Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.

GoodReads Synopsis: The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon away from life as a San Francisco web-design drone and into the aisles of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after a few days on the job, Clay discovers that the store is more curious than either its name or its gnomic owner might suggest. The bookstore’s secrets extend far beyond its walls.

My Thoughts:  This is another one that has been on my list for a while that I finally got around to reading.  I didn't love it.  It was very different than my usual genres and was a bit difficult to get into. The plot was interesting, but it just wasn't my favorite.  If you like books that are just a little off-center or about secret societies, then this is the book for you.

6 Ranier Drive.

GoodReads Synopsis: Debbie Macomber continues her warmhearted tour of Cedar Cove, Washington, with this sixth installment in her bestselling series. This one focuses on Seth and Justine Gunderson, whose business, the Lighthouse restaurant, was destroyed by arson. While young runaway Anson Butler is the prime suspect, his stalwart girlfriend, Allison Cox, doesn't believe it for a moment. Meanwhile, the fire has caused a rift in the Gunderson marriage, and Warren Sager, who never stopped loving Justine, is all too willing to offer a shoulder to cry on. But solving the mystery of who started the fire is hardly the only plotline. There are new developments in the romance between Linnette McAfee and Cal Washburn, big changes in the lives of Jon and Maryellen Bowman, and an unexpected, whirlwind romance between hair stylist Teri Miller and a chess superstar. Rainier Drive is packed with the updates Macomber's many fans expect to get.

My Thoughts:  Another good one in the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber.  This is probably one of my favorites-- a little mystery always makes a story better, in my opinion.  This one definitely had that plus a little less cheesiness than some.  These are great books to just pick up and fly through if you are looking for some easy reads.

Play Dead.

GoodReads Synopsis: No sooner had supermodel Laura Ayers and Celtics star David Baskin said "I do" than tragedy struck. While honeymooning on Australia's Great Barrier Reed, David went out for a swim-and never returned. Now widowed and grieving, Laura's search for the truth will draw her into a web of lies and deception that stretches back thirty years...

My Thoughts: This was Harlan Coben's first-ever novel.  He states at the beginning that if this is your first novel of his to attempt to read, to put it down and get another one.  I would agree with that advice.  It's not his best book, but I was able to appreciate it a bit more, I think, because I already love his writing.  This one was long and windy, and I saw the two big twists at the end coming.  That said, it was a great suspenseful story, always left you wondering who you could trust and who was really the bad guy.

All Things New.

GoodReads Synopsis: The war is over. The South has lost. Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied: her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream. Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak--but a bitter hatred fuels her. Can hope--and a battered faith in God--survive amid the devastation?

My Thoughts:  Another Lynn Austin book for me this year.  I haven't read this many of hers since college, but I'm really enjoying them.  This one took a bit longer for me to get into, but it picked up mid-way through the story.  Romance, danger, and intrigue-- what more could you want?

First Frost.

GoodReads Synopsis: It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store. Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts. Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has. Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke? When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

My Thoughts:  I was unbelievably excited to get this book as an ARC from NetGalley!  I obviously love Sarah Addison Allen, and the prequel to this book, Garden Spells, is my favorite.  I loved reading more about the Waverley women, especially Bay now that she's a teenager.  It gets released in January, so make sure you pick it up!

The Burning Room.

GoodReads Synopsis: In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but any other evidence is virtually nonexistent. Now Bosch and his new partner, rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Starting with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveals that this shooting may have been anything but random.

My Thoughts:  Another fantastic novel in the Harry Bosch series.  Harry is one of my all-time favorite book characters, and this one did not disappoint.  In fact, it was probably one of the best ones in a while.  The mystery was exciting with unexpected twists and turns.  If you want a good detective series, look no further than Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch!

Tell the Wolves I'm Home.

GoodReads Synopsis: 1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart. At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

My Thoughts:  This book had been on my list FOREVER, and I finally got around to reading it.  It was good but not fantastic.  There were a lot of family dynamics to navigate in this one, so at times it was a little sad.  But I really appreciated the way she tied everything together at the end.  Three stars.

Wonderland Creek.

GoodReads Synopsis: Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression. Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery--and especially romance--may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

My Thoughts:  This was a very sweet story with a bit of intrigue on the side.  I really enjoyed it!  Five stars.

50 Harbor Street.

GoodReads Synopsis: This is the fifth book in the Cedar Cove series. As this story opens, Corrie and her private eye husband Roy McAfee have been receiving a series of mysterious, unsettling anonymous postcards. Their search for the culprit takes them back to an old family secret that's haunted them for years. Side-line plot developments include a date her mother bid on at a bachelor auction; daughter Linnette has a new job and a crush on a doctor; widow Grace Sherman is hoping to reconcile with a local rancher she once dated; and more.

My Thoughts:  This one was really interesting.  There was some intrigue going on, and maybe I wasn't trying very hard, but I didn't see the end coming.  I'm starting to really enjoy these Cedar Cove books despite some of their cheesiness.

Tell No One.

GoodReads Synopsis:  For Dr. David Beck, the loss was shattering. And every day for the past eight years, he has relived the horror of what happened. The gleaming lake. The pale moonlight. The piercing screams. The night his wife was taken. The last night he saw her alive. Everyone tells him it's time to move on, to forget the past once and for all. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. A message has appeared on his computer, a phrase only he and his dead wife know. Suddenly Beck is taunted with the impossible- that somewhere, somehow, Elizabeth is alive. Beck has been warned to tell no one. And he doesn't. Instead, he runs from the people he trusts the most, plunging headlong into a search for the shadowy figure whose messages hold out a desperate hope. But already Beck is being hunted down. He's headed straight into the heart of a dark and deadly secret- and someone intends to stop him before he gets there.

My Thoughts: I could not put this book down!  I started it one night after dinner and stayed up until 1am to finish it.  It was that good.  Great suspenseful story with twists and turns that you don't see coming.  I highly recommend it! 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon.

GoodReads Synopsis: Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. Such as, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? And why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes. Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes—which is a good thing, because Julia can’t seem to stop baking them. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also in the hope of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Flour, eggs, milk, and sugar... Baking is the only language the proud but vulnerable Julia has to communicate what is truly in her heart. But is it enough to call back to her those she’s hurt in the past? Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

My Thoughts:  I feel redundant now, but this book was one of the several great books by Sarah Addison Allen.  Do yourself a favor and give her books a shot.

The Peach Keeper.

GoodReads Synopsis: It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite Paxton Osgood—has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.

My Thoughts:  Another fantastic story by one of my now-favorite authors.  I love the magic in these stories so much-- go pick them up!!

All the Light We Cannot See.

GoodReads Synopsis: Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall. In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.

My Thoughts:  I know I'm in a very small minority, but I did not like this book at all.  It was a good story, but it took forever for anything to happen.  If you love a book full of beautiful descriptions and long, wordy prose about nothing, then this is the book for you.  It was not, however, the book for me.

The Witness Wore Red.

GoodReads Synopsis: Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs. Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens she became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.  The church, however, had a way of pulling her back in-and by 2007, Rebecca had no choice but to take the witness stand against the new prophet of the FLDS in order to protect her little sisters and other young girls from being forced to marry at shockingly young ages. The following year, Rebecca and the rest of the world watched as a team of Texas Rangers raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a stronghold of the FLDS. Rebecca's subsequent testimony would reveal the horrific secrets taking place behind closed doors of the temple, sending their leaders to prison for years, and Warren Jeffs for life.

My Thoughts: I saw this walking through the library one day and grabbed it on a whim.  And boy am I glad I did.  It was a fascinating account of life in the polygamous cult of the FLDS.  It was so sad to read that people lived life like this and thought it was normal and acceptable.  It made me slightly depressed, but it was such a good book.  Definitely a story worth being told and one that people should hear.

The Sugar Queen.

GoodReads Synopsis:  Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night… Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.

My Thoughts:  After finishing Garden Spells, I had to read all of Sarah Addison Allen's other books.  This was another fantastic story that I loved so much.

Love Does.

GoodReads Synopsis:  As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean's office for seven days until they finally let him enroll. Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world's most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes "Love Does." When "Love Does," life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too.

My Thoughts:  I read this after both my husband and my mother told me that I should.  And it was full of some wild and crazy stories.  I love one of the things he said in the book about seeing the "whimsy" in life and just doing crazy things sometimes for the fun of it.  There were funny stories, sad stories, sweet stories, and touching stories.  And despite me not 100% agreeing with some of his theology, I was definitely challenged to DO love.  Not just speak love or feel love, but to actually put feet to feeling.  Great book!

Garden Spells.

GoodReads Synopsis:  The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them.  For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways. As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future.

My Thoughts:  There are not words to describe how much I absolutely loved this book!  It was whimsical and magical and romantic and just lovely.  It made it to my list of all-time favorite books.  

44 Cranberry Point.

GoodReads Synopsis: I love living in Cedar Cove, but things haven't been the same since a man died in our B and B. Turns out his name was Max Russell, and Bob had known him briefly in Vietnam. We still don't have any idea why he came here and-- most important of all-- who killed him. Because it now appears that he was poisoned. I sure hope somebody figures it out soon! Not that we're providing the "only" news in Cedar Cove these days. I heard that Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman are getting married. And Maryellen's mom, Grace, has more than her share of interested men! The question is: Which one is she going to choose? Olivia -- I guess it's Olivia Griffin now -- is back from her honeymoon, and "her" mother, Charlotte (who's in her mid-seventies at least), seems to have a man in her life, too. I'm not sure Olivia's too pleased.... There's lots of other gossip I could tell you. Come by for a cup of tea and one of my blueberry muffins and we'll talk.  -Peggy

My Thoughts: Another solid entry in the Cedar Cove books by Debbie Macomber.  These books are great when you need something light and quick.  My only complaint about them is that even now after reading five of these books, there are SO many characters that I tend to get them mixed up when she jumps from scene to scene.  But despite that, they're sweet stories that always end well.  And I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

Found.

GoodReads Synopsis:  It’s been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the tragic death of his father. Eight months of lies, dark secrets and unanswered questions. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mickey’s sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles. Spoon is in hospital, Rachel won’t tell him where he stands, his basketball team-mates hate him... and then there’s Ema’s surprise announcement: she has an online boyfriend and he’s vanished. Whilst searching for Ema’s missing boyfriend (who may not even exist!), Mickey gets roped into helping his nemesis, Troy Taylor, with a big problem. All the while, Mickey and his friends are pulled deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Abeona Shelter – until the shocking climax, where Mickey finally comes face-to-face with the truth about his father.

My Thoughts:  This was a great end to the trilogy.  I'm kind of sad it's over because I love reading more about the Bolitars.  The sub-plots were great, and there was a lot of growth in the characters.  And the ending was fantastic.

The Firm.

GoodReads Synopsis-- Mitchell McDeere, raised in the coal-mining region of rural Kentucky, has worked hard to get where he is: third in his class at Harvard Law. He's young. He's bright. He's ambitious. Mitch could have the pick of the big firms in New York and Chicago, but he's chosen the Memphis tax firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke. They're selective. They pay outrageous salaries. They have a turnover rate of zero. And Mitch is about to find out why.Several events fuel Mitch's growing suspicions: two of the partners die in a suspicious diving accident off Grand Cayman; the senior partners seem unduly proud of the fact that no one has ever resigned; and security measures at the office are, even for a company with billionaire clients, more than a little extreme. Then Mitch makes an explosive discovery: The firm is owned and operated by the most powerful organized crime family in Chicago. Even as Mitch discovers the truth, he finds himself caught between the FBI, who wants an informant inside the firm, and the firm itself, which will make him a very rich man—or a very dead one.

My Thoughts-- LOVED it!  I decided recently that I wanted to go back and read all the John Grisham books that I either read many, many years ago or for which I only saw the movie.  I love the movie version of The Firm, so I figured I'd enjoy the book too. But it was so much better than I even anticipated or remembered the movie being!

Just One Look.

GoodReads Synopsis-- An ordinary snapshot causes a mother’s world to unravel in an instant. After picking up her two young children from school, Grace Lawson looks through a newly developed set of photographs. She finds an odd one in the pack: a mysterious picture from perhaps twenty years ago, showing four strangers she can’t identify. But there is one face she recognizes—that of her husband, from before she knew him. When her husband sees the photo that night, he leaves their home and drives off without explanation. She doesn’t know where he’s going, or why he’s leaving. Or if he’s ever coming back. Nor does she realize how dangerous the search for him will be. Because there are others interested in both her husband’s past and that photo, including Eric Wu: a fierce, silent killer who will not be stopped from finding his quarry, no matter who or what stands in his way.  Her world turned upside down, filled with doubts about her herself and marriage, Grace must confront the dark corners of her own tragic past she struggles to learn the truth, find her husband, and save her family.

My Thoughts-- Another great Harlan Coben book!  It was incredibly suspenseful and intriguing.  I read it within a day, so it definitely was interesting enough to keep me reading, and it had a great twist at the end that I did NOT see coming. 

The Target.

GoodReads Synopsis-- The President knows it's a perilous, high-risk assignment. If he gives the order, he has the opportunity to take down a global menace, once and for all. If the mission fails, he would face certain impeachment, and the threats against the nation would multiply. So the president turns to the one team that can pull off the impossible: Will Robie and his partner, Jessica Reel. Together, Robie and Reel's talents as assassins are unmatched. But there are some in power who don't trust the pair. They doubt their willingness to follow orders. And they will do anything to see that the two assassins succeed, but that they do not survive.  As they prepare for their mission, Reel faces a personal crisis that could well lead old enemies right to her doorstep, resurrecting the ghosts of her earlier life and bringing stark danger to all those close to her. And all the while, Robie and Reel are stalked by a new adversary: an unknown and unlikely assassin, a woman who has trained her entire life to kill, and who has her own list of targets--a list that includes Will Robie and Jessica Reel.

My Thoughts-- Not my favorite Baldacci book, but a decent continuation of the Robie/Reel series. It felt a bit disjointed since it jumped from crisis to crisis instead of one overarching story.  I did enjoy the part of the story set in North Korea.  I don't know much about the country, nor I suppose do many people.  So it was fascinating to read about life there.

Miracle Cure.

GoodReads Synopsis--They’re one of the country’s most telegenic couples: beloved TV journalist Sara Lowell and New York’s hottest basketball star, Michael Silverman. Their family and social connections tie them to the highest echelons of the political, medical, and sports worlds—threads that will tangle them up in one of the most controversial and deadly issues of our time. In a clinic on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a divisive and devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well. One by one, they’re being targeted by a serial killer. And now Michael has been diagnosed with the disease. There’s only one cure, but many ways to die...

My Thoughts-- This book was fascinating on several levels.  First of all, it's Harlan Coben, so of course it's twisty and mysterious and unpredictable.  But also, it's a book about an AIDS clinic from 1991 (Coben's first book ever written).  So it's kind of surreal to read about how AIDS was treated and misunderstood and feared not that many years ago.  Definitely an interesting read, but not my favorite Coben novel.  Don't let this be the first one of his you pick up.

Mr. Mercedes.

GoodReads Synopsis-- In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes. In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the perp; and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy. Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands. Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

My Thoughts-- From what I've read, this is Stephen King's first foray into the crime novel genre.  And since he's Stephen King, it was pretty darn good-- the man knows how to bring characters to life.  It's definitely not my favorite crime novel, and he's not the best crime writer.  But, once the plot picked up about midway through, I couldn't put it down.  Some of the story was a little improbable for my taste, but nothing that kept me from giving it five stars.  

Orange is the New Black.

GoodReads Synopsis-- With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. 

My Thoughts-- I wanted to love this book.  I wanted it to be a fascinating look into life in the prison system.  But sadly, I felt more like it was 1) a lecture on federal drug laws and mandatory minimums and 2) the author trying to convince us that she was a progressive, true friend to the downtrodden despite her upper-middle class background.  It didn't quite seem sincere to me.  It was a very interesting look into prison life, but not as great as I had hoped.

Seconds Away.

GoodReads Synopsis-- When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey and his loyal new friends—sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon—find themselves at the center of a terrifying mystery involving the shooting of their classmate Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey need to keep himself and his friends safe from the Butcher of Lodz, but he needs to figure out who shot Rachel—no matter what it takes. Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, but with danger just seconds away, it is going to take all of his determination and help from his friends to protect the people he loves, even if he does not know who—or what—he is protecting them from.

My Thoughts-- Second in the Mickey Coben series, this is a great follow up to Shelter.  Same great characters, same great suspenseful storyline.  I can't wait to get my hands on #3!

Shelter.

GoodReads Synopsis-- Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. Fortunately, he's met a great girl, Ashley, and it seems like things might finally be improving. But then Ashley vanishes. Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that Ashley isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

My Thoughts-- This is the first YA book by Harlan Coben, and it's also first in a series that follows Mickey Bolitar (nephew to my fave Coben character, Myron Bolitar).  The characters were loveable despite their annoying teenager-ness, and it was full of the trademark Harlan Coben suspense.  I loved it!

Bridge to Haven.

GoodReads Synopsis:  To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she's paid to finally feel like she's somebody.

To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven. Zeke and his son, Joshua--Abra's closest friend--watch her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows the circumstances surrounding her birth etched scars deep in her heart, scars that leave her vulnerable to a fast-talking bad boy who proclaims his love and lures her to Tinseltown. 

Hollywood feels like a million miles from Haven, and naive Abra quickly learns what's expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at an awful price. She has burned every bridge to get exactly what she thought she wanted. Now, all she wants is a way back home.

My Thoughts:  I've loved reading Francine Rivers' books since I was a young girl, but it had been years since the last one.  When I read Bridge to Haven, it reminded me so much of what I used to love about her.  Rivers is a masterful storyteller, and this book is a beautiful saga of a girl who leaves everything she has only to find that she already had everything she ever wanted.  It's a classic plot, but it's done SO well.  Five stars.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

GoodReads Synopsis:  Brooke was drawn to the soulful, enigmatic Julian Alter the very first time she heard him perform “Hallelujah” at a dark East Village dive bar.  Now five years married, Brooke balances two jobs—as a nutritionist at NYU Hospital and as a consultant to an Upper East Side girls’ school, where privilege gone wrong and disordered eating run rampant—in order to help support her husband’s dream of making it in the music world.

Things are looking up when after years of playing Manhattan clubs and toiling as an A&R intern, Julian finally gets signed by Sony. Although no one’s promising that the album will ever hit the airwaves, Julian is still dedicated to logging in long hours at the recording studio. All that changes after Julian is asked to perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno—and is catapulted to stardom, literally overnight. Amazing opportunities begin popping up almost daily—a new designer wardrobe, a tour with Maroon 5, even a Grammy performance.

At first the newfound fame is fun—who wouldn’t want to stay at the Chateau Marmont or visit the set of one of television’s hottest shows? Yet it seems that Brooke’s sweet husband—the man who can’t handle hot showers and wears socks to bed—is increasingly absent, even on those rare nights they’re home together. When rumors about Brooke and Julian swirl in the tabloid magazines, she begins to question the truth of her marriage and is forced to finally come to terms with what she thinks she wants—and what she actually needs.

My Thoughts:  I really, really liked this book.  It was more emotional and "grown-up" than her previous works.  The main character was entirely relatable, and I found myself laughing with her and crying with her.  It was a great story about a couple trying to figure out marriage in a world of change.  Four stars.

Hyperbole and a Half.

I did not really want to read this book at first, but I needed a book by a blogger for a book challenge this summer.  And within 20 pages, I was curled up on my side crying from laughing.  Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half was quite possibly the most entertaining book I read all year.  It was so hilariously funny (while not being very snarky and mean) but also with the most poignant description of depression I've ever read.  I definitely recommend it!

The Pelican Brief.

GoodReads Synopsis-- In suburban Georgetown, a killer's Reeboks whisper on the front floor of a posh home... In a seedy D.C. video house, a patron is swiftly garroted to death... The next day, America learns that two of its Supreme Court justices have been assassinated. And in New Orleans, a young law student prepares a legal brief... To Darby Shaw it was no more than a legal shot in the dark, a brilliant guess. To the Washington establishment it was political dynamite. Suddenly Darby is witness to a murder -- a murder intended for her. Going underground, she finds there is only one person she can trust -- an ambitious reporter after a news break hotter than Watergate -- to help her piece together the deadly puzzle. Somewhere between the bayous of Louisiana and the White House's inner sanctums, a violent cover-up is being engineered. For someone has read Darby's brief. Someone who will stop at nothing to destroy the evidence of an unthinkable crime.

My Thoughts-- I didn't love this book as much as I was hoping to.  I love John Grisham, and I loved the movie version of The Pelican Brief.  But for some reason, the book wasn't nearly as exciting or tense as I had hoped.  It was still very good, so perhaps my expectations were too high.  Overall, it was very enjoyable.  I just wish that I hadn't already seen and loved the movie.