I love Joanne Fluke’s stories, and have read most of the mystery series with recipes (great reads and funny too!). So I thought I would grab these 3 books the last time I was in B&N. The question now is, when will I be able to read these? Hopefully sooner, rather than later.
James Patterson, anyone? I have so many of his books, I think they take up about 3 shelves right now. The thing I like best about his books is that the chapters are short. I don’t like stopping my reading in the middle of a chapter, and his books allow me to get a lot read with easy stopping points. I am not fond of books with really long chapters; I tend to feel like I cannot put it down until I get to the end of said chapter.
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His books are also suspenseful, and full of twists that keep you guessing. I am going to look up and see how many books he actually has out, since it seems like he is putting out at least one book a month. Maybe my Friday Fun Facts subject for this week? Since I missed last Friday I need to make it a good one 🙂 With all that writing, I have still not come across a book that I felt like I have read before. Some authors seem to only change the names of people and cities, and the stories are all the same.
I think the two series I like the best are the “Women’s Murder Club”, and the “Private” stories. Do you have a favorite Patterson book?
Being as I am a long-standing-volunteering-attending member of a Lutheran Church, this book took on a special interest for me. Do the people in the story relate at all to the people I encounter at church? I have to say, there were a few characters whom I could easily rename to someone who attends my church. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, I am just saying I now definitely have an image in my head of what Lorena, Ellie, and Vera look like. When I now read their name in the text, I am picturing a specific woman of the congregation.
 
I do have to be honest right from the get-go, this story has one thing that I absolutely cannot stand. Say it with me people. “Too many characters”. This is my pet peeve; having so many characters (and usually storylines to match) that you cannot keep them straight, let alone determine if they are relevant to the story or not. With that being said, I am about halfway through the story, and am starting to get the correct pattern worked out to whom belongs with who, whose children are being talked about when no reference to their parents are mentioned, etc. As the author stated in her forward that she has herself encountered some of these types of people at church, I am guessing that it was easy for her to write because she knew all along in her mind that Ellie was Mrs. Y, and Vera was Mrs. Z, etc. She did not need to fill in the blanks on who these characters were, because she could see them already in her mind’s eye.
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So enough of that. It is a good story, and I will read more in the series (I am guessing there is a series as this book says it is #1). I am getting comfortable with the who’s-who, and am feeling a connection to these characters enough that I already want to know how their stories continue on past this book. I am trying to be better about the spoilers, so I will just say that their Pastor died unexpectedly, to be replaced by someone younger, someone looking to change some things. Vera is the widow of said previous pastor, and feels she is slowly getting pushed out of her “always involved in everything even though it is not my job” situations.
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We also get a birds-eye view of bickering amongst the women at their weekly-monthly meetings, and this has be wondering exactly how much bickering is going on at my church meetings. Expecting to be finished with this sooner rather than I will let you know if there is anything off the wall that happens at the end that I never even saw coming, otherwise I am moving along to the next story.
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Another book by Edie Claire, this one is more along the romance line, but certainly not the Harlequin or 50 Shades type, if you get my drift.
This book was long, but another great read by Edie. I had it read within a couple of days, and will certainly be getting more of her books.
Without giving away any spoilers, a woman returns to her home town to help take care of her parents, and has to deal with the death of her best friend from 18 years ago that she managed very well to avoid. Blaming her best friend’s boyfriend had worked very well for all of those years, but was not going to work much longer.
This is a great story, as much mystery and suspense as romance, and none of these elements are on the graphic side.
If you haven’t read a book by Edie yet, I definitely recommend it, you will not be disappointed.
One of several (OK, about 15) books I put on my Nook, and I spent about 3 days getting it read. I really enjoyed this story, and it says “Book 1 of the Leigh Koslow Mysteries”.
I will avoid any spoilers, and just give you the basics.
Leigh works in advertising/marketing, when she is not laid off, which seems to happen a lot. While staying with her cousin, they find a dead body in a hammock in her back yard. Lucky for Leigh, her college roommate is an officer for the local police department. This does not appear to be so lucky for that friend, as Leigh seems to always be where she should not be, investigating on her own.
This was a fun read, not too many characters, which is really a pet peeve for me. The story is 194 pages, and will hold your interest from beginning to end. Although I am about to start another book I have on my Nook, I will definitely be reading more of Edie’s stories.
What are you reading at the moment?
Silence-Natasha Preston
I put a large number of books on my Nook yesterday, and Silence is one I had read within a day. Yeah, I will regret it later when I am trying to get my homework done that should have been finished already.
I really liked this story, and will definitely get the 2nd book, Broken Silence, even though Goodreads had spoilers all over the place that I couldn’t have missed if I tried (good going, jerks!). Maybe I will get the 2nd book; the 1st reviewer on Goodreads told the whole story of the 2nd book, so I may just save my money.
Anyhow, stay off Goodreads, and find this book. It is a YA story, but it is good. The writing isn’t fantastic, and you need to look past the grammatical errors (hire an editor people, hire your neighbor, hire your cat, but PLEASE, let someone read your story before you print 1000 copies of it).
Oakley is the main character, and has been silent for 11 years. She manages to get by, her family and friends concerned of course but with no idea what to do. I will not say any more, because you can get the idea of this story right from the first few chapters.
It’s a quick read, and one I think you will enjoy. Mild cussing, no graphic sex, no gore.
I’ve got about 12 more books to get through, so I will be starting the next one as soon as I get my homework done today!
I will have my own personal library, come hell or high water! photo by Nick Sherman
What a great story I stumbled across (well, more like tripped over). I do not want to give too much away, the plot will keep you guessing to the very end, and that is what makes this book so great. So no spoiler alerts here! This story revolves around a therapist, she is a recovering alcoholic, has some minor boyfriend issues, and a seriously ticked off former patient, who is bound and determined to make her life a living Hell. The main character is Letty, full name Violet Whittaker.
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I read this in a day, and you definitely won’t want to put it down either. Yes, I would have still read it in a day, even if my cable and internet were still working! It is fast paced, not over flowing with needless characters and storylines that just confuse the plot. There is a 2nd book in this series featuring Letty, called “The One We Love”. I will hopefully be tracking that down sooner rather than later.
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What book have you randomly found that you absolutely couldn’t stop reading?
You will see why I could not read another word of this second book of fan fiction. I also think I am done with fan fiction. Just not my cup of tea.
So, I started the 2nd book, and after the first couple chapters, I have decided to keep reading it. I say this because very early on in the story, there are 2 people who tracked down a goblin to fix a painting. A moving painting, of course. A painting of Voldemort that is basically in shreds, but can still communicate.
Really? REALLY? I actually said to myself “Come on! You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sorry Mr. Lippert, I just personally feel that this is a ridiculous way to take a story line, even if it is fan fiction. And yes, it is strictly my opinion, and not worth a can of pork-and-beans, but I find this almost comical.
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Be aware, spoilers are ahead, and likely quite a few of them.
The first one being….
Arthur Weasley is dead. Yep, he had a heart attack. Killed him off, right at the beginning of the book. During his surprise 78 ½ birthday party. That’s probably normal for wizards, right? Molly said it was the only chance they had to surprise him, and he still got one over on them.
So we have the funeral, Draco and his wife show up, James gets his 1st pair of glasses, and he is NOT happy, and there is some type of shadow stalking him and causing all kinds of ruckus.
Then it is off to school for James’s 2nd year at Hogwarts, and Albus’s 1st year. Of course he is a nervous wreck, convinced he will get sorted into Slytherin, and James of course teasing him about it. An interesting fact, Albus Sirius Potter, ASP, is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. This of course is why he is getting teased as bad as he is. I thought it was quite the coincidence that his initials worked out like that, when JK was the one who gave him the name. Was there a reason for it?
So, on the train, James and Albus both see the shadow again, and chase it throughout the train. Having it cornered, and it trying to remove the pin holding the cars together, James prepares to stun the shadow, just as Merlin grabs his arm and points it upward, telling James he shouldn’t do that to the Borley. Yes. The Borley. A form of Shade; shadow creatures. Completely magical beings. They grow from magic, so when someone does magic in front of them, they grow larger and stronger. What do they grow into? Wait for it….
Dementors.
Albus manages to get in a squabble with Scorpius, Draco Malfoy’s son. Soon enough, they reach Hogwarts, and are sorted. Scorpius Malfoy is a Gryffindor, and Albus Potter is a Slytherin.
So, I left off with Albus in Slytherin, and Scorpius in Gryffindor. Back in the common rooms, the 1st years of Gryffindor refuse to let Scorpius bunk with them, so he goes into the 2nd year’s room and takes James bed. James goes back to the common room, where he gets to be a look out for who knows what kind of trouble these kids are about to get in to. They won’t even tell James, letting him know that this way he can honestly plead ignorance.
Merlin asks for assistance from James, Ralph, and whomever else James chooses. James chooses Rose, and they go on a journey to retrieve some of Merlin’s belongings. (I am sure this will be important later).
As the school year gets to a start, the 2nd years seem less than impressed with their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Kendrick DeBellows. He is teaching class in the gymnasium (apparently none of the students knew Hogwarts had a gymnasium either) and requiring everyone to get into fit shape before learning the spells.
Albus seems to be taking to the Slytherins rather sportingly, and I am not quite sure if he told his parents yet. He has every intention of trying out for the Quidditch team, an idea that James is none too thrilled about.
Professor DeBellows is not teaching D.A.D.A. spells to the younger students, which has many asking James to form a group like back in his father’s day, when Umbridge wouldn’t let them use spells, and they formed Dumbledore’s Army. James bright idea on who to teach it? The ghost of Cedric Diggory. Yes, he is still floating around the castle, not sure why he is still there, and not sure where he is expected to go.
And this just takes the cake, and I cannot finish this story. While James Sirius Potter is talking to a painting, who is about to tell him some very, very juicy information, he gets a stabbing pain in his forehead, the same spot that has been itching for weeks. What is this, the scar we couldn’t see? Cedric the Ghost can see it; it glows green. Way to be original. And with that, folks, I am done. If you want to know how this ends, if is called James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper. It’s free (It would have to be!), and you can find it on Goodreads.com
I apologize, but I can only handle so much ridiculousness. And yes, this is strictly my own opinion.
Though stories of spirits and hauntings and visits from ancestors of old are abundant in Sleepy Hollow, tiny neighbor to Tarry Town, nestled quietly in New York, the one most talked about is the Headless Horseman.
Legend claims he was a Hessian trooper, whose head was removed in a battle of the Revolutionary War, and the tale is told that he rides out nightly, in search of his head. Officially, he is known as The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
Some blame the influence of the witching air that pervades Sleepy Hollow, some blame the story tellers, and some just blame the Headless Horseman himself.
We then learn about Ichabod Crane, resident of Sleepy Hollow, and teacher to the children of the residents. Described as tall, but lank, with a flat head, large ears, and green eyes that looked like glass, Ichabod does not a pleasant picture paint. The baggy clothes that made his attire only leant to the impression of a wandering scarecrow. Even more bewildering is the idea that Ichabod took up residence with the families of the students he taught, moving along to the next house a week at a time.
It seems that Ichabod’s real troubles started with the meeting of a particular woman; Katrina Van Tassel, the only daughter of a successful Dutch farmer. Ichabod took an instant liking to her when he saw her; and that liking increased exponentially when he saw her father’s farm, a farm that Katrina’s husband was sure to inherit. The only competition he seemed to have for her affections were from Brom Bones.
Brom began to torment Ichabod with practical jokes, unwilling to give himself a bad name by beating the lad up, though he could do it easily enough. Ichabod was good enough to avoid him as well to avoid having this happen.
Having been invited to the Van Tassel’s for the evening, Ichabod was more than willing to let school out early, to the excitement of his pupils. Ichabod goes on horseback to the Van Tassel farm, enjoying the beauty of Autumn in Sleepy Hollow (Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year and I could read these descriptive paragraphs in this story over and over again!)
Something certainly happened between Ichabod and Katrina that night, but what it was for sure, no one seems to know. He left the farm dejected and dismayed, upset over the idea of not taking over such a beautiful estate.
Riding back home, downtrodden and defeated, suddenly all the ghost stories that were told that night that he gave no attention to came crowding into his mind, leaving no room for any other thoughts.
With a mind of its own, as Ichabod became more scared, Gunsmoke, the horse he rode, seemed to be scared himself, and took Ichabod in a direction completely different from what he had intended. In the shadows appeared a form, huge and towering, not moving; just there. The apparition moved into the road, but came no closer. Ichabod moved away, but no matter the speed or direction he took, he was shadowed by this thing. Moving into the moonlight enough, he finally showed himself to be headless.
The last thing we hear of Ichabod is that the Headless Horseman threw his head at him, hitting him in the cranium and knocking him to the ground.
The horse returned home, sans rider. The saddle was found with a shattered pumpkin next to it, but never again was Ichabod Crane seen.
There were tales of course, that Ichabod was still alive, but chose to leave the town, both from embarrassment and disappointment of not winning Katrina’s heart. Brom married her; and always had a hearty laugh when the story of Ichabod was told, making some wonder if he knew more about it than he ever let on.
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