Holes by Louis Sachar

 Holes by Louis Sachar-233 pages

I have seen this movie a couple times and had previously thought about reading this book. However, I didn't get around to until now. I saw it on the shelf at a local bookstore and saw the Newbery Medal sticker. I thought it would be great to read it for this month's challenge. I enjoyed reading this book. The movie doesn't stray far at all from the book (which is likely because the author also wrote the screenplay), which is not common. I really enjoy the movie and the book. 

Legend of the Lost Legend (Goosebumps #47) by R.L. Stine

Legend of the Lost Legend (Goosebumps #47) by R.L. Stine-122 pages

Honestly, this has been my least favorite Goosebumps that I have read. It isn't bad, but it isn't as good as the others I have read. Marissa and Justin are with their dad on a trip to Brovania, a fictional country in Europe, to find the Lost Legend. Justin and Marissa get separated from their dad while following a white dog named Silverdog along the way and must pass a survival test to get the silver chest that will supposedly contain what they seek. Everything is not what it seems in this forest Justin and Marissa are lost in. Will they pass the survival test or will they be forever lost in this strange forest? Will they indeed find the Lost Legend (and do they really want to)?

Pirates Past Noon (Magic Tree House #4) by Mary Pope Osborne

Pirates Past Noon (Magic Tree House #4) by Mary Pope Osborne-67 pages

I read this previously, but I wanted to read it again for the monthly challenge. I enjoy Magic Tree House books and I enjoy stories involving pirates. In this book, Jack and Annie run into Cap'n Bones who is searching for Captain Kidd's lost treasure. They also find out who the mysterious M is (Morgan le Fay).

Journey of the Pharaohs by Clive Cussler

Journey of the Pharoahs by Clive Cussler-415 pages


In 1074 B.C., vast treasures disappear from the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs. In 1927, a daredevil American aviator vanishes on an attempted transcontinental flight. And in the present day, a fishing trawler--along with its mysterious cargo--sinks off the coast of Scotland. How are these three mysterious events connected? And, more importantly, what do they mean for Kurt Austin and his NUMA team?


As they search for answers, the NUMA squad join the agents of the British MI5 to take on a wide-reaching international conspiracy. Their common enemy is the Bloodstone Group, a conglomerate of arms dealers and thieves attempting to steal ancient relics on both sides of the Atlantic. Kurt and his team soon find themselves wrapped up in a treacherous treasure hunt as they race to find the lost Egyptian riches. . . before they fall into the wrong hands.

As you can see, it was a complicated story-line and at times hard to follow.  I do enjoy the antics and camaraderie of Kurt and Joe which is always entertaining.  It also has a surprise ending that maybe some of you could see coming!

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts - 484 pages

Eli Landon has returned home to Whiskey Beach after a year in hell.  After discovering his wife's dead body he was hounded mercilessly by the police and media as the only suspect in her murder.  Now he's retreated to Whiskey Beach to try to reclaim some part of his life.  Luckily, the first person he meets is Abra who is determined to help him regain his sense of self as well as take back his life from those determined to keep him in the dark past.

I enjoyed this book by Nora Roberts.  Although the mystery deepened as the book progressed, it also got lighter as the mood of the main character improved. 

Deception by Amanda Quick

Deception by Amanda Quick - 432 pages

A search for a missing treasure is complicated by secret identities, embezzlement, revenge, and love.

This is a historical romance by author Jayne Ann Krentz under her pen name Amanda Quick.  It was fun to listen to the story.  I really enjoyed the twists and turns the story takes.

Pirates (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #4) by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne

Pirates (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #4) by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne-128 pages (Kindle Edition)

I read Pirates Past Noon, so I wanted to read the companion nonfiction book (I enjoy both fiction and nonfiction). I did learn a couple of things I didn't already know (i.e. Jolly Roger came from a French word for the color red which was the color of early pirate flags), but most of it I already knew. I enjoyed reading this as I do any Magic Tree House book.

Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne

Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne-67 pages

I have always been fascinated with history and the Golden Age of Piracy. In this book, Jack and Annie are taken to a deserted island where pirates are searching for Captain Kidd's buried treasure. After they make it back home to Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, Jack and Annie meet the mysterious M (Morgan Le Fay, King Arthur's cousin) for the first time. I am enjoying reading/re-reading (I don't remember which ones I read as a kid) this series because it teaches kids history in a fun, interactive way. I am now reading the companion research guide/fact tracker for this book.

Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts

Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts - 389 pages
Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts - 358 pages
Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts - 336 pages




This trilogy focuses on the romances of three best friends -- Margo, Kate and Laura.

Daring to Dream
Margo is a model who has returned home when her life is in ruins.  She joins with her two best friends to open a store.  Meanwhile, she's finally acted on the feelings she has for her best friend's older brother, Josh.  

Holding the Dream
Kate has just discovered that her father was a lying cheat who was on his way to prison when he was killed in a car accident when she was just a child.  Now, her life is thrown into turmoil when her bosses accuse her of embezzling money from their firm.  Luckily she has Byon the new manager of the Templeton hotels to help her through this hard time.

Finding the Dream
Laura's marriage imploded when she discovered her husband in bed with his secretary.  Her life further unraveled when he emptied their bank accounts and promptly started ignoring their daughters.  Now, two years later she's finally getting her head above water working at her family's hotel and the store she opened with Margo and Kate.  Maybe, it's time to act on her feelings for Michael, the bad boy who has returned home to start a horse business.


This is one of the Nora Roberts older series from about 20 years ago.  It was a little dated with its talk of integrating computers into the businesses and most of the characters smoking constantly.  Still, I enjoyed the series and the various characters.

MIschief by Amanda Quick

Mischief by Amanda Quick - 374 pages

Imogen was saddled with the nickname "Immodest Imogen" several years ago, so she knows the gossip surrounding Lord "Coldhearted" Colchester must also be false.  So she is sure he will help her get revenge on the man she believes killed her best friend.

I really enjoyed most parts of this story.  I thought the characters and story were fun.  The only part that threw me was the invention of a lost land "Animazara" that all of London is supposedly enthralled with.

Deception by Amanda Quick

Deception by Amanda Quick - 402 pages

Jared Chillhurst has always been considered the dull, boring, passionless one in his family - more worried about his schedule and business than anything else.  That is until he meets Olympia Wingfield.  All of the sudden he is pretending to be her nephew's tutors just to be close to her.  All he wants is to spend time with her.  The problem is his family is determined to use Olympia to find a treasure and someone else is trying to break into her house.

This was a fun story to read. The lengths Jared will go to be close to Olympia are amusing.  His lies continue to get him in deeper.

The Poe Estate by Polly Shulman

The Poe Estate by Polly Shulman  256 pages

Sukie's been lonely since the death of her big sister, Kitty - but Kitty's ghost is still with her. At first that was comforting, but now Kitty's terrifying anyone who gets too close. Things get even weirder when Sukie moves into her family's ancestral home, and an older, less familiar ghost challenges her to find a treasure. Her classmate, Cole, is also experiencing apparitions. Fortunately an antique broom's at hand to fly Sukie and Cole to the New York Circulating Material Repository's spooky Poe Annex. As they search for clues and untangle ancient secrets, they discover their histories intertwine and are as full of stories of love, revenge, and pirate hijinks as some of the most famous fiction.

Autumn in Scotland by Karen Ranney

Autumn in Scotland by Karen Ranney - 375 pages

Charlotte is furious when her husband shows up after disappearing five years ago with her dowry a week after the wedding.  She had finally gotten her school for girls going, but now he has ruined everything.  What she doesn't know is that it isn't her husband, but his cousin who is now determined to solve his disappearance.
I thought the premise was interesting.  However, I don't think that a person would have been able to continue the masquerade as long as the story did.  I also think that Charlotte was extremely forgiving considering her feelings at the beginning of the book.

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts - 484 pages

I listened to this on audio after having previously read the book.  I enjoyed the audio version and thought it was pretty well done.  I usually find it a little off-putting when men narrate a romance, but in this case it worked well since most of the book was from the man's point of view. 

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts - 484 pages

Eli Landon has had the worst year -- his wife was murdered and he was considered the prime suspect.  He's spent the year fighting the charges even though there was absolutely  no evidence that he killed his wife.  Now he's headed to Whiskey Beach to look after his grandmother's house while she recovers from a fall.  There he meets Abra, the woman who cleans the house for his grandmother.  She sets out to take the shadows from his eyes and starts to succeed.  Unfortunately, someone isn't done trying to ruin Eli's life.
I wasn't sure I wanted to read this Nora Roberts book from the description.  I finally sat down to read it the day before it was due back to the library.  I was happy to find that I really enjoyed it.  It was obvious from the early on who the person out to get Eli was.  It was also kind of obvious who the real murderer was.  However, I enjoyed the interactions between the characters.

Gift of Fire by Jayne Ann Krentz

Gift of Fire by Jayne Ann Krentz - 344 pages

Verity is determined to make Jonas utilize his education and background to better himself.  So she secures a job for him authenticating an Italian castle and searching for a buried treasure.  She hopes it will start a consulting business for him while getting a vacation for herself while he works.  However, the castle doesn't turn out to be a great vacation spot.  The owners are determined to search for the treasure.  Their guests all claim to be psychic.  And now people are starting to get hurt and killed.
Turns out this is the sequel to Gift of Gold which I have not read yet.  It would probably be a better book with the background from the first book.  Still, it was an enjoyable read.  It is one of Krentz's earlier books which includes a psychic element to it.  (I find it interesting that she started with paranormal romances before going to straight romance novels.  Now she is back to writing paranormal stories again.)  I did find the book slightly dated with references to technology and attitudes between the sexes.

Deception by Amanda Quick

Deception by Amanda Quick - 402 pages

Olympia Wingfield is thrilled when Jared Chillhurst arrives at her door saying her was sent by her uncle as the new tutor for her young charges.  He immediately takes charge of the house taking care of all the small details and bringing peace so she can work on deciphering the diary that might lead to a fabulous treasure.  Things start to get complicated when the entire household travels to London and Olympia and Jared must pretend to be married.  Then they start attracting other treasure hunters.
This was a fun, quick read.  I truly enjoyed the book.

The Icy Hand by Chris Mould

The Icy Hand by Chris Mould - 174 pages
(Book 2 of Something Wickedly Weird series)

Stanley is heading back to Crampton Rock over his winter break.  Last summer he had to fight off pirates and deal with the wolf that had killed his great uncle.  He's hoping that this visit will be quieter.  Unfortunately, there are now two pirate ghosts after the Ibis hidden in the talking fish.  It is the key to a great treasure and they will stop at nothing to get it.
This is the second book in the Something Wickedly Weird series.  I enjoyed the first book so thought I would pick up the second book.  It is a great book series for younger children looking for a slightly scary adventure story.