A Thriller from Jaclyn

FINAL THEORY by Mark Alpert 

 

What if there was a theory to explain how everything in the universe worked? Einstein was working on this theory until the day he died. What if he found it but decided against publishing it? David Swift will have to find the theory and decide what to do with it. But he has to do it quick because some people will do anything, kill anyone to get their hands on it. 

I enjoyed this fast paced book.

 ~ Jaclyn

MORE FROM SUZANNE

OPTICAL DELUSIONS IN DEADWOOD
By Ann Charles

Someone is spreading rumors around Deadwood that Violet Parker likes to chat with dead folks. With her reputation endangered, her bank account on the verge of extinction, and her career at risk of going up in flames, Violet is desperate. When the opportunity to sell another vintage home materializes, she grabs it, even though this "haunted" house was recently the stage for a two-act, murder-suicide tragedy. Ghost or no ghost, Violet knows this can't be as bad as the last house of horrors she tried to sell, but sexy Doc Nyce has serious doubts. Her only hope of hanging on to her job is to prove that the so-called, ghostly sightings are merely the eccentric owner's optical delusions. But someone-or something-in the house wants Violet stopped...dead.

Second in the series. This book was just as enjoyable as the first book. Violet gets herself into some crazy situations but holds her own. I'm looking forward to reading book three.

~ From Suzanne

Suzanne's Reads

TOO BIG TO MISS
By Sue Ann Jaffarian

Too big to miss--that's Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she's not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there''s her knack for being in close proximity to dead people . . . . When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-cam by putting a gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger, Odelia's life is changed forever. Sophie, a plus-sized activist and inspiration to imperfect women, is the last person anyone would ever have expected to end her own life. Suspecting foul play, Odelia is determined to get to the bottom of her friend's death. Odelia's search for the truth takes her from southern California strip malls to the world of live web-cam porn to the ritzy enclave of Corona del Mar.

This was one of those books that I finished but wasn't sure I liked it. Then I found myself thinking about the characters and realized it had something to make me care what happens next. I think part of it is I can relate to Odelia. She's not model-perfect as many leading female characters are portrayed. I'll be reading the next in the series and looking forward to Odelia's character development. 

~ From Suzanne

 

Suzanne's Reads

THE WEAVER AND THE FACTORY MAID By Deborah Grabien

When Ringan Laine, British folk musician, becomes the owner of a restored eighteenth-century cottage, he discovers right away that the cottage and the ancient barn on Ringan's property are haunted. Ringan and his longtime lover Penny, researching the identity of their unwanted tenants, learn that they were a young couple, victims of a famous double murder in the year 1817-their story the subject of a song that is a staple in Ringan's repertoire. And they must stage a full-scale musical exorcism to lay the ghostly couple to rest. The Weaver and the Factory Maid is only the first in what promises to be an exciting new mystery series featuring the ghosts of characters in folk ballads.

The Weaver and the Factory Maid is an interesting take on a ghost story but I forced myself to finish it. I didn't "bond" with the characters and I thought the musical exorcism was really silly. There are several more in the series each ghost story built around an old English ballad.  

~ From Suzanne

52 Weeks 52 Books: Week Ending March 25, 2013

Two books I was really looking forward to reading, but didn't quite live up to expectations.  DENTING THE BOSCH (don't you just love that title?), seemed like the perfect weekend read, but the characters seemed like they should have been pulled from the fifties--kind of Donna Reed-like cluelessness--and it was hard to find sympathy for them.  And I had been really looking forward to DARK TIDE after reading and loving INTO THE DARKEST CORNER, but even though I kind of felt the suspense, the resolution was weak and incomplete--at least for me.  If anyone else reads either of these, I'd love to know what you thought!   ~ Katherine

DENTING THE BOSCH by Teresa Link

Adele, Maggie and Sylvia are the best friends living in an affluent area in Southern California and spend much of their time together. It's mostly a happy  and comfortable life, especially for Adele, who considers her friends the one bright spot in her recent and much regretted move from New York. Things change with infidelity and the recession and the women’s lives begin to fall apart at the same time: Syl’s husband leaves her, Adelle’s husband decides he wants to live separate lives, and Maggie runs away from financial reality and focuses on a man from her past. Following the "denting of the bosch," they all work on rebuilding their lives.


DARK TIDE by Elizabeth Haynes

Genevieve has finally achieved her dream of saving up enough to leave her busy and stressful life in London and change directions, to purchase a houseboat away from the bustling city.  She loves working on her new floating home and her friendly neighbors. But the night of her boat-warming party, Genevieve finds a body in the water next to her boat, and she recognizes the victim. Because hardly anyone knows about her past as a dancer at a private members' club in London where she and her dead friend worked, she doesn't want to admit she knows her.

But Genevieve begins to receive strange calls and lurking visitors, and can't reach the one person who links the present danger with the club. And she can't reach the one person who may have put her in this danger, who also happens to be the man she loves. 

TWO GRAVES recommended by Jaclyn

TWO GRAVES by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Third book in the "Helen Trilogy"

Pendergast's wife has been kidnapped and he follows the kidnappers to get her back. There's a serial killer loose in NYC. How are these events related? Read the book! See Pendergast in a whole different form! I personally love Special Agent Pendergast and thoroughly enjoyed this book.  

~ From Jaclyn

Nonfiction Recommendation from Jaclyn

THE MURDER OF THE CENTURY by Paul Collins 

This book is about a gruesome murder, the shocking trial and newspapers trying to outdo each other. Sound familiar? Like something you've seen on the news? Well, this murder took place in 1897! The newspapers were insane trying to get the best headlines (and actually started the ball rolling on solving the murder!) to sell their papers. A well written and interesting story about "The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked The Tabloid Wars"     

 - from Jaclyn

Best List of Paranormal Fantasy

Paranormal Fantasies

Are you a fan of paranormal fantasy books?  They're continuing to gain in popularity and it's easy to see why. The "Twilight saga may have been geared toward teens, but they have proven to be just as popular with adults--lots of action, romance, strong women, sexy vampires, and just a great way to escape from the real world.  Do you have favorite authors, favorite series in this genre?  Barnes & Noble has just released their choices for the "Twenty Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Last Decade."  Check it out and let us know if you agree/disagree or have your own choices.  I know I'm going to add the first book of the Kim Harrison "Hollows" series to my reading stack.  
 

Suzanne says:  I've read several of these series. The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo is fantastic! Don't let the titles fool you ;) It's an interesting take on the vampire genre. It's no where near Twilight. It's an amazing detective novel and the detective happens to be a vampire.

.

SNR says:  I've often thought of asking if the library would start a Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy reading group, it's my favorite genre. I've read quite a few of those (Harrison, Harris, Briggs, Hamilton, Butcher)and am looking forward to checking out the rest on the list. In my circle of reader friends, Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward have been favorites but my absolute favorite has to be Kelley Armstrong's Bitten series (her YA trilogies are good too!)

A Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Reading Group? Why not?  We can put it out there and see if anyone else is interested!   

Crying in Public - Hand Me the Tissue

"I talked to Dewey for a few minutes. I told him how much I loved him, how much he meant to me, how much I didn't want him to suffer. I explained what was happening and why. I rewrapped his blanket to make sure he was comfortable. What more could I offer him than comfort? I cradled him in my arms and rocked back and forth from foot to foot, a habit started when he was a kitten. Dr. Beall gave him the first shot, followed closely by the second.  He said, "I'll check for a heartbeat." I said, You don't need to. I can see it in his eyes." Dewey was gone."  ~ from Dewey, The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

It's always the animals that get me.  I was sitting waiting for a train in Westport, NY and finishing Dewey, while people milled around me.  And geez, he dies.  I'm sobbing, and here I sit in a public place.  Can't stop crying.  It's always the animals that get me.  

So why are we so embarrassed when we cry in public? Is this cultural?  Do readers in Italy or Japan try to cover their tears so no one can see if they read something that makes them cry?  It's a bit different in movie theaters--the darkness hides all but the most uncontrollable sobs.  But no one wants to sit on a train or in a waiting room filled with people, and read that their favorite character has passed away--or read that the book's beloved dog or cat or bird has gone over the rainbow bridge, only to have the tears start flowing.

So what about you?  Do you pretend that you have something in your eye? Allergies?  Not care? Do you have a story about when you got caught out in public reading something heartbreaking?

More on crying in public over a sad book:

http://somanybooksblog.com/2013/02/06/crying-in-public-while-reading/

http://bookriot.com/2013/02/05/what-to-do-when-books-make-you-cry-on-public-transportation/

A MYSTERY RECOMMENDATION FROM SUZANNE

Nearly Departed in Deadwood
By Ann Charles

 I loved this book. I liked the characters and the ending was very creepy. Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota. Fearing her daughter might be next, single mom, Violet Parker, is desperate to find the monster behind the abductions. But with a malicious coworker after her job, a creepy secret admirer haunting her, and a sexy stranger hiding truths, will Violet end up one of Deadwood's dearly departed?

52 Books 52 Weeks / Week Ending March 18, 2013

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Recently retired Harold Fry receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old co-worker and friend, who he hasn't heard from in twenty years. She has cancer and is writing to say goodbye. Something caused her to disappear twenty years earlier, and Harold finds it difficult to answer her letter.  He writes an inadequate reply, and begins walking to the corner mailbox, but he finds himself walking on, and on, and inspired by a young woman along the way, he becomes convinced he must deliver his message in person to Queenie--who is more than 600 miles away--because as long as he keeps walking, Harold believes that Queenie will not die.  

Harold has no proper gear, no cell phone, no maps (and a terrible sense of direction) as he starts his unlikely pilgrimage.  Along the way, memories from the past are stirred up about his marriage and his failing relationship with his wife Maureen, his shortcomings as a father and disappointment in his son, and longings to do this one positive thing for an old friend who he disappointed all those years ago.  Harold meets strangers who inspire him and strangers who disappoint him, and learns that it's never to late for second chances.  

52 Books 52 Weeks: From SUZANNE

 

REUNION: A SEARCH FOR ANCESTORS by Ryan Littrell

Where do I come from? That question sets Ryan Littrell on a journey that crosses centuries and many miles. An anonymous letter, found at the bottom of a box of black-and-white pictures, reveals the first clues about his grandmother's family story, and soon those clues lead him to a country graveyard and a long-lost cousin. Then faded names in old books, along with a DNA surprise, unearth one more generation, and yet another. And as one hint leads to the next, from the 19th century back into the 18th, he discovers his family's place in a people's tragic struggle--a tale of heartbreak, betrayal, and unfailing strength. A real-life account, "Reunion" shows how our ancestors just might still be a part of us, and how our story began long before we were even born. 

GROUNDS TO KILL by Wendy Roberts

I like Wendy Roberts other series but found this one lacking. I found the main character hard to like. What I liked about this mystery is that it kept you guessing who was the killer. I'll be reading the second in the series to see how the characters develop! Barista Jen Hanby's coworkers give her a hard time for bringing coffee and pastries to a homeless man who sits outside her café—but she has a secret. The scruffy man is her father. She's also hiding the little matter of why her palm itches. But how can she explain that her hand has a mind of its own and writes messages from the beyond? Right. That'll get her Employee of the Month. When she finds herself scrawling your boyfriend is cheating on you! to herself on the bathroom mirror, she immediately dumps the guy. But then his little fling—who just happens to be her half sister—turns up dead, and suddenly Jen's homeless father is the prime suspect. Jen knows he is being framed. 

FROM SUZANNE - 52 Books 52 Weeks

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT
(Charley Davidson, Bk 1)
By Darynda Jones

Interesting premise. Charley is the grim reaper and helps the police since she can communicate with the dead. It's a paranormal mystery-romance with humor. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense. 

 ~ From Suzanne

FROM MELANIE - 52 Books 52 Weeks

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
by Mark Haddon

I just finished reading "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" by Mark Haddon.. I liked this one, it was recommended to me by several people. It is told from the point of view of an autistic teenager, mostly about his investigation into the murder of his neighbor's dog. I did, though, find myself frustrated with the narrator several times throughout the book. I work with special needs students, so I am familiar with the fact that some of the aspects of autism can be frustrating to others, and also realize that the author did this on purpose for the sake of authenticity. Also, throughout the book the narrator summarizes many books he has read, thus spoiling the endings for those who haven't read them. I should have taken note of which ones to warn others, but didn't think of it at the time. 

From Melanie

52 Books 52 Weeks / Week Ending March 11, 2013

BUDDY:  HOW A ROOSTER MADE ME A FAMILY MAN by Brian McGrory

After several dark and disturbing books, it was time to read something a bit more uplifting.  I found it in Buddy!

Brian McGrory, a second cousin of columnist Mary McGrory, was a confirmed bachelor and a well-known journalist for the Boston Globe.  He spent many years enjoying the streets of Boston with his golden retriever, Harry, but Harry became ill and eventually passed away.  Brian began a friendship and then a relationship with Pam, his beloved dog's vet.  But Pam came with a ready made family:  two daughters, and multiple pets that included a cantankerous rooster named Buddy, and Brian's life changed drastically when Brian and Pam fell in love, and Brian left his much loved Boston home for a home in suburbia.

Buddy adores Pam and her daughters but sees Brian as an interloping intrusion, and does everything he can to rid the house of Brian.  Brian comes to understand the special love that the rooster has for Pam and her girls, and realizes what a role model the rooster is. Buddy becomes Brian's inspiration for his unconditional love for his new family in this funny, warm and heartwarming story.

Melanie's Updates

 A Discovery of Witches  by Deborah Harkness 

This book is over 800 pages long, and is the first in a trilogy. So it is quite a commitment. I did enjoy it though. It introduces you to the saga of Diana Bishop, a historian/ witch who unintentionally discovers an ancient, enchanted alchemical book sought by otherworldly creatures in modern day Oxford. She then meets and falls in love with a vampire, and the two are hunted by all creatures that want the enchanted book. The author is herself a historian, and at times I think speaks above the reader's head (I got lost several times), but if you soldier through I think it is still an enjoyable read.    
  
 Marly's Ghost by David Levithan

 

I have been on a real Levithan kick this year, and unfortunately this was not one of my favorites. It's a modern retelling of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' but in the Valentine's Day context. He did a great job with the parallels, I thought, I just wasn't really drawn to the story or really the characters. I'd recommend this one maybe to younger readers

52 BOOKS 52 WEEKS / Week Ending March 4

INDISCRETION by Charles Dubow

The title alone is enough for the reader to know that there's going to be an affair, but the author is incredibly skillful at provoking the reader's love--and hate--for his characters.  We all know how affairs end, there is always heartbreak, always consequences.  We're never surprised to watch the downward spiral. Even though we all know where this novel is heading, his characterization and pacing make every action, every reaction, interesting. And Dubow shows us how one of our fatal flaws is that we don't really know what we want until we've already lost it.  We can blame actions on being young, being old, or whatever, but our self-centeredness often takes us down paths we never should have stepped on.  

"Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is a National Book Award-winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness and serenity belie a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, they share a love that is both envied and admired. The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome thanks to Harry's writing grant, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.

One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy, who are in their early forties, meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows' inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. By Labor Day, it is no longer enough to remain one of their hangers-on. 

A story of love, lust, deception, and betrayal as seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy's childhood friend Walter, a narrator akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Indiscretion is a juicy, richly textured novel filled with fascinating, true-to-life characters--an irresistibly sensual page-turner that explores having it all and the consequences of wanting more." from the Publisher
 

52 Books 52 Weeks: More From Melanie

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK by Matthew Quick 

About a bipolar man recently released from a psychiatric facility, to the care of his parents--this book had a decent story, but I was a little confused by the writing style. It was first person, but incredibly simplistic. As is written by a child, though the narrator was in his 30's. I'm not sure if that was just the authors style, or his way of conveying that the narrator suffered from bipolar disorder. If this is the case, it's a bit offensive. Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition, not a learning disability or developmental delay. That aside, it was an easy and relatively enjoyable read. Though this is one of the very few cases in which I liked the movie better.

 THE DEAD AND BURIED by Kim Harrington 

This one's a YA book about a girl who moves into a house haunted by the teen who died there 6 months prior. It is a pretty typical murder mystery with ghosts, but I liked it. The twist I think that made it different and perhaps more enjoyable, is that the girl who died was not at all a likable person. Usually we sympathize with the victim, and want to see their death avenged. She is such a terrible person, that I didn't feel any pity for her. But I enjoyed the story just the same, and appreciated many other characters. 

From Jaclyn: THE SNOW CHILD

THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey

 An older couple move to Alaska to farm. One day they make a snow child. The snow child comes to life. Or does it? I enjoyed the book and still haven't decided exactly who or what the child is. Definitely a book to make you think.  

 ~ From Jaclyn

Thank you, Jaclyn!!

 

From Melanie: WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON

WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON 

by John Green and David Levithan

This is another interesting one, about two boys with not much in common but that share the same name. The book alternates narration between the two boys, with Green writing one boy and Levithan the other. I can't say much about the story without giving some key points away, but I did love it. It deals with love, friendship and homosexuality in a very raw and truthful way. Two thumbs up :) 

Recommended by Melanie--thank you, Melanie!

52 Books 52 Weeks / Week Ending February 25, 2013

FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver's latest work of fiction is set in the mountains of Tennessee and the people of Featherstone are contrasted against the scientists, ecologists and students who come to see the 15 million Monarch butterflies that uncharacteristically chose Dellarobia Turnbow's family property as their winter destination. While the local citizens see the invasion of the butterflies as a sign of God's grace, the scientists see the deviation of the butterflies normal migration as a serious sign of global warming. Kingsolver's writing is beautiful, as always, and the main character, Dellarobia, is a conflicted young woman who feels trapped in her marriage while she genuinely loves her two children.  She dreams of a more fulfilling life for herself and her family, and the butterflies invasion helps her to step beyond and begin realizing her dreams.