February Reads

Reading Goal: 150 books
Books read to date: 19

I am a little late but I did want to share what I have read this past month. I read some really fantastic must reads. I am going to give a small review and just to torment you I am going to hyperlink them to the BN website.

Cozy Mysteries:

Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs: Suzanne and her two friends run the local cafe/bookstore/knitting store. They have afternoon tea's where big ole' trucker men just love to attend (it's all about the scones!). They have weekly booktalks and knitting nights. On top of all this, they have the cheapest breakfast around that if you ate if would probably give you a heart attack. Suzanne and her friends are learning to stand on their own feet after their husbands died, placed in a nursing home or ran off with the local hoochi-mama. Of course there is the murder of a very prominant citizen that leads Suzanne on a sluething mission to find out who did it. Great book...characters make you laugh. I recommend this read and I can't wait to read the second book!!!

Mourning in Minature by Margart Grace: I just love this series probably because I have always wanted to put together a Victorian dollhouse. Gerry is off to the local High Schools 30th reunion with her friend Rosie. Rosie is excited to see one person: David, the high school quarterback and her first kiss. Unfortuantely there is a murder at the reunion and Gerry must solve the crime with the help of her granddaughter Madison. The minitures they build in this book sound just heavenly. I would just love to build one!! This is book 4 of this series.

Murder of a Small Town Honey by Denise Swanson: Skye left Scumble River in a HUGE fashion by insulting basically the entire town. She has now been fired from her job and came home with her tail between her legs. The town has really been less then welcoming with her. Her Uncle Charlie, big man in a small town, basically forced the school board to hire her as the school psychologist. None of the principals like her and do not have a problem letting her know about it. She is helping out at the local county fair and happens upon a dead body. She is then sucked into this twisty mystery that if she doesn't solve, her brother will be tried for murder!! I really liked this book... I think because I work with School Psychologists all the time and I understand the workings of the good ole' boy club. I recommend this book....

Murder of a sweet old lady by Denise Swanson: Skye is back to solve another murder!! This is just not any old murder...it is of her sweet granny who Skye has been visiting everyday so she can learn the family history. Skye's family is driving her insane. The police chief is very upset with her and the local funeral director is no longer her bridge partner. I have to say...I enjoyed the second book just as much as the first one!

Romance Books:

Don't Bargin with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries: Charolette Harris finishing school for young ladies is turned upside down!! She finds out her dashing spanish neighbor is about to put in a pleasure garden next door to her school. She has a new teacher, Lucy, spend time with Diego so he can understand why he shouldn't put in a pleasure garden. Well...Diego has his own mission and it does involve some pleasure!! This is the 5th book in this series and I love it!!

Wed Him before you Bed him by Sabrina Jeffries: With the tragic death of one her former students, Charolette is forced to spend time with the man she jilted years ago! She didn't just jilt him, she bascially made him the town scandal for years!!! We also finally find out who the mysterious cousin Michael is and why he has remained so secretative all these years!! This is the final book in the series and I am sad that it is over!

Teen Books:

No Choirboy-Murder, Violence and teens on Death Row by Susan Kuklin: Wow!! What a very powerful read! This is a book of 6 teenagers who killed someone and have been placed on death row. The first 4 stories are from the teens themselves, one story is from a teen that has already been excuted family, the next story is from the victims family and their thoughts. The final chapter is of the lawyer who represented them all on appeals and such. I didn't get to read the last chapter because one of my really tough, wants to be in a gang, kids saw it and they asked to read it (this is a BIG DEAL) so I just handed him the book. He loved it!!! Now one of my seniors is reading it (this is the kid no one thought would graduate) and he says it Kicks ASS...so that is a good thing. I recommend this one!!!!!

Inside Out by Terry Trueman: Another moving very quick, very quick read!!! Zach is a very troubled young man who happens to be in the local diner when it is robbed. You get pulled into this story and you actually feel sorry for the boys who robbed the store. FANTASIC READ!!!! My kiddo's LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!

Response by Paul Volponi This is a real eye opener. This is a total HATE CRIME book. Noah and his buddies are in a "white" neighbor where he planned to boost a car. However, he is attacked by 3 white boys and beaten with a bat. This story goes into how the boys are prosecuted, he has to go to school with all these kids who believe the boys were innocent. It just shows his life and how unjust and downright mean this world can be to people of different races. Once again, my streetwise kids LOVE this book! They told me I HAD to read it!!