Swimsuit - James Patterson

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.

A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors.

~~~~~~~~~
Book #26 - A quick one again. This book was good. I never really got to the point that I cared for the characters and that was odd. At times I felt like I was just turning the pages and not really absorbing the story.

Summer Reading

How did this happen? Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating.

What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? Not go to Vegas . . . not run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and not get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.

It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world - the bitch. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why.

Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright . . . and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #24 - I loved this book. It was so fun. I found it tamed down, very tamed down version of a Jackie Collins novel. I can't wait for the next time I get another of her novels in at the library.

"Candy Girl" is the story of a young writer who dares to bare it all as a stripper.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Book #25 - I enjoyed this book as odd as the topic is. I was a bit thrown by some of the situations described. There were parts that I was laughing so loud with tears running down my face and others I was gagging.

Ten Big Ones - Janet Evanovich

Take an exit off the Jersey Turnpike to the irresistible world of Stephanie Plum, America's favorite bounty hunter, where she gets into more trouble than ever. This time, she faces a notorious gang in Trenton who wants her dead. Morelli warns that she's in too deep, and Stephanie more than agrees. But the gang won't let her bow out. With Ranger missing in action, Stephanie has to go into hiding--and stumbles on to the secret location of Ranger's "bat cave." Is it the perfect place to disappear? Or will she get into more trouble than she knows by delving into his private world?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 23 - Again, summer fun and fluff.

Naughty Neighbor - Janet Evanovich

Sneaking around in the shadows was more fun than Louisa ever imagined .. Pete never figured on finding a partner in crime who tasted like dessert. Once he'd taught Louisa to enjoy living on the edge, would she finally feel safe in his love?

~~~~~~~~~~
Book # 22 - Summer silliness.

I have to add this disclaimer. The cover on the book I read was much more current than the one I've posted, not so hokey looking.

2 Books This Week

This expensive, glossy world is where I've been headed all along. Limos and flowers; waxed eyebrows and designer clothes from Barneys. These are my people; this is where I'm meant to be."
-Becky Bloomwood

Universally beloved by readers, Sophie Kinsella's national bestseller, Confessions of a Shopaholic, introduced the irrepressible one-woman shopping phenomenon, Becky Bloomwood. Now, in this hilarious follow-up, Becky and her credit cards are headed across the Atlantic....

With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to "pack light." But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business-and he asks Becky to go with him!

Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury department stores.

Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London.

But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan-but will she have to return it?

~~~~~~~~~~
Book # 20 - This was complete entertaining fluff. Nothing too pressing in the thought department and that was a good thing. A very good thing.

This is what happened in the last six hours of the world as I knew it...It was a case guaranteed to spark a media feeding frenzy - a young mother, blonde and pretty, disappears without trace from her South Boston home, leaving behind her four-year-old daughter as the only witness, and her handsome, secretive husband as the prime suspect. But from the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses' snug little bungalow, she senses something off about the picture of wholesome normality the couple worked so hard to create. On the surface, Jason and Sandra Jones are like any other hardworking young couple raising a child. But just under the surface things grow murkier. With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and the media firestorm building, Jason Jones seems more intent on destroying evidence and isolating his daughter than on searching for his "beloved" wife. Is the perfect husband trying to hide his guilt - or just trying to hide? And will the only witness to the crime be the killer's next victim?

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #21 - Now this one was a thinker. I didn't realize it was a tie in with a previous novel, Say Goodbye. There were definitely some similarities, but I just didn't connect them. Very good book! If you're a fan of the suspense genre, you're going to love this book.

Not so much a light summer read. Really enjoyed the not knowing who did it until pretty much the very end.

Smooth Talking Stranger - Lisa Kleypas

The third book in the Travis series

Jack Travis is a macho Houston businessman - rich, tough and always in control. So when a beautiful young woman approaches his office carrying a baby that she claims is his, he's shaken more than he would ever let on. Stunned, Jack listens to Ella Varner as she explains that her sister recently gave birth and then abandoned her baby boy - and that enquiries have brought Ella to Jack's door. He virtually has a seizure when she asks him to do a paternity test. But ultimately, will a paternity test set things right? If Jack is the father, will he be the one to care for the baby? Would Ella be prepared to let him go? And if not? Ella can't bear to think of an answer...

~~~~~~~~~~

Book 18 - Such fun.

Blue-Eyed Devil - Lisa Kleypas

The second book in the Travis series

Every woman needs at least one bad boy to break her heart...In Sugar Daddy, listeners met Hardy Cates, the Texan from the wrong side of the tracks, the man who stole the heart of Liberty Jones. Now, in Blue-Eyed Devil, Hardy Cates is back...and no woman is safe! Haven Travis is the rebellious heiress of a wealthy oil family. But as Haven marries a man the Travises disapprove of, her life is set on a new and dangerous path. Two years later, when Haven returns to town, she is determined never to fall for the wrong man again. And Hardy Cates, an enemy of her family, is the last person she needs darkening her door. Filled with Lisa Kleypas's smoldering sensuality, breathtaking plots, and unforgettable characters, Blue-Eyed Devil is sure to be another smash-hit bestseller.

~~~~~~~~~~

Book #17 - This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I loved it. I'm anxiously awaiting the third book in the Travis family story.

Someone To Watch Over Me

The first book in the Bow Street Runners series

Lisa Kleypas has thrilled readers with her unforgettable love stories set in the glittering world of Regency London. Now, the author of Stranger in My Arms, brings her fans a story with all the promise, and passion, of forbidden love.She couldn't remember who she was...

A temptingly beautiful woman awakens in a stranger's bed, rescued from the icy waters of the Thames, her memory gone. Told that she is Vivien Rose Duvall, one of London's most scandalous beauties, she finds herself under the protection of enigmatic, charming Grant Morgan. Her life is in his hands. Deep in her heart, she knows he has mistaken her for someone else...

He was the only man she could trust. As one of London's most eligible, and unattainable catches, Grant Morgan is a man who has known every kind of woman. And the one in his arms now seems so innocent, so vulnerable, that he can't help but be enchanted. And as his love for this mysterious beauty grows, he's determined to unravel the secrets of her past and discover the truth-no matter what.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 16 - This is the harlequin romance I was expecting in my last novel. Pure fluff and fun. If you're looking to waste away a day this is the novel for you.

Sugar Daddy - Lisa Kleypas

Liberty Jones fell in love with Hardy Cates when she was fourteen and three quarters and he was seventeen. However, Hardy wasn't going to let even love stand in the way of his ambition to escape the poverty of his childhood. He had left town - and Liberty broken hearted. But Liberty is also a survivor - and determined to make a better life for herself and her baby sister. Moving to the big city, she finds a job and an unlikely friend in billionaire tycoon Churchill Travis. But though Churchill's son is convinced she's nothing but a gold digger looking for a Sugar Daddy, their relationship goes deeper than most people think. But just as Liberty and her sister begin to feel settled in their new life, Hardy comes back into their lives...

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #15 - I didn't read the cover, which I very seldom do anymore. This one was no exception and was I ever surprised. I expected this book to be all harlequin-y romance-ish and it wasn't at all. It was a little bit lovey, but not over the top. I really enjoyed this book. Really. I have the next on reserve at the library. I have to hit the library after work tomorrow to get it.

8th Confession - James Patterson

When a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless is found brutally executed, reporter Cindy Thomas knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been as saintly as everyone thought...

Rich, beautiful, and powerful, Isa and Ethan Bailey were living in the spotlight as San Francisco's perfect couple--until they are found dead in their luxurious home. As the hunt for two criminals tests the skills of the entire Women's Murder Club, sparks begin to fly between Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner, Rich Conklin, making it difficult to stay focused on the case.

The electrifying new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, THE 8TH CONFESSION serves up the mile-a-minute twists that only James Patterson can deliver.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book #14 - Took me longer than expected to get in to this one, but once I was hooked, in true, James Patterson fashion, there was no looking back.

Smoke Screen - Sandra Brown

A sizzling tale of corruption and betrayal, revenge and reversal - where friends become foes, and criminals become heroes in the ultimate abuse of power.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #13 - This was a great book! Nothing much to say other than that.

Six Seconds - Rick Mofina

A vengeful woman who aches for her place in paradise.

In Iraq an aid worker who lost her husband and child in a brutal attack saves the life of an American contractor. Believing he can help her avenge her family's deaths, she follows him back home to the United States.

An anguished mother desperate to find her child.

In California a soccer mom arrives to pick up her son from school, only to discover that her husband has taken their child and vanished without a trace.

A detective who needs to redeem himself.

In the Rocky Mountains an off-duty cop rescues a little girl from a raging river moments before she utters her final words in his arms. Haunted by failure, he launches an investigation that leads him to a Montana school where time is ticking down on an event that will rewrite history..

Three strangers entangled in a plot to change the world in only six seconds.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #12 - This was a good one. I found the story quick and intriguing. Will definietely look for more by this author.

Picking Cotton - Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

Be warned - this book contains some graphic descriptions of a woman being raped. I apologize if my posting this book or review hurts you in any way. Please know that was never my intent.




Picking Cotton is an incredibly moving book. It shows the power of forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit.

During the reading of this book, I was faced with many mixed emotions. I was reading at one point while relaxing in the tub, only to realize that tears were coursing down my cheeks. I was comforted to know the outcome before reading, although I'm not sure if that really did help in how I reacted. Heartbreaking for a bit and then hopeful, to only be heartbroken again.

The courage shown by both the accused and accuser is tremendous! My heart goes out to them both!

Knit Two - Kate Jacobs

KNIT TWO returns to the Manhattan knitting store, 'Walker & Daughter', five years after the death of the store's owner, Georgia Walker. Georgia's daughter Dakota is now an eighteen-year-old freshman at NYU, running the knitting store part-time with the help of the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club. Drawn together by their love for Dakota and the sense of family the club provides, each knitter is struggling with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after divorce, for Darwin, newborn twins, for Lucie, being both a single mom and caregiver for her elderly mother, and for seventysomething Anita, marriage to her sweetheart Marty over the objections of her grown children. As Kate Jacobs returns to the world of 'Walker & Daughter', she's once again keyed into many of the stresses and joys of being a mother, wife, daughter and friend. Every woman who picks up this book will see themselves in its characters - the very thing that made The Friday Night Knitting Club such a huge word-of-mouth success. A true love letter to the power of women's friendships, and, of course, knitting, KNIT TWO is entertainment with a heart.

~~~~~~~~~~

Book #9 - This was fun. A little too perfect though.

Run For Your Life - James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

The second book in the Michael Bennett series

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once!

Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes BE AFRAID, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #8 - Not only was it quick but fun too.

Next book - Knit Two - Kate Jacobs

The Associate - John Grisham

If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait until you meet Kyle McAvoy, THE ASSOCIATE

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father's small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn't want - even though it's a job most law students can only dream about.Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains - from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle's 'cubicle' at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country - and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, THE ASSOCIATE is vintage Grisham.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #7 - I really enjoyed this book, and yes, it was very much like The Firm, which I loved. I had a hard time putting the book down once I could finally find the time to read it.

I have to say, as much as I loved it, I found the ending to be anti-climatic which was disappointing, but overall I loved it. If you're a suspense novel reader, I highly recommend it.

Payback - Fern Michaels

The second book in the Sisterhood series

From the outside, it looks like Julia Webster lives a normal, happy existence. A highly successful plastic surgeon, she is married to a senator very much on his way up Capitol Hill, and lives in a lovely house in Georgetown. But appearances can be deceptive, as Julia knows only too well.

~~~~~~~~~~

Book #6 - Just the right amount of fluff to read when home sick from work. Somewhat a predictable format, but fun nonetheless.

No Time For Goodbye - Linwood Barclay

On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. She isn't. Instead, the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. At first she just thinks it's weird, then more and more scary, until finally the terrifying reality hits her: in the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared. Twenty-five years later the mystery is no nearer to being solved and Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way? Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia knows that without answers - however shocking they might prove to be - she will never be emotionally or psychologically whole, living in daily fear that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her... First nothing. Then just a few crackpots and scam artists coming out of the woodwork. And then the letter, a letter which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realize that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made.

~~~~~~~~~~

Book # 5 - I really enjoyed this book. It was just the right balance of suspense, question and creppy to keep me turning the pages long after I should have been asleep.

To The Nines - Janet Evanovich

Take a trip down the Jersey Turnpike to the irresistible world of Stephanie Plum - where America's favourite bounty hunter gets into more trouble than ever. This time, Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma have a Vegas-sized problem on their hands. The pursuit of a skip brings Stephanie to Las Vegas, and three mob guys want to make sure it's a one-way ticket. Once there, Stephanie meets up with Sally Sweet as well as a whole cast of characters who could only exist in a place like Vegas. With Joe Morelli making a surprise visit and Ranger doing own kind of surveillance, Stephanie's nights have never been hotter. This ninth Stephanie Plum novel is Janet Evanovich's wildest, wackiest, and most suspenseful yet.

~~~~~~~~~~
Book #4 - Good, but typical.

Testimony - Anita Shreve

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellinglyexplores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

~~~~~~~~~~

Book #3 - I really don't know how to categorize this one. It was good, althought a different writing approach than I've read before. The story was good and they way of telling the story interesting.

This is my first time reading Anita Shreve. I will try another title, but not any time soon.