Cross Country by James Patterson

Normally I love his books especially Alex Cross series but this one just didn't hold my interest. As usual Alex Cross is after a killer and it takes him to Africa to try to catch him. Definitely not one of my favorite books by him.

Rating: C-

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

On Rose's 9th birthday she eats lemon cake that her mom made and finds out she can taste peoples feelings through what they make. It sounded so interesting but what a dud! Rose discovers through her unusual talent that her mother is having an affair. Her relationship with her brother is beyond wierd and her dad is awkard but at times you can see his potential to be caring. The most interesting part to me was her relationship with her brothers friend George. The ending wasn't what I expected, hoped for something a little more uplifting for the main character. Definitely not worth your time, so glad it was a library book.

Rating: D

Kat's Cradle by Karen Kijewski

This is book three in a series about the PI Kat Colorado. If you like Sue Grafton, you'll enjoy this series. A new client Paige Morrell comes to Kat asking her to help find info about her parents who died when she was just a baby. Of course as Kat starts investigating she digs up a bunch of family secrets that should have been left alone. Another good read by Karen Kijewski. I couldn't wait to read every night once the boys were asleep. I thought it had some good surprise twists. Also kind of fun because it takes place in Sacramento. Some of the regular characters appear again in the book... her grandma, Alma, Lindy, her best friend Charity and her boyfriend Hank. Looking forward to reading book 4.

Rating: A-

Katapult by Karen Kijewski

This is book 2 in a series. It's about Kat Colorado who's a private investigator. Her cousin is murdered and she tries to figure out who did it. She gets herself mixed up in dangerous world of teenage hookers, real estate hoodlums and a murderer who wants to keep her quiet. It was an easy read, definitely wondered how it was going to come together. A good page turner. Just started book 3.
Rating: B

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This is my pick for our book club. I've had this book for a while and couldn't wait to read it. It's about Anna, who at thirteen as undergone many surgeries and medical procedures to help her sister Kate, who's fighting leukemia. Anna and Kate are very close but Anna finally takes a stand for what she wants when it comes down to donating a kidney. It causes problems within in the family and may have serious consequences for Kate. I really enjoyed this novel. I couldn't put it down and it kept me curious. As always she creates wonderful, relatable characters. It was interesting for me to read as a parent, thinking what would I do if I was in that position. Also made me think about my own sister and how I couldn't image watching someone I love so much suffer. The book will have you guessing to the end. Definitely check it out!

Rating: A

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See less than a year ago and just loved it. I purposely waited to read another book by her to tease myself a little. This is about two girls in China who become laotong or "old same," a friendship that's meant to last a lifetime. They start writing back and forth on a silk fan in a unique language called nu shu that women created to communicate in secret. They talk about footbinding, their arranged marriages and motherhood. However when a misunderstanding happens, its possible the friendship may be over forever. Just like in her other book, I came to really enjoy the characters and wanted to know how it was going to turn out. She does an amazing job of explaining what women were expected to do. Also does a great job of combining fact and fiction.

Rating: A-

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

This is book 2 in a trilogy. It picks up with the same characters Bloomvist and Salander. Bloomvist and Millennium magazine are going to run an article about a sex trafficking operation. Before it can be published the two journalist who wrote the article are found dead. Unfortunately the weapon has Salander's fingerprints on it. The police start searching for her while Bloomvist starts his own investigation, believing that Salander is innocent. I definitely enjoyed this one much more. It was way easier for me to get into and a faster pace. Heads up a lot of new names since you're introduced to some new characters. I felt like I couldn't put this down and got a lot more background info on Salander.

Rating: A-

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I'd heard about this book before but didn't read it until my friend passed it on to me. All I can say is WOW! What makes this book so good is that it's real and as you're reading it you're shocked by some of the things in this book. It's about a girl Jeannette, her three siblings and parents. Pretty much the kids have to fend for themselves because their parents are so irresponsible. The father is a drunk and the mother is trying to be an artist. Meanwhile the poor kids are lucky if they eat. Sounds depressing but definitely worth the read to get find out the ending. I found myself getting attached to the kids, rooting for them wondering what was going to happen next. Definitely worth picking up.

Rating: A-

Play Dead by Harlan Coben

I came across this book at Costco and was so excited to find a book I hadn't read by one of my favorite authors. The inside said that it was his first book. Needless to say very disappointed. Not nearly as good as the rest of his books. If this is the first book you find by him, put it back and pick up any of his other books. It had a good concept. Laura and David get married and on their honeymoon David goes for a swim and doesn't return. Laura is crushed and while grieving tries finding answers to several questions. This will bring up events and lies from 30 years ago. It was too wordy and could have been shorten A LOT! I was definitely curious but then I got to a certain point where I just wanted to know so I could be done with it. I'd say pass on this one and pick up Tell No One or Good for Gone by Harlan Coben instead.

Rating: C-

Sarah's Key by Tatiana DeRosnay

I've always been interested in reading books about the Holocaust. I can't seem to understand why something so terrible had to happen to so many innocent people. In Sarah's Key, there are two stories going on. One story is about Sarah and her family in Paris in July 1942. French police came arresting Jewish families. Sarah hides her brother and tells him she'll be back for him. The other story takes place 60 years later and is about a journalist Julia who starts researching the roundup. During her research she discovers a link between Sarah and her family. I thought it was definitely well done with going back and forth between the two different stories. I couldn't put the book down. I was sadden by most of Sarah's story. It's important to read books like this so we never forget what happened. A must read!

Rating: A

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This was our book club pick by one of my friends. The book is about a famous author named Vida Winter who has given several different stories about her past. Now that she is old and sick she finally decides to tell the true story and seeks out Margaret Lea to write her biography. Margaret has her own issues with her family and a secret they kept from her. As Margaret begins hearing Vida's story, she becomes very intrigued as it continues to unfold. At times I wasn't sure how I felt about the book especially early on as Vida starts telling her story. There's a little bit of wierdness for me reading a little about her parents who were actually siblings. But as the book progressed I was interested in some of the characters and how it was going to all come together. Definitely happy that there was a twist at the end. I'm really looking forward to discussing it with our reading group to see what everyone else thought.

Rating: B-

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

I grabbed this book at Costco a couple of months ago because it looked like a good mystery. It's about a girl Sydney who goes missing and no one knows what happened to her. Of course her father Tim does everything he can to find her. Along the way he discovers that maybe his daughter wasn't always honest with him and that he isn't the only one looking for her. The more he investigates, the more dangerous it becomes for Tim and Sydney. I was a little disappointed with the book. I thought the book could of been a little shorter, sometimes parts were a little repetitive. I was definitely curious to see how it was going to turn out and the last hundred pages got pretty interesting, some twists too. But it just ended, leaving me with some questions. This is the first book by this author I've read. I would probably be willing to try another one of his books.

Rating: C

Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

I was at the library the other day and saw this on the shelf. I hadn't seen the movie so I grabbed it. I always like to read the book before watching the movie. The main character is named Ram and it's start with him being arrested for winning a game show Who Wants to Be a Billionaire. The authorities claim how could someone who grew up in the slums and who is just a waiter know all the answers. Ram then goes on to describe how through different life experiences he knows the things he knows to answer each question. I really enjoyed the book, it was almost like a story within a story. I'm really curious to compare the book to the movie. I was talking to my coworker who has seen the movie and it sounds like there pretty different.

Rating: B+

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This book was recommended to me by one of my customers at the bank. I've had it on my list for a while and am so glad I read it. This book is told by a dog Enzo, who loves his master Denny, his wife Eve and their little girl Zoe. He tells about their life, Denny's love of racing and some hard struggles in this family. Enzo does all a dog can do to help Denny and Zoe cope with the diffcult times in their life. I loved Enzo and it made me want a dog just like him. I have many friends who have dogs and it made me think of each of their dogs, wondering do they think like Enzo. I highly recommend this book. It's an easy read, full of sweet descriptions and how one should never give up hope.

Rating: A

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

I saw this book in the Costco magazine last year and had it on my list of books I wanted to read. It's about a twelve year old girl named CeeCee Honeycutt who has been taking care of her mother, who has some mental problems. Unfortunately her father travels a lot on business. So when tragedy strikes, it's no surprise that she ends up going to live with her great aunt, Tootie. She moves to Savannah and soon is surrounded by lots of wonderful and at times interesting woman influences. From her Great Aunt Tootie, to her housekeeper Oletta, to two neighbors Violenne Hobbs and Thelma Goodpepper. It was definitely a sweet read, you can't help but feel for CeeCee. I was so glad that she suddenly got so much love from some great woman.

Rating: B

Swimsuit by James Patterson

The thing I love most about James Patterson's books are the chapters are short and the books are always page turners. Swimsuit starts out with a swimsuit model gone missing and her parents receiving a terrifying phone call sending them to Maui to search for their daughter. Reporter Ben Hawkins, ex-cop, gets the assignment and begins the story of a lifetime. Of course lots more murders happen and it leaves you wondering what the killer Henri is really up to. I read the book in about four days. Definitely a page turner but not really satisfied with the ending. Be prepared for some pretty gruesome descriptions, more so than usual for Patterson.

Rating: C+

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

This is the second book in a three book series about Valentine, her funny family and her shoe company. The book starts out with her grandma, Teodora getting married to her long time love Dominic who lives in Italy. Valentine is losing her business partner since Teodora is moving to Italy but finds out her new partner in the business Angelini Shoes will be her brother Alfred, someone she doesn't get along with at all. Don't forget about Gianluca, the man she started to fall for in the last book and who she starts exchanging love letters with since he too lives in Italy. Plus she uncovers a family secret. Overall, great book... enjoyed refreshing my memory with her family and the growing relationship with Gianluca. It left me wanting more. Can't wait for the third book.

Rating: A-

Two not so good reads back to back...

I'm sorry to say the last two books I've read have been not so good. For my book club we had to read Bag of Bones by Stephen King. I read this book over ten years ago and remember some of it. Needless to say it's not a book I would normally want to re-read. It's about an author Mike who's wife suddenly dies. Four years later still dealing with her loss and writers block, he decides to go back to their summer home. He gets himself involved with a custody battle and dealing with ghosts at the summer home. I just didn't enjoy it very much. At times I thought hmmm... maybe it will get better but it's just not my style of book I normally read or enjoyed. Rating: C- (Sorry Amanda, I know you love him)
As for my other book... Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I wanted to read this book before watching the movie. I've now decided that I don't want to see the movie and couldn't even get through the book. It was just too much bouncing around for me. One day she's depressed the next she's happy in Italy then a flashback of her dealing with her divorce then back to learning Italian in Italy. I finally finish the Italy section and barely started India when I just couldn't do it anymore. It was definitely diffcult for me to decide because I really don't like giving up on a book but I found myself almost dreading picking it up when I know I have so many other great books just waiting to be read. Unfortunately I'm afraid to rate this but will be honest. Rating: D-

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Do you ever read a book and enjoy it so much that you actually feel like you know the characters? I felt this way while reading this. It's about a woman named Juliet in 1946 after the war who's trying to come up with her next book subject. She receives a letter from someone in Guernsey and begins a wonderful friendship not just with him but with this wonderful group of people all in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What I loved also about the book was it was all in letters exchanged back and forth from the different characters. It was such a neat group of characters, it made me want to be part of the society. I was so sad to finish the book because I enjoyed it so much. Also felt I learned a little too because I didn't realize the Germans had taken over this part of the Channel Islands for five years and how they treated these innocent people, who had nothing to even do with the war. Just sickens me the things that happened during the war. Definitely a sweet and easy read. Check it out!

Rating: A

Where Are You Now?... by Mary Higgins Clark

I've always enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark books and once again she didn't disappoint. I haven't read a book by her for quite a while. I enjoy the fact that she always throws a bunch of different characters in the mix so you never know who to trust. Same goes for this book. In the book ten years ago Mack MacKenzie disappeared and only calls his Mom once a year on Mothers Day. He only lets her know he's ok and won't answer any other questions. His sister Carolyn tells him when he calls that she's going to find him, no matter what it takes. Then starts the search that brings up a lot of unanswered questions and opens a whole new can of worms. Suddenly it looks like Mack could be involved with missing girls... maybe even murder. I liked the characters and wondered how it was all going to come together. As always the author did a great jump wrapping everything up with a few surprises at the end.

Rating: B

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

The book is about Gus who just turned 50 and has a cooking show. Her show may not be renewed so the network decides to put a new twist on her show to increase ratings by adding a cohost diva. Luckily she has the help of her two daughters, who each of problems of their own, her neighbor and the new producer who turns into a love interest. I was disappointed with the book, it just didn't hold my attention as much I would have liked. I almost found her two daughters a little annoying, one is just always kind of grumpy and the other has issues with commitment. I didn't really feel the love interest with Oliver the producer, it seemed almost too quick. Of course the book ended happily. I have to say I enjoyed her other book The Friday Night knitting club a lot better. So glad I got this at the library and hadn't spent my own money.

Rating: C-

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I heard from quite a few people how great this book once so I was very disappointed that it took me over 250 pages to finally get into it. There's A LOT of information in the beginning which of course is good to have this knowledge for later in the book. But in the beginning I kept thinking, when is it going to get better. Luckily it improved a lot. The book is about a journalist named Mikael Bloomvist (another think that took some getting use to is almost everyone is referred to by their last name) who just got done with a scandal when he's asked to look into finding out what happened to Harriet Vanger, who went missing several years ago. Lisabeth Salander eventually comes to assist him in this search. I would definitely stick with it, there were a few surprises and it definitely made up for the first 250 pages. Looking forward to seeing what will happen in the next two books, since this is the first of a three book series.

Rating: B+

The Girls by Lori Lansens

A friend of mine lent me this book. It's about twin sisters who are conjoined at the head. Some people might find that wierd but the story was definitely interesting. I like the way both sisters, Rose and Ruby told their side of the story. I couldn't even image been conjoined with my sister. I had said to my husband I couldn't image not being able to just roll over at night when sleeping but he said how would you know what you're missing if you've never had it. It was a pretty easy read. I especially liked the different stories about their Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash. I'm glad I read it but wouldn't say you HAD to read it.

Rating: B

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I'm in a book club with some of my girlfriends. We meet every other month and we each get a chance to pick a book. My one friend picked this book for our club. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Just from reading the inside of the book, I wasn't sure if I would have ever picked it up. All I can say is I'm so glad I did and thank goodness for Toni for picking it. Just to warn you the book is written in a very different way, kind of choppy. At first it's a little hard to get use to. Don't give up, trust me you'll adjust to the writing style. The story is about a little girl Liesel who lives in Germany with her foster parents. It goes on to describe her life as she learns to read and falls in love with books, her relationship with her best friend Rudy, her foster dad Hans and Max, the Jew they're hiding in there basement as well as her days of stealing books. This book is over 500 pages and I read it in three nights. My sister is always amazed I can read that fast, especially since I work and have my husband and two kids. I read everyday at lunch and at night before bed. I must say I couldn't wait to see where the story was going to go. I felt like I lived in Liesel's neighborhood and got very attached to the characters. This normally happens to me when the book is good. Some books stick with you after you read them and I felt this way about The Book Thief. Looking forward to hearing what you thought.

Rating: A

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

I stayed up last night until 11pm finishing this book. I'm a big Jodi Picoult fan. If you haven't ever read a book by her, you should! She always picks very interesting subjects and shows different sides of the story. In House Rules it's about a boy named Jacob who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is very interested in forensic science. Then he's accused of murder. I know two people who have Asperger's and found it very interesting to read this book. It made me understand how they might feel and process thoughts. The only thing that sometimes bothers me about her books is she doesn't always wrap the book up. I sometimes still have questions. Unfortunately I feel this way about this book. Don't get me wrong, it was really good. I love Jacob's character... felt like giving him a hug sometimes. Check it out and let me know if you felt the same about the ending. Other books by her I've enjoyed.... Salem Falls (read before Nineteen Minutes), The Pact and Picture Pefect. Happy Reading!!!

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

I read this book a few months ago and fell in love with it. It's about two sisters May and Pearl who live in Hong Kong in 1937. Their father has a terrible gambling debt and marries them off to American men... this is just how the book starts. I truly enjoyed the writing and the development of the characters. I have a sister who I adore so for me it's always a treat to read about sisters. But even if you don't have a sister, everyone has a friend, mother or family member they feel close to. I had the pleasure of meeting the author in Petaluma. My godmother and I went together. She was a wonderful, witty speaker. The best part is there's going to be a sequel. I highly recommend picking this up. Let me know what you think!