Love Me By Christmas

Love Me By Christmas by Jaci Burton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute little story, Nick is such a great guy for helping out with the two of them. I love books with little kids and they add some humor to a book.

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183 Pages

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

A collection of four novellas from the master of horror.

1922
Wilfred James fully acknowledges that he killed his wife, Arlette, on their Nebraska farm after she continued to pressure him to sell their land to a hog butchery. But he had no idea how she would haunt him after the murder.

Big Driver
After cozy mystery author Tess is raped and left for dead, even she never imagined the lengths she would go to for revenge.

Fair Extension
Dave Streeter has recently been diagnosed with cancer; his best friend, meanwhile, has never had anything go wrong in his life, and Streeter can't help but resent him for it. When one makes a deal with the devil, as Streeter does, there's always a price to pay.

A Good Marriage
When Darcy Anderson stumbles upon a box hidden under a worktable in the garage, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her husband of over twenty years.

368 pages.

Before I Ever Met You by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first I didn't know how I would feel about the fact that they first met when she was so much younger. Age doesn't really matter but they fact that she was so young when they first met was kind of strange at first. But once I got into the book I realized that there was so much more to the book than I would have ever thought. Also I love when there is a child in a book, they add just a little more to the story.

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324 Pages

Scourged (The Iron Druid Chronicles #9)

 Scourged (The Iron Druid Chronicles #9)
by Kevin Hearne

In this finale to the Iron Druid Chronicles, Atticus and his friends and some foes, must team up for a battle royale against the Norse gods of Asgard. 

Decisions that Atticus made in the past have caught up with him and the rest of the world. Loki and Hel are ready for Ragnarok. There is now a global battle to see if the world can be saved or if it will literally be Hel on Earth.

Granuaile joins the fight in Taiwan and learns a lot about herself in the process including what she wants from her life if she survives. Archdruid Owen is traveling the world literally putting out fires and healing the Earth.

I've enjoyed this series a lot and I like the way Owen's story was wrapped up and some of the other details too, but I did not like the way things ended for Atticus and Granuaile and their canine companions.

Marek by Sawyer Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this series and I hope they keep going!! Marek at first comes off as the worst guy in the whole series. I realize that he would have some hate towards her but he takes it so much father. As the book moves on he becomes a better person and realizes that they both made mistakes. He truly does think of her and her feelings.

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226 Pages

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Nicole was only eight her whole family was killed. Later in life those same people realize that she survived and come back for her. When they hold her captured she begins to realize that her family and family business isn't what she thought it was at all. Riker swore he would never fall for a human and could never  forgive her family for what the did in the past. 

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400 Pages

Smut by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blake and Amanda have to work together on a final school project. They didn't want to work with each other and both had their ideas of what they really thought the other was. They began to realize that they work well together and both want to be writers. Blake comes up with the idea to work with Amanda on a book, using a fake name so that people don't know that it is them. They write a few books and in the process they start to fall for each other. 

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315 Pages

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Summary: "The story of twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan and the life-saving discovery of the autoimmune disorder that nearly killed her -- and that could perhaps be the root of "demonic possessions" throughout history."

Even though the movie is now available on Netflix, I would highly recommend reading the book first! Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. The story was gripping. 

Susannah is a great writer, and she is extremely brave to write with such honesty and truth. Her experience with the medical system (doctors, hospitals, endless tests, lack of answers, medical bills), is relatable to us all. 

Through her story, she also does an excellent job of explaining the mysteries of the brain: how it's structured, how it works, what happens when it "breaks," etc. 

I hope that every doctor, especially neurologists, read this! 

264 pages

The Lie by Karina Halle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, I dropped it down a star just because of how they met. I just don't know that I agree with it all. I understand that he wasn't happy and you can't always help it when you meet someone that you just fall for fast. I just think there is a different way that you can handle the issue. The ending to this story was very good though, I enjoyed that Brigs finally stepped up and told everyone how he really met Natasha. 

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292 Pages

The Debt by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wish that Keir would have been honest with Jessica from the beginning of the story. But of course they could not start the book off like that. He doesn't need to feel guilty about what happened, but he should have told her right away.  

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264 Pages

Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries: A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery, Book 1 by Tonya Kappas

SUMMARY: When her husband is arrested for a Ponzi scheme that bilks business associates, friends and acquaintances out of their life savings, his wife, Mae West, is left penniless except for a rundown tourist campground in Normal, Kentucky. Turns out many of the residents of Normal were also cheated out of their money, so Mae is greeted with less than open arms. As Mae struggles to make amends to the townspeople, her now ex-husband escapes from prison only to wind up murdered on the campground. As the evidence mounts against her, Mae sets out to figure out what really happened to her ex.

REVIEW: This book could definitely benefit from the work of an editor. But if you can get past that, the characters are kind of fun. I’m willing to give book 2 a try.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5                       PAGES: 212

Say You’re Sorry: Morgan Dane, Book 1 by Melinda Leigh

SUMMARY: Morgan Dane is pulling her life back together after the unexpected death of her husband, finally accepting a position in Scarlett Fall’s prosecutor’s office. But before she begins her new job, her babysitter is killed and Nick, her next door neighbor, is accused of the murder. Morgan’s gut tells her Nick is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Putting her career on hold, she asks an old friend, Lance Kruger who is an ex-cop turned private investigator, to help identify the real killer.

REVIEW: The pace is quick and the plot is strong. The Morgan-Lance relationship drives me a bit nuts, but there is promise it will improve over time. I’ll let you know when I finish book 2!

RATING: 4 out of 5           PAGES: 338

Fireworks Fiasco: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery, Book 29 by Kathi Daley

SUMMARY: When Zak’s honorary grandmother, Nona, wakes up next to a dead body, she flees to Zoe for help. When Zoe and Nona return to the scene of the crime, the body is gone. Is Nona finally losing it, or is something else going on?

REVIEW: This is book 29 in the series and I have read them all, so guess I must like the writing, characters and plot! A fun series.

RATING: 5 out of 5           PAGES: 200

Rockets’ Dead Glare: Tourist Trap Mystery by Lynn Cahoon

SUMMARY: Fire Chief Barry Gleason threatens to shut down local businesses in South Cove over minor (and sometimes made-up) fire code violations. So there are plenty of residents who are up-in-arms, but is one angry enough to have murdered him? Jill Gardner must put her sleuthing skills to work to make sure the local police catch the right perpetrator.

REVIEW: Short, sweet and to the point. The romance doesn’t quite work for me, but the mystery was fine.

RATING: 4 out of 5                           PAGES: 77

The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

SUMMARY: In this science fiction quartet, Lowry creates what appears to be a utopian society that quickly proves to be dystopian in nature. Each book in the series centers on a different character overcoming obstacles to make the world a better place. The books in this series MUST be read in order.

REVIEW: I actually read book 1 in the series, The Giver, many years ago and found it engaging and thought-provoking, so when I landed on YA Novel in the most recent MOSL Book Game, I decided to give the rest of the series a try. In books 2-4, Lowry continues her masterful storytelling and challenges us to live a kinder and more empathetic life. I am sure there are excellent study guides available to foster good discussion.

RATING: 5 out of 5

BOOKS READ THIS MONTH IN THE SERIES:

Gathering Blue, Book 2, 256 pages

Messenger, Book 3, 192 pages

Son, Book 4, 400 pages

Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventures by Deborah Coonts

SUMMARY: Lucky’s role at the Babylon Casino is to keep a wrap on anything that might spoil the image that only fun and frolic abound in Las Vegas. So when a woman dies falling from a tour helicopter, Lucky has a publicity nightmare on her hands.

REVIEW: The series starts realllllly sloooowly, but quickly picks up after the main characters are introduced. There are plenty of twists and turns, wisecracks and awkward situations to make it engaging. But the humor may not be for everyone.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

BOOKS IN SERIES:

Wanna Get Lucky? Book 1, 394 pages

Lucky Stiff, Book 2, 400 pages

Scornful Scones, Cozy Corgi Mystery, Book 5 by Mildred Abbot

SUMMARY: Winfred “Fred” Page and her dog, Watson, are back in the fifth installment of the Cozy Corgi Mystery series. This time around, Fred suspects a victim who appeared to choke on a dreadfully dry scone was actually murdered. Will Fred’s gut instincts prove correct and how much grief will she get from Police Sergeant Branson Wexler as she once again pokes her nose in where it doesn’t belong.

REVIEW: I know last month I gave this series a 4.5, but I am lowering it to a 3. I was really expecting there to be more chemistry between characters by now. The corgi is still a cutie, though! So, a pleasant, but not outstanding series.

RATING: 3 out of 5           PAGES: 300

The Pact by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Linden, Stephanie and James have been friends for a few years. James and Stephanie use to date and than things ended. Linden and Stephanie make a pact that if they are not married by the time they turn age 30, they will get married. They are 25 at the time. This story is the short version of the first 5 years, than the last year goes a little slower. James still doesn't think he is over Stephanie, so this makes it hard for Linden to admit that he hast real feelings for Stephanie. 

I didn't know how I would feel about a romance where half the book they are not even together but this was a nice fun little twist to the normal romance stories. 

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287 Pages

The Offer by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bram is Linden's brother, so you get to know a little about him from book one. He isn't at all what he is lead to be from that book. He is so much more and he just doesn't let people know because they think that he is still the same person he was years ago. I didn't see the plot twist that was coming in this book. Nicola is a single mother to a little girl, and in the beginning of the book they discover that she has a health issue and Nicola loses her job. Bram comes to her rescue. 

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358 Pages

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp/J.K. Rowling

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp/J.K. Rowling

A must read for Muggles and wizards alike, Quidditch Through the Ages has the answer to every question about Quidditch you've ever wanted to know.

64 pages.

Tapping the Billionaire by Max Monroe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great romance and humor book. Kline decides to ask Georgia out to an event to avoid the date that his mother is trying to set him up with. Than Georgia has a reaction to something and they have to change plans for the night. Realizing that they have feelings for each other. They are also both hiding a secret that comes back on both of them. This adds to the humor of the book. 

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368 Pages

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Summary: "Two centuries ago, in the town of Sparrow, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. For a brief time each summer the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under. Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But on the eve of the sisters' return a boy named Bo Carter arrives, unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into. Now Penny will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself."

Wow, wow, wow! This book is creepy, haunting and wonderful. Loved it!

310 pages

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Oregon City, 1851. The Commodore has ordered that Hermann Kermit Warm must die and if the Commodore has ordered it, it must be so. And the Commodore has the perfect men in mind for the job---brothers Eli and Charlie Sisters, two assassins known to never miss the mark. Though Eli doesn't share Charlie's love of whiskey and killing, he can't conceive of a life without it. However, Warm and his comrade Morris aren't about to make things easy on the Sisters brothers, and the journey from Oregon City to Sacramento leaves Eli questioning not just his way of living, but his association with the Commodore. 

328 pages.

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and found it to be very interesting. However, I just don't agree with the fact that Kiersten was able to just skip past the secret that Wes was hiding from her. I get that maybe you feel bad because of what the secret was, but I don't agree with the fact that she wasn't even mad about it.

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250 Pages

  Toxic by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gabe was so amazing to Kiersten, but was just awful to Saylor. Even if he always had feelings for her, he didn't need to treat her the way he did. Saylor learns what secret he is hiding when she starts working at a group home. Saylor was such an amazing person and stood by Gabe during the hardest part of his life.

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340 Pages

  Shame by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa/Mel has an even darker secret than any of the other ones in this series. Also Tristan is hiding a deep secret from Lisa. This book also tells the sick story of what Taylor did to Lisa and how he is related to Tristan. Taylor's story was just very twisted and hard to listen too, he was a very messed up person.

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244 Pages