The CAPTIVE HEART by Bertrice Small

Read: Aug 29 - 30
Category: Favorite Author
Pages: 402

Alix Givet is the daughter of Queen Margaret's physician and as they are fleeing the Yorkists, the band of refugees seek shelter with Sir Udolf Watteson. Her father, ill, can go no farther, so a bargain is made where Alix will marry his son Hayle and the two will remain. However, Hayle doesn't want a bride, he only wants his mistress, so he mistreats Alix for the entire time that they are wed. Her father agonizes over her situation but dies before she is freed when Hayle's mistress dies and he kills himself, Alix is forced to flee when her father-in-law decides that he will marry her because he now needs an heir.

Setting off on foot by herself, Alix crosses the border to Scotland where she is found near dead and taken to the keep of a brooding border lord. The Love story that follows twists and turns to an unusual ending.

This was not one of Bertrice Small's better books. I saw a re-write of Skye O'Malley at the beginning and some of her other themes in the middle. The writing was a bit staid in this one, and the characters were not as well defined as normal. Normally, Small gets 4 stars from me, but this one is only a 3.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Read: Aug 18 - 27
Category: Favorite Author
Pages: 534

Have you ever held on to something simply because you thought it brought you good luck?

Logan Thibault was a marine in Iraq when he found a picture of a young woman wearing a T-shirt with the slogan Lucky Lady across her chest. He tried to find who it belong to, but when no one claimed it, he put it in his pocket. His luck began to change. He survived 3 tours in Iraq before he went home. His buddy from the marines felt that the picture had kept Logan safe and when his buddy was killed in a fishing accident in the boat right next to him, Logan began to think that he needed to find the girl.

Logan left his home in Colorado and starting walking… ending up in Hampton, NC. Along with his dog, Zeus, Logan not only found the girl, the reason that he was meant to find her.
I've read nearly all of Nicholas Sparks' books. I liked the idea of this one, but the beginning was slow and sometimes it was too wordy. I liked it, but not as well as some of his others.

GUILTY PLEASURES by Laura Lee Guhrke

Read: Aug 25 - 28
Category: Book Finds
Pages: 384

This is the story of an orphan woman, Daphne Wade, who presents herself to the Duke of Tremore in place of her father to catalog and repair ancient artifacts that are being unearthed on his estate. Daphne falls in love at first sight but the Duke doesn't even register that he is a woman.
The story is a typical romance and proceeds as the reader would expect. Nothing to write home about but entertaining in the normal romance genre way.

Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs

Read: Aug 19 - 25
Category: Mystery
Pages: 411

This book, set in Montreal, Canada, centers around the efforts of Temperance Brennan to solve the brutal murders of 5 woman. It probably would have been easier for her if the Quebec police, namely Luc Claudel, believed her when she pointed out that there was a serial murderer on the lose. But since she is just an anthropologist and a woman to boot, she has a hard time showing them the connections that her instincts tell her are there.

It was thrilling to go with Tempe as she struggled to find all the connections of the different victims, so that she could finally give these women and their families peace found in the criminal being brought to justice, however, she may need to rethink her process in the future.

The characterizations are interesting, showing a previous existence which expands the readers knowledge of the characters, but doesn't get in the way while enhancing the plot. We see the strengths of the Temperance as well as her weaknesses which only make you more interested as she battles to protect herself and those she loves.

The details that are used throughout this book are extensive but sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. Constantly relating street after street didn't improve the story, but got to a point where it drove this reader a bit nuts, some editing here could have helped. I liked the way that French was interspersed (never overdone) with the English, giving it a nice French feel, or should I say Quebec feel.

The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens

Read: Aug 6 - 22
Category: Romance
Pages: 648

The Bastion Club is a series of romances revolving around aristocratic men who served in the special services during the Napoleonic wars and have returned to their "normal" lives and are settling down to love and marriage. This is the seventh installment and centers on Christian Allardyce, the 6th Marquess of Dearne and his lost love Lady Letitia Vaux Randall.
Letitia's husband George Randall is murdered and her brother Justin is the prime suspect, so She sends to her former lover for assistance in clearing his name. They haven't been together for 12 years but the sparks are still there and Christian is determined to discover not only the murderer but the reason why Lady Randall married her husband in the first place.
What surprised me about this book is that normally Ms Laurens writes a romance with a bit of intrigue, but this book has a full-blown mystery which she leads you through along with the characters, revealing the clues to you at the same time as the characters receive them. The reader searches at the same pace as Christian and Letitia not just for love and forgiveness but for resolution of the problem that keep them apart.
However, I do feel that Ms Laurens, in this book, seems to be stretching out the love scenes a bit too long. They are as steamy and sensuous as always, but drag in certain places. That doesn't mean that I'm not reading them, I am.
Can’t wait for the last of this series.

CARBS AND CADAVERS by J. B Stanley

Read: Aug 17 - 19
Category: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 257

The Supper Club Mysteries starts with this book and is extremely entertaining. The entire premise, and one I find hits too close to home, is a group of "fatties" joining together to support each other as they try to lose weight. They title themselves the FLAB FIVE.

James Henry, the main character, is a divorced former professor from Wm & Mary who has an addiction to Cheese puffs and is carrying 50 lbs. of extra weight. He has returned home to Quincy Gap to care for his elderly father after his mother's death. James gets a job as a librarian and settles into what he considers a boring life which only drives him to his addiction more often than not. He feels friendless and alone so when the opportunity to make new friends and lose a few extra pounds is presented to him, he jumps at the chance not knowing what he is getting himself into.

At their first meeting, they are all distracted by sirens (one member works for the local sheriff) and plunge themselves into an investigation of the murder. Working together to both solve the mystery and lose weight, the dieters are melded together into close friends and band together to catch the killer.

The story is well-written and highly amusing with tales of diet cheating and buttons popping. I was completely engrossed in the story so I didn’t have to work about a “Cheese Puff Attack”. As a fellow dieter, my interest was held as to their progress and their setbacks along with the mystery. I look forward to a second helping - pun intended.

Death Qualified: A Mystery of Chaos by Kate Wilhelm

Read: Aug 4 - 18
Category: Mystery
Pages: 438

Lucas Kendricks disappeared 7 years ago. Suddenly he's back after escaping a nightmare where he was "Tom" where he hadn't remembered his family in Oregon but before he has a chance to start his life over, he's dead and his wife is charged with his murder.
Barbara Holloway is in Arizona trying to live the simple life when she receives a phone call from her father and is dragged back into the legal world that she had left 5 years before in disgust, unable to agree with the bargains and compromises of defenders and prosecutors.
This book starts off in chaos and only seems to come together when the courtroom drama begins. There is way too much emphasis on the "chaos theory and psychological research" than a normal reader would want to know. This diversion encompasses most of the book but doesn't stop the reader from foretelling the conclusion. There are a few events at the end that re somewhat predictable.
The courtroom portion of the book was excellent, but the beginning and end left something to be desired.

Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

Category: Coy Mystery
Pages: 308
Read: August 12 - 16

This book is the first in the China Bayles series. China is an attorney who has given up the high paced legal jungle to pursue the quiet town living of an herbalist. That's what she says, but she gets caught up in the investigation of a murder which the police see as a suicide of one of her best friends.
The story is well woven around the characters in the small town of Pecan Springs, TX. What amazes me is the way the writer leads the reader down a path leaving subtle clues but misdirecting you in other areas so that when the resolution comes to light, you say to yourself - DAH! I should have seen that, but everything points that other way. Definitely a series I want to continue.

BLACK BEAUTY BY Anna Sewell

Read : Aug 4-11
Category : Classics
Pages : 275

I have to admit that in my youth I never read Black Beauty. I wish I had. The style of this book, written in the first person, telling how the life of a horse can be pleasurable or miserable was truly delightful. It may me stop to think that it is a shame that so many people don't take into consideration an animal's feelings. Maybe if it was made mandatory reading for children, we wouldn't have mistreated animals in this world.

THE SILVER NEEDLE MURDER by Laura Childs

Read : Aug 8-9
Category : Favorites Author's books I haven't read yet!
Pages : 260

This was the 9th installment of the India Tea Shop Mysteries and my first disappointment from the author, Laura Childs. I love this series but not this book. I still have questions even though I have finished and re-read the ending, I still have questions.

First of all, I knew who the killer was at page 100 simply because this person kept popping up without any need to be there. Second, there were numerous incidents throughout that were not explained at the end and the motive was definitely not clear. So all in all, even though I enjoyed the story, I didn't like to the book.

MURDER ON ASTOR PLACE by Victoria Thompson

Read : Aug 7 - 8
Category : Books I found out about on the Internet (LT)
Pages : 278

This is the first in the Gaslight Mysteries set in turn of the Century(1900) New York City. The central character is Sarah Brandt, a midwife who was born to the aristocracy but married "beneath her station" and now that she s widowed must earn her way in the world.
The mystery centers around a young woman who is strangled in a boardinghouse. Our heroine's involvement is that she recognizes the victim as being the sister of an acquaintance of her youth. Sarah makes every effort to assist Detective Sega rent Malloy in apprehending the murderer.
The twisting and turns which reveal social taboos of the day lead to a gruesome ending but not something that is surprising. IMHO, not a great mystery but readable.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS; A PUBLIC LIFE, A PRIVATE LIFE by Paul Nagel

Read : June 28 - Aug 6
Category : US Presidents, Histories, Biographies
Pages : 420

I have to admit that I knew hardly anything about John Quincy Adams (JQA) before I read this book. All I knew was that he was the 6th President of the United States and the son of John Adams, the 2nd President. I can no longer say that. This book was absolutely tremendous in telling the reader about the man, statesman, politician, son, husband, father, grandfather.

I won't try to convey all the information that Paul Nagel, the author, tries to give the reader. It would be impossible. What I will tell you is that this book tells you the history of man, who was brilliant, strove for perfection in himself, was ambitious yet scholarly and poetic, who wanted only the best for the nation that his father helped to birth.What I will you is that there were so many moments in history that he touched and was part of and never received the credit that I think he deserved if what is in this book is true. I say that because most of the book is based on JQA's papers, journals, etc. and could be biased.

Did you know that he was part of the commission that handled the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, or that he headed the diplomatic corps that negotiated the treaty that ended the War of 1812? Did you know that he was Secretary of State at the time that Monroe Doctrine was issued (I believe he was the one that put the bug in Monroe's ear)?

All this said, I don't believe that he was meant to be President. Not that he wasn't qualified, he didn't have the temperament for the political side of the job and the manner of his election (through the House of Representatives) didn't make it easier. After he was defeated for reelection by Andrew Jackson, he went on to a brilliant career in the House and was responsible for the protection of the Smithson bequest to the United States which we now have as the Smithsonian Institute.

As for the book, it was tremendously informative but it got weighed down by too many excerpts from his journal and sometimes there was too much detail. All in all, I'd read it again if I knew nothing about the man, but now I think, I may know too much.

A SERPENT'S TALE by Ariana Franklin

Read : July 20 -Aug 3
Pages : 567
After reading the Mistress of the Art of Death, I had high expectations of The Serpent's Tale, the sequel. Ariana Franklin lived up to those expectations and a bit more.
The story is set approximately 2 years after the end of Mistress, and there are numerous changes that effect this story. When the King’s paramour, Rosamund Clifford, dies supposedly by poison, Henry is suspicious of his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and sends his dependable Bishop of St. Albans, Rowley Picot to commandeer Adelia's services and determine exactly how his lover died. Only with clear evidence can civil war be averted and Adelia is the "man" for the job. Adelia's emotions are in the forefront when the Bishop arrives because Rowley's apparently moved on in his life after she had refused his marriage proposal while she has not been allowed to return to her home in Salerno.After being persuaded that the king's wishes must be obeyed, Adelia (along with Glytha, the baby, and Mansur) accompanies Rowley to the nunnery at Godstow. Upon their arrival they are greeted with a dead body on the bridge which starts the unusual events that surround this mystery.
Rowley takes Adelia to the location of Rosamund's body but first they must traverse through the walled labyrinth which guards the tower. However, it is soon determined that it is not a labyrinth but a Maze and that the contingency that is there to examine the body cannot gain the tower without a guide. Finally reaching the tower, Adelia is beginning the examination of the body and surrounding area when Queen Eleanor appears so that she may gloat over her rival's demise while unknown to everyone, the victim's maid has been waiting in a hidden chamber to reek revenge. Adelia manages to save the queen's life, who promptly envelopes Adelia into her entourage while capturing Rowley and preventing his communications with the king.
Rowley escapes but we are not sure if dead or alive, and Adelia is taken along with the Queen back to the nunnery where after being snowed in, she proceeds to unwind all the threads of the mystery.
The mixture of medical science of the day, observations, and political intrigue along with startling subplots and historical flavor make this as enjoyable a read as the first. I'm definitely glad that I've already got my copy of #3 from the library in hand.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens

Read : July 18-Aug 1
Category : Classics
Pages : 544

Dickens style of comparing the opposites is the theme throughout this classic. His contrasts of the "best "and "worst "of times, "Light "and "Darkness, "and "hope "and "despair" mirror good and evil that will persist throughout the novel in characters and situations. Resurrection of the physical person of Dr. Manette and the spiritual of Sydney Carton by his personal sacrifice reflect this as well.
The full story runs a little slow for me but as Classic go IMHO, it is better than most.

Catch up with my Challenges

I thought that a quiet Saturday morning and the first of a month would be a good time to review my status for all of my challenges so that I made sure that I was in good shape to complete them all.

1st in a series - This challenge was to read 12 books that are 1st in a series. I've done that twice over so far with 25 so I'm marking that one complete.
Support the Library - For this challenge I signed on for 50 books from the library. So far I've read 83 and have another 51 ready to go. So I'm marking this on COMPLETED!
75 Book Challenge - I finished the first 75 and am 26 books into the second 75. COMPLETED
100 Book Challenge - Earlier this week I finished my 100th book - COMPLETED
Great Summer Readoff - I wanted to read 40 books - so far 2/3 in I've read 26 - need to get a move on for this one.
999 Challenge #1 - I have 12 books left and am aiming for the 9/9/09 completion date.
999 Challenge #2 - I have 48 books to go and think I can manage to complete this before the end of the year.
President's Challenge - To stay on target for the 4 year completion I need to read through President Polk by the end of the year. That means I need to finish JQA and read Jackson, Van Buren, WH Harrison, Tyler, and Polk. The book for Jackson is over 1000 pages but the others should be not to big. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I don't want to fall behind since most of next year is designated as a history year concentrating on the Civil War and Pre and Post eras.

THE ALCHEMYST: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Author : Michael Scott
Read : July 30-31
Category : New Writer
Pages : 375

I found this book simply because the title caught my eye and the title character was mentioned in the 1st Harry Potter book. That said, I had no expectations as to what the story was.
Nicholas Flamel was born in 1330 and is living in San Francisco in the 21st century running a book store. No, that's not a typo...along with his wife, Perenelle, Nicholas Flamel has been the guardian for over 700 years of the Codex, a book which has been sought by John Dee (a historical figure who was an advisor on astrological and scientific matters for Elizabeth I) who seeks the Codex for the power and devastation that it can wield.
Needless to say, Dee is the bad guy who conjures zombies, skeletons, creatures made of mud, and undead to try to defeat Flamel, Scathach (a very old warrior creature that looks like a punk rocker) and his saviors (15 year old human twins) who appear in prophesies in the Codex. Dee kidnaps Perenelle and gains the book but is missing 2 vital pages. The ensuing pursuit and battle is entertaining and the ending leaves the reader wanting more.

SUNRISE by Jacquelyn Cook

Read : July 27-29
Category : Books I found I want to read
Pages : 293

History tells us that in 1849 William Butler Johnston, an elder railroad baron/banker, married Anne Tracy in Macon GA. SUNRISE brings their romance to life. The author has taken the journals and letters of this family and woven a tale of their lifelong love affair which started on their European Grand Tour honeymoon, endured the death of numerous children, family and friends, and survived the suffering of deprivation during the Civil War.

Johnston adored his Miss Annie so much that he built her "fairy castle" - the historical Johnston-Felton-Hay Mansion that still stands in Macon. The characters that the author has created in this book reflect not just the times but the spirit of the people. The characters were actually living breathing people who Ms Cook has given personality and feelings through extensive research.

This book read rather quickly, due to the fact that there were no long sweeping passages that you would expect from this genre bt read more like a journal telling the actually history of the time. There are a few times when it started to drag, but soon recovered and is well worth the time taken to read.
It's no Gone With the Wind, but since I enjoyed the historical information that was wound into the story so much, I rank it in good/great read category.

A BLUSH WITH DEATH by India Ink

Read : July 18 - July 19
Category : Followers
Pages : 272

Corporate espionage is the main theme of this Bath and Body mystery. Persia Vanderbilt and her Aunt Florence's business Venus Envy has competition from Bebe's Boutique and things are not gong well. The rose crop has been sprayed with a deadly insecticide, malicious rumors of poor quality ingredients are circulated, and their computer is hacked removing all records, but the theft of Persia's scent journal is the final disaster which forces Persia and company to set a plan in motion to resolve the murder of one of Bebe's associates and recover the scent diary.

This mystery was a little slow developing but had its moments. There were amusing moments with an adolescent Casanova, a new romance under development, and Persia's viewpoint on how to catch a man. Not a great book, but entertaining.

DRAGONWELL DEAD by Laura Childs

Read : July 13 - July 17
Category: Favorite Authors
Pages: 290

Theodosia and her faithful friends of the Indigo Tea shop - Drayton and Haley - are confronted at an orchid auction they are catering with the untimely death of their friend Mark Congdon. Drayton is particularly affected since Mark and he were both Orchid collectors. As in the past, Theodosia doesn't set out to investigate the murder, but gets sucked in by circumstances. This mystery was the most action packed of the series so far, and a delightful read.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult

Read : July 12 - July 16
Category : Surprise, Books I find want to read
Alex Award------------------------------
Pages : 528 pages

This book lived up to my expectations and more. This family drama about the ethics of creating a child to serve as a living donor for another child and the ramifications of the situation for all the members of the family took my breath away. The detail of the different viewpoints in the family showing the parents driving need to save their sick child, the donor child's search for identity, the sick child's need to just be normal, and the "unneeded" child's search for recognition was heart-wrenching.
The writer also managed to interweave the feelings of the legal participants. The guardian ad litem's ability to see both sides of the issue - Anna's need to choose and Kate's parents need to help their sick child, no matter what, was effectively written, while her inability to make a recommendation mirrored Anna's feelings of being unable to prevent herself from waffling from continuing her lawsuit and ending it. The Judge's loss of a child reflects the fear of Sarah and Brian who have been battling to preserve Kate's life since she was 2. And of course, there is Campbell, Anna's attorney. His presence only serves to magnify denial - his regarding his medical issues and the family regarding the imminent death of Kate.
What I found particularly interesting was having the story told at different times by different characters. Since the story always seemed to be in the first person, as if the characters were talking directly to you, the reader, the story seemed much more captivating then if it had been told in the third person or constantly from the same point of view. Needless to say, I'm glad that I read this book, and hope that I am never put in such a situation. I'm just glad that I've signed my donor card, have you?

Jodi Picoult confronts a stormy real-life debate with a polished compassion, sympathy and understanding.