"Twice Tempted" by Jeaniene Frost

This book is the sequel to Once Burned and is about Vlad Tepesh, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, and his relationship with Leila Dalton. She and Vlad have been living in his castle in Romania for a while, but when she doesn't get a declaration of love from Vlad but an offer to turn her into a vampire, she leaves him to go back to her old life in the circus.  Unfortunately, Vlad has many enemies and hurting Leila is the perfect way to get back at him, but does he truly love her?

This was a quick and suspenseful story with lots of action.  Vlad and Leila are an intriguing couple since they both have unusual and dangerous abilities. Electricity runs through her body, and she can read minds, among other things.  However, keeping those abilities straight can be a little confusing; and Vlad is not easy to like.  There will definitely be a third novel in this "Night Prince" series.  371 pages.

"Admit One" by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

Tom Smith is a high school history teacher in the small, west Texas town of Gunning.  He's so deeply in the closet that, even though he's taught there for 15 years, no one in Gunning knows he is gay.  His reasons are two fold.  First, he believes that his career would be ruined, and second, he was the victim of a hate crime many years ago that still affects him deeply.  So when the music teacher asks Tom to help the kids put on the musical Rent, he's terrified that not only will this stir up major trouble for the school and the students, he's also afraid that the homosexuality in it will lead to someone discovering that he is gay.

This was a wonderful and very moving story of a man trying to find the courage to believe that he is worthy of love and acceptance for who he really is.  The hate crime wounded Tom both physically and emotionally, and the reader takes his journey with him as he tries to work through his fears and doubts to be with someone special.  The author does a great job of using Rent as a way for Tom to come to terms with what he wants in life, which is what all of us want - to be loved and accepted for who we are.  Highly recommended but only for open-minded adults.  350 pages (Kindle edition).

"Chasing the Mailman" by Amber Redd

This suspenseful story centers on a giant werewolf that is terrorizing the small ranching community of Stone Trail.  Usher Addison loses a horse but soon finds the mauled carcass surrounded by huge paw prints.  Later, he's nearly attacked in the snowy woods by the werewolf while looking for his dog, but another wolf rescues him.  When Usher can't get the local game warden or sheriff to take him seriously, the new mailman offers to help him protect his horses and his neighbor's dairy cows from the vicious monster.

This was an unusual story that dragged the suspense along . . . too long, in my opinion.  Plus, Usher's interior dialog was written like a conversation to himself, and there was a lot of it, so much that it became distracting.  165 pages (Kindle edition).

"A SEAL's Seduction" by Tawny Weber

This so-so contemporary romance centers on Dr. Alexia Lane, a neuroscientist who has just moved back to San Diego for work.  Unfortunately, this move also brings her closer to her high ranking Naval officer father and socialite mother, neither of whom approves of her career.  One night, she meets Navy SEAL Blake Landon, who has been forced into leave for two weeks after witnessing the death of his close friend on a mission.  They have a weekend hook-up without exchanging much information, so Alexia is shocked to see Blake in uniform at her father's retirement party.  Naturally, she ends their affair due to her "no dating military men" rule, and they don't see each other again until she's kidnapped and Blake is ordered to rescue her many months later.

I didn't enjoy much in this book, and Alexia wasn't easy to like.  For supposedly being so smart, she made some really dumb choices.  The reason for her kidnapping and the rescue scenes really strained credibility.  224 pages.

Silenced by the Yams by Karen Cantwell

I admit, I am drawn to humorous book titles, especially if a cozy mystery might be involved. So when Silenced by the Yams showed up on a free list and had good reviews, I quickly snatched it up. The heroine is Barbara Marr, a movie reviewer with a popular website, who regularly finds herself in trouble. This is no exception - the victim literally lands on top of her. Plenty of humor and a cliffhanger ending. I will be keeping up with this series. This is book three. Due to the suspenseful ending, I suspect I will read book four, then go back and pick up one and two. 142 pages.

Stranded by Lorena McCourtney

Little old lady Ivy Malone continues to make me laugh out loud as she once again puts her sleuthing skills to work. Still on the run from the mob, Ivy finds herself stranded in Hello, Colorado, where her RV breaks down. While she receives a friendly welcome, she also still maintains her usual run of bad luck of finding herself in the middle of a murder to solve. There are plenty of fun characters in this cozy mystery series. This is book four in the Ivy Malone series. The sad part? I don't see a book five available. 320 pages.

Black Fridays by Michael Sears

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Jason has spent two years in jail for illegal trade accounting. After his release the FBI wants him to investigate a huge firm to find out who and how they are skimming millions of dollars. He also has ex-wife problems and a young child with problems. 

Audio:  11 hrs. 2 min.

Print:  432 pages

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Jack Reacher is hitching a ride to Virginia but ends up in a conspiracy of national importance, he is wanted or hunted by both sides. After all, he is in Kansas City, Mo hitching a ride to Virginia.  405 pages.

Inside Out and Back Again

Author: Thanhha Lai
Pages: 272


Cover Blurb:

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.

For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.
This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

I would recommend this book, it is eye opening and charming. This book is about starting over and doing the best you can with the circumstances you find yourself in. It's about the human spirit.

Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls

Author: David Sedaris
Pages:275

Cover blurb: From the unique perspective of David Sedaris comes a new book of essays taking his readers on a bizarre and stimulating world tour. From the perils of French dentistry to the eating habits of the Australian kookaburra, from the squat-style toilets of Beijing to the particular wilderness of a North Carolina Costco, we learn about the absurdity and delight of a curious traveler's experiences. Whether railing against the habits of litterers in the English countryside or marveling over a disembodied human arm in a taxidermist's shop, Sedaris takes us on side-splitting adventures that are not to be forgotten.

As always, I am never disappointed and always glad I read one of Sedaris' wonderful books. I would recommend!

Alex Cross Run by James Patterson

The latest in the Alex Cross series finds the detective pursuing not one, but two serial killers, while himself being the target of a third.

Alex is so busy trying to find the two murderers before they strike again that he hasn’t noticed someone stalking him.  He begins to have confrontations with a man who claims to be a reporter but has no credentials from an established organization. Then he discovers that this man has a blog on which he claims to be a watchdog keeping tabs on corruption in the D.C. police force. He seems to be focused on Alex Cross, and writes accusatory blogs about him regularly. He continues to show up at crime scenes, taunting Alex until he gets a reaction, then publishing photos of the resulting scene.

As usual, Patterson has devised an imaginative and suspenseful plot. It is fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. The blogger story line is very relevant to what is going on with today’s media, and may be even scarier than serial killers.

432 pages

The Butterfly Mosque by Willow Wilson

The Butterfly Mosque by Willow Wilson

In this memoir, Willow Wilson, who was raised by atheist parents, describes her search for religion after a serious illness. She was a college student when she fell ill, and as she began to investigate religions, she decided that she was a monotheist.  Islam seemed to her to be the choice she would be most comfortable with. She began to take college courses in Islamic Studies and other Middle Eastern courses.  After she graduated, she talked a girlfriend into moving to Cairo, Egypt with her to teach in an   English-language high school.

She converts to Islam once there, and begins to immerse herself in the culture and religion. It is a lot more difficult than she anticipated. She meets Omar, a young man who resents Western influences in his country. They forge a fast friendship, and begin to spend most of their time together.  In that culture, men and women do not date, so their relationship is challenging as they try to navigate the two cultures. Eventually they marry. Wilson records her struggle to forge a “third culture” that will accommodate her values without compromising them or alienating her friends and family at home, or those she comes to value in Egypt.

She offers insights into Islamic culture, distinguishing carefully between the radical fundamentalists who hate the West and the majority of peaceful Muslims. An interesting look at an often misunderstood and polarizing faith.

320 pages

A Little Help From My Friends…And Other Hilarious Tales of Graying Graciously by Jean Carnahan

 

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Jean Carnahan, having attained the grand age of 77, decided to share her experiences with those of us coming along behind her. In a series of 38 essays in which she converses with her imaginary friend Edna, she addresses such topics as malls, manners, makeup, beauty secrets, bras, airport security, grandchildren, habits, health, and much, much more.

“We’ve tackled the aggravations of aging the only way we knew how,” says the former U.S. Senator, “with sunny abandonment.”

She reveals the 100 Signs that You May Be Getting Old, the 30 Laws of Inevitability, the 47 Things She Misses from the Good Old Days, and the 31 Things She Doesn’t Miss at all. Fortunately, as she says, laughing at life never gets old.

 

I found this a thoroughly enjoyable and very quick read.

192 pages

On the Run by Lorena McCourtney

Invisible little-old-lady Ivy Malone is on the move, trying to escape from the Braxtons who have her murder on their mind. She hops into an RV and heads to parts unknown, not even letting family and friends know where she is going. Still, it is not enough to keep her out of trouble. This time she winds up on an emu farm where she stumbles across not one, but two dead bodies. I highly recommend this lighthearted, Christian mystery series.  320 pages.