Promises in Death

Promises in Death
by J.D. Robb

As the 28th book in a series (and no, I'm not kidding), this book follows a tried but true line. And that's why I love them! Familiar characters (Dallas, Roarke, Peabody and the rest of the gang), some future tech (but not too future), and a kick-ass attitude. I started this book last night thinking I'd read for a bit before I went to bed. And finished the book 4 1/2 hours later -- way too late (or too early, depending on your point of view). But once into it, I couldn't put it down. Like all of the "in Death" books, the end is fast paced and gripping. This one had a bit of a twist in that the vic was someone who was one of the good guys, and had been around for a few books. These are not books that you can read one after the other -- the plot lines are pretty similar, after all. But one every month or so is awesome! I hope there are many more in the series.

©2009, G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN 978-0-399-15548-2

The Girl She Used To Be

The Girl She Used To Be
by David Cristofano

This is the first novel from this author. Premise: girl who has been in the witness protection service since she was 6 is now 26. She's moved around about five or six times, and has that many identities. Both parents are dead and all she wants is to be her real identity. Problem: she and her parents witness a mob killing and the feds are sure the mob is still looking for her.

So, she's on the move again. First night in a hotel, the son of the mob family finds her. Surprise! He doesn't want to kill her -- he wants to protect her and give her a real life.

Who should she trust? Where can she turn? What is the cost of freedom?

Ultimately, the ending was not as satisfactory as one might hope. However, it was more realistic and I guess that counts for something. This was a relatively quick read with some good characters, even if the girl did seem a bit whiny at points.

©2009, Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 978-0-446-58222-3

The Sorceress

The Sorceress
by Michael Scott

The Sorceress is the third book in the series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel." The first two books are The Alchemyst and The Magician. They are a young adult fantasy series. I love them! They incorporate real people and fantasy characters into a huge battle for the fate of our world and the human race.

The whole story line focuses around Nicholas and Pernelle Flamel, famous alchemists (real people) during the 1600s. They have discovered the secret of immortality and are searching for the twins of prophecy who will help save the world. Present day, they own a bookstore in San Francisco. They meet Josh & Sophie Newman, and believe they are the twins they have been searching for.

Convincing them of this, teaching them the magic of the elements, and preparing them for the battles that lie ahead seems like it might take awhile, but must happen FAST, because the dark forces are closing in. The three books take place over about one week. No wonder the twins often doubt what's happening and their role in things.

The books are fast paced, interesting, and filled with wondrous and mysterious things. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, The Necromancer, due soon!

©2009, Delacorte Press
ISBN 978-0-385-73529-2

Storyville USA

Storyville USA
by Dale Peterson

This is a non-fiction book that combines two of my nerdy favorites: road trips and research for nerdy things. Storyville is the tale of a father and his two children who drive across the US visiting towns with unique names. Their goal is to find out why Between, Georgia and Sleepy Eye, MN are named the way they are. Of course, they visit a ton of places and meet the locals who are, usually, happy to share what they know. The trip starts in Start, Louisiana, and ends all the way at the Arctic Ocean in Alaska. While the author is, at times, a bit wordy and occasionally wanders off task, this was still an enjoyable read. He writes like people talk, and the whole experiment sounds like a whole lot of fun. Good reading, and makes me want to do a little more map reading and research. I am such a geek! :)

©1999, The University of Georgia Press
ISBN 0-8203-2151-6

The Family Man

The Family Man
by Elinor Lipman

This was a "nice" story. Henry, a gay man, gets back in touch with his ex-wife (uh-huh, you heard me) after her husband dies. He then gets in touch with his former step-daughter, whom he hasn't seen in 25 odd years. He has some guilt issues about that, and frustration issues about dealing with his ex. But he loves his daughter and wants to be involved in her life. At the same time, his ex hooks him up with a new love, Todd. Lots of changes for Henry!

The Family Man is a good read, with interesting characters and a plot that turns and twists, without being too unrealistic. It seems that Lipman has written about a dozen books, and if they are like this one, I think they'll make an enjoyable read.

©2009, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 978-0-618-64466-7

white hot

white hot
by Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown has written 6 million books. OK, that is an exaggeration. Slightly. I know I've read several of hers before -- usually a little bit of romance, some mystery, perhaps some crazy family dynamics, and takes place in the south. This book is no different.

It was a nice, easy read that had all the requisite parts of a Sandra Brown novel. Daughter hates family, and has left to make a new life for herself, vowing never to return. However, her younger brother commits suicide and so, reluctantly, she comes home. She hates the town, her dad and the business he runs that runs the town, her older brother and his disregard for everyone except himself, and their new, slick lawyer (even though he's hot). She's only going to stay for the funeral, then head back to her real life. But the lawyer gets her to stay -- for a night -- by telling her that maybe the suicide was murder.

Of course, she stays longer to figure that out. And encounters lots of other issues she thought she'd left behind.

This book was no earth-shattering novel, but it's a good summer read.

©2004, Simon & Schuster
ISBN 0-7432-4553-9

Fresh Air

Fresh Air
by Charlotte Vale Allen

I'm pretty sure I've read books by this author before, but I don't know which ones. And she has written a crap ton, so really, it's anybody's guess which one(s) I've read. I can't say if any of her other books are good, but this one was terrific!

Set in the mid-90s, it tells the story of a woman who, after her mother dies, completely isolates herself from the outside world. She used to have a life, she used to go out, she used to be relatively famous. And now, she works as a text editor for websites, and orders everything she needs online. Until one summer day, when she meets a young girl in her own front yard. Slowly, Lucinda comes back to life, to the present, and learns to live again.

There are a few twists and turns, and at one point, I said, "Wow. Didn't see that coming!" This book is a nice, easy read, that tells a great story.

©2003, MIRA Books
ISBN 1-55166-682-0

bookends

bookends, by Jane Green

I like Jane Green's novels. I have read three or four of them, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with another. And I was right. bookends is the story of Cath and her friends Si, Josh, and Lucy. They are 30-somethings, and have been friends since college. They all live in London and have pretty much adjusted to the idea of being grown-ups.

When a former college friend comes back into their lives, things change. Old stories are revisited, Josh might be having an affair, Cath & Lucy are trying to start a new business, Si meets a man who no one else likes, Cath meets a man who likes her, but who she thinks of as just a friend.

What I like about other books by Green is true of bookends, too. The characters are funny, realistic, and face normal problems. The solution isn't always easy, and it's not always happily ever after. But it is satisfactory -- no one is left hanging.

©2001, Broadway Books
ISBN 0-7679-0780-9

The Goodbye Summer

The Goodbye Summer, by Patricia Gaffney

This is a nice book. Nothing too earthshattering, but nice. It tells the story of Caddie, a 32-year-old single woman living with her grandmother. Her mother is dead, and she never knew her father. She is perfectly happy with her life, until her grandmother breaks her leg and moves into Wake House, kind of like a retirement home (definitely not a nursing home).

Caddie has a hard time adjusting to living alone, and makes friends with all the other elderly (mostly) residents of Wake House. The Goodbye Summer is at times funny, sad, poignant, and aggravating. Sometimes, I just wanted to shake Caddie and say, "wake up! Life doesn't work that way!" Other times, I was laughing so hard I had to put the book down. But in the end, this book tells a story of living life, with all the hellos and goodbyes that entails.

©2004, HarperCollins
ISBN 0-06-018529-5

The Well and the Mine

The Well and the Mine, by Gin Phillips

You MUST read this book! I picked it up at Border's because of one sentence on the back cover:

"In a small Alabama coal-mining town during the summer of 1931, nine-year-old Tess Moore sits on her back porch and watches a woman toss a baby into her family's well without a word."

The other introductory part made this a book that I usually wouldn't read -- a little too sappy, maybe -- but that sentence drew me in, and I'm so glad it did! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

I liked the format of the book, too. Different characters are the narrator on and off throughout the book -- Tess and Virgie, the daughters, Jack, the son, and Albert and Leta, the parents. It's never confusing, though. It is always clearly labeled who is the narrator.

Not only does this book explore the mystery of the baby in the well, it also touches on the ideas of sacrifice, family, race, and small town life, all without being preachy. I'm not going to go into too many details about the story itself, because I want you to read it without knowing what's going to happen next! So, find this book at your library, or ask me to loan you mine. I will, as long as you promise to give it back! :)

©2007, Riverhead Books
ISBN 978-1-59448-449-0

My Lobotomy

My Lobotomy, by Howard Dully

This is definitely not a "feel good" read. It was, however, interesting, frustrating, and satisfying. As you might guess from the title, this book tells the true story of Howard, who at age 12 (12!) was given a lobotomy at the demands of his stepmother..

The book starts with a long backstory about his mother's and father's families and background. They came from two very different social backgrounds, but were happy until she died after giving birth to her third son. Howard was the oldest child, and was a bit of a troublemaker -- nothing terrible, but just your average boy. His father eventually remarried Lou, a woman with a son of her own, and she and Howard just never got along. She blamed him for everything, even when it wasn't his fault. She became convinced something was wrong with him, and took him to tons of doctors and psychiatrists to try and figure it out.

She finally took him to Dr. Charles Freeman, who was a "pioneer" in the lobotomy business. All I can say is "Thank God that's not a real medical option anymore." He was most famous for developing the technique where he took two ice picks, inserted them through the eye sockets (OMG!) and moved them around enough to mess up the front part of the brain. It usually wasn't fatal, and was supposed to help people suffering from emotional disorders.

The book goes on to tell about the rest of Howard's life -- he lives in an insane asylum, becomes a drug addict, marries a few different women, becomes homeless, and, in general, has a really shitty life. He finally meets a woman who helps him turn his life around, and in his mid-50s, he starts digging and trying to find out WHY he'd had the lobotomy.

While I can't say this book was always enjoyable, the story behind this man's life, combined with the story of Dr. Freeman is one that I'm glad I read.

©2007, Three Rivers Press
ISBN 978-0-307-38127-9