Lightstone by David Zindell

Finally have time to blog about this book that I finished almost a month ago! This is the first book in a series of three I believe.

The story follows Valashu Elahad of Mesh (Val for short) on a journey to find the sacred Lightstone, a golden cup with magical properties. The journey starts out with an assassination attempt on Val but it is not the last.
Val is accompanied by two close friends, Prince Maram Marshayk of Delu and Master Juwain Zadoran of the Brotherhood. They begin their journey to a far kingdom where a king has asked those who wish to search for the Lightstone to make an official commitment to it.
On the journey to get there they meet up with Kane. He is very mysterious about everything, so they are hesitant to trust him, but allow him to join their group. On the outskirts of the kingdom they meet up with Atara Ars Narmada of Alonia and the Wendrush, also known as Atara Manslayer of the Kurmak. She is so named because she took a vow to kill 100 men, and she can not be wed until this vow has been completed.
Finally at the kingdom, they receive the blessing of the king and are joined by two additional adventurers, making their group a total of 7 people.
There is a prophecy; "The seven brothers and sisters of the earth with the seven stones will set forth into the darkness. The Lightstone will be found, the Maitreya will com forth and a new age will begin. A seventh son with the mark of Valoreth will slay the dragon. The old world will be destroyed and a new world created."
The seven brothers and sisters have joined, and they are gradually getting the seven stones through the journey.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I got a into the story I couldn't stop, and I plan to finish the rest of the series as well! If alot of details and strange names scare you away from reading a book this is not the series for you, but if you like something that's a bit different but still "on earth" this is a great story!

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson 643.1 bry

I loved this book!!! I listened to the audio book which I think really added to my enjoyment. It is not a book for everyone. But I happen to love history and trivia. This would be the perfect book for a long car trip. (It also worked well for some weed-pulling and needlepoint!) Bryson takes us through every room in the house and gives us an interesting historical background on why that room exists. Some of things I already knew but I was astonished at the wealth of information he presented in the book. No, I didn't stay up late to listen to the book and no, I didn't rush home to continue reading it. But I was always interested and fascinated by the information. If you are a Bryson fan be sure to check out this one. And if you haven't been introduced to this author, try it - you might become his next fan!

French Lessons by Ellen Sussman

I picked up this book because of the title. I used to teach French and thought it would be fun to read about a book set in Paris. I did enjoy it. It is the story of Josie, Riley and Jeremy who are all in Paris but for different reasons. They have all signed up for French lessons (no surprise to you I'm sure!). They aren't taking the traditional ones in a classroom. They are taking the ones where you get a personal tutor and then you spend the day in Paris! So we learn the stories of why these three are here and what they are hoping to gain. Josie has had her heart broken. Riley is living in Paris because of her husband's job - but she feels her husband moving away from their relationship. Jeremy is married to a famous actress and isn't sure that her world is what he wants. We also learn about the three tutors and their interconnecting stories. It was a quick, easy read. I will warn you that I would rate it R if that matters to you (one way or the other).

Allergic Girl by Sloane Miller 616.975 Mil

This is a book about food allergies. No, I don't have food allergies. Although I could name some people with this affliction I have never shared a dinner or living quarters with them. So why, you ask, did I even read this book? I don't know. I liked the cover, which made me pick it up. I read the inside flap and it sounded sort of interesting. I read a few pages and I liked her style. So I read it! It really broadened my horizons about a subject that really is important in this day and age - because so many people are afflicted with this problem. And for many, it is a life-threatening condition. Ms. Miller did a great job of telling her story and challenges - from the time she was a small child to dating. Imagine, she has to explain to anyone she dates what her allergies are and what to do if she comes in contact with one of the allergens - not the most romantic of topics! If anyone in your 'world' has this problem I would highly recommend that you read this book. It will help you understand what you can (and should do) and be a little bit more sympathetic (perhaps not grumble so much that you don't get peanuts on the airplane!).

the Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer

I have ever read anything by Meltzer until I listened to this book, but I definitely want to read more. On the back of the book there were quotes from people and publications comparing him to Grisham, Turow and Baldacci. I personally thought he wrote more like Dan Brown in The Da vinci Code and Angels and Demons. Our hero in this book is Beecher. He was your basic nerd in school. One pleasant memory he has kept through the years is that of Clementine. She was a tough girl - and he had admired her. There was even a kiss that happened between those two - and all these years later Beecher still remembers. Today Beecher is an archivist who works in the National Archives where the sitting president likes to come once a week to relax and look at old documents and books. This week it happens to be the same day that he is meeting Clementine! Yes, after all of those years he gets a chance to make a new first impression and he is nervous. She is the one who contacted him (on Facebook, of course!) because she wants him to help her find out who her father was. It was a political thriller that was full of historical trivia that I just love! It was a story of old crushes, friendships and of the age-old question - "Who can you trust?". Check it out!

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

This was a good book. It is much heavier on the characters than on the mystery - which happens to be just the way I like it. It is about five people who were great friends when they were young. Three of them , Gordon (aka Go-Go), Sean and Tim are brothers. The females in the group were Gwen and Mickey. Gwen's father is a doctor and her mother is an artist (not one that actually earns money from it!). Mickey lives with her mom and stepfather. Her life was not very stable and she loved to come to Gwen's house where Gwen's mom kept special treats just for her. The girls spent hours with the brothers exploring the woods nearby. When the book begins these people are all grown up. Gwen's mom has been gone for a long time. Her father is getting ready to return home to his house after breaking his hip. Although they could afford to hire overnight help, Gwen decides to take on that duty herself - mostly so she can absent herself from her husband. She hasn't seen those friends for many years. But Go-Go is dead and that will lead to a reunion - and the revelation of a few secrets!

Dead by Midnight by Carolyn Hart

I listened to this mystery and I enjoyed it a lot. It is what I call a gentle murder mystery. There is little violence - there are murders but we don't get a blow-by-blow of the gruesome details. Our 'heroine' of the story is Annie Darling who owns a bookstore named Death on Demand. Like earlier characters such as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Diane Mott Davidson's Goldie, Annie is a nice ordinary person - but people are always being murdered around her! She ends up helping to solve the crime. Not by means of forensic science but by just being an observant person who knows human nature. In this book Annie has hired Pat Merridew who, until recently, had worked at a law firm. She was basically fired and was desperate for the job - even though she doesn't seem to know much about murder mysteries. She didn't have much time to learn about them either because she is soon dead. The police want to attribute it to a suicide - but Annie thinks that doesn't make any sense. A light, entertaining book.

The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon

I always enjoy a good mystery and this one was very appealing to me because it takes place in a school. I taught for over three decades and although there were some mysteries here and there, we never had an actual murder at school. Armitage Academy is not a public school. It is a very prestigious boarding school with a long history. Madeline is teaching English at the school for one year (thanks to some string-pulling by her sister who is an alum of the school). Along with the teaching there are other duties - including supervising (and living in) one of the dorms. The end of the school year is in sight when the unthinkable happens. One of Madeline's 'charges', Claire, is found dead in her dorm room. The school is thrown into chaos and the mystery grows when it is determined that Claire had recently given birth - and there is no baby in sight. Except for a small group of girls, no one had even noticed that Claire was pregnant. Now they are looking for a murderer and a baby. Madeline tries to help by talking to some of the students and she uncovers a secret society - could they be responsible for what has happened? Do you really think I am going to tell you????

The Medium Next Door by Maureen Hancock 133.9 Han

As soon as this book was cataloged I knew that all other books would be stopped immediately so that I could read this one! I love reading about psychics and the afterlife. Hancock tells her story of growing up and trying to hide her abilities. After a bad car accident the voices that she had tried so hard to suppress came back full-force. She started using her gift, but it was only after 9/11 when she was bombarded with spirits wanting to get messages to their loved ones that she truly accepted her gift as a wonderful thing. Maureen has comforted the dying and the families of the dying. She has assisted law enforcement with the search for missing people. She is involved with her two nonprofit organizations. If you feel that no way is any of this true, then of course you won't be checking out this book! However, if you are open (even a little) to this idea, please take the time to read it. I think you will find it to be very comforting.