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.