The Remains of the Dead by Wendy Roberts

The Remains of the Dead (Ghost Dusters Mysteries, No. 1) by Wendy Roberts

After picking up a few books and putting them back down, I knew this one was going to keep me enthralled after the first few pages! And I was right :)

Everything about this book works great! The characters are terrific - Sadie and Zack are the main characters - Sadie owns a cleaning service that specializes in post-death cleanup (ok - how wonderfully vivid is THAT??!!) and Zack works for her. As an added bonus, Sadie often sees the ghost of the departed.

The mystery in this first book in the series is rock solid. A few red herrings, some intrigue, some danger - and it all adds up to a great story.

PLUS - a special thanks to the author for responding to my email! I just had to let her know how much I was enjoying her book, and she was kind enough to answer!

I'm reading the 2nd book in this series now, and I'm hoping there's a 3rd one in the works!

catching up!

I've finally finished the Twilight series! I read the last two books back to back - Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan. I don't really like the characters that much and the story is pretty simplistic. The books are just way too long, and I just got tired of reading the same character descriptions (yeah, I get it - Edward is cold!!)

I know a lot of people didn't like the way the series ended, but I thought Breaking Dawn was at least a bit more interesting than the first three. Still, like the others, it was just too long with not enough interesting things going on and characters that just kept doing and saying the same things over and over.

I've read many YA series, and most of them were far better as far as the writing, plotlines, character development, etc. The Vampire Academy series and Harry Potter for two.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

What a wonderful book! This is the story of 16 year old Deanna, a young girl who at 13 was discovered by her father in the back of a car with a friend of her older brother's. This has deeply affected her, her relationship with her parents, her friends, her reputation, etc. She finally realizes she must deal with it.

There were so many parts of this book that rang so deeply with me - although it's been a long time since I was 16, the way it was written brought back so much of it.

I highly recommend this book to YA as well as adults - 5 stars!

Wake by Lisa McMann

Wake by Lisa McMann


This was a great YA book! I read it in one day - I could not put it down! Janie has a unique ability - she gets pulled into other people's dreams. For the most part, she hates it, but as she gets older she learns to make the best of it. There's a bit of intrigue, romance, and coming-of-age - an all-around wonderful read!

50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom

50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom

Really cute paranormal! I liked the main characters, Jazz and Nick. Lots of fun but also had some dark parts too. Also pretty hot in some parts!! Not for the delicate :) Looking forward to the next one!

catching up!

I need to get caught up on my reviews!

The Solomon Sisters Wise Up (Red Dress Ink) by Melissa Senate - finished 1/13 - Loved it! The main characters are three sisters who come together while their father plans his wedding with his 3rd wife. It's not just how they find ways to be close, but also how they resolve issues in their lives, make peace with the problems they've had with their father in the past, and even with each other. Very good and well-written.

Reconstructing Brigid (Red Dress Ink) by Lee Nichols - This one is published by Red Dress Ink and the cover even looks like chick-lit, but I would not classify this book in that genre. It was good - Brigid is an accident reconstructionist who is brought in on a case of a missing woman. As she solves the mystery of the accident, she also begins to come to terms with her phobias that come from an accident she was involved in. As a mystery/thriller it's very good.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin - This is a YA book about a young girl (15) who is killed in a hit-and-run accident and talks about her afterlife. I've heard really great things about this book, but honestly, I didn't love it as much as others seem to. That said, it was a very good book and worth the time to read it.

Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs - I'm surprised I didn't review this before! I loved this book - I think it's a wonderful start to a series. The characters are great, and the mystery was well-crafted. I really look forward to more in this series!

A Veiled Deception (A Vintage Magic Mystery) by Annette Blair

I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did, I really started enjoying it! I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery was very good - lots of believable twists. I will definitely continue with this series!

Mayhem in High Heels (Romantic Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday

Maddie is back, along with Dana, Marco, and Jack in another great addition to this series! In this one, Maddie and Jack are planning their wedding - up until the wedding planner is murdered! Of course, Maddie can't stop until she solves this mystery, even though soon-to-be hubby Jack begs her to leave it alone!

Lots of laughs, great characters, and a good solid mystery - I give this one 4 stars :-)

And watch for a book coming later this year from Gemma Halliday - SCANDAL SHEET - available November 2009! book #1 of the Hollywood Headlines series - I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, No. 1) by Lee Child

I've had this book (and most of the series) on my TBR for so long, and I finally decided to pick it up and get started on it - and I'm so glad I did! I just loved this book. It could easily be a stand-alone book, but knowing there are more books with Jack Reacher is wonderful! 4 1/2 stars!

This was Book #1 for this year! A good start for hopefully a good year of reading :)

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Finally finished this yesterday! It took almost a week since I was busy with Christmas stuff, but it was worth the time.

The novel takes place primarily at Walker and Daughter yarn store. Georgia is the owner, Dakota is the daughter, and there are two employees, Anita and Peri. Gradually, a group of women begin hanging out at the store on Friday evenings, and thus the Knitting Club is born.

As the novel progresses, much changes in the lives of the women in this group. Without going into detail and spoiling some of the surprises, I'll just say much of them are life changing. The women grow in maturity and self-awareness.

I really enjoyed reading about these women, and hated to end the book and say goodbye to them. Fortunately, there is a sequel!

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, Book 1) by Melissa De La Cruz


I enjoyed this book! I've heard such great things about this series, so I've picked up the next book in the series and I plan to read it soon.

This is an interesting take on the vampire book. Blue Bloods are vampires, and live a very exclusive, high-society life. The main character, Schuyler, is a vampire, but is different - which was briefly touched on in this book and I'm assuming will play a much stronger role in the rest of the series.

Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13) by Janet Evanovich

Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum, No. 12) by Janet Evanovich

Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13) by Janet Evanovich


As usual, these are great additions to this series! I read these back to back and loved both of them.

I'm going to go back and read the three Between the Numbers books before moving on to Fearless Fourteen. And then I'll be caught up! I was very late starting this series, but I'm so glad I finally got to it. I've really enjoyed each book!!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

I read this beautiful book in one day - I stayed up late late late reading!

This is the story of Alice, who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. She is a professor of Psychology at Harvard, and has been at the top of her field for many years. She's married with three children, and is just 50 years old.

Her decline is swift, and we follow the progression of it throughout the book, and her struggle with this awful disease.

There are many heartbreaking moments. For anyone who is familiar with this disease, it's difficult, if not impossible, to see any silver linings, but there are a few in this book.

I know this is one book that will stay with me for a long time. The characters, especially Alice, were written so beautifully and vividly that I can't help but wonder how she's doing now :)

I highly recommend this book, and give it 5 stars.

The Darkest Evening of the Year
Author: Dean Koontz

I liked this book, but it seems to lack the depth of Koontz's earlier works. This book deals with Amy and Bryan, who each have pasts that have caught up with them, so to speak. Koontz also has a few golden retrievers making an appearance, including a special one named Nicky.

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, Book 1) by Richelle Mead

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, Book 1) by Richelle Mead

I love Mead's Vampire Academy books, so I was so anxious to try out another series of hers! This one is for adults, so it does have some "mature" themes! The main character is a succubus, and there are other demons as well, including an imp, vampires, and even angels. There's intrigue, romance, and great characters. I look forward to reading the next one in this series! 4 stars

Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge

Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge

This was an absolutely fantastic book! This is my second book by this author (she also wrote another of my all-time favorites - Eating Heaven) and I think her writing is wonderful, as are the stories she tells.

This book is about Mira, a woman in her mid-40s who leaves her husband and family. It's not the most unusual plot, but this one is told with such warmth and depth that it's completely fresh. I love how Mira is re-discovering her sexuality and learning to live as herself. I love how the relationship between her and her daughter seems so real to me - as a daughter, it very closely mirrors my own relationship with my mother. I love how she grows up a bit, too, and begins to be more accepting of others and of herself.

I give this one all 5 stars!

Tale of Despereaux by Kate/ Ering, Timothy Basil (ILT) DiCamillo

Tale of Despereaux by Kate/ Ering, Timothy Basil (ILT) DiCamillo

I wanted to make sure I read this book before the movie comes out next month! It's a really sweet story about overcoming obstacles, the power of friendship and love, and other wonderful lessons you want your children to learn.

Eleven on Top (A Stephanie Plum Novel) by Janet Evanovich

Eleven on Top (A Stephanie Plum Novel) by Janet Evanovich

I keep on loving this series!!! In this one, Stephanie quits the bounty-hunting business, but she just can't shake it! Between having to help Lula (who has decided to step in Stephanie's bounty-hunting position), getting scary notes from a stalker, having her car bombed (again!), and helping Ranger out, she's still right in the thick of things.

This one, like all the ones before, had me laughing out loud! If anyone hasn't started this series, they really really need to :)

4 1/2 stars!

The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson

The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson

On one hand, this was a great thriller - fast paced, hard to put down, great mystery, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, characters, and gore :)

BUT, I have to say that there were too many parts of this novel that just was asking too much of the reader. I am perfectly willing to suspend reality to a certain point, but this one just asked too much. Without giving away anything, I'll just say this - too many coincidences. Too many plot-driven contrivances.

Overall, it's a good thriller - the writing is excellent, and the mystery is solid. I give it 3 1/2 stars.