and loved. She has the opportunity to do some dirty work for this detective, but it would require her to go against Spratt.

During this investigation, Spratt and Mary come across a goose that lays golden eggs, giants, bean stocks, the Jelly Man, and evil doctors. Just when they think they have it figured out, things take a turn for the worse and they realize it isn't all as it seems

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

This book was really hard to explain, so please forgive my description. I thought the book was great! I love nursery rhymes, although I haven't read them in years. This book was fun because I recognized a lot of the nursery crime characters in it and it was fun to see how Fforde manipulated the stories. I thought the story kept moving and didn't get boring or stall at all. I've only read one of his Thursday Next books so I don't really have an opinion as far as "if you like Thursday Next you'll enjoy this series too" etc. I personally thought it was a lot of fun and think it's something most would enjoy reading just for the fun factor. I'll definitely be reading more in this series.

I actually own this book, it is part of my collection and was bought by myself, however I did listen to the audio book which was rented from my local library.

The Presence by Heather Graham

Copyright: 2004
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 432
Challenges: TBR Challenge
New-to-me Author: No
Author's Website


Simple Description:
Toni Fraser had nightmares when she was a girl. However the nightmares weren't just nightmares, they were images of real murders. It all becomes too much and she learns to block it out. Spring forward several years when she is in her 30's. She has moved to Scotland with several friends and they are renting a castle and doing tours. She has made up the story of the Laird who used to own this castle and his death and the tragic death of his wife. Then one evening while they are putting on the tour, the real laird shows up. He has the same name as the one in her story. In fact, he was named after his ancestor. It turns out that not only were they told that there was no family who owned this castle, she also finds that the story she made up is real.

Things seem like they might work out, when the real, living, Laird lets them stay however soon Toni is seeing the ancestor at the foot of her bed. She must deal with this ghost as well as knowing that there have been several murders in the area, all the women have been found in the forest surrounding the castle.

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

This wasn't my favorite Heather Graham book but it was still a good read, worth my time. I don't think I've read a romantic paranormal suspense in awhile and this was perfect for me. I loved that it dealt with current time as well as dealing with Lairds and Lady's from centuries ago. This is a fun book, worth it if you are a Heather Graham fan.

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

Copyright: ?
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: YA
Pages: (audio)
Challenges: TBR challenge, 1st in a series
New-to-me Author: Yes
Author's Website


Simple Description:
Will Burrows is a 15 year-old-boy who enjoys a good dig. He likes to dig out tunnels and find artifacts. This is something that sometimes his father helps him with, and sometimes he does alone. He makes a friend at school, Chester, and Chester starts to help him with the tunnels. Then one day Will's father disappears. Later Chester and Will find a tunnel in the cellar of Will's house. They go through the Tunnel and find that somebody tried to fill it up, so of course they dig it out. When they reach the end of the tunnel, they find another village. With real people and animals. Chester and Will are taken into custody and questioned. Will learns that he is originally form this town and was taken top-side.

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

Well - honestly - I couldn't get into this book! I did listen to it, and not sure if that had anything to do it with or not. All I know is that I wasn't very interested in what was happened or what would happen. I finally got to the point where I was skipping ahead tracks just to get through it. I don't know, I don't really have anything to say on it, I just didn't enjoy it.

Motif for Murder by Laura Childs

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 288
Challenges: TBR Challenge, Series Challenge
New-to-me Author: no
Author's Website


Simple Description:
Carmela is back with Shamus and things seem to be ok. Then things turn for the worse when Shamus is kidnapped on a Saturday morning. Things go from worse to, well, horrible, when Carmela runs to Uncle Henry's house for help and instead finds him murdered in his own library. Of course, Aunt Glory blaims Carmela and kicks her out of the garden district house.

Carmala doesn't want to investigate the murder but when she gets a clue as to where Shamus might be, she decides to snoop with her bestfriend and they find Shamus.

Shamus at first appears greatful but then is back to his old tricks, which causes some distress. Of course, there is still a murderer on the loose and the murdered thinks Carmela knows more than she really does. Her life is in danger more than once in this book.

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

It's been awhile since I read part of this series and I'm glad I finally picked up another one. I really like Carmela, although can't figure out why she keeps going back to Shamus. I like Ava too - the two make a great pair of friends. I think this is a fun cozy book and definitly plan to read the rest in the series

Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrew

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 0 (audio)
Challenges: TBR challenge, 1st in a series
New-to-me Author: Yes
Author's Website


Simple Description:
This novel takes place in Savannah, Georgia. Weezie was recently divorced from her husband of 10 years, Tol. He was cheating on her, and of course fell in love with the other women. Weezie wasn't able to get the historical townhouse in the divorce but she did get the carriage house in the back and has been living there ever since. Weezie is an antique dealer. She doesn't have her own shop, although she aspires to own one. Instead she deals with "smalls". Small antiques that she then takes around to the different dealers she knows has collectors or specializes in them.

There is to be a huge estate sale at a plantation house and Weezie is ready for it. She camps out in her truck overnight so she has a chance to be one of the first in the door. There is a piece of furnature that she knows could give her enough profit to open her own store. She awakes early in the morning and needs a rest room. She decides to break in to use one, and that's when she finds the dead body of her ex-husbands fiance.

Mixed into this mess is the fact that she has feelings for a new man, yet they always seem to bicker. Her Mom is an alcoholic but won't admit it and needs help. The items at the plantation house seem to be disapparing and showing up at different antique stores, even though the estate sale was post-poned.

All of this, and more, makes for a great read.

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

I really liked this book. I laughed and chuckled several times while reading it. If I had read it (yeah..I do own the book), I would have marked a ton of quotes to share with you, but since I listened to this one I wasn't able to write them down (you know..not wanting to have a car accident and all). There is a murder in this book and you do end up knowing who the real killer was, but I'm still marking this as fiction. This wasn't a murder mystery, she didn't spend her time trying to find the killer, it was just on aspect of this story. Weezie is great. I would love to be friends with her and her best friend. I think they must have a ton of fun.

There are two more books that Weezie is in, and I definitly plan to read them. This is definitly a book that I recommend to others and I think several of those who read this blog will get a kick out of.

Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Dell
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 0 (audio book)
Challenges: TBR challenge
New-to-me author? no
Author's website

Simple Description
Lexi Smart is out on a Friday night with her friends. She isn't having a very good day. She didn't get a bonus at work and she has her father's funeral the next day. Next thing she knows, she is waking up in the hospital..and it's 3 years later. She is married, she has new friends, she is director of flooring at the company she works for, and her teeth and hair are fixed. Who is this new Lexi?

So begins the story as Lexi tries to fit in to her new life, but with her old attitude and way of life. She soon learns that she wasn't happy with her marriage, even though Eric seems like a wonderful guy and makes millions. She learns she was having an affair..but isn't positive she really was or if the guy is just trying to take advantage of her amnesia.

Her Mom is the same, still avoiding her. Her sister is more grown up and keeps getting in trouble.

Lexi tries to start piecing together her life while at the same time moving forward and being happy.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I thought this was a fun girly book. There were several times when I was laughing out loud at different things that were said or happened. I usually enjoy Kinsella's books and this was no exception. If you are looking for a light read – I recommend this one.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Playing with Fire by Derek Landy

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Young Adult (#2 Skulduggery Pleasant)
Pages: 389
Challenges: TBR Challenge, Paranormal Challenge, Young Adult Challenge
New-to-me author? No
Author's website

Simple Description
In the 2^nd book in the series, the first is called Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie has learned more fighting skills and how to use her magic. She still has a lot to learn, but she's training. She's going to use all the training she has received so far too. Together Valkyrie and Skulduggery attempt to kill the Grotesquery. The Grotesquery is made of several different body parts from different things. If the evil Baron gives the Grotesquery the last ingredient it needs to come alive, then on the full moon it can open up a portal to bring back the faceless ones. The faceless ones are evil and Skulduggery and Valkyrie need to stop the Grotesquery from coming alive. However..that doesn't happen. Once it is alive, they need the help of several others to try and stop the Grotesquery and the Baron – along with other evil villains. Especially those evil villains who seem intent on destroying Valkyrie.

While batteling evil villains, Valkyrie is also dealing with being a teenage and possibly missing out on an important part of her life. Her reflection is mostly going to school for her and interacting with her parents, but she wonders if maybe that isn't good. She misses her parents. Yet, she knows she needs to train and help save the world.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I liked the book, but admit that I didn't like it as much as I liked the first one. I'm not really sure why either. There was a lot going on and it kept the book moving and there were always twists and turns. I liked seeing Valkyrie being able to use magic and defend herself, although it was good to see her still make mistakes and not be excellent at it. She is still pretty young and new with it. Do I recommend this series? Heck yeah. I think kids will really enjoy this series. Will I continue to read it, yeah. Even though I didn't like this one as much as the first, I still really enjoyed it.



Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Design for Murder by Carolyn G. Hart

Copyright: 1988
Publisher: Bantam Books
Genre: Mystery, 2^nd in the Death on Demand series
Pages: 217
Challenges: TBR challenge (alternate list), Cozy Mystery Challenge
New-to-me author? No
Author's website

Simple Description
Annie Laurence is asked to host the mystery night at the Chastain, SC house tours. She needs to come up with the mystery – basically the who, with what, where, and why. It sounds like incredible fun! However, and there is always a "however", one of the board members really doesn't want this to happen. Corinne Webster is a prominent member of Chastain, one of the wealthiest, and also a total, well, you know what word I want to use. It seems that nobody likes her. She is constantly doing things just to make people mad, or at least that's what it seems like. When Corinne is found dead on the opening night of the mystery night, Annie quickly becomes a suspect. The murder weapon also happened to be the very same murder weapon that Annie had set-up for the mystery nights. Since only one other person is suspected of being the killer, and he is also an outsider, Annie and her fiancé, Max, decide to try and clear her name.

Why did I read this book?
I had read the first book in the series and remember liking it enough to read more in the series, it just took me awhile to actually do that.

What I liked most:
I liked Annie and Max. They work very well together and seem like a great couple. It was fun seeing how they responded to things. I also love that while there was a real murder investigation going on, there is also a fake one. Annie gives you clues on each character and information on the fake one, but not the answer. So if you wanted to you could probably try and solve that one too. She does reveal the murderer to the fake murder at the end.

Was there something I didn't like?
The book appears to pick up almost right where the other book ends. Which is rather confusing since I read the first one in 2006, almost 3 years ago. I know Max and Annie are arguing over something, but had no idea what until I got further along in the story. So that was rather annoying. The other thing is that Annie is always dropping names of mystery authors and characters. Well…while mysteries are my favorite genre I don't read the entire genre and most of the time I had no idea who she was talking about. Haha! I don't think this ruined the book for me, it just made me think either the character or the author was a bit stuck-up because they were always name dropping. Yet..at the same time, since Annie is a mystery bookstore owner – it would make sense that she is familiar with most of the authors and characters.

Do I recommend the book?
Even though there were some things in the book that annoyed me, I do plan to read more in the series and I do recommend this series to others. I think it's a fun cozy mystery.




Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.



Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris