Monday, April 30, 2012

Tulsa Burning by Anna Myers


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Tulsa Burning by Anna Myers
152 pages

Historic fictional account of a small town affected by the race riots in Tulsa.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson


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Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
451 pages

Fantastic adventure written as the prequel to Peter Pan.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

269 pages

I love Anna Quindlen's writing.  She doesn't disappoint in this book with her writing ability but the story was rather unimaginative.

The Spare Room by Helen Garner

175 pages

Two old friends facing death from different perspectives.  Moving and real.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

THE DEVIL'S CODE by John Sandford

321 pages

This novel returns to Sandford's popular characters, "Kidd" and LuEllen."

LEFT FOR DEAD by Kevin O'Brien

432 pages

Filled with suspense, the story of a serial killer known as "Rembrandt".

MORE TWISTED by Jeffery Deaver

515 pages

This is a collection of short stories which did not appeal to me at all.

BONE GARDEN by Tess Gerritsen

487 pages

This is a story of "resurrectionists", those people that robbed graves to furnish cadavers for the use of Medical Students.

FAITHLESS by Karin Slaughter

552 pages

Dr. Sara Linton and chief of police, Jeffrey Tolliver find the body of a young girl who appears to have been buried alive.

Guilty Pleasures, by Laurell K. Hamilton

Guilty Pleasures, by Laurell K. Hamilton

368 pages

Anita Blake is a vampire hunter and an Animator: she raises the dead and kills them, too. She's tough, although stereotypically pretty and petite. I like that she admits when she's scared, but puts up a fight anyway. The author is from St. Louis, and that's where she based these books. She puts a lot of fun references to the city in there, which is fun for me because it's where I'm from. It's neat to read a bestselling book that talks about taking Hwy 70 to the Zumbehl exit for some reason.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Table For Five by Susan Wiggs

490 pages

I'm having a similar problem as Bobbie.  Everything I'm reading (including this awful book) is poorly written and predictible.  Bummer!

Bewitching by Alex Flinn


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Bewitching by Alex Flinn
342 pages
sequel to Beastly

Loved it. This is the story of Kendra, the witch that put the spell on Kyle in Beastly. Loved the mix of historical and current times.

The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint


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The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
368 pages

I am thinking I am in a reader's funk. Nothing I read, no matter how interesting the story line might be, really holds my interest.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Book of Fred by Abby Bardi

292 pages


I'd say this was ripped from the headlines but it was written in 2001.  Has it really been that long since we have been reading about cults and their psychotic leaders?


Fascinating perspectives in this novel.

Don't Look Down, by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Don't Look Down, by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

384 pages

"SHE is a director of dog food commercials who's just been recruited to finish a four-day movie shoot. But as soon as Lucy Armstrong arrives on set, she discovers that the staff is in chaos, the make-up artist is suicidal, and the stunt director just happens to be her ex-husband. That, and the temperamental lead actor has just acquired as an advisor a Green Beret who has the aggravating habit of always being right.

HE thought that hiring on as a military consultant for a movie star was a to-die-for deal: easy work, easy money, easier starlets. But his first day on the job, Captain J.T. Wilder ends up babysitting a bumbling comedian, dodging low-flying helicopters, and trying to find out who's taking "shooting a movie" much too literally."

Fast, cute read.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Drop Dead Healthy, by A.J. Jacobs

Drop Dead Healthy, by A.J. Jacobs

416 pages

I was so excited when I heard this book was coming out, because I find this man to be so funny. I really enjoyed "The Year of Living Biblically", and was super stoked to be reading about his adventure in becoming the 'healthiest person alive'. I was not disappointed. He shares his experiences trying the Paleo diet, removing all toxins from his home, and even turning his treadmill into a desk he can work from. I really recommend this book.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Beauty by Susan Wilson

200 pages

An odd love story with an unexpected ending.

Zombies, Vampires and Philosophy, by Richard Greene


Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy - by Richard Greene

500 pages

A fun addition to the pop culture and philosophy series of books. I enjoyed reading about what makes the Undead actually undead, and if they deserve the same rights as regular humans. :) It was just fun!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Sidewalk Artist by Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk

209 pages

Sentimental tripe!

New Spring, by Robert Jordan


New Spring, by Robert Jordan
344 pages

James and I made a deal, he would read one of 'my' books and I would read one of 'his'. This was what he picked. It was a pretty fast read, short chapters make it go faster. He's got an interesting style, switching back and forth between characters, going chapters with no action and then BAM everything is happening. It was pretty good.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Let it Rot, by Stu Campbell


Let it Rot, by Stu Campbell

153 pages

I'm kind of torn, because on one hand it taught me a lot about composting that I didn't know, but I still feel like I don't know anything. Probably a good supplementary book.

The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver

394 pages

Hush by Donna Jo Napoli

308 pages

 I usually enjoy Napoli's books but this one was a bust.  Irish princess gets kidnapped by Vikings.  She survives in part because of her choice to be mute.  Then she gets sold to another Viking who rapes her.  She remains mute.  But then she grows fond of her owner and when she discovers she is pregnant, she is happy.

What in the world?  This makes no sense.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Queen Bees and Wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman


Queen Bees & Wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman

448 pages

The real-world inspiration for the movie Mean Girls, this book is fabulous. It reminds older women and moms what it was like to be in middle school and high school, as painful as it was. It breaks down the social hierarchy girls form, how they interact with themselves, boys, and parents, and the best ways to communicate with them. Even though I'm not a parent, I found this a really interesting read.

Full Service by Will Weaver


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Full Service by Will Weaver
232 pages

Paul's family is a bizarre mixture of Quaker, Minnenite, Amish...a whole mishmash of religions that make him an outcast in his small town. When his mother stands up for him and allows him to work at a gas station in town, he learns a lot more about life than he ever did in the strict farm he grew up on.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan


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Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
262 pages
Winner of the Pura Belpre Award

Esperanza has it all in her village in Mexico. Her father is a wealthy farmer, they have the best of clothes, many servants...there is nothing more that she could ask for. Until the day her father is killed by bandits. The family sweeps in, destroying the empire he had worked so hard to create. Esperanza and her family flee to America, where they are forced to work long and hard for the barest essentials.
Beautifully written, my heart ached for this little girl who had turned into one of the peasants she had previously turned her nose up to. But she becomes stronger, and learns what it takes to build a home where family can be together.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver

395 pages

My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, edited by P.N. Elrod


My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, edited by P.N. Elrod

368 pages

Full of short stories by some big(ish) names. I really only enjoyed about half of them, the other half kind of seemed like they were trying too hard.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Improving Comprehension With Think-Aloud Strategies, by Jeffrey Wilhelm


Think Aloud Strategies for Improving Comprehension, by Jeffrey Wilhelm.

176 pages.

Full of excellent strategies for readers and teaching reading. Modeling is a really useful, but often over looked, tool and this book capitalizes on it.

D. Gray-man volume 3 by katsura hoshino



pages: 208


Allen Walker walks into a deadly trap, where he must choose to either save innocent lives, or himself.


I think I'm starting to get the main idea of these books. The Black Order, which Walker is in, are sent to protect the innocent by using thier "innocence" (weapons sent by the divine to repell demons).

D. Gray-man volume 2 by katsura hoshino



pages:208


The young walker boy runs into yet another evil spirit, this one after a young boy who's friend fell into the hands of the millinium Earl.


I liked it enough, the story is getting slightly more complicated.

The Associate by Phillip Margolin

404 pages

From Publishers Weekly:

"Margolin makes chills race down readers' spines."

ALMOST HEAVEN by Judith McNaught

517 pages

The Countess of Havenhurst is a girl of rare gentleness, pride and courage. This is a dramatic romance between two lovers destined for each other. (From the back cover).

THE ABDUCTION by Mark Gimenez

503 pages

After her soccer game, 10 year old Gracie and her friends heads to the concession stand for a snow cone. Gracie disappears!!!

LOST LAKE by Phillip Margolin

321 pages

At a little league baseball game, an angry father attacks a coach, thus begins a series of problems for attorney Ami Vergano and her tenant and new friend, Dan Morello.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Container Gardening for Dummies, by Bill Marken and Suzanne DeJohn


Container Gardening for Dummies, by Bill Marken and Suzanne DeJohn

344 pages

Taught me so much! It had sections on the containers themselves, what kinds of flowers, fruits and veggies do well in containers, and even how to mix your own soil and fertilizer for the best results.

Beyond Heaving Bosoms, by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan


Beyond Heaving Bosoms, by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan

304 pages

Smart, funny, and very vulgar, these two women pull apart the modern day romance novel from the tropes to the covers to the authors themselves. They do interviews with famous authors, and even talk about the problems of racism and plagiarism within the genre.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels

252 pages

One of my favorite Barbara Michaels, topped only by Patriot's Dream.  Love this book! 

Strays by Ron Koertge



Strays by Ron Koertge
167 pages

Started out very good. End petered out to nothing.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

be more chill by Ned Vizzini


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be more chill by Ned Vizzini
287 pages

Jeremy is your stereotypical high school dork. When he hears rumors about a tiny computerized pill that will rewire his brain to make him more popular, he has to go for it. But almost instantly the pill works in the exact opposite way he wants it to. He wants Christine, his crush, but his computer convinces him that making her jealous by getting him every other girl is the way to go.

The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson


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The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson
234 pages

I was a little skeptical about how great a forensic mystery for teens could be, but The Dying Breath very much impressed me.

Truesight by David Stahler Jr.

168 pages

Storyline was interesting enough. About a group of people who have genetically engineered their people to be blind, in order to be more focused on what is important. I didn't find it interesting enough to look at the sequel.


Sunday, April 8, 2012

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

420 pages

My third Easter Week read.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

184 pages

The second of my Easter Week reads and my favorite one of The Chronicles of Narnia.  I particularly loved Emeth's story.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

256 pages

The first of my Easter Week reads.