Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio reading time: 8 hours, 34 minutes. 352 pages

Leslie Petrusco transfers to Haggerty Construction branch in Virgin River just to get away from her ex-husband! They are constantly running into each other in town and he is always so happy, and tells everyone about his new wife’s pregnancy. That really chaps Leslie, because he never wanted children with her. So, off to Virgin River Leslie goes, she is the new office manager there.

Paul Haggerty, the owner’s son of Haggerty Construction, is the manger there in Virgin River. He welcomes Leslie and makes her feel like family. 

Danson Connor ran a family owned hardware store in a different town, until he witnessed a murder and was put into the witness protection program after his store was burned to the ground. His new name is Connor Danson and he now lives in Virgin River and works for Haggerty construction.

When he and Leslie first met they both could feel the attraction, but neither one was ready for a relationship. As their story unfolds you see that they both want the same things in life, they want commitment and love. Then the ex’s show up and they have to work through that before they can become involved.

Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio reading time:  7 hours, 8 minutes.  336 pages.

What Becca Timm wants most for Christmas is: getting over Denny Cutler.

Becca and Denny were so in love when they were in college. Denny broke Becca’s heart before heading off to war. She has told everyone that she is over him, she has a new boyfriend and has moved on, or has she?

She has to find out if it is truly over between her and Denny before she starts the next chapter in her life. So, she invites herself on a hunting trip with her brother and friends to Virgin River. There they will meet up with Denny and spend the weekend hunting and hanging out.

Then she breaks her ankle and cannot travel, so she is stuck in Virgin River for at least a week. Her brother leaves her behind and Denny feels responsible for the accident and agrees to take care of her.

As Christmas grows near and the town comes together for the festivities, Becca sees what has drawn Denny to Virgin River and its people. She also sees that the boy she was in love with has turned into a beautiful, strong and confident man.

As time draws near for when Becca can travel, she realizes she can’t leave for she is still in love with Denny.

Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio Reading time:  8 hours, 59 minutes.  368 pages.

Kelly Matlock a rising sous-chef suddenly realizes that the life she thought she had is gone. She was in love with her married boss, who had her convinced that he was divorcing his wife, which was a lie. She has put her heart and soul into the restaurant and it broke her spirit that she could no longer work there. Her life as she had known it was gone; she goes to her sister Jillian's house in Virgin River to rest and figure out what she will do next.

As Kelly helps in Jill's garden and cooks up delicious meals with the heirloom vegetables Jillian grows, it’s a far cry from the type of cooking and lifestyle she is used to. Then she meets handsome Lief Holbrook, a widower who is a screenwriter. But less appealing is Lief's rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She's the reason they moved from L.A., but Courtney's finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River. Over time Lief, Kelly and Courtney realize how much they love each other and become a family.

Wildman Creek by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio reading time: 10 hours, 46 minutes. 368 pages

Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a helicopter crash. His family is supportive, but it’s his art than truly soothes his troubled soul. 

PR guru Jillian Matlock arrived in town recovering from someone she worked with and trusted, stabbing her in the back. She’s bought an old Victorian house that reminded her of her grandmother’s house. She looked forward to working in the garden knowing it will soothe her emotionally.   

When Jillian looks out into her fields she finds Colin at his easel in her yard. Colin paints wildlife to help him relax and let his mind and body heal. There seems to be sparks, but both of them ignore the attraction. Neither one is looking for love, but, as time goes on they realize that they were brought to Virgin River to find one another.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

This saga of a very unusual family in an unnamed South American country (Chile) is told by Allende in the
'magical realism' style, in which fantasy elements are interwoven with a very realistic story.  The story follows the Trueba family, and their fortunes parallel that of their homeland.  We meet the matriarch of the family, Clara, when she is yet a child, and her unusual and beautiful older sister, Rosa, who just happens to have green hair and the aura of the sea about her.  Clara is a clairvoyant, and attracts others to her who engage in various types of spiritualism, as well as poets, writers, and other artists. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, including that of Esteban Trueba, who becomes Clara's husband and the patron of the family.  Esteban is very conservative politically, and patronizes the peasants who work on the farm in the countryside.  Through his eyes, and those of his children, we see the buildup to the peasant uprisings and revolution, and then the military backlash to put a conservative government back in power.  This is a story rich in symbolism, in which the condition of the House of the Truebas stands as symbol for the health of the country at the time.  Allende conveys very vividly the flavor of living through the Chilean revolution and the suffering of those in poverty both before and after the revolution.  Along the way there is much to laugh at and much sadness, a very full journey.  488 pages.

Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History by Ben Mezrich

Thad Roberts is a genius, so how did he end up in prison? Thad Roberts one day decided to become an intern at NASA. He became known by his fellow pears as a thrill-seeking daredevil. One day he hears that scientists at NASA believe the moon rocks contained in the facility are considered "junk." After hearing this, Thad starts planning on how to steal the moon rocks. Little does he know that a potential buyer has connected with the FBI to try to catch Thad in the act. But selling "worthless" moon rocks couldn't possibly get Thad into trouble, right? Though everyone knows the end result, as the saying goes: "It isn't the destination; it's the journey."



I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Bill Delaney
Time: 9 hours, 21 minutes
ISBN: 9780385533928
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 322

"Nocturne: Creatures of the Night" by Traer Scott

I picked up this book on the recommendation of Christa at UCPL and also because I love animals.  I was not disappointed!  The photographer used a homemade "little black box" in which she placed the smaller animals and insects to keep them calm and get better pictures with a black background.  All of these creatures are mostly nocturnal or crepuscular (most active at dusk and dawn), but some have had to become diurnal due to the interference of humans.  The close-up photos are all wonderful, so I just cannot pick a favorite (although the Fennec fox on the cover is super cute)!  There are also explanations of the biggest threats to nocturnal animals as well as a list of organizations that help them and their habitats.  Highly recommended.  128 pages.

"You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes" by Chris Hadfield

While working on the International Space Station, Hadfield took some really amazing photos of different parts of the Earth, and this book is the result.  The unexpected colors and geometric designs were fascinating, and I would like to have large copies of some to hang on my walls.  The crop circles in Libya formed by center-pivot irrigation looked like Braille while other shapes naturally made looked like various animals.  The Tongue of the Ocean, which is a trench between two islands in the Bahamas, was one of my favorites with flowing shades of blue.  I first saw this book posted in the UCPL book blog by Christa.  200 pages.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Summary: "Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illéa, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illéa's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her." 

The Selection is the first book in a trilogy by Kiera Cass. It's kind of like The Hunger Games meets the Bachelor. The story starts out a bit slow, but picks up once America (weird name!) finally gets to the castle and meets the Prince. Overall, the book could be a little more developed, but I actually couldn't put it down towards the end. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

327 pages

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Sarah Grimke grew up in Charleston, South Carolina during the nineteenth century. Her family was part of the privileged, wealthy,  slave-owning class; her father was a renowned judge, and they were considered at the top of the planter class, the elite of society. Yet at a young age, Sarah somehow became opposed to slavery. As a young woman, she became a Quaker, moved north, and became an abolitionist. Later, she and her younger sister, Angelina, became the first female abolition agents in America, and among the earliest feminist thinkers.

This is a fictionalized story about Sarah and a slave girl given to her on her eleventh birthday to be her personal maid. Hetty was the same age as Sarah, and their stories are told in alternating chapters of the book. The story of Sarah is based very closely on the actual historical events. However, the story of Handful (Hetty's slave name) is largely fiction.  The two parallel stories draw a stark contrast between the lives of slaves, and those who enslaved them.

This is a powerful book about the ways in which societies structure themselves on power and privilege - and then lie to themselves about the injustice inherent in these systems.


384 pages

Of Neptune by Anna Banks

Emma and Galen take a much needed vacation. With a suggestion by Emma's grandfather, Emma and Galen end up in a town called Neptune.

The town of Neptune is full of half-breeds like Emma, which bothers Galen. The two get into a fight and Galen leaves.

Emma begins to learn more about the citizens of Neptune, but begins to miss Galen, even with being around those like her.

Galen is caught by someone from Neptune and is tortured for information.


Will other Syrena find out about those from Neptune? Will a war break out between the factions?

I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Kerry Dukin
Time: 9 hours, 9 minutes
ISBN: 9781250039606
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 336

The Syrena Legacy:
#1-Of Poseidon
#2-Of Triton
#3-Of Neptune

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Emma has been confirmed a half-breed Syrena, which are considered abominations by the salt water dwelling Syrena. She also finds out that her mother is a Poseidon princess and was originally mated to Galen's brother, the king of the Triton faction of Syrena.

Galen's brother is about to be mated to an impostor. Emma's mother see's Galen's brother for the first time in many years, and things between them seem to go back to the way they were. Without Emma, the others go to the sea to try to get Grom out of being mated to the impostor. When they reach the Syrena kingdom, they find that the royals are being questioned on their ruling.

Emma must come to the rescue to try to bring the kingdom back to order, but this could end up being deadly for Emma.

I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Kerry Dukin
Time: 7 hours, 37 minutes
ISBN: 9781250003331
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 256

The Syrena Legacy:
#1-Of Poseidon
#2-Of Triton
#3-Of Neptune

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Emma is a klutz with odd violet eyes. And of course, while on vacation with her best friend, Emma falls into Galen, the only boy she has ever met with her same eye color (with the exception of Galen's twin sister). Disaster strikes when her friend is attacked by a shark and dies.

Galen gets a sense on Emma, who he is now sure is Syrena (a mermaid, though don't call them that), like him. Galen ends up following Emma back to her home in New Jersey and puts himself into all of her classes. Galen is not just drawn to Emma because of the possibility that she is Syrena, he believes he feels a pull to her.

The question on whether Emma is answered as well as who her actual parents are.

I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Kerry Dukin
Time: 10 hours, 54 minutes
ISBN: 9781250027368
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 384

The Syrena Legacy:
#1-Of Poseidon
#2-Of Triton
#3-Of Neptune

Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

A lot of crazy things have happened to Alice since her parents and sister passed away. She has been with on again off again bad-boy Cole and has the ability to kill zombie spirits. Things get crazier when Alice finds out her name is actually Samantha and the mom she thought was her mom was not her real mother. Alice and Cole's group gets together with another pack of slayers (people who can kill zombie spirits) in order to defeat Anima, an institution that has been trying to control zombie spirits. Though this was originally supposed to be the final book in the series, fans begged for more and the author has obliged. The fourth book is to come at the end of September 2015.


I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Martha Harmon Pardee
Time: 12 hours, 5 minutes
ISBN: 9780373211319
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 464

The White Rabbit Chronicles:
#1-Alice in Zombieland
#2-Through the Zombie Glass
#3-Queen of Zombie Hearts
#4-A Mad Zombie Party (Coming September 2015)