Charley's Web by Joy Fielding

Joy Fielding always does a great job of melding suspense or mystery with characters of substance. Charley (born Charlotte Webb) is a newspaper columnist who writes about provocative things in "Charley's Web". She lives with her two children (both different fathers and no marriages) and tries to keep some contact with her disapproving family. She often receives hateful emails - but one day they reference her children and she is freaked out. Soon after she receives a letter from a young woman who has killed three children and is scheduled to be executed. She wants Charley to write her story and tell more than came out in the trial. Charley accepts the challenge to write this woman's biography. So she is listening to the sick stories of this murderer and trying to make sure that her children are safe. How do you know who to trust? You'll just have to read the book to find out who was really trustworthy!

La Vie en Rose

Marion Cottilard's performance as French singer Edith Piaf is truly remarkable. Whether she did her own singing or just mimed the words is beside the point - she brought this tragic story to life.

Frail from childhood on (my only real complaint is that the actress who portrayed her as a child was far too robust to make the frequent references to her ill health anything but laughable), she never-the-less went on to international fame as a singer and actress. She died in 1963 at the age of 47.

I've always heard of Edith Piaf. I had no idea she was so young when she died or how troubled her life was. The singing was wonderful and the acting even better. Be prepared though - it's subtitled.

The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky

Oh families! There are always secrets, deceptions and misunderstandings. Everyone lies and sometimes it is for a good reason - or so we think. In this book Deborah lies for her daughter. After a car accident in which a pedestrian (in this case her daughter's teacher) is injured, Deborah phrases her statements to the police so they assume that she, not her 16 year old daughter, was driving. It appears the victim has nothing more severe than a broken leg but by the next day he is dead. Ah, the plot thickens. Of course there are also many sub-plots going on. It was an easy, fast read and I enjoyed it.

Sight by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Dylan has a big secret. She can see things happen. Most of the time, she tries to hide her sight--and hide from it. But sometimes...she sees dead children. And only after they're dead.

The first time it happened, she was five years old, and her classmate, Clarence, was missing. She saw him--saw where he was buried. But she didn't tell anyone, not until after they found the body. After that, she went to the police whenever she got a vision.

Things are changing now. The man that killed Clarence, the man they called the Drifter, is back, and killing children again. If Dylan can force herself to see what happens before another child dies, she might be able to catch him. But secrets have a way of coming out. And life is not always what it seems in her little town.

Live Free or Die Hard

Die Hard fans will not be disappointed with this action-packed movie. The action starts at the beginning and keeps getting better as the movie goes forward. Caught in the worse computer attack the country has ever seen, McClane has to deliver a computer hacker to the FBI--but on the way, he gets thrown into the crossfire.

The terrorists, who are American citizens and in no way attached to anyone outside of the US, shut down the FBI, utilities, and street lights/cameras. This doesn't stop McClane, who uses his usual tactics and flare for sarcasm to find the bad guys and win the day. This time his partner is Matt Farrell, who understands and can counter everything the terrorists are doing--when he's close to a computer, that is. McClane's daughter Lucy also makes an appearance in this movie--she's kidnapped. But she shows the same attitude her father has when push comes to shove. A fantastic movie!

Based on the article "A Farewell to Arms" by John Carlin

And Sometimes Why by Rebecca Johnson

I am always on the lookout for books by authors I know and enjoy. When I read a book by an unfamiliar author it is a book that I picked up because the title or the cover caught my eye. I thought this book was good and looked forward to checking to see if we had other books by Johnson. Unfortunately (for me) this is a debut novel. Johnson writes for magazines but I hope to see more books by this talented writer.
We all make choices and decisions every day without much thought. Only if tragedy strikes do we agonize over those choices. What if????? Why didn't I.......? Sophia and Darius have two teen daughters and they bought a car for them to share. Of course they both need/want the car on the same day. The argument is settled and daughter Helen takes a bus to go meet her boyfriend (that her parents know nothing about) and break up with him. When he asks for one last time together she reluctantly climbs on the back of his motorcycle to go to his place. They are involved in a terrible crash. Helen ends up in the hospital's ICU with brain trauma and in a coma. This is the story of how people are affected and how they react to this situation. I stayed up to 1 a.m. to finish it and I thought it was worth it!

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

This will be a very short blog. In my opinion Jodi Picoult is one of the best authors alive. Her books are well-written, keep you intrigued and even make you think about some social issues. If you are a loyal reader of Picoult's books you will not be disappointed in this one. If you have never read one of her books come to the library and pick one out - they are all winners.

7th Heaven by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

The last book by James Patterson (and sidekick) was awful in my opinion. This one was great I'm happy to say. I think that all of the women's murder club books have been well written and fun to read. This one was just as entertaining as the first one. The case this time is about murder and arson. Two seemingly well-bred young men are using clever cons to get into the luxury homes of the well-to-do. The couples are tied up and eventually die in the set fires. The only clues are books left at the scene that contain phases in Latin. Of course in the background of the crimes there is the on-going romance of Lindsay. If you are into this series keep on reading - you won't be disappointed.

Stolen in the Night by Patricia MacDonald (audio book)

This is a book for lovers of mystery or suspense. It isn't gory either! MacDonald tells the story of Tess who at the age of nine witnesses her younger sister being pulled out of their camping tent in the middle of the night. Jake, the brother, was supposed to be with them - but he left to go have fun in town. Tess gives an explicit description of the intruder which leads to the arrest of Lazarus who is charged with sexual assault and murder. Lazarus is executed for the crime although he maintains his innocence to the end. His mother believes him. Twenty years later she is able to have a DNA test done. The results show that Lazarus was not guilty. Now Tess must try to find out if she was really wrong that night or if there is another explanation.
The book was well-read and kept me interested and intrigued until the end. Of course there is a touch of romance in the book too! I would recommend this recording. It lasts 11 hours and 19 minutes (in case you are planning a car trip!).

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

I recently traveled to Kentucky to visit my best friend. Someone had loaned her this book but she hadn't had time to read it. So naturally I picked it up and started reading. If you liked the movie "Beaches" you will like this book - in fact you will be struck by the similarities between the two. But who cares? Two girls meet and become friends. They declare that they will be friends for ever and ever. They are separated physically but keep in touch through letters and phone calls. They grow up and eventually head down different paths - one with a huge career and one with a husband and kids. They have their ups and downs - and then a big down. It's a tear-jerker at the end. Another book about the power and bonds of girlfriends. I love that theme!!!!

Four Wives by Wendy Walker

This is a first novel by Wendy Walker but I'm sure that it won't be her last. The idea of the book is certainly not a new one as you can probably guess from the title. We are introduced to the suburban women and their families - and of course to their secrets that they hide from one another and sometimes from themselves. Most of the secrets are ones that you might guess would be uncovered. Despite the somewhat predictable format of the book, I really liked it. It was well- written and I quickly began to care about the characters and what would happen to them. As we all know deep down, the grass is not always that green in the rich suburbs.

Light of the Moon by Luanne Rice

OK, this novel was completely predictable. I knew after about the first ten pages how it was going to turn out. But I read it and enjoyed it anyway!

Anthropologist Susannah Connolly travels to the south of France to fulfill her mother's dying wish that she see the white horses of the French Carmargue. Once there, she meets an expatriate American, who now owns a ranch, and his troubled young daughter. Susannah becomes involved both in the life of the village and the life of the rancher and his daughter - and romance, with all its complications, ensues.

I like any book that takes me to a part of the world I've never heard of and leaves me with the desire to go there. This book did just that, describing life among the Gypsies who live in this region, the beauty of the horses on the beach, and the wonderful "light of the moon". I enjoyed reading, in spite of the predictability!

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I would like to start this out by telling you that I typically read fantasy and science fiction books, so this book was way out of my norm. With that said this book was AMAZING! With the books I usually read, it is easy to root for one side or the other, but with this book the topic is so controversial I couldn't decide what was right, what was wrong or even what I would do if I was in that situation!

Sarah and Brian have 2 children, Jesse and Kate. At a very young age Kate is diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia, and the best way (and safest way) for her to survive is for a sibling that is an exact genetic match to give her blood. After testing Jesse to find that he isn't a match, they have Anna - but before that they have fancy tests done to make sure that Anna will be a genetic match.

Now, 13 years later, Kate needs a kidney transplant, and Anna files a lawsuit against her parents for the right to decide if she wants to donate her own organs (or not)... She has already donated many things (blood cells, bone marrow etc etc).

This story is told in the perspective of all the characters... Anna, Cambell (Anna's Lawyer), Julia (the court-appointed guardian ad litem), Jesse, Sarah and Brian.

I recommend this book to everyone - no matter if you read fantasy, mystery, western or anything in between! This is most definitely the BEST book I have read (actually I listened to it) in a very long time! So if you are searching for something to read, this is your book!

The Woods by Harlan Coben

This is the first book I have read by Coben but it won't be my last. I had read a write-up about this book last year but didn't get around to checking it out until now. Twenty years ago four teens left their summer camp and went into the woods. Later two bodies were found murdered but there was never a trace of the other bodies, only some clothing with blood on them. Throughout the book we see how this crime affected the families of those teens. When a homicide victim shows up at the morgue he has evidence on him that leads to the brother of one of the victims. Thus the case is reopened. It was an easy read and kept my interest from beginning to end. It's a mystery without the blood and gore. I'll be checking out other books by this author.