January Books and Reviews

Wow...I can't believe today is the last day of January! It is ending just like it started - Snow on the ground. I don't have school tomorrow so we are on day 7 of snow day makeups. At this rate we will be in school until July!!!

So I have finished 10 books this month. I am proud of that!!! I read a mixture of Mysteries, Romance and real-life books.

Mystery list:

Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joann Fluke- I have to say I love the this mystery series. However, it makes me hungry when she is describing all her cookies/pies/muffins. Her sister is so funny....and her mother, all I can say is UGH!! She would drive a saint crazy. I think it is really funny when her mom says "Hannah, you have just got to quit finding dead bodies. No man will want to marry you if you keep this up!!"

Thai Dye: This is the 12th book in the Monica Ferris Cross stitch mystery series. I love her books...I would love to meet Betsy and Godwin!! The characters are wonderful and she makes it where you want to visit the Crewel World -the LNS. In this book Betsy has to help her friend Doris stay alive. It seems someone is out to kill Doris over something she brought back from her trip to Thailand.

Wild Goose Chase by Terri Thayer: For all you Quilters this is the book for you!! This is a Great quilting mystery. Dewey is really a computer person but her mother left her her quilting shop when she passed away. So now Dewey is running the quilt shop while her SIL is trying to sabatage her every step of the way. She is at a big quilting Fair when she stumbles upon a dead body. Great read and comes with a quilting pattern!

BookPlate Special by Lorriane Bartlett: This is the 3rd book in her Booktown series. Tricia owns a mystery bookstore and has had her freeloading college roommate living with her for 2 weeks and she is sick of her. Pammy, the freeloader, gets a job with Angela, Tricias sister, at Angela's diner. Pammy goes out back and winds up dead. It is up to Tricia to solve the murder! Mr. Everett is back and so is Ginny. I did learn something new in this book..the word Freegan. I have to say when I learned about this term it gave me the creeps. Might sound terrible of me...but it does so there! I did not figure out who the murderer was....it SHOCKED me!!!

Romance List:

The Care and Feeding of Unmarried men: I love books with strong leading women. Eve is all that and a bag of chips!!! Her grandfather is an actual Godfather!! I mean you know she has to be tough when her grandfather is in charge of the Mob. She is known as "The Party Girl" and she meets her match when she meets Nash "The Preacher" of the Monster Truck Circut. Great Chick Lit Romance book.

Rendevous by Amanda Quick: Historical Romance- Augusta is very outspoken and cannot belive the stuck up Earl of Greystone wants to marry her. She has a tendancy not to follow social rules. She even sets out to tell him so but he puts her in a very compromising position and they must marry!! If you like trashy historical romances...then you will like this one.

Wisconsin Wedding - Carla Neggers - Book 3 in the Welcome to Tyler series. Liza and Cliff from book 1 are getting married. Liza invites Cliff's family to the wedding without telling him...lots of issues with that because his brother had an illicit affair with the town prude!! I like this series...very easy to read!

Real Life Books/Young Adult

Twighlight Children by Torey Hayden: Torey is an actual Sped Teacher and Therapist. Her books about her children that she has helped. In this book, she is a therapist in a treatment center. One child has been sexually, physically and emotionally abused by her father who kidnapped her from her mother. The other is a child who refuses or can;t speak. His grandfather is tyrant who expects her to "fix" his grandchild. You will need kleenexes for this book!!!

Boot Camp by Todd Strauss: Garrett is an extremely bright teenager. He is bored in school and this gets him in trouble. When he is 15, his parents just can't control him. The final straw was when he had an affair with a much older lady. They ship him off to a book camp to break him down and become the model child they have always dreamed of having. This book is about his life in boot camp and all the struggles he faces. I know it isn't true but the thing is ....there are boot camps out for bad kids and parents do ship them off to them...It is a great read.

Med Head: My Knocked down drag-out, drugged up battle with my Brain by James patterson...OMG!! this is a must read! This is a true story about a young man who suffers from Tourettes (SP?) Syndrome. His symptoms started when he was five and the story follows his life up until 22. Good lord the things this child suffered, struggled through and all the mediciations. I think he was on about 60 different medications....FABULOUS BOOK!!