Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

From Booklist: It takes a certain amount of guts to start a novel by killing off a popular recurring character, but no one has ever accused this writing team of lacking guts. The latest Pendergast thriller begins with a murder that is apparently committed by a man who, 10 days earlier, was pronounced dead and then buried. But the eyewitness is sure it’s the same man, and footage from a security camera appears to confirm it. How does a dead man commit murder? And why this particular victim? Pendergast, the FBI special agent who frequently takes on personal assignments on a freelance basis, teams up once again with New York police lieutenant Vincent D’Agosta to solve a crime that has ties to the supernatural. Individually, these two writers turn out books that are solid, competent, workmanlike. Together, they manage to kick it up several notches, producing novels that are elegantly written and feature unique characters and eerie, compelling stories. For fans of the Pendergast series, this is a must-read.

My Thoughts: I have read all of the Pendergast novels (in order) as well as others Preston & Child have penned together and have enjoyed them all. Pendergast is still somewhat of a mystery as is his family and background. A little something is pulled out in every novel. I usually buy any new Preston-Child book as soon as it comes out. I was SHOCKED to find that one of my favorite recurring characters, Bill Smithback, was killed off. What of Nora? Will she be back?

Anyway, back to the book- it all...the supernatural, mystery, suspense...all the things I have come to expect in the writing of Preston and Child. There are surprising plot twists , and it's generally a very fun read with quite a bit of action. After Smithback is killed by someone who is deemed to be a zombii, Pendergast and D'Agosta begin their investigation into black magic, vodou and zombii's. It leads them to the upper-most northern part of Manhattan where a strange settlement known as the Ville has existed since before the Civil War. There have been complaints that everything from animal sacrifice to the creation of zombiis takes place up there. But, as usual everything is not as it seems. At the end there was a quick little tease for the next book. A strange little man calaiming to be the lawyer for the Pendergast family visits Pendergast in the hospital. Can't wait to see what's next!

thriller, murder mystery, paranormal, zombiis, suspense

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

About the book: After witnessing a shocking murder, the Club is slammed headfirst into a plot that threatens the very security of the nation, full of stunning twists, high-stakes intrigue and global gamesmanship rocketing to the Oval Office and beyond. Soon the Club must join forces with veteran Secret Service agent Alex Ford, who becomes an unwilling participant in one of the most chilling spectacles to ever take place on American soil. It’s an event that may well be the catalyst for the long-threatened Armageddon between two different worlds, and all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.

The Camel Club consists of four unlikely partners: The leader, man without a past currently called "Oliver Stone"; obsessive computer genius Milton Farb; blue-collar laborer Reuben Rhodes; and Library of Congress reference specialist Caleb Shaw. Their goal: to seek the truth, an often elusive goal in their hometown, Washington, D.C. In their quest for truth, they collect an unusual array of friends who assist them -- Secret Service agent Alex Ford, homeless activist Adelphia, and con-artist extraordinaire Annabelle Conroy.

My Thoughts: This is a great set of CDs I won from J. Kaye. I of course enjoyed these out of order, listening to Divine Justice first, which was VERY good. The Camel Club is the actual first book in the series. What a page turner this would have been had I been reading it instead of listening to it. As it was I made a couple of extra trips to town and sat in the driveway a few extra minutes listening to it. This was much more of a political thriller than Divine Justice was. There are Arab terrorists, the President is kidnapped and we are on the verge of using nuclear weapons. This is averted at the last minute by ...... the Camel Club. In this book we meet Carter Gray, Oliver's nemesis, and he is as loathsome here as he was in Divine Justice.

As much as I liked it I found it a little confusing as there were so many groups involved. Some of it was unbelievable such as where the terrorists plan a major assault, but use tranquilizer darts so as not to kill anyone. ???? Even so was a good read. I've already started the next one, The Collectors.

thriller, political thriller, Oliver Stone, mystery, conspiracy

Tuesday Teaser

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event.

Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that your current read. Include the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser is from "Second Chances: More Tales of Found Dogs"

At home we put Luca's basket in the entry room at the front door, which is a quiet place as we generally use the back door. At first she just lay there, limp, facing the wall, shutting herself out of the world.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event at J. Kaye's blog to list the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading. If you do join in, please go to J. Kaye's and leave a link with Mr. Linky. That way others can find it and join in. Leave me a comment too!

Last week I finished reading:
69. Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark review here
70. The Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler and review here
71. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb review here

This week I'm reading:
Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (personal book-page 230)

Second Chances: More Tales of Found Dogs by Elise Lufkin (personal book-page 90)

Terra Incognita: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie (iPod)

The Camel Club by David Baldacci (in car- disc 5) almost done

The Collectors by Davie Baldacci (in car)

I'm leaving on Friday for a beach trip with The Girls. The 6 of us teach together and this is our third beach trip. We're looking foward to it! I have books on my Kindle and music on my iPod for the trip.

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

About the book: It is 2058. New York cop Eve Dallas doesn't have to confront gun crime anymore, no one does. Guns are simply relics. But this latest homicide is an old-fashioned crime in many ways. Sharon DeBlass is a high-class hooker from a wealthy, powerful family. Her brutal shooting sends shockwaves through her family, political society and police headquarters. From the note under her body, it seems that a serial killer is on the loose. The killer gets uncomfortably close to Eve Dallas as she pieces together his identity. In the course of this murder investigation Eve Dallas meets Roarke, a charming self-made billionaire, and passions are stirred. This is the first in the incredibly successful suspense series featuring Dallas and Roarke. Those expecting a gentle read should put this book back on the shelf immediately. This tale has street language, sex and violence. And it is highly addictive stuff which will have you turning the pages far too fast. (Kirkus UK

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (October 1, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425155188

My Thoughts:The review above about covers it. There is murder, romance, and suspense in this futuristic page turner. It was right about the page turning. I was burning up the page turn key on my Kindle. After three books I'm getting invested in these characters. What more could you want? Now that I've read the first one I can get on with the third one.

murder mystery, Kindle, in death series, romantic suspense, police

Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo

About the book: Clive Cussler, creator of the bestselling NUMA and Dirk Pitt series, presents his latest and most intriguing high seas action hero: the enigmatic captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo. In his first feature-length adventure, it's up to Cabrillo and his crew of expert intelligence and Naval men to put Tibet back in the hands of the Dalai Lama by striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese. His gambling chip is a golden Buddha containing records of vast oil reserves in the disputed land. But first, he'll have to locate--and steal--the all-important artifact. And there are certain people who would do anything in their power to see him fail...

Audio CD
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged; Unabridged edition (October 7, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593552033
ISBN-13: 978-1593552039

My thoughts: As usual I'm reading a series out of order. This is the first of Cussler's Oregon Files books. I've read two or three others and enjoyed them. I've also read two Dirk Pitt novels and a couple of others that aren't in a series and liked them all. While I generally liked this, it didn't flow well for me. There were a LOT of characters to keep track of and a LOT of separate situations needing to be stitched together to follow the story. I couldn't keep track of it all. And every little thing was explained into the ground. It took two paragraphs for some guy to get into a raft. Maybe it would have been better if I had been reading it instead of listening. Oh well. This is the first disappointment I've faced with a Cussler book. It won't stop me from reading more

action adventure, Juan Cabrillo, Oregon Files, suspense,

Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark

About the book:From the wickedly hilarious pen of Southern humorist Celia Rivenbark comes a collection of essays that brings to mind Dave Barry (in high heels) or Jeff Foxworthy (in a prom dress).

Step into the wacky world of “womanless wedding” fund-raisers, in which Bubbas wear boas. Meet two sisters who fight rural boredom by washing Budweiser cans and cutting them into pieces to make clothing. Learn why the word snow sends any right-thinking Southerner careening to the Food Lion for extra loaves of bread and little else.

Humor columnist and slightly crazed belle-by-birth Celia Rivenbark tackles these and other lard-laden subjects in Bless Your Heart, Tramp, a hilarious look at Southern---and just plain human---foibles, up-close and personal.
So pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and curl up on the pie-azza with Bless Your Heart, Tramp.

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 30, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312343426

About the author: Celia Rivenbark is the bestselling author of We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier. She writes a weekly column called “From the Belle Tower” for Myrtle Beach’s Sun News and lives in North Carolina with her husband and daughter.

My Thoughts: I chose to read this book for the Southern Reading Challenge. Even better, I'm already familiar with the author's work. This is the third one of Mama Celia's collections I've read and it was a hoot. If you were raised in the South you will be able to relate to and laugh at many of the situations Celia writes about. If you weren't raised in the South you'll laugh anyway. This collection of essays, while generally rib tickling funny, contained one touching chapter called Carlos and Ruby about an elderly couple who were always together and died of natural causes on the same day. It was written sweetly, helping you picture this lovely couple. I would like to know the story behind this essay.

Do yourself a favor, read this book. I'm off to the kitchen to make a pitcher of sweet tea.

non-fiction, essays, southern humor, humor

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event.
Grab your current read. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers.

This teaser is taken from Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark:

Next step: finding painters to give us estimates. These were hilarious indeed and varied wildly. Most ended with: "If you want it done right," and I wanted to say, "Done right? Oh, heavens no! We want as half-assed a job as possible."

What Are You Reading On Monday?

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event at J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week.

Last week I finished reading:

65. Glory In Death by JD Robb review here
66. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen review here
67. Thanks For the Memories by Cecelia Ahern (iPod) review here
68. The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here

This week I'll be reading:

1. Still listening to Golden Buddah by Clive Cussler in the car (CD from Library)

2. Naked In Death by J.D. Robb (Kindle)

3. Terra Incognita: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie (iPod)

4. Bless Your Heart, Tramp and Other Southern Endearments by Celia Rivenbark

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

From the jacket: A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?

In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world’s largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions helped inspire Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions around the globe, Fawcett embarked with his twenty-one-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization—which he dubbed “Z”—existed. Then he and his expedition vanished.

Fawcett’s fate—and the tantalizing clues he left behind about “Z”—became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett’s party and the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes, or gone mad. As David Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett’s quest, and the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle’s “green hell.” His quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett’s fate and “Z” form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.

David Grann's site.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (February 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385513534
ISBN-13: 978-0385513531

My thoughts: This book is totally fascinating. I checked it out of the library thinking it might be interesting and probably dry. I was wrong. It was VERY interesting, well written, compelling, and not in the least bit dry.

The story follows several lines. Fawcett's life and several of his trips into the Amazon are explored. This is the main thrust of the book. Grann's research and his search for Fawcett is written about. Other searches for Fawcett are touched upon, as are the accomplishments of some of Fawcett's contempories. I was glad to learn about the Royal Geographic Society. I had read about it and seen in several books and movies but I hadn't paid much attention to it. Fawcett's wife, Nina, was a tragic figure at the end.The information about ancient civilizations in the Amazon, found at the end of the book, was amazing to me, a person who knows next to nothing about the Amazon. It was like reading an adventure novel, only I actually learned. Read it.

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
5x4 Reading Challenge
Read Around the World Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge

Amazon, non-fiction, El Dorado, exploration, Fawcett

Thanks For the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

About the Book: How can you know someone you've never met? That's the question haunting Joyce Conway these days. Recovering from a terrible accident and with her marriage in pieces, Joyce is suddenly plagued by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu that makes her feel as if the life she's living is not her own. During the day she has vivid memories of things she's never seen—such as cobblestoned Parisian streets she's never visited—and at night she dreams of a little girl she's sure she's never met. Joyce is convinced she's lost her mind . . . until a series of coincidences leads her on a journey to meet the one person who may hold the answer she needs.
Someone's life could be depending on you right now. . . . That's the pitch that finally persuades Justin Hitchcock to donate blood—the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time.
Restless and lonely, Justin chased his ex-wife and daughter from Chicago to London, and now he's in Dublin, guest-lecturing to bored college students. When he receives a basket of muffins with a thank-you note attached, he's sure someone's playing a joke on him, but then the presents keep coming. Intrigued, Justin is determined to solve the mystery—a quest that will change his life forever.
Thanks for the Memories is a heartwarming story of hope, love, and second chances—Cecelia Ahern's most magical novel yet.


I listened to it. Here is the info for the book:
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (April 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006170623X
ISBN-13: 978-0061706233

My thoughts: Well, I worked quite a bit around the house today and so finally listened to the rest of Thanks For the Memories. I was attracted to this book first through a review I read then by curiosity. My favorite character was Joyce's father. He was delightful, his character shined through. The interaction between him and his daughter was fun to read and caused many smiles. Especially funny was the airport security scene! Joyce's father had never flown and was less than cooperative when being asked to remove his shoes, cap and coat. Very funny scene. I was not too sure of Justin, though. I guess at the end he he was OK. Some serious subjects (miscarriage, breakdown of a marriage, father's aging) mixed in with the surprising and sweet story. There were a few gratuitous uses of the f-word, which did not seem to fit. This was a cute, light, romantic read and I enjoyed it.




Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
RYOB Challenge
Audio Book Challenge

chick lit, romance,

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

From the jacket: Peccavi.....The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: “I HAVE SINNED”. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell – Maura’s professional nemesis and member of a secret society called “The Mephisto Club

On tony Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbology, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan and his demons actually exist among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on the Mephisto Club’s doorstep, it’s clear that someone – or something – is indeed prowling the city. The members begin to fear the very subject of their study. Have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?
Deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil – where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced… one whose work is only just beginning. Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345476999
ISBN-13: 978-0345476999

My thoughts: Thanks Bookfriends! Tess Gerritsen did indeed provide a great read. I chose this book randomly after a couple of Bookfriends told me they liked this author. I didn't know that this was part of a series, the Isles/Rizzoli series, I just thought the blurb sounded good and checked it out of the library. This was a real page turner. It was dark and a little disturbing. I'm sure the author spent many hours researching devil worship, Satan, and other kinds of evil written about in ancient texts. The demonic/paranormal slant sort of surprised me as I thought these were strictly medical/police thrillers. Isles seems to be going in a different direction than Rizzoli now. The end of the book left it wide open for a new series. Going to go to Amazon and check on it now.

mystery, murder,

Southern Reading Haiku Contest

It is tine for the Southern Haiku Contest for the Southern Reading Challenge at Maggie Reads. Contest ends July 31, 2009. The rules can be seen at here.

Here is my entry. Can you guess what book?

60s in the south
Stories, written and published
The truth will be known

Glory In Death by J.D. Robb

Synopsis: In a time when technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion - in the heart. . . The first victim was found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second was murdered in her own apartment building. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas had no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provided Eve with a long list of suspects - including her own lover, Roarke. As a woman, Eve was compelled to trust the man who shared her bed. But as a cop, it was her job to follow every lead . . .to investigate every scandalous rumor . . to explore every secret passion, no matter how dark. Or how dangerous.

Product Details
Hardcover: 293 pages
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons (October 7, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0399151583
ASIN: B00080W3IY

My Thoughts: I'm reading these books out of order. I read the last one first, this one, the second one, second. Which would be ok if I had already read the first one. But the first one will be next putting it in third place. It hasn't detracted from the two stories already read, so that's good. I enjoyed this with its futuristic touches, bits of romance and mystery all the way. I did figure out "who done it" when the second person was killed. When the third was killed that clenched it. It was wrapped up neatly, which I liked.

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge

mystery, murder, futuristic, sci/fi,

Tuesday Teaser

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event.

Grab your current read. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

Teaser from Glory In Death by J. D. Robb:

He closed his eyes. "Do you think I want Mirina to

know that I was, however briefly, accused

of murdering an unlicensed whore?"

What Are You Reading On Monday?

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event at J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week.
Last week I didn't get sidetracked and I finished:

60. A Breed Apart by Pierre Davis review here
61. Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb review here
62. Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker review here
63. Resolution by Robert B. Parker review here
64. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck review here

On my table, in my iPod & Kindle, in the car-

Thanks for the Memories: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern (audio in my iPod) started last week

Golden Buddah by Clive Cussler in the car (CD from Library) Just started

Naked In Death by J.D. Robb (Kindle) just started

Glory In Death by J.D. Robb (Book from Library) page 99

As soon as I finish one of the In Death books there is waiting for me a Tess Gerritsen book (The Mephisto Club) because a couple of my bookfriends said Gerritsen's books were good! Can't wait.

I didn't get sidetracked last week, maybe this week will be as good!

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck

About the book: Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, Steinbeck created a "Camelot" on a shabby hillside above Monterrey on the California coast and peopled it with a colorful band of knights. As Steinbeck chronicles their thoughts and emotions, temptations and lusts, he spins a tale as compelling, and ultimately as touched by sorrow, as the famous legends of the Round Table.

My thoughts: This story is told in a series of short, funny stories each one adding to the whole. It is about a group of poor young men living in Tortilla Flat near Monetary. Danny has returned home from WWI to learn that he has inherited property from his grandfather. One by one, friends come to live with him where their lives revolve around wine, fighting and women. The rationalizations they went through to make stealing OK was so convoluted it defied logic, but it worked for them and it was very entertaining to read. This kind of reasoning was at it's best in the chapter called "How Danny's Friends Threw Themselves To The Aid of a Distressed Lady." My favorite character is The Pirate, a man who is a bit slow but who has a heart of gold. He also has five very special dogs, who are his life. I found this to be funny, touching and outrageous. I love it!

SparkNotes on Tortilla Flat

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
John Steinbeck Mini Challenge
5x4 Reading Challenge
Audiobook Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge

classic, Steinbeck, California, wine

Resolution by Robert B. Parker

From the jacket: I had an eight-gauge shotgun that I’d taken with me when I left Wells Fargo. It didn’t take too long for things to develop. I sat in the tall lookout chair in the back of the saloon with the shotgun in my lap for two peaceful nights. On my third night it was different. I could almost smell trouble beginning to cook . . . .”

After the bloody confrontation in Appaloosa, Everett Hitch heads into the afternoon sun and ends up in Resolution, an Old West town so new the dust has yet to settle. It’s the kind of town that doesn’t have much in the way of commerce, except for a handful of saloons and some houses of ill repute. Hitch takes a job as lookout at Amos Wolfson’s Blackfoot Saloon and quickly establishes his position as protector of the ladies who work the backrooms—as well as a man unafraid to stand up to the enforcer sent down from the O’Malley copper mine.

Though Hitch makes short work of hired gun Koy Wickman, tensions continue to mount, so that even the self-assured Hitch is relieved by the arrival in town of his friend Virgil Cole. When greedy mine owner Eamon O’Malley threatens the loose coalition of local ranchers and starts buying up Resolution’s few businesses, Hitch and Cole find themselves in the middle of a makeshift war between O’Malley’s men and the ranchers. In a place where law and order don’t exist, Hitch and Cole must make their own, guided by their sense of duty, honor, and friendship.

Hardcover: 292 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (June 3, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 039915504X
ISBN-13: 978-0399155048

My thoughts: Got this sequel to Appaloosa yesterday from the library and finished it off this afternoon. This was another quick, entertaining read. I enjoyed the conversation between the two main characters as much in this one as in the first. It started basically where Appaloosa left off and continued the story line. As in the first book good and bad are in many shades of gray. Good people do not necessarily obey society's laws just because they are there. Good people keep their word and bad people don't. So as you might expect Hitch and Cole are again walking that line between the law and & just being gunmen.

There were many more characters in this story including farmers, miners, men from a lumber mill, native Americans, as well as the town people. Again the story is familiar, bad guy wants to take over the town as well as the outlying homesteads. Good guys stop him. The short lived romantic interest for Cole did not keep him from leaving at the end, with Hitch, to go to Texas to find Allie (Appaloosa.) I'm looking forward to the third in this series, Brimstone. It is not at the library yet so I'll have to wait. :(

I liked the cover picture a lot.

Challenges:
100+ Reading challenge
Support Your Local Library challenge

western, hired guns, ranchers, old west

Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker

From the book: "When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a small, dusty town suffering at the hands of renegade rancher Randall Bragg, a man who has so little regard for the law that he has taken supplies, horses, and women for his own and left the city marshal and one of his deputies for dead. Cole and Hitch, itinerant lawmen, are used to cleaning up after opportunistic thieves, but in Bragg they find an unusually wily adversary - one who raises the stakes by playing not with the rules, but with emotions.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (June 7, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399152776
ISBN-13: 978-0399152771

My thoughts: I haven't read a western in YEARS. This was quite a re-introduction to the genre.The story line was familiar: a bad rancher and his hired help terrorizes the helpless town folk who then hire outside help to clean up the town. In this case they hire Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. I liked these two characters, they were unique. They were hired as lawmen, but Cole made the laws and they walked a line between the law and simply being hired guns. Everett was a kind of mystery to me. He was an educated man and a West Point man as was his father but how he ended up leading this kind of life . It tells at the beginning how he gets hooked up with Cole, but why stay on? I didn't like the character of Allie, Cole's girlfriend, but I don't think Parker meant for anyone to like her. She is what she is and everyone knows it. This was a quick, easy read that kept me interested through out. The ending was a surprise, which I liked. I'm off to the library today to get the sequel, Resolution.

Challenges:
100+Reading Challenge
Support Your Library Challenge

western, Colorado

Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb

Product Description: When club-hopping bad girl Tiara Kent is found dead in her plush Manhattan apartment, the killing has all the earmarks of a vampire attack. The ever-practical Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to deal with superstitious cops carrying garlic and stakes, as well as the ever-hysterical press. None of the wealthy young victim’s friends seem to know much about the Dark Prince she has been secretly seeing. The chase to stop him before he kills again will lead Eve and her team into areas of the city that not even the most intrepid cop wants to visit, and into the very heart of darkness.

My Thoughts: I finished listening to this today and really enjoyed it. It is the first of the In Death series I've read. I will be visiting the library and intend to begin this series at the beginning. The reviews of the other books in this series call them futuristic. There was a touch, pocket links instead of cell phones, New Los Angeles, but not much else. I liked the way the story flowed and the way the characters interacted. This was short so I didn't get to know them very well so I'm looking forward to that. The end was good and left me wondering..... You will wonder too.

I checked this out of the library in the form of a Playaway device. I had to provide the battery and earphones but it was a cool little thing. Have you ever heard of this? I hadn't until this book.

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Local Library Challenge

Audiobook challenge

thriller, police, vampire, futuristic, urban fantasy (a little)

A Breed Apart by Pierre Davis

Book Description: Lt. Elliot Elliot, aka E Squared. A botched drug raid yanks him off the street and into a cubicle at the Pearson Institute of Health Sciences, where he's reduced to hunting down stolen laptops. Then the ultimate insult: track down an escaped lab animal, a seventy-five-pound black Labrador retriever. But the dog turns out to be an extraordinary creature at the heart of an international collision between science, money, lust, and life itself. And as Elliot struggles to understand what's going on, the dog must wage its own desperate battle for survival . Elliot encounters a trophy wife from his own past, a professional killer with a medieval bent, a comatose surgeon with a checkered history, and a billionaire locked in a frantic struggle to stay alive--all connected to a dog that guards a secret far deadlier than anyone can imagine.

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Dell (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440245087
ISBN-13: 978-0440245087

My Thoughts: This was the first book to be read from my Kindle, so it will always have a soft spot just for that. This is a medical thriller meets hard working detective book meets ruthless contract killer. Since I like to read these kinds of books this was great. What grabbed me and made me want to read it in the first place was the dog. I am a sucker for a dog and this one was wonderful, smart, brave and did I mention smart? Much of the story deals with stem cell research and I have my on personal opinions about that. I mention this so you will know in case that will effect your desire to read it. I found it to be a compulsive read that was hard to put down.

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

RYOB Challenge

About the author.

medical thriller, detective, stem cell research, dog

Teaser Tuesdays

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event. Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

This teaser is from Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck:

Out of his great heart he drew a compelling oratory, a passionate

plea for those little children who had no beans. And so telling was

his speech that the fire in his heart ignited the hearts of his friends.

What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event at J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week.

Last week I finished:
57. Divine Justice by David Baldacci review here
58. The Help by Kathryn Stockett review here
59. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald review here

On my plate this week:
A Breed Apart by by Pierre Davis (the first book to read on my new Kindle)
Thriller-I'm reading it for the dog character. Not enough of it (the dog) in the story yet even though the story is all around it.
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (Library - Audio in car)
This book is cracking me up. I love the voice of the reader.
Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker (library)
recommended by a friend along with Resolution
Thanks for the Memories: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern (audio in my iPod)
I read a review about this and got it.

Last time I made a list of the books I intended to read it didn't happen. maybe I won't be sidetracked from this list!