Beautiful Little Fools

 

Shirley J.            Adult Fiction                 A retelling of the Great Gatsby from the female point of view

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor      368 pages  

When the copyright for the Great Gatsby ran out, author, Jillian Cantor decided to write a retelling of Gatsby's story but this time from the perspective of the female characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald's original novel.   This book is so good you won't want to put it down.    Granted, largely the appeal is gleaned from the original story but Jillian Cantor develops the personalities of all the women in the story letting the reader get to know them and why they did what happens in the book.  Amazingly done.  Fitzgerald might be miffed because she uses his story but she makes her own and if he were being totally honest she did an admirable job.   It was a real treat to get to see the story from the females' take on things and a fascinating addition to the original it makes.  It rounds out the telling like the difference between listening to a band and a symphony.   It is fuller and will give the reader a new understanding of the story.  Well worth the read.  I recommend this to middle schoolers on up.

A Nearly Normal Family

 Shirley J.          Adult Fiction/Murder Mystery                          Abused young girls seeking justice

A Nearly Normal Family: A Novel by Rachel Wilson-Broyles    400 pages

What do you do when you are a pastor, your wife is a defense attorney and your 18 year old daughter is accused of murder?  This story is told from 3 vantage points, the father's, the mother's and the daughters' and each is so unique and you will both understand and find yourself physically recoiling from some of he things each of them do.  A very good story showing the lengths parents will go for their child, the bonds lifelong friends break and hold dear and the foul depths a despicable cad (read between the lines, I want to say a lot worse) will go to achieve their own goals and sometimes even within a family each has their own agenda, the good news is while their agendas differ (one goes beyond what the police do, one destroys evidence, lies, deception while protecting the innocent) they each have the same goal.  Good book.   While the story is really good especially for mystery and suspense lovers, I think it might drag the details out a little too long to suit younger readers wanting to hurry and get to the meat of the story so I recommend this one to adults of all ages.   

Dinner for a Dollar

 

Shirley J.                           Adult Non-Fiction                         Making your food budget stretch    

Good Housekeeping Dinner for a Dollar: 50 Family-Friendly Recipes Under $1     112 pages    

Good Housekeeping puts out some of my very favorite cookbooks.   This one is also good but the title is just a little deceptive.   In fact the recipes ingredients break down to a $1.00 per person not $1.00 per meal, or so they say they did in 2006 when the copy I read was printed.  Still, the recipes use ingredients that can be bought in bulk and used for several meals so, even this many years later, it will be on the lower end in price and even if per meal it is now $5.00 or even a little more, it still gives the reader guidance on what to look for and several ways to prepare the ingredients to remain frugal in the post pandemic times when supplies are still a little iffy ie. I perused the shelves last night and was surprised by the sparse and sometimes empty shelves.  Are they still playing the shortage of supplies card when so many retailers are begging people to come in and buy up their bag log of supplies so they can purchase new ones?   But I digress.   The recipes are sometimes not things I personally would eat, sorry lentils, but, there is a wide variety here and many, many helpful tips included throughout.   I love Good Housekeeping so I would recommend this book to mature teens who may be out on their own, to college students who might like to supplement their Ramen Noodle diet, to newly out on their own and newly married folk trying to budget their own household spending and to all who wish to come up with creative ways to stretch their grocery budgets while keeping mealtime interesting.

The Hiding Place

 

Shirley J.                      Adult Fiction                              Revisiting past tragedies, righting wrongs

The Hiding Place by C. J.. Tudor         304 pages        

Joe goes back to Arnhill the place he grew up.   He left to get away from all the ghosts and terror he encountered there as a teenager, when he and some friends went exploring a cave and his 8 year old little sister followed them.  He never expected to return but then he received a weird email, "I know what happened to your sister.  It is happening again."   Padding his resume, he goes back to the hometown he swore he would never see again and he becomes involved in a bigger situation than he would have ever imagined in his worst nightmares.   A good story with lots of good twists, hints of supernatural, and characters that aren't always what they seem.   I would recommend this one to mature high schoolers on up. 

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

 

Shirley J.                     Adult Fiction                         Lifelong Friends, Family, Church Members, Diners,                                                                                       Food, Tears of Sadness and Joy, Love

I love this book.  It has everything.  Humor, Betrayal, Heroes, Villains, Love, Hate, Ghosts, Preachers,  Revivals, Strippers, Fortune Tellers, Family and Friends.   The telling is so lovely it is like enjoying your favorite thing all the way through.  It is beautiful and beautifully told.  It is like relating the happenings of all your best friends with a few frenemies thrown in just to keep things interesting.   There is injustice but there is also justice sometimes time and space helps it all come together.   The ghosts are witty and lively, well dressed and sometimes drunk or high but always delightful.  It is a coming of age story for 3 best friends (dubbed the Supremes), a circle of life and love that will make the reader feel a part of the community.   It is a wonderful, excellent story and it continues in "The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues."  Trust me, you will want to read it, too.  : )   I recommend this one especially to lovers of soul, souls (ghosts), soul food (Earl's diner, home goings, weddings, holidays), and blessed soul music, to baby boomers and to all who remember their youth, their friends, who struggled and overcame adversity in its many guises.  I think adults will appreciate this story in so many ways and teens and young adults will glean a deeper understanding of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.  We were all young once.  ; )

How To Haunt a House

 

Shirley J.                       Juvenile Fiction                   How to Steps to Successfully Haunt a House

How to Haunt a House by Carolyn Crimi      32 pages

Three little ghosts, Moana, Groana and Shrieky,  are in class to learn how to successfully haunt houses/the inhabitants of the houses.  The first house the teacher takes them to is small but man do they scare that family and run them out of the house in fright!   Then they go to a second house.   The house is bigger, the family is a lot braver but with a little work, they terrorize them, too.   The real test comes when their teacher takes them to the third house - a house full of monsters!   Though Moana, Groana and Shrieky do their best to scare the wits out of them, it has no effect.   The monsters continue on as if nothing has occurred.   They ask their teacher what they can do to really scare these folks?    She suggests trying bats, rats and black wild cats.  They do but the mother monster loves the bats and starts feeding them and letting them hang on her arms.   The little girl is so over joyed with the rats she walks around like a mother possum with rats holding on to her arms, shoulder and she even puts one on her head! The little boy monster starts playing with the wild scary looking black cats as the Dad monster looks on and smiles.  What must they do?  Nothing is scaring this monster family!   The teacher tells them they must think outside the box.   They think and think then finally groana comes up with the perfect idea.  Since the monsters aren't afraid of scary things, maybe they are afraid of non-scary things like puppies, kittens, bunnies and butterflies!  They fill the monsters' house with all cuteness!  The throw glitter around and paint butterflies and all things adorable on the walls.   The monsters freak out and dash out of the house without looking back.   Now that is how you haunt a house - every kind of house!    Such a cute book.  For all who love Halloween, scary things and good stories that teach kids to be creative.  ; )   I recommend this one for kids up to 10 years old and all their loving family, babysitters, teachers, who love to share stories with them and everyone who loves juvenile literature.    

The Quiet Place

 Shirley J.                 Juvenile Fiction               Creating your own space out of cardboard boxes

The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart    44 pages

Isabel and her family move from Mexico to Michigan in the United States.   She misses her Aunt Lupita and all the fun they had.  She misses hearing Spanish being spoken, too.  She does learn to find things that make her happy in her new home, like snow and making snow angels and she loves helping her mother prepare cakes and desserts for birthday parties.  She also likes her new teacher, who doesn't speak Spanish but she has a big beautiful smile.   When her family gets a new refrigerator, she keeps the box to play with and makes a wonderful, special place all her own that is quiet and comforting.  It is big enough she brings her books inside it to sit and read.  She decorates it with her toys and she writes letters from inside it to her beloved Aunt Lupita.  Her Dad and her older brother, Chavo help her to decorate it.   It is her special silent place.   One day it rains really hard and her box gets wet and her lovely quiet place has to be thrown away (she forgot and left it outside), but it wasn't long after she was able to rebuild her beautiful quiet place.  She continued to help her mother with the cakes and sweet confections they made for birthday parties and Isabel would ask the people who's homes they went to if she could have one of the empty boxes a present had been in and was now being discarded.   She is delighted when she gets new boxes and soon her Dad and brother helped her join the new boxes together to make a huge villa.  They decorated it with Isabel and when it comes time for Isabel's birthday, she invites the children from the parties and invites them into her quiet place to show them how much fun it is to be inside and look out the windows her brother cut out of the boxes, to sing in the windows and play with toys and do puppet shows.   Her quiet place was not so quiet anymore,  but,  Isabel was happy.  Sweet book.  I recommend this to teachers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and babysitters for kids up to 10 years old and anyone who enjoys children's literature.

Flatshare

 

Shirley J.           Adult Fiction            Two Roommates Working Different Shifts Share One Bed

Flatshare by Beth O'Leary    352 pages

Tiffy is madly in love with her boyfriend so she is blindsided when he tells her he wants to break up because he is in love with someone else he has been seeing.    Looking for another place to live Tiffy cannot believe some of the places, real grotty and some of the people, waaaaaay out there.   Perusing the ads for anything in her price range sans serial killers/insects/mold in that order, she comes across an ad from a bloke named Leon who is a night shift worker and would like to rent his apartment out during the hours he is at work and on weekends.  This is a true blessing for Tiffy price-wise and as she works in an office during the day while Leon would be sleeping, when she gets off work Leon is on his way out the door to go to his job.  Sounds peculiar but it actually works out perfectly for them.   They don't see each other and become penpals writing each other notes regarding such things as whether to leave the toilet seat up or not?  When is trash day?  If there are leftovers in the fridge are they up for grabs?  Etc.   It is a great system.    Then, Tiffy wants to meet Leon.   Hilarity ensues although it has been pretty funny all along, then, a wrench is thrown in, Tiffy's ex's new girlfriend dumps him so he figures he will pick back up with Tiffy, so, he starts stalking her.  Imagine his surprise when he knocks on the door and Leon answers.  So funny.  Really good read.   I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up, it is cute and funny, I think most anyone would like it.  

The Bat: Wings in the Night Sky

 Shirley J.                        Juvenile Non-Fiction                         Bats, Various Species, Habitats, Facts, etc.

The Bat: Wings in the Night by M. Brock Fenton   144 pages

One of the sweetest little creatures alive is the bat.   Some look like cuddly little mammals with big round soft eyes and some are tiny with fangs that bring to mind Dram Stoker and Bela Lugosi.  This book tells you many facts about the various varieties, not all use echolocation to "see" many species of bat have excellent vision.  Some have both senses in which case color/heat signatures come into play to interpret their surroundings.  The habitats of many different species is shown and their diets are discussed, yes, there really are such things as vampire bats.   The photography is phenomenal and shows many species up close.   Some have the signature top hornlike/chevron shape/cone, etc. on the heads.  Some have teeth or fangs some don't.  Some eat fruit, others, frogs or insects and some live on the blood of other mammals.   The anatomy of many species is shown and explained why and how it helps them in their specific environments.   A very good book on the topic of a misunderstood creature.  I recommend this to grade schoolers on up.

Product of the System

 

Shirley J.                        Adult Urban Fiction                           Playing Baby Daddies for Money

A Product of the System (Out for Self Series) by Ms. Michel Moore    384 pages

The best laid plans.   When Simone gets pregnant she sees a money making opportunity, she can easily manipulate two of the men she has been messing with.   One of the gangbangers is a good man at heart who wants to take care of her and "his" son.   He provides for her by buying groceries, paying her rent/bills, buying her clothes, furniture, jewelry, whatever she wants.   The other gangbanger she is playing is dangerous.  His temper is easily set off.   She gentles him with pampering and sensual pleasures which keeps him coming around and buying her clothes, jewelry, drinks, but if something sets him off he will beat her down and the baby, too, without a second thought nor any remorse.   Add to all that the two baby daddies are in rival gangs.  How Simeone managed to keep the two men from running into each other in her apartment ... oh wait, she didn't!   It is all about to explode and she and the baby are right in the center of it all!  Good story!  Readers won't be able to put this one down.    I recommend this one to mature teens (for content, language and violence) on up to seniors.   If you like an edge to your stories you will like this one.

The Mistletoe Promise

Shirley J.                Adult Fiction Holiday Romance            Christmas Season, Fake Relationships

The Mistletoe Promise (Part of the Mistletoe Series) by Richard Paul Evans    272 pages    

Excellent holiday story about Elise Dutton, who's husband had an affair with her best friend 3 years prior that left her crushed, alone and distrusting men to the point of not wanting another relationship.  It is November and she is eating her lunch alone (as usual) in the mall food court below her office.  She notices a man from her office building also eats there around the same time she does.  She doesn't know him but has seen him around.  One day he approaches her with a unique proposition.   He is a lawyer on one of the upper floors and he, too, is alone for the holidays.    He discusses how social engagements come up and family gatherings and he would like to have someone to attend all the holiday events with to keep people from trying to fix him up with someone and to stop them from all the questions that come up when you aren't part of a couple but without any strings attached and no actual coupling going on.   Elise is intrigued.  She has the same issues and hears him out.  He proposes for the next eight weeks - ending on December 24, that they pretend to be a couple.   He says there will be four rules: 

1.)  No personal questions.

2.)  No drama.

3.)  No telling anyone the truth about their NON-relationship.

4.)  The contract is void on Christmas Day.

At first Elise is floored by his offer, but, still intrigued.   She thinks, why not?   And she goes for it.  To all outside eyes they become an item.   They go to holiday dinners with family, they go to work sponsored holiday events, they attend fund raisers and every day he sends her an expensive present to her office.   Her co-workers are in awe, especially the office floozie who tends to give her a hard time.  At the holiday office party this floozie comes on like gangbusters to the fake boyfriend, who turns out to be a very successful partner in the law firm and the town's most eligible bachelor.  The story is so fun and so real, the reader gets the feeling you are right there with them.  I highly recommend this fun romp through the realities of navigating the holidays with a no-strings companion to keep the nosies off your back.  Such a great story! ; )     I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up to senior citizens.   If you love Christmas stories and Christmas love stories this one is right up your Hallmark alley!  

 

Miracle Creek

 

Shirley J.        Adult Fiction Suspense/Murder Mystery          Autism,  Experimental Treatment, Tragedy    

Miracle Creek: A Novel by Angie Kim      368 pages    

The parent of an autistic child finds an experimental treatment that is said to be a miracle cure for multiple conditions and one of those is autism.    A single mother beside herself dealing with the outbursts of her autistic son (her husband left them because he couldn't deal with it) is introduced to an experimental treatment done in a hyperbaric chamber that claims to be a godsend in calming down the erratic melt downs autistic patients (and by proxy their caretakers) endure.    It is a murder mystery that will have your blood pumping from the suspense.   It is a white knuckle ride with the Mother going through resentment, hating her life and her son for the loss of her marriage.     Omgosh!  And the treatment is actually real and happening in Virginia.  Good story and first novel by Angie Kim.   It is really intense so I recommend this one for mature teens but more likely adults on up.

Pie

Shirley J.                    Adult Fiction                                    Pie baking, a secret recipe,  a rescued cat

Pie by Sarah Weeks     192 pages

A sweet story about Alice, who's Aunt Polly has the most amazing pie crust recipe that everybody in their town of Ipswitch, and world-wide, would do just about anything to get ahold of.   Aunt Polly has been offered loads of money for her recipe but always just laughs it off and continues to keep it a secret because folks coming from all over the world to visit her bakery and purchase her sensational pies.   Aunt Polly lives a simple life making the best pies in town and taking care of the huge (plump), white, cantankerous stray cat she took in and named Lardo, and doting on her niece, Alice.   Aunt Polly goes to bed not feeling well one night and passes away in her sleep.   Come to find out she has a will and has left her world famous secret recipe to Lardo and Lardo to Alice.   Her bakery, she leaves to the town in care of the Mayor for tourist revenue.   The family is fit to be tied!  Whaaaaaatttttttt?    A good story of achieving the greater good even when not everyone agrees.   I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up to senior citizens.   Well worth the smiles.

Happily Ever After

Shirley J.                    Adult Fiction                     BFFs in Business Together, Wedding Planners

Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts  (Book 4 in the Bride Quartet series)  368 pages

Vows, a wedding planning company owned by best friends, is the ultimate all things wedding business to go to.   They have a fabulous venue to offer brides and grooms as it is a huge mansion with adjoining property including a lagoon, lush gardens, fabulous architecture, gorgeous chandeliers with fantastic window views of the landscape and property that can be transformed into any bride's wish and just so happens to be owned by one of the ladies who is the "face/spokesperson" for the company and the concierge person helping with all details, frantic calls from brides, unruly guests, last minute emergencies (she keeps a sewing kit, tape, etc. on her at all times during the ceremonies).   Another of the friends/partners is a magnificent baker who can make brides' wedding cake dreams a reality, another does the floral arrangements with a skilled eye to match the perfect bouquet, table arrangements and venue decorations for that perfect match of color and design.  Together they offer the ultimate package and are everything any bride could want.  The ladies also have their own romances going on along with engagements and weddings of their own to be planned.   I recommend this book to all who love romance, to all who are thrilled at the thought of weddings and all the various aspects - you will pick up so many ideas here and definitely all fans of Nora Roberts.   I think this would make an excellent film as well.  The imagery here is almost like savoring a piece of the best wedding cake you have ever tasted.  : )   I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up to seniors.    

"The London Seance Society" by Sarah Penner

 

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner  352 pp

The London Seance Society is the story of two sisters.  Once is alive and one is dead.  Lenna has apprenticed herself to medium Vaudeline D'Allaire in hopes of finding out what happened to her sister who she believes was murdered.  Her sister, Evie, believed in ghosts and psychics and had been Vaudeline's apprentice before she died.  Vaudeline is well known among people looking for resolutions to murders that the police cannot solve.  Vaudeline has been sent to Paris for her protection because she believes the group is defrauding people that hire them. Mr. Morley, the vice president of the Department of Spiritualism at the London Seance Society (an all male group) calls her back to try to solve the murder of Mr. Wolckman who died the same night as Lenna's sister Evie.  Lenna comes along in case Vaudeline needs help and finds out that her sister was more embroiled in the mystery than she originally thought.

I enjoyed the story, but it did have a slow start.  I really liked Sarah Penner's previous story The Lost Apothecary.  It may have been easier for me to empathize with a modern person since that story went back and forth between the past and the present.  Both stories involve some nod to modern day feminism by noting the problems women had with being respected in the past.  I want to give this 3.5 stars, but since I cannot.  I will have to err on the side of three.

The Girl Least Likely

 Shirley J.                   Adult Fiction Romance                      Stand-up Comics,  Double-life   

The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser    352 pages     

Highschool student, Gretchen, can't seem to get it right.   She and her best friend and secret crush, Samuel, have been friends for years, so why has Sam never made a pass at her?  Is it the way she dresses?   Should she apply make-up?   Do something with her straw-like hair?   What gives?  Yeah, they are friends but Sam wouldn't mind becoming friends with benefits.  Then, Sam starts hanging out with another girl he meets through his jock teammates.  Devastated, Gretchen confides in her sister and cousin who are her go tos any time it isn't Sam she is going to.   They console her and talk her into going out with them to a comedy club/bar.  Gretchen is a junior in high, her sister is in college and her cousin is her older sister's age.  When Gretchen brings this fact up that she is not 21 and can't get in to the Comedy Club, the two older girls come up with a fake i.d. and away they all go.   Turns out to be amateur night and someone put her name on the roster for new comics to go up and do 5 minutes.   At least it is the name on her fake i.d.  after the terror goes away as the audience cheers "her name" her sister and cousin assure her she has always been funny and is always making the family and her friends laugh.   The adrinaline starts pumping and barring flight she opts for fight and desperately tries to give the audience what they are screaming for.  Turns out she gets a few laughs just by talking about her life and her mad unrequited love for her bestie Samuel.   Gretchen gains confidence.   All of a sudden the girl least likely to do anything cool or go anywhere beyond her own neighborhood is wearing leather pants, makeup with glasses to look more like the fake id.  and is getting such a rush from performing live.   The beast unleashed is not going back into the cage.   She continues coming back on amateur nights to get back on stage.   She meets other comics who think she is Sabrina and 23 like the fake i.d. says.   Her parents don't worry about her because she is a good quiet girl who gets all As in school and has never caused any problems.   Suddenly she is lying to her parents, coming in all hours after the clubs close (her parents go to bed not even thinking she isn't in her room or at whichever school friend's house she told them she was going to.  Such a good girl.  The girl least likely to be a problem.   Good story.  Lots of tips on doing stand-up, too.   I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.   

The Operator

 Shirley J.         Adult Fiction         1950s Wooster, Ohio,  telephone operators listening in, small towns

Snoopy telephone operator, Vivian, listens in to the calls she places.   She prides herself on saying to anyone who will listen, "I know people."   ie. She is intuitive or so she says.   The word busybody comes to mind.   She finds out information on the people in town then spreads "truths" people might prefer to keep to themselves.   Of course Bell doesn't allow the operators to listen in to calls.   They actually forbid it, but, when no one is paying attention and the work day has grown long and boring, why not?    And all the operators do it.  Maybe not as frequently as Vivian, but, Vivian sees herself as watching out for her community by keeping an ear on what is going on.   It helps her to "know" people.   Until the one time she hears something shocking.  It had to happen but oh what comes of it makes for juicy reading!   I recommend this one to mature teens on up.    A lovely trip back in time and a vindicating you'll get yours tale.    

V Wars: A Chronicle of the Vampire Wars

 Shirley J.                    Adult Fiction Paranormal                 Millenia old virus, vampires, werewolves

V Wars: A Chronicle of the Vampire Wars by Jonathan Mayberry     462 pages

Interesting concept.   The story is told by many writers whose stories all come together and overlap one another to make a cohesive total story as told through the chronicles of the times.   The essential story is that a scientific expedition exploring the ice in Antarctica frees a millenia old virus that overtakes its human host modifying the hosts "junk" DNA turning people into creatures everyone assumed were merely myths but suddenly terrifyingly are real and walking among society.   The different writers bring their own takes on what is happening just as different perspectives of witnesses can tell very different details but come back to the main event at hand.   Really well done with a delicious Orson Welles meets "Trueblood" feel.   I recommend this one to all lovers of paranormal storylines, scifiers who like a little monster in the mix now and then, all fans of Charlaine Harris's characters -you will sense a kinship here.  Middle schoolers on up.   This seems like a big thick book, but, the story(ies) will grip you so you won't notice how fast the pages are turning.

One Last Stop

 Shirley J.             Adult Fiction Romance                    Subways, Time warps, punk rock 

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston    432 Pages

Whoa!  Interesting story.   A cynical girl moves to New York City sort of looking for all the great things New York City promises but actually not believing a word of it and putting b.s. on her label for New York until...she meets the woman of her dreams she didn't even realize she had on the subway.   The gal is on the same car, same seat every day, funny same time that August rides, even sometimes late at night or early in the morning, even different trains she is always there.   Finally after ogling her for what seemed eons, August starts broaching conversation.  It blossoms into a love story between August and punk-rocker subway rider, Jane.  Funny, her outfit looks so authentic not like wanna be punkers.   So authentic in fact, Jane still listens to cassettes!  Whaaaat???   Must be a vintage things or is it?   The two gals start doing experiments and it turns out no matter where Jane gets off the subway, the next thing you know she is right back on.   What is up with the universe?   A good story with magical twists and turns.  I would recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.

What She Knew

 

Shirley J.                   Adult Fiction                                          Child Abduction        

What She Knew: A Novel by Gilly MacMillan    596 pages

How many times have we walked with a child only for the little one to want to run ahead of us whether we are willing or not?   That happens to the mother in this story.  Out for a day of fun with her 8 year old son.  He, Ben, asks if he can run ahead?   Its a normal Sunday, so, sure.  She lets him, but, when she catches up and is looking for him, she believes him to be hiding from her ready to jump out and scare her when he can.  But, Ben disappears and his Mom, Rachel goes out of her mind when she realizes he really is gone.  The terror too terrible to even think about happens.   Police and search parties look for him.   Days pass, Rachel's newly remarried ex-husband and her "perfect" sister seem to blame her for not watching him better.   When she flubs a media event where she is supposed to read aloud a written script the police have given her to try to appeal to the abductor, Rachel ad libs her own remarks threatening the killer then smiling on camera as she thinks she came off as a strong person but instead looks guilty herself and according to the police may have jeopardized her son's safety.  Things get worse, the public turns against her seeing her as a suspect - she was the last person to see Ben.   Social media starts attacking her as a liar and a murderer though the police and her sister beg her not to go on social media.  Rachel can't help but think some unknown monster has stolen her son from her, but, the longer he is gone, she begins to wonder about everyone she knows.   This is a real nail biter from start to finish and you will see that everyone in the book has the potential to have done the deed.   The plot twist is really well done.   It will make you say, "Wow!"   Again, the sheer emotion involved here I would recommend this one for adults, though, it is a cautionary tale.  Discretion should be used if younger readers want to attempt this one.

The Secrets She Keeps

 

Shirley J.             Adult Fiction  Murder, Mystery, Suspense             Missing Babies, Abduction, Lies and Mental Illness    

The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham    496 pages

Oh my gosh! Yikes!   This story will tear at your heart!  I can't stop saying OMgosh!  Because this story will haunt you, but the writing is such perfection that you will be pulled along without wanting to let it go until the end.   There is mystery, there is suspense, and there is awful murder happening that will literally bring tears to your eyes for the wrongness of it.   So despicable and yet, the murderer bears no guilt, no remorse really other than through the murders the killer simply lost what it wanted to possess.  Michael Robotham is an amazing writer who not only puts words on a page but instills them with the deepest innermost torment and emotion for all involved.   It is the most tragic book I have read in I don't know when but it is also one of the best books I have read in this genre.  Kudos to Michael Robotham for an astoundingly good heart ripping tale.    One character will do anything to have the life she wants even if she has to steal the life of someone else to do it.    You won't want to put this one down it is that good if grim at times.    Due to the nature of what transpires, I recommend this one to adults.  The images it paints in one's mind are startling and unforgettable.   It is a lot to take in.   Let's let the younger set keep gentler thoughts as long as they can.

Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Shirley J.      Adult Non-Fiction Science      Hawking's take on God, Black Holes, Survival Odds

Stephen Hawking explores big topics with explanations that are easy to understand while based on his understanding of them from a scientist's point of view.   I always enjoy Stephen Hawking's books.  A brilliant man who opened Science and Quantum Physics to the layman.  He explains String Theory, everything you want to know about Black Holes, his search to prove the existence of God, his summation of the likelihood of whether or not a meteor will hit the earth and whether or not humans will continue to survive on earth and/or  should humankind should seek to colonize other planets and if so which ones?   Such a vast accumulation of mighty knowledge to be found here and lofty stuff made totally understandable.   What's not to love?   I recommend this to everyone who seeks answers to what the heck is going on in the universe?   Definitely middle schoolers on up to senior citizens and certainly for science lovers even younger.  

October 2022 Team Totals

 

In October two people read 23 books with a total of 6304 pages.  Shirley read most of them with 17 books and 4846 pages.  Great job reading!

September 2022 Team Totals

 

In September, three people read 27 books with a total of 7835 pages.  Shirley read the most with 21 books and 5691 pages.  Keep on reading!

In a Holidaze

 Shirley J.     Adult Fiction Romance            Old Friends & Family gathering together each Christmas

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren    336 pages

This was such an enjoyable read it really catches you up in the spirit of the holidays, young love and how friends can be family as much as your biological kin.     Friends and lovers from college continue spending every Christmas together even after partners switch up, marry, divorce but remain friends still, have children who grow up, everyone feeling it is the best possible answer to the holidays.  No matter what happens in their lives throughout the years, the camaraderie  never fails.  The adults assume the two youngest kids will grow up and marry, but as Blaise Pascal said, "The heart has reasons that reason doesn't understand."    While one of the two sort of sees that happening, the other doesn't and has eyes only for the "other" "older" sibling.   Quirky, fun story with a few tears along the way.  Christina Lauren knows her stuff and tells an excellent Christmas story with lots of references baby boomers will get and enjoy.  I recommend this one to Middle Schoolers on up.  It is an enjoyable read.

The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act

 Shirley J.         Adult Non-Fiction Biography        Julia Child, French Cooking, her life here and abroad   The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act by Alex Prud'Homme   336 pages

Wonderful sharing of the life of Julia Child and her life's adventures by her grand-nephew, Alex Prud'homme.   Many stories not heard before about Alex's beloved aunt and also insight into the life of Julia's husband, Paul Child and their friends, families and life in America and abroad.   A rich telling of many details behind the scene on "The French Chef," her "French Sister" and co-author of "Mastering French Cooking," Simone "Simca" Beck who despite a tumultuous friendship remained friends to the end of their lives.   So much information not discussed previously, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I recommend this one to all fans of the woman who had the cojones to be the first woman to attend Le Cordon Bleu in France and who also showed the public it is o.k. to make mistakes when cooking then also taught the public how to fix any mistakes made.   A true warrior and hero in our time.  I recommend this book to all who love the woman behind the legend and all lovers of "cookery" as she termed her skill as well as French culture and cooking.    Excellent book.

  

Be Careful What You Pray For

 

Shirley J.                  Urban Fiction                            Philanderers, Preachers, Ambition

Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby     288 pages

Another good book in the Reverend Curtis Black series.   This book deals with his oldest daughter, Alicia, and her second marriage to another preacher, only this time, she snagged a philanderer, not a two-timer but a 3 or 4 timer as he juggles his second wife (there is gossip as to his role in his first wife's death), Alicia, his much older married mistress - a member of the church married to a very rich man whose money she plays fast and loose with, a former prostitute who this reverend who used to pimp in his days before he put on the collar had in his stable and now wants to erase, and a new woman he happened to meet in an airport.   How he keeps them all straight while his ambition grows for a bigger, better lifestyle and all the accompanying power, prestige and bling is wild.   I recommend this book to all fans of Urban Fiction, stories about families, friends. the people behind the facades they put on, mixed with greed, temptation/affairs, life stripped down to reality.  Given many of the issues dealt with in the story, I recommend this one for adults.

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge  304 pp

Tabitha is good with her hands and as a Rosie the Riveter back home in Detroit, Michigan.  After the war ended, she found herself at loose ends after she had to give up her job to the returning men.  After her Grandmother dies, she breaks up with her fiance and goes to Paris to stay with her Grandfather and her "Oncle" Rafe.  One of her  neighbors is none other than Julia Child who is having a crisis because her mayonnaise recipe is not working!  When Julia and Tabitha return from the market one day, Julia's maid is screaming because she found a body when she went to take out the trash.  Tabitha recognizes the body and Julia encourages her to find out more information, but the police detective discourages her.  Tabitha continues her snooping and finds herself in peril.  First when a car almost runs her down on her bicycle and in the end at the theatre where she is filling in for the dead coat check girl. In the end, she solves the mystery.

The story was creative and did not overuse Julia Child as a character.  Despite not being a good cook, Tabitha is an entertaining character.  I enjoyed the story, but didn't care for the espionage element.  I have already recommended the book to a fellow mystery lover.

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

 Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones  464 pp

"Don't Fear the Reaper" continues the story of Jennifer "Jade" Daniels who readers met in "My Heart is a Chainsaw," four years later. She reunites with her friend Letha who is now married to a deputy sheriff (Banner) and has a small child that she named after final girls in horror films.  In fact, in the past four years, Letha has become just as much of an expert on slasher films as Jade/Jennifer is.  A blizzard is happening, a real serial killer is on the loose, and several high school students are dead with a new "final girl" (Cinnamon).  The knowledge of slasher films becomes imperative for survival from all involved in the confrontations that ensue.  Most chapters in the book are the names of horror films.  

I enjoyed the book because I like horror films and really loved slasher films when I was growing up.  It is definitely for a specific audience because there are a lot of pop culture references that might not hold up for someone reading this in the future. I look forward to the conclusion of the trilogy.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

 How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix  400 pp.

Louise does not get along with her brother.  She feels like he is given everything despite not trying while she has had to work for everything.  When he calls her to tell her that their parents have died in an automobile crash, she has to leave her 5 year old daughter and go back home to Charleston to help take care of things. When she arrives at her parents' home, she finds that the attic drop down door has been boarded up.  While in the house, weird things start to happen: the TV turns itself back on again, dolls from her mother's collection change position, and strange noises begin.  When her brother turns up after a man who claims he is there to clean out the house, she is very angry that he didn't wait for her to take care of anything before she got back.  He also says he had their parents cremated and plans to scatter their ashes on the beach.  Louise doesn't think this is right.  She send the man who wants to clean out the house away and takes the papers about the arrangements he's made and takes off.  She goes to see other family who live in the area who empathize with her.  Eventually, the siblings wind up back at the house to find that everything is not quite right (or ready to go on the market).  In the meantime, Louise's child Poppy is having mental health and health issues while she is staying with her father's family.  In the end, everything comes to a crazy conclusion.

The book is set up with the Kubler-Ross Stages of Grief as section headings which frame the story appropriately to it's parts.  I personally enjoyed the story. Grady Hendrix did an excellent job of framing everything well and gave a little humor to his horror as always. I know that it is not for everyone and if you have a fear of puppets or dolls, this is not the story for you.

The Happy Ever After Playlist

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction Romance                        Rock Stars, Falling in Love

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez   400 pages

Sloan Monroe has been in mourning for the last 2 years.   When her finance died, she lost everything and pretty much went on autopilot through her days.  Her outlets were her art with which she earned her living so real and lifelife her paintings were often mistaken for photgraphs.  Her other outlet back to life was her best friend who saved her and stood up to the world for her shielding her from everything hurtful.  One day Sloan is driving down the street lost in thoughts from her visit to her fiance's grave when while distracted, she hits a dog.  Before she can get out to check on the dog as she is struggling with nerves the dog jumps through her sunroof into the front passenger seat.  She sees it as a sign from her fiance.    The story continues, she ends up keeping the dog falling in love with him whose name is Tucker per his tag and id chip.   She tries to contact the owner once she has his information but no word for weeks.  She is so mad at this guy for abandoned this wonderful pet, when one day he contacts her and wants his dog back.  She reads him the riot act and tells him SHE IS KEEPING TUCKER.  emails, texts and phone calls ensue.   It seems the guy is a musician on tour in Australia and his dog sitter was a lousy person who did not watch the dog, left town and didn't notify him!  GEEZ!!!!  He asks Sloan to keep Tucker till he gets home.  She agrees.  They continue to talk over the weeks till he gets home.  He tells her his real name but it turns out he is actually a famous rock star going by a stage name, too.  The story goes on and is a really lovely one with fierce friends, mutual animal lovers, rock tours, you name it.  I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up to seniors it is a pleasant fun read for anyone interested in puppy love.

I Don't Want to Read This Book

 Shirley J.              Juvenile Literature                           For kids who don't want to read books

I Don't Want to Read This Book by Max Greenfield  40 pages

Written by an amazing actor, Max Greenfield "Schmidt" from the t.v. series, "New Girl" for his two children.  A funny book about kids who do not want to read but who obviously have read a lot due to the vocabulary they use.   Very fun.  I recommend it to listeners on up.   

The Thanksgiving Visitor

 Shirley J.                       Juvenile Non-Fiction                  Family gatherings, bullies/thieves

The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote  37 pages    

Based on Capote's childhood when living with elderly cousins.   Troubled daily by a way older bully in the one room schoolhouse they attended, it is sadly reminiscent of current bullying situations in schools today.  It also tells of Capote's friendship with an elderly cousin who related more to children than adults and her deep held belief in the intrinsic value of the goodness in people leads to a fiasco at the dinner table on Thanksgiving.  A bittersweet story that gives a lot of insight into who Truman Capote really was.  I recommend this story to all ages from listeners on up to senior citizens.  It is a lovely tale.

The Bodyguard

 Shirley J.                   Adult Fiction                               Body Guards, Celebrity, Ranch life in Texas

The Bodyguard by Catherine Carter     336 pages

Hannah Brooks works as an executive protection agent.  She is a bodyguard.   She is trained in reacting to potentially dangerous even deadly circumstances with a clear head, a calm disposition and the skills of a ninja.   She is a force of one and while she looks short and sweet like a kindergarten teacher she could likely best any man in the room at any given time with lethal force.  Her latest assignment is to shadow legendary superstar, Jack Stapleton who is going home to Texas to be with his sick mother and care for her during her illness.   He has currently been dealing with stalker problems.  For one,A middle-aged woman breaking in to his supposedly secure home.   Now that he is going home to his family he wants to protect them too, and he wants to do it without letting them know.  That means Hannah has to work undercover as Jack's girlfriend.   It is all awkward but good with hilarious moments.    Stalkers and death threats abound with Hannah and Jack finding themselves in dire circumstances.  A good read.  I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.

Happiness for Beginners: A Novel

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction                 Backpacking, Stretching your Limits, Finding yourself

Happiness For Beginners: A Novel  by Katherine Center   473 pages

When Helen Carpenter's marriage ended, she moped for the first year, then her younger brother talks her into going on a wilderness survival course.  After signing up she learns that her brother's best friend since grade school has signed up to go to.  She and he have a moment while sharing a ride there then have a falling out and Helen asks him to pretend they don't know each other for the duration of the 3 week course.   Helen ends up being the oldest person on the trip, the most accident prone, and the one with the worst attitude.  She is obsessed with winning a certificate showing she put forth the biggest effort and she gets jealous when all the girls flirt with her brother's buddy.   The story is a good one and I would recommend it to high schoolers on up. 

Things in Jars

 Shirley J.                  Adult Fiction                                       Ghosties and Ghoulies and things in jars    

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd  Read 100 pages    I realized I had read it before but I enjoyed the ghost encounter and read the beginning again anyway.

Excellent story about a Sherlock Holmes like private detective named Bridey (Bridget) who just happens to be able to communicate with ghosts.    Fun book.  I can just picture her smoking her corncob pipe.  I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.   A fun read.

Kids Talk Hair: An Instruction Book for Grown-Ups & Kids

 Shirley J.            Juvenile Non-Fiction         Caring for and styling Black children's hair

Kids Talk Hair: An Instruction Book for Grown Ups & Kids by Pamela Ferrell    120 pages

A how-to guide for cleansing, moisturizing and styling Black children's hair.  Beautiful photos and step by step instructions complete from beginning to end of the process.   This is great for new parents as it describes everything from the day you bring your baby home from the hospital to getting ready for their first day of kindergarten.  It lets the stars of the book discuss what they like and don't like about getting their hair combed, brushed, styled and more.   There are so many gorgeous styles included complete with instructions on how to do them.   Styles for every texture of hair and every length.  So beautiful!  This would make a great gift for families with children as there are styles for girls and boys.   I highly recommend this to parents, especially new parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, teachers, day cares, libraries, anyone who needs to style children's hair.  Gives tips on how not to damage hair, too.

The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begin

Shirley J.                Adult Non-Fiction           Where the end of me and the beginning of Jesus begins

The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begin by Kyle Idleman  224 pages

A fun and deeply personal delving into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Kyle Idleman gives a new way of looking at what Jesus was telling His followers:  You have to be at your lowest to appreciate Jesus taking you to your highest,  mourning is going to happen because we have so much love within us but mourning is also the path to blessing, we have to be emptied emotionally if we are to experience fullness of spirit, brokenness is the way to achieve wholeness.  The paradox is you have to be one or the other but the hurt and bad we go through leads to richness, because when you come to that broken, empty place where you have to look up to see over your shoes there is Jesus waiting for you, bending down to lift you up and comfort you, show you the love you deserve and giving His grace and shining His light upon you in your deepest darkness, He is the light that will guide you out of it and into all the glory of God that is yours as His child.   Great book.   I like the way he thinks and I love the way he shares his thoughts.  I recommend this to grade schoolers on up.    Learn to look beyond the teachings that seem to contradict each other but are so simple in theory and practice when you look at it.   Wonderful book.

Be Careful What You Wish For

 Shirley J.              Adult Fiction                  Roommates, Boyfriends, Betrayal    

Be Careful What You Wish For by Cheryl Faye   368 pages

Friends Jamilah and Sabrina, and lovers don't always mix especially when your roommate has it bad for your boyfriend, however, in this case, Sabrina wants her boyfriend Darius at hand while still looking for someone better.  Jamilah is crazy about Darius and knows what Sabrina is up to, but Darius only has eyes for Sabrina.  Then Sabrina meets a new man she thinks is everything she wants, he has everything she wants and can give her all she can ever want, until he becomes abusive.  Truly a case of be careful what you wish for.   I recommend this one to mature teens on up.

What You Wish For

 Shirley J.                      Adult Fiction                School Librarian, Free Spirit Meets By the Book

What You Wish For by Katherine Center   368 pages

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids and her school family with joy and passion.  She is quirky and gets a kick out of dressing colorfully, surprisingly and being a happy surprise to every one she meets.   She learned this behavior from a teacher who taught at the first school she was hired at.  His name is Duncan Carpenter and he had a joie de vivre like no other person she had ever met.  Of course, back then Samantha was quiet and reserved and dressed pretty dull.  In other words she sort of blended into the background and though she loved Duncan from afar, he didn't even know she existed.  Now, Duncan had been hired to take over as Principal of the school she is at now.  She is vibrant and he WILL notice her.  She could hardly wait for him to arrive.  But as the saying goes, "Be Careful What You Wish For."   An excellent story.   I recommend this one for Middle Schoolers on up.

Things You Save in a Fire

 Shirley J.                     Adult Fiction                     Lady Firefighter in an old boys network    

Things You Save in a Fire by Catherine Center 368 pages

Cassie Hanwell was enjoying life as a female firefighter in her Texas firehouse.   She is good friends with the other firefighters in her unit and gets along well enough with her commander, who is also female.  Cassie isn't close to her mother, but when her mother gets sick and on the brink of death, Cassie gives up her life in Texas and asks for a transfer to Boston so she can work and care for her.  Cassie's commander gives her a pep talk and tells her to take notes because she will be in for a rude awakening.  The Boston firehouse is all men.  All old school men who absolutely do not want a female on the premises.   They make her life as hard as they can, they haze her and the new rookie mercilessly.   The only way she proves herself is to compete in horrendously difficult exercises, taking challenges during training drills, etc.  She endures cruel treatment from all of her coworkers except the rookie whom she is starting to have feelings for.   A good story with lots of information to glean about firefighters.   I recommend this for middle schoolers on up.   An eye opener on how woman are still being treated today in some careers.  

Visual Intelligence

 Shirley J.                  Adult Non-Fiction                   Improving how you see things through viewing art

Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life by Amy E. Herman    336 pages

This is an amazing book!  You will learn so much from it, I cannot praise it highly enough!  You will learn when looking at anything in your world going forward:  how to see objectively rather than subjectively, how to recognize any bias you may have even if you hadn't realized it before - how our upbringing, our tribe and our environment imprints on us even when we don't know or mean for it too and how to overcome it.  You will learn to say more by saying less.   Amy Herman teaches you how not to miss vital things when observing.  Tiny seemingly insignificant things can be the clue that solves cases for police, FBI, etc. as well as laymen in every day life needing answers.  As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle observed in his Sherlock Holmes character, the fact that the dog didn't bark when the murderer entered told him it knew the murderer.  Doctors have learned to observe their patients instead of the charts.  She has taught teachers and social workers to see the child and the parents involved not the behavior or state of appearance.  One example she cites is a photo of a dark skinned woman holding a very white child with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes.   She asked the class she was teaching her (books) principles to to tell her what they saw.   A social worker told her she was prejudiced making a big deal of the woman's brown skin holding a white child.  Just because their skins were different didn't mean they weren't related.  Amy replied to the class, that she wasn't prejudiced, the child is her son and the lady is their nanny who they all dearly.  The woman apologized but this brought up a good example of how our bias can enfluence how we see things and was a good teaching moment.   There are so many true stories and examples here that emphasize how we need to look deeper and fuller at everything we observe to see what matters most and to see clearer than we ever have before.  That is just the tip of the iceberg.   There is so much more to learn here.   I recommend this to middle schoolers on up, it is never too early to learn to be observant in life to all that is around you.  

Catcher in the Rye

 Shirley J.                          Adult Fiction                           Holden Caulfield says it all

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger  288 pages

In my quest to go back and read the classics, I picked this book up.  I have wondered what it was about since highschool and found it to be a very pleasing read.   Holden Caulfield, now I know.   What a man of many layers.  An empath on one hand and a manic depressive on the other.   He feels the magnitude of any situation good or bad then boils it down to its infinitesimal point then tries to elucidate on it which can be off putting to others, hence why he doesn't have friends just acquaintances.  He is a complicated guy but an interesting one.  Sometimes his thoughts pour out his mouth which can be very confusing for any one other than him.   He doesn't last long in any of his schools and is constantly changing.   He is most often misunderstood but he is his own undoing.  I did like the story though.  I would recommend this to mature teenagers on up.   Holden is a mental tempest.  The original "beautiful mind."

Shadows in the Night

 Shirley J.            adult fiction                                      Archaelogical dig, exhibit and murder    

Shadows in the Night by Heather Graham   244 pages

Mummies, egyptologists and murder!   What's not to like?  There are also a few teaching moments here where the reader will learn a little about Egyptology.    Harley Frasier teams up with FBI special agent Micah Fox to find the killer of Harley's mentor.    Good story.  I would recommend this one to adults, it might be a little too dry for the younger set.

Never Sleep With Strangers

 Shirley J.             Adult Fiction                                      Trapping a murderer        

Never Sleep with Strangers by Heather Graham   456 pages

Wealthy Jon Stuart and his wife were staying at their "castle" in Scotland.  They enjoyed entertaining guests and several friends and colleagues were on hand the night Jon's wife fell to her death by falling from one of the parapets.   Jon was suspected of his wife's murder but was cleared of all charges however his reputation suffered in the process.   He has invited the same group back to the castle for another writer's retreat for charity but this time Jon is determined to find his wife's killer and why anyone would do such a thing.  Good story, very Sherlock Holmes' style.  I recommend this one for adults who I think would find it far more interesting than the younger set.

How to Walk Away

 Shirley J.         Adult Fiction                     Paraplegia, Physical Therapy, old and new relationships        

How to Walk Away by Catherine Center  368 pages

Margaret Jacobsen is terrified of flying but she is so in love with her boyfriend, Chip, that he finally convinces her to fly with him.   While in the air he proposes and gives her his grandmother's engagement ring.  She is ecstatic all her dreams are coming true!  Then the plane crashes and her life takes a number of tragic twists culminating in her being left a paraplegic while her boyfriend walked away with minor healable injuries.   During all she has to endure, the now fiancee either is AWOL or drunk out of his mind when he does deem to drop by.  Chip's mother intervenes and life comes to an unbelievable screeching halt for Margaret and now she has to do physical therapy with a cranky Scotsman who has no sympathy for her and pushes her to her breaking point.  And now her sister who left 3 years ago and was always the black sheep of the family is trying to barge into her life!   A good story, with many funny parts, too.  I would recommend this one to high schoolers on up.

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues

 Shirley J.            Adult Fiction                            Folks growing up together in families & foster homes

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues by Ward Kelsey Moore   320 pages

Great book.  So funny and so real!  The Supremes in this story are 3 friends who grew up in the same neighborhood and church singing together and nicknamed "the Supremes."  There is so much going on in the story and so many characters introduced but each one brings an intriguing aspect like rolling out the dough and adding ingredients to a pie.  Everyone has something delicious to bring to the story.  Unlikely pairs hookup (a sanctified staunch elderly church lady and the elderly owner of a "gentlemen's club"), a woman and her daughter who are psychic and speak to the dead, a Blues Man who left his wife and son disappearing for years then turning up one day to try to reconcile, folks that run the diner, a woman with ambitions to become the new pastor and so many more.   Great stories behind everyone.   I thoroughly enjoyed this story and just found out there is another one with these characters.  I can't wait to read that one.   I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up to seniors.  All ages will enjoy this story.

The Heist

The Heist (Book 3 in the To Catch a Leopard Series)  by C.W. Gortner and M. J. Rose 115 pages

“The Heist” is the final book in this series. Ania and Jerome have separated, although they are still deeply in love with each other. 

Ania has gone into hiding while Jerome has taken a job back in the States a job at a Hollywood studio, It’s the late 1950s and the studio-system has not completely crumbled.

However, Ania’s right hand man in her jewelry business has come to fetch Jerome. It’s time to confront the man Ania believes, no knows, who the Leopard s and is determined to bring him down. And if Jerome insists on getting the way, well, she cannot be held responsible.

I found the outcome of the cat-and-leopard game Ania is playing with the thief interesting and highly entertaining. The result was not as I had anticipated, it was much better.

“The Heist” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Bait

The Bait (Book 2 in the To Catch a Leopard Series)  by C.W. Gortner and M. J. Rose 125 pages

It’s been a year since a cat burglar who goes by “Leopard,” stole Ania Thorne’s most recent collection of one-of-a-kind designer jewelry in Cannes. And one year, since she met insurance investigator Jerome Curtis.

Together, they may not have been able to solve the theft, but they do know who did it, and Anika and Jerome have become lovers. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes.

Now it’s carnival time in Venice. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes. And it’s quite the elaborate plan! Unfortunately, things don’t go their way. They wind up in jail, accused of a crime they did not commit. Once again Ania and Jerome are thwarted when Leopard unexpectedly pops up. This time Ania is able to confront Leopard to no avail.

A fun little read that can be read in one sitting. I love the descriptions of Venice, but I wish there had been more.

 “The Bait” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.