THE LITIGATORS by John Grisham

385 pages

A young attorney buried in the depths of a large law firm, hating his job, suddently decides to walk out and try something different.  He joins a small firm specializing in "ambulance chasing".  As usual, Mr. Grisham tells a good story.

Honor Thyself b Danielle Steel

Famous actress visiting France is blown up by a terrorist bomb in a tunnel, loses all memory

Dead Irish

Dead Irish by John LesCroart..........First novel of the Dismas Hardy series,

will read more in the series, for sure, very good.

THE FRONT by Patricia Cornwell

180 pages

Cornwell writes a good story but I miss my favorite character, Kay Scarpetta.

Eloquent Silence by Sandra Brown

261 Pages

A romantic novel about a young teacher for the deaf as she takes on the daughter of a famous daytime TV's most populr star and the star himself.

THE SEARCH by Nora Roberts

456 pages

A story of Search and Rescue Canines packed with fascinating details of these exciting dogs.

DEVIL'S EMBRACE by Catherine Coulter

379 pages

This is Coulter's very first historical romance.  Lord Anthony Wells wants Cassandra so much that he kidnaps her on the eve of her wedding to another man.

THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly

419 pages

Jack McEvoy and Rachel Walling are together again in this terrifying new thriller.

Silence by Thomas Perry

439 pages

Six years ago, Jck Till helped Wendy Harper disappear.  Now he mjust find her before tangoo-dancing assassins Paul and Sylvie Turner do!

WHAT MATTERS MOST by Luanne Rice

459 pages

What if you could relive one time in your lie?

The Other Woman   Hank Phillippi Ryan    416

James Patterson  Zoo

Randy White    Gone

Robert Parker   Fool Me Twice 274

JDRobb  Delusion In Death    388

August Totals!

In August, as a group we read 20,778 pages from 63 books! :)

Arline - 6961 pages, 18 books
Bobbie - 6109 pages, 23 books
Judy - 4427 pages, 12 books
Ginny - 3281 pages, 10 books

Great job everyone!

Good Morning Killer      April Smith     356

Susan Wittia Albert    Cats Claw  453

Judas Horse - April Smith  318

Storm Cycle

380 pages

Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen showcases the concept of  "distributed computing" reads like futuristic but is actually something that is happening right now.

Summer's End

383 pages.

Summer's End by Danielle Steel.  One of Steel's older novels circa 1981, still a good read.

RUNNING FROM THE LAW BYH lISA sCOTTOLINE

429 PAGES

Attorney Rita Morrone is still playing poker with the "old guys", still funny and hip.

Scottoline gives a tantalizing plot with fast paced action.

MARRIAGE WANTED by Debbie Macomber

251 pages

Marriage coordinator meets divorce attorney who thinks marriage is a mistake.

Beyond Lucky by Sarah Aronson

Beyond Lucky by Sarah Aronson
250 pages

I think I would have honestly enjoyed this one more if it weren't the third sports book I have read for the Mark Twain awards. I am not much into sports books. But love the fact it is a good soccer book, for a boy or a girl. The kiddos in my community are gonna love this one!

Vengeance  Benjamin  Black  304

Flutter by Erin E. Moulton

Flutter by Erin E. Moulton
200 pages

Didn't get much into this book. Hard to really sink my teeth into, and I thought the plot very unlikely. Loved the cover, though

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
390 pages

In Quill, only the best thinkers are allowed to live. Any one showing signs of weakness, or creativity, or imagination is eliminated. But they are not. Instead of being terminated, Alex finds himself in the secret world of Artime. Can he adapt to his new home, or will missing his twin lead him down a path that might be the end of Artime, and maybe even the deaths of his new friends.
Liked this! And the cover says it all...Hunger Games meets Harry Potter. If a parent is a little weary of their kiddos reading Hunger Games, this would be a good alternative.

Too Close To Home   Linwood Barclay  404

American Pastoral, by Philip Roth

American Pastoral, by Philip Roth

423 pages

"Roth's protagonist is Swede Levov, a legendary athlete at his Newark high school, who grows up in the booming postwar years to marry a former Miss New Jersey, inherit his father's glove factory, and move into a stone house in the idyllic hamlet of Old Rimrock. And then one day in 1968, Swede's beautiful American luck deserts him."

When I finished it, I kind of just sat back and said to myself, 'What was that?'.

The Midwife of Hope River, by Patricia Harman

The Midwife of Hope River, by Patricia Harman

320 pages

"As a midwife working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience Murphy's only solace is her gift: the chance to escort mothers through the challanges of childbirth. Just beginning, she takes on the jobs no one else wants: those most in need-and least likely to pay. Patience is willing to do what it takes to fulfill her mentor's wishes, but starting a midwife practice means gaining trust, and Patience's secrets are too fragile to let anyone in."

I won a pre-release copy of this book off Goodreads.com (it comes out Aug. 28). I was really hoping to connect more with the main character. The story jumps around so much you never really get comfortable.

J.A. .Jance - Lying in Wait     386

Fireproff - Alex Kavia   311

Capitor Murder - Phillip Margolin  340

12-21-  Dustin Thomason  318

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
250 pages

Foster has issues out the wazoo. Her and her mom left her home in the middle of the night to escape the rampage of her mother's ex-boyfriend, an Elvis impersonator, who was getting creepier, and creepier. And she can't read. For every time she has opened a book, something shuts down, and won't let her read the simplest words. But she, and her mother, are not giving up. They find themselves in a new town, with new opportunities. And who knows? Maybe is she can do the impossible, teach a scaredy-cat aging actress to cook something as simple as a hamburger, maybe she can teach her to read. And she is going to need to read if she is going to become famous for her cooking.

Valley of Ashes   Cornelia Read   356

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
137 pages

Saint is a boy loving life in the middle of New Orleans. He comes from a good family, has a best friend (even if they are on the outs right now) and he has a dream. He is performing with his clarinet with an empty hat for tourists so that he can buy his dream clarinet...and in a few years, he will be on his was to Julliard. But Hurricane Katrina sweeps through, possibly destroying his town as well as his dreams. Really liked this book...and I think it is great for kids from this area to get a glimpse of such a catastrophe that truly rocked the world.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz
368 pages

My my interest in the series waning.

Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver

Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver

343 pages

"Six-year-old Turtle Greer witnesses a freak accident at the Hoover Dam, leading to a man's dramatic rescue. But Turtle's moment of celebrity draws her into a crisis of historical proportions that will envelop not only her and her mother, Taylor, but everyone else who touched their lives in a complex web connecting their future with their past."

A follow up to The Bean Trees. I wasn't too pleased with the ending, it seemed too neat and tidy.

Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver

Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver

444 pages

"It weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia. Over the course of one humid summer, this novel's intriguing protagonists face disparate predicaments but find connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with which they necessarily share a place."

I really enjoyed this one, I couldn't put it down.

What Women Want, by Paco Underhill

What Women Want, by Paco Underhill

256 pages

"Underhill offers a tour of the world’s marketplace—with shrewd observations and practical applications to help everybody adapt to the new realities. As large numbers of women become steadily wealthier, more powerful, and more independent, their choices and preferences are transforming our commercial environment in a variety of important ways, from the cars we drive to the food we eat; from how we buy and furnish our homes to how we gamble, play, and use the Internet—in short, how we spend our time and money."

Disappointing and all over the place.

Broken Harbor  - Tana French  450

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz
264 pages

3rd book in the Blue Bloods series. There are some things that are hard for me to swallow...but I know that this is a fantasy fiction series, so I put aside my thoughts about this in a religious sense. Once I get past that, I have absolutely loved these books.

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz
311 pages

The more is get into this series, the more I enjoy it!

NO ONE TO TRUST

301 pages by Iris Johansen  takes you to the edge of suspence.  This time there is no where to run, no place to hide, no way out of his deadlyh game for trained military sniper, Elena.

GROOM WANTED by Debbie Macomber

250 pages

Macomber writes another "light" romance with a twist to it.

Dust to Dust by Tami Hoag

480 pages


Per Chicago Tribune, " Without a doube one of the most intense suspense writers around" Hoag leaves the competition in the dust.

Dead Watch by John Sandford

406 PAGES..........................................Dead Watch by John Sandford

Sandford is a New York Times Bestselling Author writes a fast moving tale.

per San Antonio Express-News.............Sandford is a master at creating believable, indelible characters like Winter.  He is peerless when it comes to economical, taut plotting, most notable at building tension

Kill you Twice - Chelsea Cain   326

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
302 pages

Interesting new vampire twist.

Linda Fairstein - Night Watch   402

Carolyn Hart - Death Com es Silently  276

Garlic and Sapphires, by Ruth Reichl

Garlic and Sapphires, by Ruth Reichl

328 pages

"Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world--a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities."

A lot of fun to read. Although I would never spend the kind of money it takes to eat at these restaurants. There are also good recipes that she shares.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
546 pages

Do not let the thickness of this book scare you away, from reading it yourself, or picking it up for your kiddo! Beautiful story, and half of it is illustrations.

Ben's mother has passed away, leaving him in the care of his aunt and uncle. Never knowing his father, he starts to find clues that there might be someone out there that he belongs to.

Rose is kept inside her house...it is far too dangerous for a deaf girl to be out on her own. She could have an accident or be kidnapped. Do not mention the fact that this could happen to any kid out and about.

Ben and Rose's story intertwines beautifully. Both kids strike out on their own to find their place in this world, drawing together in a warm heartfelt conclusion. Ben's story is told in words, and Rose's in pictures. Love, love, love!

Lee Childs - Killing Floor    697

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz
227 pages

Thought this book was a bit of a waste of time. Assume that thirty years ago there were confirmed zombies. They found them dead in a heap, and no one knows what really happened with them. Wil's brother is dead, and he knows that there is some way to get him back. But he's worried about how he will come back. And then there's this bell, that happens to end up in a friends house, so he steals it, rings it, and brings back all of the dead within five miles. But they aren't zombies like we think. They are just a bunch of disinterested people who want to go back to their lives. No sadness, no happiness, no nothing. Yeah..

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

546 pages

It's 1959, and a Baptist preacher takes his wife and four daughters into the Congo for a mission. The story is told through the eyes of the mother and each daughter, and each perspective is a rich look at how different we can see things. The relationships and characters are very real feeling, and the writing is very rich.

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica
280 pages

I don't care for sports books, but this one literally had me bawling towards the end. Such a positive book for kids...a must read for your sports nuts, or any boy for that matter (or girl!)
Football is everything for twelve-year-old Will. But soon there will be no football for this dying little town. But without his team, Will has no idea what he will do, or who he even is. He goes all out, turning for help to someone so big and distant, that it is very unlikely that he will even get an answer. But he does...the team is saved. But, can he pull together enough people who still have faith to even fill the roster?

Trafficked by Kim Purcell

Trafficked by Kim Purcell
384 pages

Hannah has been brought to the United States on the premise that she will be a nanny to a Russian family. She is promised wages, a place to stay, and a chance to take English classes. Her dreams quickly go down the drain as she becomes slave to a bitter, evil woman, and his drunk womanizing husband.

Pie by Sarah Weeks

Pie by Sarah Weeks
183 pages

Warm, heartfelt, funny book. Alice's beloved Aunt Polly passes away, along with her secret to making the best pie crust in the nation. Instead of leaving the recipe to her niece, as everyone thought she would, she left it to her cantankerous cat, Lardo. Now Lardo is missing, the pie shop has been ransacked, and Alice and her friend can only think that someone will go to no ends to get their paws on that recipe. At the beginning of each chapter there are pie recipes...so much wish I knew how to bake!

The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver

The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver

232 pages

"Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots."

A really interesting story told from a great perspective. Rich writing, lots of detail. And the minor characters never really feel minor at all.

Buried on Avenue B  Peter De Jonge   308

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach
262 pages

Fun mystery for younger readers.

Sex With the Queen, by Eleanor Herman

Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics, by Eleanor Herman

336 pages

"In royal courts bristling with testosterone—swashbuckling generals, polished courtiers, and virile cardinals—how did repressed regal ladies find happiness?"

Quick-witted nonfiction. The best kind.

Canada, by Richard Ford

Canada, by Richard Ford

432 pages

"When fifteen-year-old Dell Parsons' parents rob a bank, his sense of normal life is forever altered. In an instant, this private cataclysm drives his life into before and after, a threshold that can never be uncrossed."

I really found myself unable to put this book down, it was strange but incredibly interesting.

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

425 pages

I really enjoyed this book. While it looked intimidatingly look for a young adult book, it was a quick read. It was a really interesting take on a society that values looks, not thinking, about everything else.

Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice

Interview With the Vampire, by Anne Rice (Book 1 of the Vampire Chronicles)

342 pages

Louis the vampire tells his story to a reporter. It was okay, it probably could have ended about 100 pages sooner than it actually did. I prefer the movie.

R My Name is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff

R My Name is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff
166 pages

Rachel and her two siblings are uprooted along with their father in the middle of the depression in order to find work. When their father finally does find work, it takes him away from home, leaving the three kids to fend for themselves.
For a book set in this time frame, the characters didn't stick with me as much as I thought they would. I didn't find myself liking or disliking any  of them. I felt it was very bland. I would, however, love this book as a group discussion. I am fascinated by the struggles and sacrifices of this desolate time, and wonder about all of the luxuries that we have in modern homes that we would lose if we hit hard times like this. It was hard, but we have so many extras that are taken for  granted..tvs, phones, computers, gaming devices, etc.

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
238 pages

I couldn't get into this book personally...if it wasn't a part of a list I was reading, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The writing was absolutely superb, and I think this would be a fun book to read snuggled into bed, reading along with a child. But as an adult reader, it has always been hard for me to swallow a mouse character. Would love to talk to kids that have read and loved this one. Wonder what the interest is.

Hothead by Cal Ripken Jr. with Kevin Cowheard

Hothead by Cal Ripken Jr. with Kevin Cowheard
135 pages

I was wildly impressed with this book, and sport books usually aren't my thing. I felt this book was so very real, and I could instantly think of a dozen kids that would/should read this book.
Connor is a baseball legend in his hometown. And his team is headed towards the championship. But he finds himself making mistakes on the field. Even worse, he finds himself losing his temper in a huge way, that makes him a lousy friend and teammate. But with all the the stress at home, his dad losing his job, and the late night overheard discussions about 'losing the house' it's no wonder that he is having a hard time holding it together. But he has to reign in his temper, maybe talk to someone about what is going on at home, before he completely loses it, or gets booted from the Orioles.

Trafficked  - Kim Purcell  384

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin .............................340 pages

When convicted serial killer escapes death row, PI Dana Cutler and attorney Brad Miller are thrown together to  solve wicked threats.  Margolin is a master of suspense.

NIGHT SINS

Night Signs by Tami Hoag......................541 pages

A small peaceful town where bad things just don't happen.  A small boy disappears.

Barn Boot Blues by Catherine Friend

Barn Boot Blues by Catherine Friend
142 pages

When twelve-year-old Taylor is uprooted from her home in Minneapolis to a small town farming life, she is anything but happy. She has to find her way back to the big city where she belongs. And when several disasters give the town reason to openly laugh at her, her unhappiness turns to pure misery. One of her big jobs is to collect eggs in the morning...which leads to her running late to the bus in her ugly old barn boots, or lands her in class with chicken poop in her hair.
Taylor is a very sympathetic character. Even as an adult I found myself hoping she gets out of the mess. But her parents are also sympathetic...they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. You truly see a family trying their hardest. Loved this book! Will be a great book for young readers.

Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde

Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde
288 pages

Grace must save her sister from the fantasy gaming world she has escaped into...a world filled with pink, ruffles, cottages, and unicorns. But why would her perfect sister need to escape? Good sci-fi read for girls, but not my cup of tea.

The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks

The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks
217 pages

Not a bad teen mystery, though I wonder if they will figure out the murderer as quickly as I did.

Wendy is dead, found in the park. Rain knows that Wendy wasn't a good person all the time. She went after the girls who shunned her in a brutal way...by going after their boyfriends. But Wendy still deserves justice. Rain must overcome her embarrassment that comes with speech impediment to truly speak up for her friend.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
356 pages

I picked this up in a hurry for one reason only: there was a quote from Veronica Roth, the author of Divergent. This was amazing! A very different and unique storyline that I fell into instantly. Alina and Mal are the best of friends, growing up in an orphanage together. They come to the age where they are required to go into service for the king. When Alina and Mal's lives are threatened, a special talent comes out of Alina. One that she never knew existed. She can produce a light so bright that it blinds the enemy. Can this hidden skill save the land from the Fold, a land where darkness rules?

Jeffery Deaver    XO    385

J. A. Janice   - Judgement Call  387

The Fallen  - Daniel Silva  399

James L. Burke  Creole Belle   528

WooHoo! July 2012 Totals!

We definitely rocked the bookshelves this month!

As a team, (5 participants) we read 57 books and 19, 464 pages!

Bibliophile is the winner of this month's prize drawing...COME ON DOWN!

Individual standings for the month are as follows...

Arline: 9 books, 3,583 pages

Bibliophile: 3 books, 1,147 pages

Bobbie: 16 books, 5,685 pages

Ginny: 16 books, 5,216 pages

Judy: 12 books, 3,833 pages

Thank you to everyone who participated this month!

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
213 pages
2nd book in the Underland Series

Gregor is back in the Underland after Boots is kidnapped right in front of his own eyes. The Underlanders need him to follow through on another prophecy. This time, it is Boots' life that is on the line.

The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke

536 pages by NY Tmes bestseller James Lee Burke.

Publishers Weekly calls this thriller "Superlative".  Sorry, don't agree, did not make me want to read another Dave Robicheaux mystery.

Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James

323 pages..................................................................................................................................................

A working girl who goes undercover as a governess in 1900 Newport Rode Island.  A tale of love and faith byu the author of Love on a Dime.

Heroes of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun

Heroes of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
183 pages

These are the astounding stories of teens who risked their lives, and the lives of their families in order to help Jews hide and escape from imprisonment and death at the hands of the Nazis. Very powerful, leaving one to think of the things we do, and the things we do not do, to help those around us.

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Extras by Scott Westerfeld
417 pages
book 4 of the uglies series

It has been three years since Tally Youngblood saved the world, and now Aya is living her life as an extra...someone so invisible that she rates low in the reputation economy. She has got to build up her reputation and find her place around the surge monkeys and tech heads.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Specials by Scott Westerfeld
372 pages
book 3 of the uglies series

Tally is now a special, part of an elite force that enforces the government rules. She is one who gets called in to fix 'special circumstances' that may endanger the plan to keep everyone brain-missing and oblivious to the world around them. But now she is set on those that she once fought along beside.

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
368 pages
book 2 of the uglies series

Tally is back, and now she is a pretty. Will the ugly Tally convince her pretty self to take the cure, to fix her brain, or will she be too far into the bubbleheads to want to be fixed?

Death's Acre, by Dr. Bill Bass

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab, the Body Farm by Dr. Bill Bass

320 pages

Loved it!

The Girls Who Went Away, by Ann Fessler

The Girls Who Went Away, by Ann Fessler

354 pages

"In this deeply moving work, Ann Fessler brings to light the lives of hundreds of thousands of young single American women forced to give up their newborn children in the years following World War II and before Roe v. Wade. The Girls Who Went Away tells a story not of wild and carefree sexual liberation, but rather of a devastating double standard that has had punishing long-term effects on these women and on the children they gave up for adoption. Based on Fessler's groundbreaking interviews, it brings to brilliant life these women's voices and the spirit of the time, allowing each to share her own experience in gripping and intimate detail."

I couldn't put it down. I cried, I loved it.  

Not Quite What I Was Planning, by Larry Smith

Not Quite What I Was Planning, by Larry Smith

225 pages

"When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way, too. The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving. From small sagas of bittersweet romance ("Found true love, married someone else") to proud achievements and stinging regrets ("After Harvard, had baby with crackhead"), these terse true tales relate the diversity of human experience in tasty bite-size pieces."

This was a fantastic, fun book to read.

The Truth (With Jokes!), by Al Franken

The Truth (With Jokes), by Al Franken

384 pages

I find him so funny, I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed Lying Liars... more, but this one was good.

Back Fire  Catherine Coulter    403

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
438 pages

Fun story, good for boys and girls alike. Definitely would stick to younger readers. Great fantasy/adventure, but the writing is absolutely geared towards a lesser mature audience, in my opinion.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
406 pages

What is no one had the advantage for being extra pretty? What if no one had the disadvantage of being ugly? Jobs, elected offices, friends, everything was based on the person themselves, and not the way they looked? It seems great on the surface...everyone has cosmetic surgery on their 16th birthday, and everybody looks basically the same. But everything is different about that person. Would it be worth it?
Tally is nearing her sixteenth birthday, and cannot wait for her surgery so she can finally be pretty. But her alliance with the rebelious Shay may cost her in a big way. Can she break the promise she made to her friend...can she give up her 'pretty' life for that promise.
Loved this book! (Seemed like Delirium was pretty close to this?)

ICE COLD BY Tess Gerritsen

435 pages

What happens following the pathology conference in the Wyoming Mountains?

WINTER Roses by Diana Palmer

180 pages
Best friends since grammer school, is older brother a curse or a blessing?

The Christmas Quilt by Thomas J. Davis

280 pages
Story of a family in the mountains of North Georgia.  Not rich in money but wealthy in family and love.

The Last Goodbye by Sarah Mayberry

363 pages

A Family of Her Own by Ruth Morren

278 pages
A story of a Mother's love.

Mountain Rose by Cheryl St. John

128 pages

Cinderella and the Cowboy by Judy Christenberry

178 pages
Young widow with two small children travels to a ranch to meet the father-in-law that she does not know.

Angel Song by Sheila Walsh

329 pages
Named Novel of the Year 2010 by Women of Faith.

NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

352 pages

"Why the most brutal person in a child's life is often a sibling, and how a single aspect of their preschool-aged play can determine their relationship as adults. When is it too soon - or too late - to teach a child about race? Children in diverse schools are less likely to have a cross-racial friendship, not more - so is school diversity backfiring? Millions of families are fighting to get their kids into private schools and advanced programs as early as possible. But schools are missing the best kids, 73% of the time - the new neuroscience explains why. Why are kids - even those from the best of homes - still aggressive and cruel? The answer is found in a rethinking of parental conflict, discipline, television's unexpected influence, and social dominance."

I loved it.

Gregor and the Overlanders by Suzanne Collins

Gregor and the Overlanders by Suzanne Collins
311 pages

This is one of those books that I have seen on the book shelves at the library about 100 times, and I keep thinking I should try it. I mean, anything written by the author of the Hunger Games is gonna be great, right? I have no idea why I have passed it over so many times...and when I finally picked it up, I was absolutely hooked from about page five.
Gregor has to spend his summer home, instead of going to camp, in order to take care of his two-year-old sister, Boots. Mom is way over worked, and Dad disappeared two years ago. But despite the hard times, Gregor cannot always keep himself from thinking of all the great things he and his Dad will do once he gets back. And Mom and the kids KNOW he didn't just up and leave.
Gregor and his sister are down in the apartment basement doing laundry, when Boots chases her ball down by the air vents. When she crawls in after it, Gregor has to go in for her. But what they fall into is a whole new world. Literally. He must find a way to get back to the 'Overland'. But a strange human race, giant spiders, cockroaches, bats, and rats, all need him to stay to fufill the prophesy....one that might just lead him straight back to his dad.
An exciting adventure/fantasy, one that any thrill seeking middle schooler would love to fall into! I cannot wait to start on the second, Gregor and the Prophesy of Bane.

Happy Accidents, by Jane Lynch

Happy Accidents, by Jane Lynch

320 pages

I love Jane Lynch. She's incredibly funny, and with her it's all about delivery. It was interesting to read about her life. It was also interesting to read about her life as an actress. She's really been in so many things that you don't remember!