Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey by Betty DeGeneres

Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey by Betty DeGeneres, 366 pages

In this touching memoir, Ellen's mother, Betty DeGeneres recounts her life story including her marriages and raising Ellen and her brother as a single mother.  Betty had no idea Ellen was a Lesbian until it was revealed to her in 1978.  So, for the next 20 years, Ellen's Mother helped conceal her secret until Ellen was ready to reveal it to the world.  This book is such a heartfelt story of how Ellen's mother has stood by her through her journey to become a famous comedienne and onto becoming one of the most famous talk show hosts in the world.  To read the struggles Ellen's Mother faced throughout her own life brings to light why Ellen is the remarkable human being she is.  This is a great read for all mothers and daughters!

Gay America: Struggle For Equality by Linas Alsenas

Gay America: Struggle For Equality by Linas Alsenas, 166 pages

Gay America is a colorful book of the struggle that has occurred over the past 125 years in the history of Gay America's struggle for equality. The book touches on subjects such as gays in the military, politics, and pictures before the 20th Century.  The book touches on the AIDS epidemic and gays rights to marry.  It also contains information how gays are portrayed in movies and the Ryan White scandal.  This was a very informative book on how rights of Gay Americans have evolved through the years.

What If? Answers to Questions About What It Means to Be Gay and Lesbian by Eric Marcus

What If? Answers to Questions About What It Means to Be Gay and Lesbian by Eric Marcus, 185 pages

Written for the juvenile reader and previously published as What If Someone I Know Is Gay?  is a very informative book written for juveniles.  It contains questions and answers by real teens about subjects such as bullying and suicide.  It contains lists of National Organizations for young people, resource books and videos.  This would be a great book for juveniles with questions on this subject matter.

Superficial, More Adventures From The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen

Superficial, More Adventures From The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen, 357 pages

I read Andy Cohen's previous book, and this one was pretty similar.  Except in this book, he is writing about the previous book coming out.  The book is written in diary format over the course of 2014 thru early 2016.  The book gets kind of repetitive with many stories about his dog, Wacha and the shows he produces especially the Real House of (fill-in the blank for location).  He also hosts and produces Watch What Happens: Live on Bravo.  He does do a lot of name dropping of his famous friends like Anderson Cooper, Madonna, and Kelly Ripa.

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley --- 386 pages including an Introduction, Epilogue, Acknowledgements, Sources, Bibliography, Notes, and Index.

Published on the 200th anniversary of the death of one of the earliest and most celebrated novelists in the English language, Lucy Worsley's biography of Jane Austen is sprightly and charming but mostly covers already well worn territory with speculation filling the gaps in the historical record. As Worsley points out, Austen was a prolific letter writer; but though her letters convey shrewd observations of people and events around her, they are far more reticent in revealing Austen's own thoughts and feelings.

Worsley is a British historian who has become a television personality in the UK as the host of a series of BBC television shows popularizing various eras and events in English history. In these shows Worsley acts as a narrator who also pops up on screen as a costumed reenactor on the periphery of unfolding events.  Many of these programs have also been broadcast here on PBS.

True to form, the publication date of this book occurred about six weeks after the television program Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors, hosted by Worsley, was broadcast on BBC TV.

Worsley combines her enthusiasm for Austen, her historical focus on the domestic aspects of British history, and her knack for personalizing the past, in this latest venture.

Click HERE to watch a promo by the author talking about the book on Youtube.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from the New York Times.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out Written and Photographed by Susan Kuklin

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Written and Photographed by Susan Kuklin, 182 pages

In Beyond Magenta, real people tell their stories about their journey through transitioning.  I thought it was fascinating that they used real people to tell their stories. The book contains many photographs.  Some people's stories contain photographs, some do not.  The stories in this book were really heartfelt.  It is interesting that the title of the book came from something one person wrote "What are you?  (someone) said. You gotta choose. (someone) said, Pink or Blue?"  Luke said "I'm a real nice color of magenta."  In the back of the book there is a glossary and a list of advocacy groups.

This Book Is Gay by James Dawson

This Book Is Gay by James Dawson, 264 pages

This Book Is Gay is a very informative and descriptive book written for the teen audience. The book contains detailed drawings that go along with the text. This book contains a lot of information not only for teens but also for adults. I found it a very interesting read.  In the back, it also contains a list of gay icons and terms and definitions.

If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock

If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock
(If I Run #2)
384 pages

This is a continuation of the first in the series, If I Run.  Blackstock maintains the suspense as Casey Cox is running for her life from crooked cops and a murder she didn't commit.

In the first book while Casey is on the run she discovers the location of a teen girl kidnapped some years ago.  Although unlikely I thought it was written well so that it was plausible.  In the second book she discovers a suicide note and a young girl who is being abused.  Well, that's a bit much for me.  The improbability of the situation made me disengage from the story.  Of course it won't stop me from reading the third (and final?) book in the series due out next spring.

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters-256 pages

I decided to read an LGBTQIA book since it's the challenge. I am not into it myself, but the book was okay. It was a coming out story for a teen girl who seemed to have it all, but met and soon fell in love with the new girl in school. It is somewhat dated and cliche, but it is a decent read, overall.

Indestructible by Jack Lucas & D. K. Drum

Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at Iwo Jima by Jack Lucas -212 pages

Jack Lucas received the medal of honor when he was barely seventeen years old for actions on Iwo Jima. He covered an enemy grenade with his body and pulled a second grenade under him before they could detonate to save his fellow marines. He pressed one grenade down in the sand as he fell and the second did not explode. He endured multiple surgeries, and his right arm bore black marks from the embedded sand of Iwo Jima for the remainder of his life. Lucas joined the Marine Corps at fifteen, and he was not prepared for the media sensation that came with receiving the medal. The book gives too much coverage to the author's life after his time in the military, and would have been more interesting if additional detail had been given to the brief time the author spent on Iwo Jima. Still, it is an interesting portrait of a young man intensely driven to defeat our enemies in one of World War II's most ferocious battles.

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt
(Andy Carpenter #1)
256 pages / 6 hrs & 50 mins

"Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. But Andy prefers the company of his best friend, Tara, to the people he encounters in the courtroom... However, just as it seems Andy has everything figured out, his dad, New Jersey's legendary ex-D.A., drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed . . . and a murder case... Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons - and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good."  --from the publisher

One would think this series is just like all the others by Lee Child, David Baldacci, etc.  However, one would be wrong!  Rosenfelt's protagonist is a never-ending source of sarcastic one-liners.  I laughed out loud several times.  This is a great combination of good writing, interesting story, and witty humor.

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women by Shaunti Feldhahn, Jeff Feldhahn

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women by Shaunti Feldhahn, Jeff Feldhahn -- 192 pages



Women: Complicated and impossible to understand? Do you love and want to please the woman in your life, but just can't seem to figure her out? That was before For Men Only. Now at your fingertips is the tool that will unlock the secret to her mysterious ways. Through hundreds of interviews and the results of a scientific national survey of women, this book demonstrates that women are actually not random and that they really can be systematized and "mapped." In fact, much to men's delight, this book shows that women are actually quite easy to understand and please-as long as you know what it is they need. This simple map will guide you to loving your wife or girlfriend in the way she needs to be loved.



Okay, yes, I read the book for men about women, mainly because I was curious to see how accurate it is. It's decently accurate, but very, very general. They had to make very broad generalizations to make this book work. When it comes to your significant other, you'll have to learn who they are as an individual and what they struggle with. At best, this book will help you consider things that you haven't and prompt you to ask questions that you ought to ask.

American Eclipse by David Baron

American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World by David Baron --- 330 pages including Notes on Sources, Footnotes, Select Bibliography, Acknowledgements and Index.

Published in anticipation of the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse scheduled to cross the continental United States from northwest to southeast, this book (based on extensive research) looks at the social and scientific significance of the total solar eclipse of July 29, 1878 across the far western pioneer states and territories of the U.S. at the dawn of America's Gilded Age.

The nascent scientific establishment of the U.S. of that day, mostly centered in the colleges and universities of the east, was eager to assert the bona fides of American scientists at a time when Europe set the standard for scientific achievement. American scientists seized on the "American" eclipse as their opportunity to show what they could do.

A number of scientific parties traveled west to observe and make records of the eclipse, at a time when travel beyond Ohio was uncomfortable and travel west of St. Louis haphazard and primitive.  Baron focuses most of his attention on four parties: The U.S. Naval Observatory camp at Cravens in the Wyoming Territory; James Craig Watson of the University of Michigan and the inventor Thomas Alva Edison and other august observers at Rawlins in the Wyoming Territory; astronomer Maria Mitchell of Vassar College with a party of former students in Denver, Colorado; and the U.S. Army Signal Corps (first national weather forecasting service) camp on Pike's Peak, Colorado.

Baron writes both intelligently and entertainingly about the resulting adventure, and how scientists were not above making use of the popular press to whip up enthusiasm for the event. Even citizens with little or no understanding of astronomy or physics took a keen interest in the idea of America showing up the rest of the world.

Click HERE to read a review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read a review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read a review from the Denver Post.

Click HERE to listen to an interview with author David Baron on St. Louis Public Radio.

Click HERE to watch a video of Author David Baron talking about his book and the August 21 eclipse to come from Vimeo.

The Bridge Quartet series by Nora Roberts

Vision in White by Nora Roberts - 336 pages
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts - 352 pages
Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts - 336 pages
Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts - 336 pages

This series follows the romances of four best friends who together run a very successful wedding business.  Mac is the photographer.  Emma is the florist.  Laurel is the baker.  And Parker manages everything.  Each book focuses on one of the friends and their romance.  It was interesting that as the series went on, the books focused less on the specific character and instead told the stories of each friend so that the final two books were almost more general fiction than romances.  Overall, a good series for fans of romance or chick-lit.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orcey

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orcey -- 267 pages


Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

Definitely one of the most exciting classics I've ever read. 

School-Live, v. 7 by Norimitsu Kaihou

School-Live!, v. 7 by Norimitsu Kaihou - 176 pages

The girls have arrived at St. Isidore College.  They meet and join up with the Degeneracy Appreciation Society.  But is it truly safe at the college?

This is the latest volume in the School-Live! manga series.  It was interesting to see that the college students were less interested in survival and figuring out what happened than the younger high school kids.  As the cast grows, it is difficult to keep the various characters straight.  They look similar and the use of several different names (nicknames, formal names, honorifics) makes it difficult to remember which character is which.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - 533 pages

Reporter Irene Glasson is determined to prove that rising actor Nick Tremayne is killing off the women in his past.  Hotel owner Oliver Ward helps her as the latest murder occurred at this hotel.

I listened to the audio version of Amanda Quick's latest historical novel.  It's a departure from her usual historical romances as she has written about 1930s Hollywood.  I thought the narration of this audio was excellent.

Pastoralia by George Saunders

Pastoralia by George Saunders - 188 pages

A decrepit theme park where workers are paid to act like cavemen by grunting, drawing crude pictures, and catching imaginary bugs all day, with the occasional goat dropped down "The Big Slot" for dinner. A self-help seminar that claims the road to true happiness begins by shirking responsibilities to your needy, suffocating loved ones. A substandard apartment complex where illiterates spend their evenings watching TV shows such as the reality-based How My Child Died Violently and The Worst That Could Happen, a program of computer-generated tragedies. Needless to say, George Saunders takes his place in a long queue of American pessimists, but few can claim a vision as corrosive and bleakly funny as the one on display in Pastoralia, a story cycle set in a hellish wasteland of late capitalism. Boasting a spare, economical prose style, Saunders takes snapshots with a cracked lens, only slightly distorting the worst images he can find. In a country weaned on corporate code, where long hours are wasted on petty bureaucracy and busywork, the theme park in the masterful title story has a ring of familiarity. While few jobs can approach the indignity of weeks hooting in Neanderthal garb, the dreary punch-clock routine that beats down the narrator and his disgruntled partner are universal. With the park in dire financial straits, workers find fewer goats slipped down The Big Slot—they're forced to subsist on "Reserve Crackers"—and their paychecks are docked for pick-up service on their "mutual big pink Human Refuse bags." Other stories are equally grim but more internalized: Winky concerns an ineffectual wimp who puts himself through a New Age seminar just to confront his sister, and in The Barber's Unhappiness, a middle-aged slouch still living with his mother ogles passing women, then concocts wild scenarios to avoid approaching them. Saunders' characters are unhealthy, uneducated, and hopeless, yet he reserves sympathy and affection for them, his satiric venom generally saved for larger targets. The collection's brilliant centerpiece, Sea Oak, is also the darkest, an urban horror story set in a dank apartment replete with "an ad hoc crackhouse in the laundry room," brass knuckles in the kiddie pool, and microwaved meat nuggets in sugary sauce. When a chipper old aunt dies of fright—due to money problems, she's buried in a cardboard coffin—she returns from the grave to shock her poor family out of complacency. Typical of Pastoralia, even the undead can't catch a break.

If I Run by Terri Blackstock

If I Run by Terri Blackstock
320 pages / 6 hrs, 41 mins

"Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they’ve failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.

"But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up.

"Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?

"Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices: the girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet."  --from the publisher

Blackstock's no frills and all thrills writing is at its best here.  It's a quick suspenseful read that leads right into book two.  I do wish it could stand alone as a complete story--just my preference.  Publishers Weekly says, "Blackstock...is masterly in navigating the suspenseful fugitive plot...Crisp dialogue and unexpected twists make this compulsive reading, and a final chapter cliffhanger leaves things poised for a sequel."

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
384 pages / 11 hrs, 45 mins

"Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she is or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, Sam realizes that it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear that she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

"But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night aren't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory. Someone else knows - someone who wants to make sure that Sam stays quiet."  --from the publisher

This is a well-written YA thriller.  The suspense is palpable and a young reader will be kept guessing right up until the end.

The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim

The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim - 423 pages

This story is about an old order Mennonite community working with Englishers when electricity suddenly goes out, cars won't start etc.

How the English and Mennonites survive together is trying.

It was o.k. but I hate the way the ending left you hanging about so many things.

The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck - 192 pages

Russell Culver, 15 years, is more than ready to be done with his schooling.  He thought his dream was come true when the teacher up and dies weeks before school starts, but it quickly turns into a nightmare.  His sister Tansy is hired as the new teacher at their one-room school.

This story takes place in rural Indiana in 1904.  The historical details are quite good.  I also enjoyed the male characters who thought schooling was useless -- in fact, it reminded me of my grandfather and his thoughts on not needing education past the 8th grade.  My only complaint with the book was that the narration would switch unexpectedly from being present tense in the 1904 to then including memories from an adult Russell.  It was very confusing.

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn -- 224 pages



What's going on in there? Ever been totally confused by something your man has said or done? Want to understand his secret desires and fears, his daily battles that you know nothing about? 

In trying to explain that the man in your life has hidden insecurities, what they're about, and why he might be discouraged, this book almost seemed to paint men out to be wimpy. But then I remembered, this book is focusing on what women probably don't know about men. We already know that men are resilient and often forgiving, but maybe we don't even know what they are forgiving, because we've never understood their struggles. I found this book helpful, and it encouraged me to do my best to build up the men in my life, significant other or otherwise.

Matchup edited by Lee Child

Matchup edited by Lee Child --- 445 pages including an Introduction and Author Biographies.

Another entry in a series of short story anthologies organized by the International Thriller Writers. This one is edited by Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher novels. In this anthology, Child has invited twenty-two best selling thriller writers to work in pairs --- one female and one male author ---
and collaborate on eleven short stories that combine iconic characters from both fictional worlds.

The results are a delight to read. Child also contributes an Introduction explaining how the concept for the book evolved, as well as short intros to each story, giving a behind-the-scenes peek at how each pair of authors came up with their own unique methods of collaboration. Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan and Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Lisa Jackson's Regan Pescoli and John Sandford's Virgil Flowers, Karin Slaughter's Jeffrey Tolliver and Michael Koryta's Joe Pritchard were my favorites, but there's not a bad story in this bunch.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers' Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from The Real Book Spy web site.

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci
Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #5
417 pages / 12 hrs, 36 mins

"Edgar Roy - an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins--en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered.
It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: Is Roy a killer? Who murdered Bergin? With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction. Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power. In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits..."  --from the publisher

I think this one lives up to the above description.  The Kirkus review says, "Authentic scenario, mystery piled on misdirection and more double-crosses than a tic-tac-toe tournament."  The action doesn't stop, and Baldacci gives the reader enough description to make it very real.  Also, this is my first read of the series and I never felt disconnected.  It can definitely stand alone.

Played! by Michael A. Kahn

Played! by Michael A. Kahn --- 230 pages

Michael A. Kahn is an intellectual property attorney, a professor at the Washington University Law School, and a mystery novelist best known for his Rachel Gold series, and occasionally for other mysteries with attorney protagonists. All his stories are set in St. Louis and/or Chicago, and part of the fun is identifying persons, places, events and customs unique to those locales as they show up in his books.

This latest tale is one of the "other" mysteries not part of the Rachel Gold series but always featuring at least a cameo appearance by her.

In "Played!" the story revolves around a nerdy workaholic attorney intent on bringing down a personal injury shyster who's been running a double scam for years, cheating both the insurance companies he sues on behalf of his injured clients, and then cheating his clients on the money he collects from the insurance companies.

Unbeknownst to our legal champion, his gullible younger brother, sidelined by a motorcycle injury from the pro baseball career he dreams of, has gotten involved with the shyster's third wife, who needs a fall guy to get around her prenuptial agreement by staging her own kidnapping and collecting ransom money in place of a divorce settlement.

Kirkus Reviews says: ". . .the spectacle of these ornaments of the Missouri bar attacking, undermining, and double-crossing each other provides brisk, sprightly entertainment, and the hapless defendant’s baseball background comes into play just when it’s most needed."

A great read to enjoy in a cool place on a hot summer day with a glass of something frosty at hand.

Click HERE to read the full review from Kirkus Reviews.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi -- 296 pages


Nabeel explains the difference between an eastern mindset and a western mindset. It may be hard for us to full comprehend here in the west just how fully those in the east rely on their elders and those in authority. For first generation eastern immigrants in the US, it is very hard to connect with those here, because our thinking is just so foreign. For second generation eastern immigrants, it is very hard to continue in their parents' ways when the western world tells them not to rely on authority, but to examine the evidence themselves.
That's what Nabeel was finally confronted with, the challenge to examine his own beloved faith and find out for himself just what he believed.
The journey costed him everything, but it also gained him happiness he had never dreamed of.
His story is incredible as well as very enlightening. I listened to it within days and hung on to every word. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham

Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham - 467 pages

This was not a story that appealed to me all the way.  We have a killer aboard a ship, people who can see ghosts and agents trying to figure out who the Archangel killer is.  Archangel killer is known by this title because of the way his victims are displayed in churches or out in front of churches.
I was never very good at Who Done it mysteries but if you like them this is a good one to read.

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka - 321 pages

This debut mystery is very compelling.  PI Roxane Weary is in a real bad place dealing with the aftermath of her Columbus, Ohip police detective father's murder in the line of duty along with a slew of personal issues.  Her brother throws her a bone with a case brought to him by a friend to locate a potential missing witness to save the friend's brother from the death penalty.  Roxane spirals through relationships with both sexes and alcohol to a very dark place as she tries desperately to find the truth as to what happened when a family was murdered and a young girl went missing so long ago.

This would be a great opener to a series and I'd definitely read more to follow Roxane and her struggles to find stable ground in her life.  

Star Wars: Rebel Rising (Star Wars Disney Canon Novel) by Beth Revis

Star Wars: Rebel Rising (Star Wars Disney Canon Novel) by Beth Revis-410 pages

Rebel Rising fills in the years of Jyn Erso's life between her rescue by Saw Gerrera at age 8 and her joining the rebels in her early 20's. It is a filler, but it is so much more than that as it gives more background as to why Jyn has become so jaded and apathetic. Overall, I really liked this book. It does have sad moments, so be prepared, but it is a good read.

Indigo by Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden et al

Indigo: A Mosaic Novel by Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Kelley Armstrong, Jonathan Maberry, Kat Richardson, Seanan McGuire, Tim Lebbon, Cherie Priest, James A. Moore and Mark Morris --- 340 pages

A "mosaic novel," for those unfamiliar with the term, is a novel written collaboratively by a group of authors. Sometimes the story line is presented through multiple characters' points-of-view; sometimes each author takes the established plot or characters in new and contradictory directions. Often each author contributes his or her own chapters.

Done well, the reader comes to the end of the tale with the breathless feeling of having survived an amazing adventure. Done not so well, and the story collapses under the weight of too many improbabilities.

Although each of these authors individually are talented writers of urban fantasy/supernatural thrillers, collectively this tale is, like its heroine, reporter Nora Hesper/alias dark superhero Indigo, a manic depressive mess, invoking every tired cliche in the urban fantasy repertoire.  Let's just say Indigo is one leap more than my suspension of disbelief could reach.

Click HERE to read an article about the genesis of the novel from The Verge.

Click HERE to read a review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read a review from the Criminal Intent blog.

His Scandalous Kiss by Sophie Barnes

His Scandalous Kiss by Sophie Barnes - 374 pages

Thorncliff Manor is the perfect setting for a masquerade ball . . . where the heart’s secret desires are about to be uncovered in this scintillating Regency romance from Sophie Barnes

Richard Heartly has exiled himself from society since the war, plotting his revenge for a terrible betrayal. A masked ball at Thorncliff Manor is intended to be a brief diversion. Instead, he encounters a fascinating young woman as entranced by the music as he is. He can’t reveal his identity to Lady Mary. But her siren song keeps drawing him back, and their clandestine meetings could be hazardous to his plan—and to her virtue . . .

Avoiding an unwanted marriage was easy when Lady Mary was ignored by the ton. Thanks to her dazzling appearance at the masquerade, she’s a wallflower no longer. Eligible suitors abound, yet the only man she wants is the brooding, seductive companion who keeps his face hidden. A man who tempts her to disclose her own shocking secret, one that could divide them forever . . .

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron - 406 pages

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan which is structured and regimented to keep the citizens safe from the wild outside its walls.  Each day everybody writes in their books their lives -- their family, their friends, their loves, their jobs, everything.  For every twelve years comes the Forgetting when they will lose all their memories.  They won't know their family members, their friends, their jobs, or even themselves.  They'll have to start over knowing nothing except what they read in their books as no one will remember anything from before  -- no one but Nadia.

This was a great book.  I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished.  It kept you guessing and surprised by the revelations that came throughout the story.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Last Mile by David Baldacci

The Last Mile by David Baldacci
(Memory Man #2)
432 pages / 11 hrs, 49 mins

"Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.

"Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.  The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

But when a member of Decker's team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger--and more sinister--than just one convicted criminal's life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed."  --from the publisher

A good story line and plenty of mysterious circumstances to keep the reader engaged!  My only complaint is that the dialogue is inane at times.  (heavy sigh)  Baldacci is usually better than this, and I can only hope this isn't his new style.

One Fete in the Grave by Vickie Fee

One Fete in the Grave by Vickie Fee
(Liv and Di in Dixie #3)
293 pages

"Party planner Liv McKay has outdone herself this time. She's put together an unforgettable Fourth of July celebration for the town of Dixie, Tennessee--including breathtaking fireworks and an exciting Miss Dixie Beauty Pageant. Maybe a little too exciting.

"As the party is winding down, Liv's sense of triumph fizzles when the body of town councilman Bubba Rowland is discovered on the festival grounds. And now the prime suspect in his murder is Liv's mother's fiance, Earl, who had a flare-up recently with Bubba. To clear Earl's name, Liv and her best friend Di burst into action to smoke out the real killer before another life is extinguished . . ."  --from the publisher

I've really enjoyed this trilogy.  They are solid cozy mysteries, and remind me of the six years I lived in Kentucky and Alabama.  The author is a casual friend of mine who is a true southerner and is as down-to-earth as they come.  I think those traits give her writing authenticity.

The Earl's Complete Surrender by Sophie Barnes

The Earl's Complete Surrender by Sophie Barnes - 366 pages

Despite the diversions offered at Thorncliff Manor, former spy James, the Earl of Woodford, has one purpose in staying there. He must find an encoded book that exposes a conspiracy within the British aristocracy. And he must do so without revealing his purpose to the clever, tempting Chloe Heartly. The lady has a knack for appearing wherever it is least convenient. In the library. In the salon. And, especially, in his arms . . .

Somewhere within Thorncliff's labyrinth of rooms lies the journal Chloe desperately seeks. When she realizes the brooding, handsome earl is hunting the same quarry, Chloe enters into an uneasy partnership. But in the face of public danger and enemies hiding in plain sight, both must decide how much they're willing to risk to solve the mysteries of the heart.

The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell

The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell - 527 pages

Before Katrina, in New Orleans, there is a field trip of 12 year olds.  One girl disappears and becomes part of a prostitution ring.  This story is full of one tragedy after another and how Amanda, a social worker, gets through it.  The depression and grief are staggering for her and others connected to her. The story moves along well and I enjoyed this author very much.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland

Neal Stephenson and Nicole Gallard

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Gallard --- 752 pages including Cast of Characters and Glossary

Magic used to be real. Possibly, it could be again. And so the top secret Department of Diachronic Operations is created to build an Ontic Decoherence Cavity and recruit KCWs to perform DEDEs that will send DOers on DTAPs.

This book could serve as a doorstop for an ODEC. It's the perfect summer read, pages upon pages of quasi-historical, quasi-scientific Quixotic Quest with a capital Q. But make sure you have a pillow on your lap to prop the book on or it will sprain your wrists as surely as the contents will sprain your brain.

When a best selling master of speculative fiction and an inventive writer of historical fiction decide to collaborate, what ensues is a romp through time that combines swords, sorcery, quantum physics, a hero obsessed with the job, a heroine (obsessed with the hero) trapped in 1851 London, government bureaucracy on steroids, and mercenary warriors from Fourth Century Constantinople running amok in near future Massachusetts, and the dreadful fate of the Elizabethan poet, Christopher Marlowe.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from Starburst Magazine.

Click HERE to listen to a June 16, 2017 interview with both authors from Youtube.

Click HERE to read a review from The Guardian (UK).

Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts

Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts - 388 pages

Nell Channing is done with running when she reaches Three Sisters Island.  She finds a job at the local bookstore as the manager of the cafe and a friend in the store's owner.  She starts to set down roots for the first time in long time.  Then she meets the sheriff Zack Todd and starts to fall in love.  Will her secrets tear them apart?

This is the first in book in Nora Roberts supernatural romance series about three witches who must work together to save their island.  It's also one of her earlier trilogies that I hadn't read yet.  I look forward to finishing the series.

The Pearl Thief (Code Name Verity #0-Prequel) by Elizabeth Wein

The Pearl Thief (Code Name Verity #0-Prequel) by Elizabeth Wein-326 pages

I have read both Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire and wanted to read this when I heard about it. Honestly, I do not think this is as good as either of those, but it is still pretty good. Julia Beaufort-Stuart (as a 15, nearly 16 year-old) is back home from boarding school and befriends some Travellers (people who live in tents in fields/nomads/gypsies) who have been living in the field on her late grandfather's old Strathfearn property in Scotland. Her grandfather (and the Travellers) are river pearl hunters and her grandfather left a rather large collection of them when he died (only it wasn't found right off). For a while, the story was a bit slow, but a few plot twists and turns in the middle and, especially, near the end livened the story a bit. Overall, it was a pretty good read, if not as good as Wein's other two in the "series."

The Burning Bridge by John A. Flanagan

The Burning Bridge by John A. Flanagan
(Ranger's Apprentice #2)
272 pages / 8 hrs, 39 mins

Now that the characters have been introduced and established in book one, Flanagan takes the reader for an action-filled ride in book two as the kingdom of Araluen prepares for an attack by Morgarath and his wargals.

Battle preparations, calling allies to arms, spying out the enemy, a deserted neighboring community, kidnappings, a young girl in disguise, skirmishes, a battle, and a final duel are the main elements in this tale.  It is well written and ends with a cliffhanger.

If you like action, then you'll love it.  For me, it was a little more action than I prefer, and not enough story about the characters.

Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Montana Sky by Nora Roberts - 440 pages

Jack Mercy has died and is still as hated as ever.  Turns out that he has stipulated in his will that all three of his daughters must live for one year on his ranch to inherit anything at all.  This is a difficult adjustment as the sisters have never met before and only one of them has ever lived on the ranch.  To make it worse, it seems that someone has a vendetta against the ranch, killing people and animals.

This Nora Roberts book is from the early 1990s.  I was amazed at how well it aged compared to some of her other earlier works.  The lack of technology wasn't as noticeable -- probably because of the location.  You don't expect cell phones in the mountains of Montana to work anyway so you don't question why they don't use the cell phones to call for help.

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy - 320 pages

Sarah had big plans for the summer.  She was going to learn to surf and speak Latin.  She was going to rebrand her image with a new look and nickname.  She was going to practice yoga daily for inner peace.

She was not going to take a month-long train trip with her family.
However, that's exactly what she ends up doing when Mimi, one of her mothers, wins a free trip across the country for the whole family as part of a writing program.

Now, Sarah is trapped on the train with her animal-obsessed younger sister Ladybug, her activist older sister Laurel and her boyfriend Root, and her two moms.  To make it worse, there's a second family also in the same program with a Texan dad, too-friendly teen son, and two rambunctious senior citizen aunts.

It's going to be a crazy summer!


I was disappointed in this book.  I've read Levy's first two books about the Fletcher Family and absolutely loved them.  I thought they were some of the best LGBT books for grade school kids that I had read.  While incorporating LGBT characters and themes, those books did it very organically.  This book tended to be entirely too preachy about it.  It also was extremely preachy about social issues -- the environment, race issues, white-washing of history, etc.

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas - 320 pages
A Friday Harbor novel

Justine has never felt the stirrings of love.  She's dreamed of it her whole life and wishes for it daily.  So she finally turns to her pagan background to cast a spell to find love and discovers that she has been cursed to never fall in love.  Justine is determined to break the curse and it turns out her true love might already be on the island . . . mysterious, game designer Jason Black.

This is the final of the Friday Harbor books.  I did not care for it as much as the others.  The characters were interesting, but the timeline seemed very forced.  It also seemed quite a departure from the other books in that it unexpectedly went into bondage without any warning.  I did like that it included book club questions in the back of the book again.

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts - 466 pages

Bo's family has always been haunted by the aunt who ran away nearly 30 years ago and was never seen again.  It's the elephant in the room that is very rarely ever acknowledged.  It's been assumed that she ran off as she just didn't care enough about her family.  Turns out they've always thought wrong.  She's been captive for almost that entire time.  But now, she's escaped.  The only problem is that the man she escaped from is still out there . . . and he's hunting for a new wife.

This book reminded me quite strongly of one of Nora Roberts' earlier books -- Montana Sky.  While a lot of it was the landscape and setting of the book, there were also a lot of similarities between the families in the stories and the reasoning behind the villain.  Still, I enjoyed the book.  It was a good read and one I would definitely recommend to others.

Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peterson

Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peters - 477 pages

A young woman defies her grandfather and goes west to become a nanny to a man the town believes to have murdered his wife.  Good story.

If I Was Your Girl

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo - 288 Pages

This award-winning novel is a poignant portrayal of a trans girl that manages to challenge boundaries while still residing within the bounds of a typical young adult novel. Amanda Hardy has moved in with her estranged father, who lives in a small, secluded town in the deep South, after being attacked for using a public women's restroom. Amanda, who has gone through surgery and hormonal therapy, is now at a point where she can "stealth": a term used to refer to a transgender individual unquestionably passing for the gender they identify with. She begins to have a regular high school experience - one free from bullying and violence - making friends and falling in love with one of the school's football players. Russo - a trans woman herself, who has an excellent author's note at the end of the book explaining the creative liberties she took to make Amanda's story easier to understand by non-trans folks - deftly explores what it means to be yourself in high school, and how that can be particularly dangerous for those that society has pushed to the margins.

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas - 375 pages
A Friday Harbor Novel

Zoe's life is about change as her grandmother has just been diagnosed with having had several mini-strokes and alzheimers.  She's determined to bring her grandmother to Friday Harbor to live with her.  This means having Alex remodel her family cottage.
Alex is going through a particularily rough patch right now.  He's in the middle of a nasty divorce.  His business went belly up when the economy tanked.  And worst of all -- he's acquired a ghost that won't leave him alone.  Now the ghost is pushing him to admit his feelings for Zoe as well as the ghost's relationship to Zoe's grandmother.

This was the best of the Friday Harbor novels so far.  It seemed to have much more depth than the previous two books.  It also lived up to it's paranormal romance description more than the others as the ghost was a main character in the story.

The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May 339 pages

Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy - Book One) by Katherine Arden --- 322 pages with Author's Note, Glossary and Acknowledgements

My favorite books often combine history, folklore and fantasy; Katherine Arden's first novel (part of a projected series) has all these elements and is off to an utterly beguiling start.

Very few authors who write in English are tackling the world of 14th century Rus' where the Grand Princes in their wooden towns paid tribute to the Mongol Khans to buy an uneasy peace. Here the medieval age lingered, and the ancient lore of the Winter King and the Bear lurked beneath the canopy of the endless Forest and competed with the Orthodox Church for the allegiance of peasants and boyars alike.

In Vasilisa we have a true daughter of the old ways, loving and valiant in defense of her people and her land; willing to accept whatever challenges Fate has in store so long as it is by her own choosing.

The second book in the series, The Girl in the Tower, is scheduled for release in January 2018.

Click HERE to read the review from the Christian Science Monitor.

Click HERE to read the review from NPR.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from tor.com.

Click HERE to watch the trailer on Youtube. 

Lockdown by Laurie R. King

Lockdown: A Novel of Suspense by Laurie R. King --- 383 pages

Laurie R. King is best known for her Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series but she has also written a number of contemporary mystery/suspense novels, including the Kate Martinelli series and several other stand alone novels.

In Lockdown she sets up a nightmare scenario that has grown all too familiar in real life: a struggling small town California middle school is sent into lockdown in the midst of Career Day when it becomes the target of a mass shooter acting out his fantasy of retribution and vengeance.

King says in her Acknowledgements at the end of the book that this is an idea she has been working on for twenty years, and that the structure of the story is in part created by a series of previously published short stories written over that period, and here linked together to create a multiple point-of-view narrative, jumping forward and backward in time. This allows her to show events from many perspectives and to build suspense through foreshadowing.

It's a compelling theme, playing to our worst fears and secret hopes. I found it very different from King's other novels. While she does a good job of building the suspense, the plot is convoluted. Perhaps it would have been tighter and more focused if she had not tried to include some of the short stories? The ghost element seemed rather awkwardly sandwiched in.

But even one of King's minor efforts is well worth the time spent reading.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas - 326 pages
Friday Harbor #2

Lucy Marinn is shocked when her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her and asks her to move out so his new girlfriend can move in.  She's even more shocked when the new girlfriend turns out to be her sister.  She's reeling from the events when she meets Sam Nolan.  They want different things.  Sam keeps all relationships extremely casual while Lucy wants to find someone to love forever.  Will their relationship be able to work?

This is the second book in Lisa Kleypas' modern day paranormal romance series Friday Harbor.  The paranormal references are pretty rare but magic does play a role in the story.  Overall, though I would call it a typcial romance.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Humans, Bow Down by James Patterson

Humans, Bow Down by James Patterson, 373 pages

I saw this book on the shelf and thought it looked interesting. The book has pictures which I though was unusual for James Patterson.

Though, I have to say, I did not care for this book.  I really wanted to stop reading it.  The beginning sucked me in and then I felt the book became bland and predictable.  The premise of the book is that the robot nation won the Great War and humans are banished to the Reserve.  Six is a feisty young lady with a friend named Dub, who try to fight back against Micky Bo, a Robocop.  I think James Patterson was trying to write a good dystopian novel but I believe it was an epic failure.