4th of July by James Patterson

3/5 Stars

It's been awhile since I read 3rd Degree, the last book in the series before this one. I really didn't care for the plot and it kept me from reading this one for a long time. It didn't take long for me to get back into the series. I found this book to be very enjoyable but with a few minor plot flaws. Lt. Lindsey Boxer is haunted by a 10 year old unsolved murder of a John Doe. When similar murders start to happen she can't resist trying to solve them, even though its not in her juridistion. There is a second plot, and it felt totally unrelated, where Lindsey finds herself on trial after firing her weapon in the line of duty.

This book almost could have been two seperate books. The plots are almost totally seperate from each other. The trial is the reason she leaves town and gets involved in the other murder investigation. But that's all that ties the two of them together.

Even with the minor flaws, I thought this was a very good book. It kept my attention from the beginning and didn't let up until the end. I figured out two of the three murderers, but not the motive. I thought the ending was a little forced, especially the confession of one of the murderers. For the most part the these murders were almost unsolvable and the murderers are forced into confessing all by themselves.

Murder in the Hearse Degree by Tim Cockey

I just love Hitchcock Sewell! If there was a male equivalent to Stephanie Plum, he would be it. Hitchcock is an undertaker by trade, but finds himself involved in figuring out murder mysteries. He's usually dragged in by his current love interest. In Murder in the Hearse Degree, it's a former love, Libby, that gets him invovled. Her nanny, Sophia is missing and later turns up dead. It seems she took a dive off a bridge. The mystery gets a little detail orientated. I had a difficult time figuring out who the murderer was, but saw it clearly at the end. A really great book in the series! I can't wait to read the next one.
”

Out of Sight by Cherry Adair

4/5 Stars

I really like Cherry Adair's books. They are always action packed and have a good plot and the romance doesn't get in the way. Out of Sight is the story of two T-Flac agents AJ Cooper and Kane Wright. This is one of the earlier books in the series. I thought the book was well written, action packed and the romance worked. I really hate books that the characters don't seem to belong together. This was definitely not one of those books!

Burning Bright By Tracy Chevalier

4/5 Stars

Burning Bright is the story of Jem and Massie Kelloway. Their lives are never the same when their family moves from the country into London in the late 18th Century . Their father gets a job as a carpenter with the Astley's Circus and Jem and Massie are thrown into that world. Jem makes friends with a local girl Maggie and the Blakes.

I thought this was another enjoyable book from Tracy Chevalier. I really like how the book is setting around the Astley Circus and William Blake. Chevalier does a really great job blending fact with fiction and making it believeable. Although I enjoyed this book, I didn't think it was up to par with Girl with the Pearl Earring.

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh

5/5 Stars

Ngaio Marsh was a contemporary of Agatha Christie, although overshadowed by Christie she just as a good mystery writer. Marsh has the same style of writing as Christie but does it with her own sense os style. I really enjoy her books.

In False Scent, a Dame of the Theatre, Miss Mary Bellamy has an unfortunte accident with a pesticide. She falls ill and dies during her 50th birthday party. The list of suspects are long, she has argued with many of her guest before the fatal dose. Can Inspector Roderick Alleyn solve this mystery?

A really great story, I had a feeling as to who but not the why of this mystery. The solution to the mystery is a stunner!

Murder Runs in the Family by Anne George

5/5 Stars


Murder Runs in the Family is the third book in the Southern Sisters mystery series. Mouse and Sister, two retired sisters are at it again. Sister's only daughter Debbie is getting married That means out-of-town guests. Meg, a cousin of the groom, stays with sister. Meg is a profession genealogist, who seems to make enemies with her pedgrees, takes a dive out of a ten story window. Can Sister and Mouse find the killer and stay alive themselves?

I love this series, a lots of fun light moments and a really great mystery plot. I thought I had this mystery figured out halfway through the book, but I was wrong. I had a bit of it right and a lot wrong.

The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun

4/5 Stars

I just love the Cat Who series. It's been awhile since I picked up a book in the series. I really enjoyed getting in touch with old friends, Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum. Braun really has an enjoyable writting style that just draws you into the story. Even though I enjoyed this book, I thought it was lacking in the mystery department. There didn't seem to be a mystery. Just a couple of events that may or may not been criminal. Braun leaves everything up in the air with this book. Not much is resolved with the plot. It was a bit disappointing, but I was happy to read another in an enjoyable series and hope that the next one is better.

Murder is a Girl's Best Friend by Amanda Matetsky

5/5*

I just love this series. Paige Turner is a yound working widow who lives in New York City, in the 1950's, and wants to become a writer. Paige finds herself investigating a murder when her late husband's best friend in the army asks for her help. His sister was murdered and the police are treating it as a random buglary, even after he finds diamonds hidden in her apartment. Paige is set on finding the murderer, along the way she escapes several close calls.

I love this series, Amanda Matetksy really captures the setting of New York in the 1950's. The clothes, slang, atmosphere, and the workplace treatment of women are all there. She's done her reserarch well and it comes through in her books. I can't wait to read the next book!

The Bishop Murder Case by S S Van Dine

3/5 Stars

Philo Vance is called on by his friend, a New York district attorney, to consult on a murder case. The murders follow different Mother Goose rhymes, Cock Robin, Humpty Dumpty, Johnny Spring and Miss Moffett. The mystery has several twists and end at the end. Philo Vane reminded me of Agatha Christie's Poroit. Very little action to the storyline and lot of complex thought. The solution to the mystery involves chess, nursery rhymes, pyschology and advance math. I was totally lost as to how Vance really solved this mystery. I just didn't see a solution, even after it was revealed.

A little pet peeve of mine with this book was that I had to stop every so often and look up words in the dictionary. I couldn't figure other what they meant. I know the book was first published in the 1920's but come on! Speak plain english! I'm not sure I will be picking up any more books by this author.

American Civil War Reading Challenge

I love the American Civil War, one of my favorite historical periods. So I can't wait to do this challenge.

Rules:

1. Read 12 books about the Civil War, either fiction or non-fiction

2. Read these books between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009

3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed

4. Ebooks and audiobooks are okay as well

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge

I found another interesting challenge. This one runs from Jan to March 2009 and need to read three books for it. Sounds do-able and fun.


Rules:

Rule #1: The challenge runs from January 1 to March 31. (No cheating and starting before!)

Rule #2: You must read three books. After that, it's up to you how much you want to read.

Rule #3: The books must:




have a food name in the title
OR
be about cooking/eating
OR
have a place name in the title
OR
be about one (or more) person's travel experience
OR
be about a specific culture
OR
be by an author whose ethnicity is other than your own (see, I squeezed it in!)

I'll leave it up to you to choose how the three books you read fit the criteria.

Rule #4: They must be middle-grade on up, but can be either fiction or non-fiction.

The purpose, this winter, is to take yourself someplace out of the ordinary, to go on a literary trip, whether that be challenging your expectations, discovering a new place, or enjoying the experience of reading about good food, places, and people


My books:

1. Mangoes and Quinces by Carol Field
2. A Good Year for Plums by Bailey White
3.Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson

What's in a name-2 Challenge

This challenge looks fun and something that I can read for throughout the year. I'm hoping that I'm not biting off more then I can chew with all these challenges but I just can't help myself!


1. A book with a "profession" in its title.

2. A book with a "time of day" in its title.

3. A book with a "relative" in its title.


4. A book with a "body part" in its title.

5. A book with a "building" in its title.


6. A book with a "medical condition" in its title.

Naming Conventions Challenge

Another challenge that I plan doing in 2009. I'm giving myself until Dec '09 to complete it.

Rules:

Instructions
1) Write down your first name (or whatever name you usually go by)
2) Do any or all of the following (i.e. do 2a and/or 2b and/or 2c):
2a) For each letter, pick an author whose last name starts with that letter.
2b) For each letter, pick an author whose first name starts with that letter.
2c) For each letter, pick a book that starts with that letter.
3) Books can be cross-overs from other challenges, but each book can only be used once in this challenge. Authors may be repeated though.
4) The challenge lasts one month per letter of your name
5) Sign up by commenting to this post.

The books can be read in any order and the list changed at any time during the challenge.


Last Name
B The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun
L
A Out of Sight by Cherry Adair
C Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
K
A Beauty Pop Vol 2 by Kiyoko Arai
DSister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
D
E
R

First Name
B
L
A Murder is A Girl's Best Friend by Amanda Matetsky
C
K
A Murder Runs in the Family by Anne George
D
D
E
R


Title
B (The) Bishop Murder Case by S S Van Dine
L
A
C
K
A
D (The) Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey
D
E
R

What an Animal Reading Challenge

I'm a sucker for a good reading Challenge and this seems do-able for me.

The rules are simple:

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:a. an animal in the title of the bookb. an animal on the cover of the bookc. an animal that plays a major role in the bookd. a main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you'd like ;>)).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...

3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. You can still sign up after July 1st as long as you can get 6 books read by June 30th ;>).

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.

5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or just list them as you find them.

6. Books may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).

7. Crossover books with other challenges is permitted and encouraged.

8. You don't have to blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.9. Sign up with Mr. Linky below. Please sign up with the specific post announcing the challenge if you are a blogger. If you do not blog, sign up with your name and leave the URL field blank. Thanks!

10. Have fun!!

I plan on reading six books, the following list could change as time goes by.

1. Tales from Watership Down by Richard Adams

2. The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lillian Jackson Braun (12/14/08)

3. Mystery Cats by Various

4. To Catch a Cat by Marion Babson

5. Best in Show by Laurien Berenson

6. Swimming Without a Net by MaryJanice Davidson

The Girl Who Remembered Snow by Charles Mathes

4/5 Stars


Emma Passant, a magician, finds herself invovled in a mystery surrounding her grandfather's murder. Strange things happen after his death, a model boat goes missing from his bedroom, a second Frenchman is found shot with the same gun. Emma travels from San Franciso to San Marcos Island, New York City and Paris to find answers to the mystery. There are several twists and turns to the plot. The resolution was a tear jerker, a rare thing for a mystery. I really loved this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but when things started happen I just could put the book down.

Ghosts Among Us by Leslie Rule

4 Stars

I recently read another book by Leslie Rule, Coast to Coast Ghosts. While it was enjoyable, I didn't think it was that great. I thought I would give Leslie Rule another try. I love ghost stories, and true ones are my favorite. I've had a few experiences that I can't explain away and like to read other's stories. Ghost Among Us was just great. I loved the stories, some personal experiences of the author and those submitted by her readers. There were a few places mentioned in the book that I would love to visit and possible stay at. I thought this was a better effort in the true ghost stories then Coast to Coast Ghosts. I'm glad I gave this author a second chance! I will definitely be picking up other books by Leslie Rule!

The Beginning

I'm not much of a reviewer/writer but I'm an avid reader. I love to read other people reviews and find new authors and books. I'm hoping to able to post my thoughts and comments on books that I read. I read alot, so I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to keep up a blog. Never did this before, but it sounds fun.