I Won!

Check it out! LadyTink at Up Close and Personal With LadyTink had this great contest and I won the Grand Prize: 4 books by Tate Hallaway. The are from Hallaway's Garnet Lacy (Dead...) series and sounded like they would be fun reads. I can't wait to get them and start in. Thank you so much LadyTink! what a cool giveaway.

Just last week I I got another book in the mail that I had won. I won Blond Ambition from Yvette at True Crime Book Reviews. I'm looking forward to reading it as well. Thank you, Yvette!

Divine Justice by David Baldacci

From the CD box: Known by his alias, "Oliver Stone," John Carr is the most wanted man in America. With two pulls of the trigger, the men who destroyed Stone's life and kept him in the shadows were finally silenced. But his freedom comes at a steep price: The assassinations he carried out prompt the highest levels of the U.S. government to unleash a massive manhunt. Behind the scenes, master spy Macklin Hayes is playing a very personal game of cat and mouse. He, more than anyone, wants Stone dead. With their friend and unofficial leader in hiding, the members of the Camel Club risk everything to save him. Now, as the hunters close in, Stone's flight from the demons of his past will take him from the power corridors of Washington, D.C., to the small, isolated coal-mining town of Divine, Virginia-and into a world every bit as lethal as the one he left behind.

My Thoughts: This was a CD set that I won from J Kaye and I sure did enjoy it. This is the first one of Baldacci's books I've "read" and will be sure to listen to or read more. I feel like I should have saved this one and read the earlier ones, but that's the way it goes. This stood by itself nicely enough. This was an edge of your seat thriller with likable characters (and hate-able ones as well.) There were a couple of very sad parts that hurt my heart. My favorite part was that it had a VERY satisfactory ending!


Visit the author's site here.

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
Audiobok Challenge
RYOB Challenge

thriller, political thriller suspense, mystery, assassin

Challenges Finished So Far This Year

I've had a good reading year so far. With less than half the year gone I've read 56 books and finished these challenges:

The Audiobook Challenge (view list) Finished! :)

Suspense & Thriller 2009 Challenge (view list) Finished! :)

Support Your Local Library Challenge 2009 (view list) Finished :)

Chunkster Challenge (view list) Finished! :)

What's In a name Challenge (view list) Finished :)


The Daniel DeFoe Mini-Challenge (view list) Finished :)

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

About the book: The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council--and there's only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden.
Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head--someone like Harry.

My Thoughts:This was the 11th installment of the Dresden Files and I liked it a lot. Morgan, who until now has made Harry's life miserable, is accused of killing another wizard and comes to Harry for help. As much a Harry dislikes Morgan he knows Morgan couldn't have done this. He sets out to prove Morgan's innocence and runs into a variety of enemies including a skinwalker, The Binder, and the Black Council. The Skinwalker kidnaps Thomas, wanting to exchange him for Morgan.

I think this book is a turning point in the series. A relationship is ended, people (esp. Thomas) are changed, and, Morgan, a character who's been around since the beginning dies. This novel contains a lot of action, what a page turner! It is interesting that characters that have been around since the beginning reveal things about themselves we didn't know before.

There are two story lines in this novel. One is Harry's search for the truth behind the death of the wizard Morgan is accused of killing. The second involves the threat of the Black Council, proving that it is in fact real. But by the end of this novel questions are answered and the stage is set for for the next novel. Harry has found allies in his fight to find the Black Council. Can't wait to read it!

I enjoyed the humor through out this book. I also enjoyed seeing the return of the werewolves, the involvement of the White Court, and the important part played by Toot-Toot. I would love for Mouse to have a bigger part!

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Local Library Challenge

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Product Description:.From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. A book that delivers on the promise that it is “laugh-out-loud funny.” Some say that the first hints that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came from his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. Across the moth-holed chest was a golden thunderbolt. It may have looked like an old college football sweater, but young Bryson knew better. It was obviously the Sacred Jersey of Zap, and proved that he had been placed with this innocuous family in the middle of America to fly, become invisible, shoot guns out of people’s hands from a distance, and wear his underpants over his jeans in the manner of Superman. Bill Bryson’s first travel book opened with the immortal line, “I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.” In this hilarious new memoir, he travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.

My Thoughts: This is the first book of Bryson's that I've read and I love it. Well, actually I listened to it on my iPod and thoroughly enjoyed hearing to the author read it himself. It was well written and funny. It made me laugh and brought back memories. I grew up in the same time period and vividly remember ducking under my little school desk in California to practice a safety drill in the event of an atomic bomb blast, wondering "What difference will this make?" I listened to his telling of this twice before moving on. What a hoot! Not only does he bring back favorite childhood memories he touches on darker aspects of the era such as the fight for Civil Rights, the atomic bomb, and the Bay of Pigs. I think this will be enjoyed by anyone, not just baby boomers. Go get it and read it!

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

RYOB Challenge

Audiobook Challenge

5x4 Personal Reading Challenge

Read Around the States Challenge

Night of the Loving Dead by Casey Daniels

Book info: Introducing sleuth Pepper Martin...
And now, in her fourth hip, quirky mystery, she's all ours.
Pepper Martin, heiress-turned cemetery- tour-guide, often has her hands full with two hotties and the ghosts who won't let her rest-or work, or shop-in peace.
Now the spectre of a young woman in a lab coat wants Pepper's help. Before the woman died, she worked with a sexy, mysterious doctor who coincidentally once saved Pepper's life-and who the woman claims is now in danger. But Pepper doesn't know that there's more to the story, including a devious doctor-and an obsessive, crazy love.


My thoughts: This is the fourth book in the Pepper Martin series and it as advertised: quirky. I've read the other three and enjoyed them so expected no less of this one. Pepper is a different kind of hero, reluctant and highly fashion conscious.Her job as a cemetery tour guide brings her into close contact with the ghosts she can see since she fell and hit her head on a tombstone. This time she is in Chicago on business when she is waylaid by a ghost for help. There are 2 or 3 good little twists in this story. A plus for me was that I got to know the mysterious Dan better. Dan has saved Pepper's life a couple of times in the first 3 books then just disappeared. I quite enjoyed this light paranormal book and will read the next one that comes out!

Visit the author's site here.

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews

From the front flap: EXtreme croquet is the current rage in Caerphilly, where Meg and her fiance have bought a house. While this society game can get quite warm, it hasn't reached the stage of actual homicide, at least not until Meg finds the body of a dead woman down a small cliff. Her head has been bashed in, perhaps by a croquet mallet. Meg is drawn into the mystery.

In the meantime, the old house needs many improvements and and swarms with an entire family of working men. Meg's father is the overseer but is easily distracted since he has a tendency to become wrapped up in his current animal charges. This time it's ducks.

My Thoughts: As you may have noticed, I enjoy Cozy mysteries and funny stories. Donna Andrew's Meg Langslow series is one of my favorites in this genre. I didn't find this one as funny as some of the others but still got some good chuckles. I enjoyed the premise of this, murder during an eXtreme croquet match. This was a fun read, so go for it. The first book I read in this series, Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, will stand out in my memory as the funniest.

Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

Product Description:In the latest installment of the universally beloved, bestselling series, Mma Ramotswe discovers the biggest miracles in life are often the smallest.Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman doesn't know her real name or whether any of her family members are still alive. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is the recipient of a beautiful new bed that causes more than a few sleepless nights. And, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has come under the influence of a doctor promising a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to accept. Nonetheless, Precious Ramotswe handles these things in her usual compassionate and good-natured way, while always finding time for a cup of red bush tea.

My Thoughts: I read this last year and now I have listened to it. I have found that I enjoy reading then listening to the stories in this series. The reader, Lisette Lecat is the ideal reader for this series. According to what I have read she is a native of South Africa which borders Botswana and shares Setswana language roots. I love hearing her give a voice to one of my favorite literary characters, Mma Ramotswe. This is a sweet, gentle series, calming and easy to read. I'm always sorry when the story is over.

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

From the back: Welcome to Gil’s All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer. . . .Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood county in their pick-up truck when they stop at the diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren’t planning to stick around--until Loretta, the eatery’s owner, offers them one hundred dollars to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl’s a vampire, this looks right up their alley.But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone’s out to drive Loretta from the diner, and more than willing to raise a little hell on earth if that’s what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the diner’s troubles, they’ll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jail bait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig Latin.And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too.

My Thoughts: The cover first induced me to pick this book up. The campy '50 horror movie poster look was too good to be ignored. I read above the title: Now Serving Armageddon with a side of fries..... It made me laugh so I went to the back and was persuaded to buy it. It was silly and gruesome in turn and fun to read. Duke and Earl, the werewolf and vampire heroes, rednecks that they were, seemed like regular people. Or regular redneck people. For example, Earl the vampire had a bad comb over. He didn't know it was bad because being a vampire he couldn't see it in a mirror. Duke the werewolf kindly didn't say anything about it. These unlikely heroes are determined to do the right thing. The right thing is to prevent Tammy ( Mistress Lilith, Queen of the Night) and her loyal but dumb boyfriend, Chad, from ending the world. I just loved brave little ghost dog. It has been said by Publishers Weekly that Douglas Adams fans will love it. As a Douglas Adams fan I can't really compare the comedic elements. Martinez humor is a lot more heavy handed and direct but no less funny. I greatly enjoyed it and will read more of his books.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

From the back: A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and claire Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Claire's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

My thoughts: This was different than I expected. I thought it would be more sci-fi but I found a deeper story of love, devotion, and friendship. I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand I loved it, the romance, love and dedication Henry and Claire share is wonderful to read about. I enjoyed not only getting to know them but getting to know their friends and family. I think the author handled Henry's trips back and forth in time well.
However SPOILER ALERT I couldn't bear to think of Claire waiting and waiting all those years to see Henry one more time after his death. The end, so sad, brought the whole book down for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I read it, but I was left....sad.

Visit Audrey Niffenegger's site.

Swan Peak by James Lee Burke

From the Back of the Book: James Lee Burke's new novel, Swan Peak, finds Detective Robicheaux far from his New Iberia roots, attempting to relax in the untouched wilderness of rural Montana. He, his wife, and his buddy Clete Purcell have retreated to stay at an old friend's ranch, hoping to spend their days fishing and enjoying their distance from the harsh, gritty landscape of Louisiana post-Katrina.But the serenity is soon shattered when two college students are found brutally murdered in the hills behind where the Robicheauxs and Purcell are staying. They quickly find themselves involved in a twisted and dangerous mystery involving a wealthy, vicious oil tycoon, his deformed brother and beautiful wife, a sexually deviant minister, an escaped con and former country music star, and a vigilante Texas gunbull out for blood. At the center of the storm is Clete, who cannot shake the feeling that he is being haunted by the ghosts from his past -- namely Sally Dio, the mob boss he'd sabotaged and killed years before.In this expertly drawn, gripping story, Burke deftly weaves intricate, engaging plot lines and original, compelling characters with his uniquely graceful prose. He transcends genre yet again in the latest thrilling addition to his New York Times bestselling series.

My Thoughts: I have long been a James Lee Burke/Dave Robicheaux fan. This book was a great read, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the characters and their stories collided. As usual, Burke can turn a phrase that sparks the imignation, makes you sigh for the beauty of it, or makes you think of things in a whole new light. Learning more about Clete was interesting.He is always there, Dave's steady friend, but this story gives you come more info on thier connections and why they depend on each other so mech. All that and a great murder mystery too. What's not to love!

Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey

Product Description; Todd McCaffrey’s first solo novel in the classic Dragonriders of Pern series, Dragonsblood, was hailed by critics and embraced by the countless devoted readers of the landmark science fiction saga created by his mother, Anne McCaffrey. Now the chronicles of Pern take another captivating turn as the embattled planet, the brave pioneers who call it home, and the magnificent flame-breathing creatures who fly high to protect it confront a dire new challenge.The grim specter of sickness looms over the Weyrs of Pern, felling fire-lizards and posing a potentially devastating threat to their dragon cousins, Pern’s sole defense against the deadly phenomenon that is Thread. Fiona, the youngest and only surviving daughter of Lord Bemin, is just coming of age, and about to assume the duties of a Weyrwoman, when word spreads that dragons have indeed begun succumbing to the new contagion. With the next season of Threadfall quickly approaching, and the already diminished ranks of the dragons once more under siege, every Weyr across Pern is in crisis mode. It is hardly the time for disturbing distractions–such as the strange voice Fiona suddenly hears in her mind at the darkest and most urgent moments. Circumstances and the mood of the weyrfolk worsen when advance patrols relay the dreaded news that black dust–the unmistakable herald of falling Thread–has been sighted. As more dragons sicken and die, leaving only a new generation of weyrlings too young to succeed them, Weyrleader B’Nik and queen rider Lorana arrive from Benden Weyr to comb Fort Weyr’s archives in a desperate search for clues from the past that may hold the solution to the plague. But could the actual past itself prove the pathway to salvation for Pern’s stricken dragons and the entire imperiled planet? Guided by a mysterious ally from a wholly unexpected place, and trusting in the unique dragon gift for transcending time, Fiona will join a risky expedition with far-reaching consequences for both Pern’s future and her personal destiny.

My thoughts: I loved all of Anne McCaffrey's Pern books and I read one of Todd's books that I liked. I went into this book fully expecting to love it as well. However I was somewhat disappointed and found myself skimming. This was a 538 page book that seemed to be just a bridge to the next book. I enjoyed revisiting Pern, Todd has a full grasp of the story and world of Pern from his mother. I guess as a Dragonriders of Pern fan, I'm glad I read it, but if you haven't read these books before, start with Anne's!

Foul Play by Janet Evanovich

Description: Originally published under the pen name Steffie Hall, "Foul Play" is the ninth release of Evanovich's early short romance novels. Long out of print, this red-hot screwball comedy tells a tale of love at first sight and a woman's struggle to overcome losing her job to a chicken. When Amy Klasse loses her TV job to a dancing chicken, handsome veterinarian Jake Elliott rescues her with an offer to be his receptionist. Jake just can't resist a damsel in distress, and Amy certainly doesn't mind Jake's charming sincerity.Then suddenly the job-stealing chicken disappears and Amy is suspected of foul play. Amy and Jake search for clues to prove her innocence. But will Jake be able to prove to Amy that love, too, is a mystery worth solving?

My Thoughts: I love all books Evanovich and I wouldn't have wanted to miss this one. If you want to know what happened to the rooster You'll have to read it. I'll have to admit, I was a tad dissapointed at the end (of the rooster), but still the book was a cute quick read.

Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? by Jean Fritz

From the back: For years, Plymouth Rock sat on the beach without getting any attention. But in 1741, the people of Plymouth decided it was an important landmark, because the Pilgrims must have stepped on it when they arrived in the New World, and its adventures began. The rock was moved, dropped, broken, moved again, and cemented back together before finally being enclosed in an impressive monument, ensuring its place as a solid piece of American history!

My Thoughts: This is one of the books I read each year at Thanksgiving time to my class. I enjoy the different view it presents. The kiddios enjoy looking up Plymouth Rock on the computer and seeing pictures of it after reading this.

Blue Heaven by C. J. Box

From the book cover: A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder—four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and who know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children’s fate. Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children.
William and Annie’s unexpected savior comes in the form of an old-school rancher teetering on the brink of foreclosure. But as one man against four who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses, Jess Rawlins needs allies, and he knows that one word to the wrong person could seal the fate of the children or their mother. In a town where most of the ranches like his have turned into acres of ranchettes populated by strangers, finding someone to trust won’t be easy.
With true-to-life, unforgettable characters and a ticking clock plot that spans just over 48 hours in real time, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to the heart: the ruthless power of greed over broken ideals, the healing power of community where unlikely heroes find themselves at the crossroads of duty and courage, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a setting whose awesome beauty is threatened by those who want a piece of it, BLUE HEAVEN delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page.

My Thoughts: I wanted to read this because I like the Joe Pickett novels by C. J. Box. I was not disapointed. This kept me on the edge of my seat with action through out. I loved Jess, the rancher. Box used good v evil to write a suspenseful story. His characters show that the bad guys weren’t always evil and the good guys aren’t always perfect . The end was bittersweet, just about had me in tears.

Medicus by Ruth Downie

From the Jacket
Gaius Petrius Ruso is a divorced and down-on his luck army doctor who has made the rash decision to seek his fortune in an inclement outpost of the Roman Empire, namely Britannia. His arrival in Deva (more commonly known as Chester, England) does little to improve his mood, and after a straight thirty six hour shift at the army hospital, he succumbs to a moment of weakness and rescues an injured slave girl, Tilla, from the hands of her abusive owner.Now he has a new problem: a slave who won’t talk and can’t cook, and drags trouble in her wake. Before he knows it, Ruso is caught in the middle of an investigation into the deaths of prostitutes working out of the local bar. A few years earlier, after he rescued Emperor Trajan from an earthquake in Antioch, Ruso seemed headed for glory: now he’s living among heathens in a vermin-infested bachelor pad and must summon all his forensic knowledge to find a killer who may be after him next.Who are the true barbarians, the conquered or the conquerors? It’s up to Ruso—certainly the most likeable sleuth to come out of the Roman Empire—to discover the truth. With a gift for comic timing and historic detail, Ruth Downie has conjured an ancient world as raucous and real as our own.

My Thoughts: This story is not heavy on the historical background - the main characters seem very modern in their thoughts and actions. I found it quite funny in places. Ruso is a most attractive and sympathetic character, as is the slave girl Tilla. You won't learn a lot about life in the Roman Empire, but you'll enjoy this story.

Catwings by Ursula K. LeGuin

From the back: Mrs. Jane Tabby can't explain why her four precious kittens were born with wings, but she's grateful that they are able to use their flying skills to soar away from the dangerous city slums where they were born. However, once the kittens escape the big city, they learn that country life can be just as difficult!

My Thoughts: I read this little book to my kids almost every year. it always catches their imagination. they can't wait to read the next chapter. I love it myself!

My Big Old Texas Heartache by Geralyn Dawson

From the Back:

Dear Friends and Neighbors:
How did life become so complicated? One minute I'm dating the hottest man in Dallas and the next I'm back in Cedar Dell, Texas, surrounded by grannies, gossip, and green bean casserole -- and helping my dad recuperate from a car accident. Did I happen to mention that I caused a scandal in town when I got pregnant at seventeen? No one has ever forgiven me -- not my hard-hearted father, my brother Mr. Perfect, or my pregnant-for-the-first-time-at-forty sister who's gone totally hormonal.
As if this weren't enough, who should also be back in town but Max Cooper, the former high school football star, who is my teenage son's father. And now he wants to date me?!
Who ever thought that so many new horizons and second chances would open for me during one long, hot Texas summer?

My Thoughts: This was a fun read, with great characters. I truley enjoyed it. However I was a little unhappy with Max, the father of Kate's son. He came off as a real heel. I guess he cleaned up good at the end, but still..... I was also unsatisfied with Kate's father. But don't let these negatives put you off, go read it!

The Year of the Hyenas by Brad Geagley

From the Cover: Year of the Hyenas is a brilliant, original, and unique murder mystery, set in ancient Egypt at the height of that kingdom's glory and power. It is at once a strikingly insightful portrait of a mysterious, complex, and sophisticated society, reminiscent of Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings in its wonderful detail and feel for the past, and a fast-paced detective story that reads like the best of twenty-first-century thrillers.
From the oldest known court transcripts in history, Egyptologists have long known about the mysterious death of Ramses III, involving intrigue, ambition, greed, and crimes of passion on a huge, though hidden, scale. In Year of the Hyenas, Brad Geagley takes this event -- a struggle that nearly brought ancient Egypt to its knees -- as the backdrop for a story that is every bit as captivating as the distant civilization it resurrects.
At the heart of the novel is Semerket, the so-called Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, a detective half-paralyzed by problems of his own, with a reputation for heavy drinking and tactless behavior toward the great, the powerful, and the holy, a kind of Sam Spade of the ancient world, deeply (and dangerously) addicted to the truth. Hard-bitten, deeply flawed, he is retained by the authorities to investigate what is considered an insignificant murder of an elderly, insignificant Theban priestess. They fail to inform him, however, that they don't expect him to solve the case. In fact, they don't want him to.

My Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would since I've been reading novels in this vane lately. With that said, the novel kept my attention and pulled me along. I enjoyed the sense of time and place the author skillfullly wound his story through. I plan to get the next in the series to read. Even though Semerket put me off by some of his actions, I still want to know what becomes of him and his wife. This was a  good historical fiction novel.

The Dragon King's Palace by Laura Joh Rowland

From Publishers Weekly: In Rowland's eighth engrossing 17th-century Japanese mystery (after 2002's The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria), Sano Ichiro, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, is roused in the middle of the night when the shogun's mother and Sano's wife, Reiko, are kidnapped en route to Mount Fuji and their escort slaughtered. The crisis is exacerbated by the identities of the two other abductees: the wife of Sano's primary rival, the chamberlain Yanagisawa, the real power behind the shogun; and the pregnant wife of Sano's chief assistant. Sano's considerable deductive, strategic and diplomatic skills are repeatedly tested as he juggles the caprices of his ruler, who struggles with his figurehead status, Yanagisawa's ambitions for succession and the interests of the court's other power players. The organizer of the crimes, who calls himself the Dragon King after a traditional folk tale, makes an unusual ransom demand that only adds to the mystery of his identity and motivation. While her husband races to put the pieces of the puzzle together before the shogun's recklessness imperils the hostages, Reiko, bright and self-reliant, schemes to free herself and her companions. Rowland's masterful evocation of the period enables the reader to identify with the universal human emotions and drives that propel her characters while absorbing numerous telling details of a different culture and era.

My Thoughts: I found this to be another exciting and fast paced Sano Ichiro mystery novel! If you're looking for a good historical mystery novel that will keep you at the edge of your seat, you need not look any further than this book. I enjoyed the sence of history and place.