Unfinished Business by Nora Roberts

          Vanessa is a concert pianist.  Her father took her away from her mother and the small town in which she grew up immediately after her high school graduation, and helped her launch a successful, international career. 

          Brady is a reformed rebel, now a physician, in the same small town in which he grew up; the same small town Vanessa left at eighteen.

          Van and Brady were more than just high school sweethearts.  They were madly, passionately and innocently in love with one another. Through a series of ill-timed events and the interference of Van’s father, the two were separated after graduation and had no contact for the next twelve years. 

          Now Van’s father has died and she returns home to find that Brady is still there – and still in love with her. But too many questions linger about her own life for her to make the kind of commitment he wants.

          I really liked this story.  I got a kick out of the setting being the next town over from Boonsboro – the setting of Roberts’ current romantic trilogy.  There is also a blast from the past with the appearance of Princess Gabriella of Cordina.  (My copy of Gabriella’s story, Affaire Royale, is copyrighted 1986.)

          I highly recommend Unfinished Business to all Nora Roberts’ fans and anyone else who enjoys a fairy tale romance.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

          This is the start of Nora Roberts’ latest romantic trilogy. It features three brothers. Brother number one, Beckett, finally hooks up with his high school sweetheart, Clare. She’s been married before, is now widowed and comes with a ready-made family of three boys. (Do I scent the beginnings of yet another series of stories???) 

          The story plays out against the backdrop of a building rehab project being done by the brothers – the restoration of a centuries-old inn.  And, of course, this inn is haunted.  No self-respecting centuries-old inn could possibly be without its resident spirit!  And, naturally, in the climactic scene, Clare is saved only through the intervention of Lizzy, the ghost.

          As always, the small town and its residents are vividly portrayed.  Clare and Beckett with their boys and dogs feel like close family friends. I can’t wait to visit Boonsboro again when the next installment comes out in May 2012.

One Day by David Nicholls

          I still don’t know quite how I feel about this one.  I can tell you I have a bittersweet feeling at the base of my throat. This is a sweet story of two lives, how they came together one St. Swithin’s day. The story checks back in on its characters on that same day in various years in the future. The story tells of these two lives, how they bumped along, how they twined together at times, how they went their separate ways at others.

          One Day makes me feel like some people really are meant to be together. But it also reinforces my belief that destiny isn’t written in stone. It is also an example of how the tiny decisions we make day to day, like where to stop for a drink, can have dramatic effects decades later. 

          I’ll recommend this one, with the caveat that it is a chick book – a British chick book.  There are probably too many feelings floating around for a lot of guys. 

          I think I’ve decided I like it.  It’s not what I’d usually choose, but I’m glad I read it.

The Affair by Lee Child

    This is a Jack Reacher novel. Jack Reacher is an army MP sent on an undercover mission to a small Mississippi town whose sole support is the nearby military base. There has been a murder, and personnel from the base could be involved. The army sends Reacher to keep an eye on local law enforcement. If they get too close, Reacher is to let the army know immediately.  However, the local sheriff, a retired marine, makes Reacher the moment he hits town. They quickly begin to work together to investigate.

          Reacher soon discovers that there have in fact been three murders with similar MO’s in town. The first two were poor black women and did not make the media splash that the third, a white woman, did. Through careful investigation and a thorough knowledge of human nature, Reacher determines that [SPOILER] not only is a man from the army base responsible for the murders, but his Senator father knows about them and has gone to great lengths to cover them up. He has used his political power to manipulate the Marine Corps to frame the local sheriff. 

          Jack Reacher develops a plan to solve the case permanently, taking out both parties like the mad animals they are. 

          I liked this book. And, at the end Jack resigns from the army.  I wonder if this means the end of the Reacher novels or if it merely means they are taking a new direction. I hope it’s the latter.

          This book raised the question in my mind of what I would do if I knew my child had murdered someone.  Would I cover for her, try to stay out of it, turn her in, testify against her?  I feel quite certain that I would not attempt to blame someone else for her actions.  And I believe that my actions would depend on the reason for hers.  If I believed the killing was done in defense of another or herself, I would probably avoid assisting the police in their investigation.  If, however, it turned out that she was killing for profit or pleasure, I’d like to think I’d turn her in so fast her head would spin.

          What would you do if you discovered a loved one was a serial killer? 

Survivors by James Wesley, Rawles

          Survivors by James Wesley, Rawles was an uncomfortable story to read.  It tells a tale of several groups of people who managed to survive the collapse of the American economy and way of life.  This is not a story of a double dip recession or even another great depression, but a complete and utter melt down.  It is uncomfortable because all too often lately, I believe that is what is going on around me. 

          Could I survive the collapse of our economy, our power grid, our food distribution systems? Probably not.  I’ve survived being unemployed the last 19 months.  But I’ve had lots of help.  I have collected unemployment insurance checks, we had savings to use, and we had the generous loans from my family to keep us above water. 

          I have some advantages that others may not.  My husband was a boy scout, has made an in depth study of cooking over open flame, and has experience growing his own veggies and herbs.  My brother is an avid hunter and fisherman with enough firearms to keep us safe for a while, and is a carpenter to boot.  My parents are both still alive and remember how day to day living was accomplished before we came to rely so heavily on technology. By banding together, we might survive for a while. 

          But long term?  I doubt I could come out the other side alive and well. I don’t really have that much to contribute in a live and die situation.  I’m a city girl, roughing it is not my style. My arthritic joints are not up to a long day’s physical labor, and would be even less so without regular medication. My allergies and asthma would make the simple act of breathing a struggle. In a post-apocalyptic world, my physical frailties would quickly be my downfall.  I’m smart enough to understand that in such a world, only the strong survive. And, only those that have value to the group can be allowed to remain within it.  Only by jettisoning the weak and useless will the remainder survive and possible thrive. I have to admit I believe I fall into the weak and useless group.  I could not jeopardize the survival of the rest of my family group by remaining a part of it. The question that arises is whether or not I’d have the strength of will to walk away knowing only death waited over the horizon.

          So, yes, Survivors was an uncomfortable book to read for the reasons outlined above. It also left an awful lot of loose ends hanging out there.  Enough that I can only assume the story will pick up again in a future book by the author. I’m just not sure I’ll have the strength to read it when it comes out.

Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

          Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle is the third book in a trilogy.  I have not read the previous two.  However, I am impressed enough with this one, that I’ve added them to my list of books to request from the library. 

          The story takes place on an island that would seem quite normal if it existed just off either cost of the U.S.  There are a number of differences though. The primary one being that many folks have psychic, or psi, abilities, and we’re not talking telepathy or precognition.  Those abilities can be focused and used by the possessor through the use of amber crystals.  And some, especially talented individuals can use their psi energy merely by focusing their minds. 

          We begin with a new sheriff in town, a man who has been in a severe psychic accident and is apparently losing his very strong powers. He is paired with the owner of the local antique shop, whose talent, while strong, is considered virtually useless.  The first thing that happens is the shop owner finding a dead man in her shop. 

          As the sheriff’s investigation into the man’s murder progresses it becomes increasingly evident that something is very wrong on the island.  It also becomes increasingly evident that the sheriff and the shop owner were meant for each other. 

          This book is billed as the third of a trilogy, but at the end, it becomes clear that not all the mysteries have been solved.  Perhaps the tale will continue.

Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke

          This book was like slogging through knee deep peanut butter. I kept waiting for a coherent plot to develop, but it never did. While the characters were multi-faceted, they were almost all sad examples of humanity: killers, psychos, religious fanatics, addicts, pedophiles. On the bright side, they were almost all dead or dying by the end of the story.

          Needless to say, I didn’t like this book, and I don’t recommend it. I wonder how on earth it made the best seller list.  Perhaps its message is too deep for me to comprehend, or I’m too lazy to dig it out. But, I read fiction for entertainment, and Feast Day of Fools failed to amuse me.

Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

          I borrowed Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella from the library and downloaded it to my Kindle.  This was the first time I tried the Kindle method.  I love my Kindle and one of the most frustrating parts of being unemployed is having no extra money to buy Kindle books.  I love being able to get library books on it. 

          Can You Keep a Secret reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones’ Dairy.  A very normal, slightly overweight, not very confident young woman with big dreams is the main character.  She has a long history of going along to get along, not standing up for herself and allowing others to believe her likes and dislikes conform to theirs in an effort to be liked. 

          I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, but I ended up deciding it was okay, not fantastic, but good enough to keep me interested.  Near the beginning of the story, our heroine, in the midst of a prolonged, and alcohol enhanced, panic attack, spills all her little secrets to a total stranger on a plane, naturally assuming she’d never see him again.  Fate, with her wicked sense of humor, strikes hard at the poor girl.  It turns out the man on the plane is the owner of the company for which she works and is headed into town to visit the local facility.  The ensuing scenes are both funny and uncomfortable.  Fortunately, our girl learns to stand up for herself, finds the man of her dreams and apparently lives happily ever after. 

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

          I finished reading Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner.  It took me a while because I never really got into it. I can’t say there is anything wrong with it. It just explores a topic that I’ve never really “gotten”. 

          The story revolves around four women:  A lovely, ivy-league student with an addict father, a military wife and mother of two struggling to make ends meet, a trophy wife with excess baggage and the daughter of the TW’s husband who harbors fantasies of her divorced parents reunion. 

          The student is approached one day by a representative of a fertility clinic.  He asks her to donate some of her eggs.  In return, she will be paid enough money to put her father into an excellent rehab center.

          The army wife discovers a means of improving her family’s financial situation.  She can become a surrogate.  In return for carrying another couple’s baby, she will be paid enough money to give them some security.

          The TW and her husband desire a child, but she is older than he believes and she is unable to conceive.  They choose to go the surrogate route to create their family. 

          The daughter, who still believes her parents can get back together, hires a PI to find out about the TW.  What they discover is disturbing.  The TW has totally recreated herself, from her face to her name.  But once the daughter acquires the information, she cannot disrupt her father’s happiness by telling him.

          As the first three women play their parts, a child is conceived using the student’s egg and being implanted in the army wife’s uterus, and the TW excitedly prepares for the arrival. 

          Due to an interesting twist in the story, which leaves both prospective parents unavailable when the baby is born, the daughter is shocked to find herself the legal guardian of her newborn half sister.  In her attempts to properly discharge her duty to the child, she makes contact with both the egg donor and the surrogate.  They, and their families, become active parts of the baby girl’s life.  Eventually, the TW returns to the fold, and the “village” of women raising baby is complete.

          As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never really “gotten” the need to have a baby.  Perhaps because my own daughter was born when I was twenty-two, I never heard my biological clock ticking. But I never had any desire to get pregnant again either, not even as my childbearing possibilities started to wane. So I fail to comprehend why anyone would jump through hoops in order to have a baby.  While I fully comprehend the primal need of all animals to propagate the species, it seems like humans should be smart enough to simply take over the care of orphaned and unwanted children as opposed to attempting fertility treatments.

         

The Kingdom by Clive Cussler

          I just finished listening to The Kingdom by Clive Cussler on audio book.  I really enjoyed this one.  Mr. Cussler’s imagination continues to amaze me.  How does he think this stuff up?

          The story starts with an ancient soldier, one of an elite group trained from birth to protect their kingdom’s most prized possession, as he runs away from an invasion force with his treasure in tow.  The scene ends as the invaders trap him at the lip of a waterfall.

          The next scene opens centuries later with an Italian man (no, not Leonardo) building a flying machine for an Asiatic despot.  With his brother being held as hostage to ensure the return of the machine, the inventor takes off on the flying machine’s maiden voyage.

          Then the story moves to present day. A pair of treasure hunters, Sam and Remi Fargo, is asked to look for a friend who disappeared while working for a Texas oil man.  They travel to exotic locales, have dangerous adventures, outsmart scary folks, and display a MacGyver-like ability to create life-saving apparatus out of detritus. 

          While the story requires some suspension of disbelief, it stays well away from the edges of fantasy.  Guys will appreciate the car chases and gun battles.  Girls will like the loving relationship between the main characters. I recommend The Kingdom for anyone who enjoys thrillers.

A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury

          A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury is the story of two rodeo riders. Cody is a champion bull rider, an angry man not looking past his next eight second bull ride.  Ali is a champion barrel racer with a secret; she suffers from cystic fibrosis, a terminal lung disease. 

          I didn’t want to like this book. From the moment Ali’s disease is revealed, I knew how this was going to end, and I just didn’t want to go there. I like happily ever after and it wasn’t going to happen. 

          As Ali’s career reaches its height, so does the progression of her disease. Her dream of becoming national champion is dashed, just as it seems to be coming true.  But she finds something even better, the love of a good man. 

          Cody is a good man, albeit an angry one.  His beloved father walked out on his family one day leaving a prepubescent Cody literally standing on the corner watching him as he moved out of sight.  The anger he felt at his father for leaving and his mother for “letting” it happen fuels his talent for bull riding.  He too is at the top of his career when Ali’s disease leaves her unable to compete.  He also discovers that he is a compatible match to help give her the lung transplant she needs to survive for a while longer. 

          Cody loves Ali enough to walk away from bull riding to help ensure neither injury or death can prevent him from giving her a lung.  And, that love helps him let go of his anger and reunite with his family.   

          The title, A Thousand Tomorrows, refers to the three years of additional life that a lung transplant will give Ali, and the three years of additional love she and Cody can share.  When the inevitable end does come, it is sad, but sweet. 

          I’m glad I hung in there to the end.  While I didn’t get a happily ever after, I did get a love conquers all.  And, that’s almost as good.

Cross Fire by James Patterson

          Cross Fire by James Patterson is the latest in a series about detective/psychiatrist, Alex Cross.  This edition has multiple bad guys: a pair of snipers killing business and political elites, a serial killer preying on homeless young men and etching mathematical formulas into their bodies with a knife, and an escaped killer that Alex has put away once before looking for revenge. 

          In a way it’s a shame this wasn’t set up as three novels. Each of these criminals could support a story on their own.  The main bad guy, Kyle Craig, the escaped killer has the most well developed story line here.  He even goes so far as to kill the serial math murderer so Alex will have more time to spend on dueling with him. And the sniper team story line leaves a lot of unanswered questions hanging out there even though both perpetrators end up dead.

          A lot goes on in this novel. In between closing three high profile cases, Alex manages to get married.  He may be a better organizer than me!  As usual, this is a fast paced, exciting episode in the Alex Cross lexicon.  I highly recommend it to fans of James Patterson, Alex Cross, police thrillers and murder mysteries. 

1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber

          “The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas…Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best…But…someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep…And…her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth's ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads. “

          The excerpt above from the Amazon.com review sets the scene well.  And, of course, since this is a Harlequin Romance offering, everything ends happily. 

          According to the note from Debbie Macomber at the beginning of the book, this is the last in the Cedar Cove series.  While it is not an especially novel story, you do get to see most of the area’s inhabitants one last time as the neighbors do their Christmas visiting. 

          And, most importantly, by the end of the story, all the puppies have loving forever homes. 

          Speaking of puppies finding forever homes, I’d like to mention the Animal Rescue Site, a part of www.thehungersite.com. By going this site and clicking, you can authorize the site’s sponsors to make donations to a number of good causes including helping animals in shelters.  This site is a quick and easy way to help others.  If you are looking for a way to do more good in the world this holiday season, consider stopping by each day and clicking on to raise funds.

          The Animal Rescue Site helps animal shelters keep their residents warm and fed.  They also sponsor a Shelter Challenge wherein the shelter that garners the most votes gets a sizeable cash reward.  You can vote for your local animal shelter, or if you wish, you may vote for my favorite – The Humane Society of Monroe County, Waterloo, IL.  They have plans to expand their no kill shelter to hold more dogs and cats while they wait for their forever homes.  You can find out more about the shelter and the animals they have available for adoption and fostering at http://www.hsofmcil.org.  Thank you.

Only His by Susan Mallery

          Only His by Susan Mallery is a cute little romance featuring one of a set of identical triplets.  It is set in a small mountain town called Fools Gold with a population heavily weighted with females. 

          This couple, Nevada and Tucker have a past - one drunken night a decade earlier – a serious debacle.

          When Tucker’s construction company arrives in Fools Gold to build a casino complex, Nevada applies for the job of construction foreman.  As she is the best candidate for the job, the pair agrees to forget the past and work together.

          Passion ensues as the two realize the past might not have been as big a mistake as they’d thought.

          The thing I liked best about this book was the side stories.  There are lots of colorful characters with lives and loves of their own.  It made what could have been a pretty run-of-the-mill romance into a more complex, layered and interesting tale. 

          If you’re a fan of the romance genre, you’ll like this one.  Curl up and enjoy!

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

          The Ideal Man is the latest fun and exciting romance/thriller from Julie Garwood.  This one is set in St. Louis, near where I grew up. It is always great fun to read about locales with which I am familiar.

          Julie loves setting her heroines up with FBI agents.  This FBI agent arrives in a St. Louis public park from Honolulu chasing international arms dealers.  The lovely lady is an award-winning trauma surgeon jogging through that park where the gun runners are planning to make a deal.  The ensuing gun battle between agents and smugglers leaves one of the good guys in need of surgery, and the game is afoot. 

          Keeping Ellie away from a hit man hired by the gun runners and a violent stalker from her past while she is in her home town for her sister’s wedding, keeps Max busy, but not too busy to notice how attractive she is. And, what girl can resist a knight in shining armor (or agent with shiny badge) who is not only keeping her safe and alive, but falling in love with her at the same time?

          If you are a Garwood fan, you will be well pleased with this book. It has similarities with her recent thrillers, and retains the fun of her earliest romances.

One Summer by David Baldacci

               This ain’t your daddy’s Baldacci novel.

               Yes, there’s a lovely, driven young woman. Yes, there’s masculine yet vulnerable man.  Yes, there’s a courtroom scene.  But One Summer by David Baldacci is different than any other of his works I’ve encountered. And, as talented as he is, this is, without question, my favorite.

               At first I didn’t think I was going to be able to read it.  The book begins detailing the slow, agonizing death by cancer of the main character.  Having watched my sister be slowly eaten alive by brain cancer last year, I spent most of the beginning of the book in tears.  I started to put it aside, but after a day or so, picked it back up.  Baldacci did such a good job of relating the emotion and stress of both the patient and his family; I realized the writing was excellent.  I decided I didn’t want to pass up what could be a wonderful story by letting my grief over Jennifer get in the way. 

               I am very glad I went back to it.  If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know that some of my criteria for an excellent book are that it makes me cry, laugh out loud, and stay in my mind after the cover is closed for the final time.  One Summer did all those things for me.  I really cared about the characters and would love to spend some time at the Palace and Lizzie’s Lighthouse.   

               I recommend this highly, although it will be some time before I read it again.  The emotions hit me very strongly.  And, that is one of this book’s greatest strengths.

Listen to Your Heart by Fern Michaels

          Listen to Your Heart by Fern Michaels is a sweet little romance set in New Orleans. 

          One of a pair of twin sisters who run a catering business finds true love when a man arrives to hire them to cater a mother’s day celebration.  The man’s large dog runs amok devastating her office and totally charming the caterer’s own puppy.  The two canines become inseparable and eventually their humans do too.  

          The story ends happily with a family reunited and a double wedding for the twin sisters.

          It’s slightly too fluffy for my taste, and a little too sweet as well.  There is also not enough detail to bring the characters fully to life.  This was a very short novel, though.  And, maybe at some point in the future Ms. Michaels will be able to fill the story out and make a full-length, full-strength story.  I’d love to see it then!

Son of Stone by Stuart Wood

          Another Stuart Wood title made it onto the New York Times best seller list.  I mustered the patience to get through this one.  I didn’t get too far into Bel Air Dead before I threw in the towel.  I read Son of Stone in print rather than listening to an audio book. I think a part of my dislike for Bel Air Dead was the voice of the reader.  But Stuart Wood will likely never make my list of favorite authors.

          Son of Stone is another installment in the Stone Barrington saga.  In this one he marries his long time love Arrington Carter and acknowledges their teenage son, Peter. 

In theory, I should like the Stone Barrington stories.  They are tales of rich jet setters and their dramas and deaths.  The stories can concentrate on the action because there is no need to worry about money and influence can get them where they need to be in the action.  But I just cannot connect with these folks.  Perhaps it is the very short chapters.  They make the books seem more like bare bones journal entries than storytelling.  I don’t connect to the characters; I don’t “see” the scenes; there is very little emotion anywhere.  Perhaps Wood writes to a more masculine audience.  I just don’t “get” him.
         

New York To Dallas by JD Robb

           New York To Dallas by JD Robb is my latest dip into the futuristic police procedural world populated by Lt. Eve Dallas, her husband, friends, coworkers and, as always, crazy killers. 

          If a quick count of volumes on my bookshelf is correct, there are over thirty editions in the In Death series by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts).  I’ve read them all, including the short stories, and am still completely enthralled.  

          In this tale, one of Eve’s first arrests as a rookie, a violent pedophile, escapes prison.  He is bent on revenge against Eve personally.  He gets her attention in New York and then quickly moves on to Dallas, the city that gave Eve her name.  While there, Eve, the Dallas PD and the FBI race to find the killer and his accomplice before they can inflict any more harm.  And, Eve discovers yet another piece to her clouded background. 

          This is a fast paced thrill ride, a kaleidoscope of emotions, a swirling storm of events that come to a boil in a Dallas hotel penthouse as Galahad, Eve’s bicolor-eyed cat, hisses out a warning just in time. 

          I give this one 9.5 – practically perfect, just like Disney’s Mary Poppins!

Sweet Sister

          Hello, my sister.  It’s been one year since I said goodbye to you for the last time.  I still miss you every day.  I miss you so badly it hurts.  Don’t get me wrong; the pain has gotten better over the last three hundred sixty-five days.  At first it even hurt to breathe.  The simple acts of inhaling and exhaling rubbed against the raw wound that tore open somewhere inside me as I watched you labor for your last breaths.  I hated it.  I hated it! I HATED IT!! I hated watching you die. But there was no way I was going to let you spend your last moments alone. I was greedy for every precious second with you. As I realized you weren’t going to take another breath, my heart shattered. Its slivers impaled every organ and muscle even as I was swamped with waves of relief because your suffering had come to an end. For days afterward my jaws ached with the effort of holding back the agonized screams that were viciously trying to batter their way out of me.  But I held it together until the control became second nature. 

          Most of the time breathing doesn’t hurt now; only when I am with someone who is missing you.  Maybe I’ve gone round the bend, but when I’m alone you’re always somewhere inside my head. So I don’t miss you quite as much.  You’re always with me in a way.  Sometimes, though, I want your physical presence with a desperation that borders on panic.  That’s when I realize the terrible wound inside me is still there, even if the edges have calloused over; that’s when breathing becomes agony and the tears cannot be held back. 

          The night you died, I wondered, as I wonder sometimes now, how I am supposed to deal with everything without you.  You were the one who knew everybody.  You were the one who liked organizing people and parties.  You were the one with the boundless energy and good cheer.  At first it felt like everyone was looking to me to be those things in your absence.  Fortunately, everybody figured out pretty quick that those things are not me.  I don’t feel so pressured now to keep the happy chatter going and keep the troops entertained. I still try, but I don’t beat myself up so much when I cannot maintain the pace you set. 

          The family still gets together on a regular basis.  Not every week any more, but once a month or so. I think we all learned how important it is to make memories while we can.  And, I think it has become a little easier for all of us to bear you absence when we are together.  The first couple of times I didn’t think we were going to make it through, but we held on by our fingernails and managed.  Each time has gotten a little easier.  And, while you are always a part of our gatherings, I no longer expect you to bop into the room, sprawl on the couch and dominate the conversation. It’s become normal for you not to be there in person.  In a way that makes me sad. But I also think that is progress and something to be proud of.  We are adjusting to our new reality without you. 

          Boy, reality sucks.

          Love you, Baby Sister.