Paradise Lost by John Milton

September 9 - October 22
 I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but this telling of the creation and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise was entertaining even though the writing was a bit different from what I am used to.

I found it amusing that according to Milton  Sin and Death were the offspring of Satan and that Chaos' consort is Night with Confusion and Discord along for the ride. The manner of using words as names for creatures was very inventive. Rarely, do I like Classics this old, but this one worked for me.

In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster ★★★½ by Stephanie Laurens

The mysterious Scottish Laird is at again and has Eliza Cynster abducted from her sister's engagement party at her brother's home.  Realizing that she is in the same predicament that her sister had faced, Eliza, trying to stay calm, endeavors to formulate a plan to seek help.

When the  carriage is slowed by narrowness of the road, Eliza sees a familiar face and cries out even though her words can't be heard.  The other rider continues on and reflects on what the saw and realizes that the frightened woman was Eliza Cynster.  Carefully backtracking, Sir Jeremy Carling devises a plan to rescue and return Eliza to her family, but the captors have other ideas and their pursuit is constant and unrelenting.

I enjoyed the story and the romance evolution, the Cynster always are a great story

Series/ Progress: Cynster Sisters 2/3
DATE READ: October 4 - October 12
NO. OF PAGES: 448
Type of Book Audiobook
SOURCE: Public Library

Coolidge ★★★½ by Amity Shlaes

This was a detailed biography of our 30th president and though at the beginning it was a bit over detailed, causing it to seem sluggish, once the political issues of the day surfaced it truly took my interest.

A well-researched book, Calvin Coolidge was apparently very reserved which earned him his name of Silent Cal but he was determined to maintain his New England roots and brought fiscal responsibility wherever he served.

As the Governor of Massachusetts, he was in office when the police force in Boston decided to strike for better wages and his resolve to not cave in earned him national recognition and the Vice Presidential bid in 1920 with Warren Harding.

After Harding's unexpected death, and exposure of the Teapot Dome affair, Coolidge worked diligently to restore the trust in government.  He also attempted to balance the budget, reduce unnecessary spending, and cut the size of the Federal Government.

"Coolidge believed that immigrants should come only if the United States could absorb them and only if they were prepared to make an effort to assimilate."  He also believed "that citizens must know their country and learn its language to become good citizens."

The Wall Street Journal's obituary of Calvin Coolidge in 1933 read :

“….In due time, the good fortune of the United States to have had such a man as Calvin Coolidge in just the years he filled the office will be more clearly realized than it has yet been."

After reading this book I regret that so many of our current citizens are unaware of this man and his endeavors to make our government what it should be.

Too bad that the current candidates can't learn from his example.

DATE READ: April 29 - Sept 22
NO. OF PAGES: 1007
Type of Book e-book
SOURCE: Public Library

Silenced by Syrah ★★★½ by Mchele Scott

Nikki is overseeing the opening of the new restaurant, resort and spa connected with Malveaux winery but things get a bit messy when the chef is found dead at the spa in an apparently locked room.  Nikki doesn't realize but she is in danger too not just from the killer but the men in her life may be breaking her heart.

I really like this series set in Napa Valley (one of my favorite places).  The characters need to continue to evolve while keeping the mysteries coming.

Series/ Progress: Wine Lovers Mystery 3/7
DATE READ: Sept 10 - Sept 11
NO. OF PAGES: 241
Type of Book ARD
SOURCE: Public Library

One Book in the Grave ★★★★ by Kate Carlisle

Brooklyn is contacted by an old friend to restore a rare copy of Beauty and the Beast but when she sees it, she has to disappoint him by telling him that the book is stolen - she knows because she originally gave the book to the actual owner.  Separate twist, that owner is dead - or is he?

This mystery took us through some of Brooklyn's past history, exposed us to more of her family in Dharma, and see her wrestling with her own feelings as well as trying to support others.

Love the series!

Series/ Progress: Bibliophile Mystery  5/10
DATE READ: May 16 - May 20
NO. OF PAGES: 280
Type of Book ARD
SOURCE: Public Library

Chesapeake rumrunners of the Roaring Twenties ★★½ by Eric Miles

Prohibition was not popular in many areas of the nation when it took affect in the 1920s.  Some government officials refused to even enforce the law and others openly disobeyed.   Moonshine became a growing business all along the Eastern seacoast and the Delmarva peninsula with all its inlets and coves, kept the revenue hunters and Coast Guard on their toes trying to stop the illegal importation of alcohol.

I found this book entertaining for several reasons - the bootleggers seem to be a whole bunch smarter than the government agents (has that changed at all?), many of the areas that were mentioned near and around Baltimore I have actually seen having grown up in the area, and my mother actually grew up in this era and talked of her relatives that were involved in the Prohibition era activities so I really hit home.  The stories aren't those that we normally hear, so it gave some good background information though at times it was a bit too detailed.


DATE READ: April 26 - May 6
NO. OF PAGES: 170
Type of Book ARD
SOURCE: Public Library

The Viper's Nest ★★★ by Peter Lerangis

As Amy and Dan Cahill are leaving, they are informed that the police are after them.  Realizing that Alistair is the fugitive, the kids head to Pretoria to continue their search.

Their adventure in Africa leads them to some disturbing realizations after their discovery of the clue left by Winston Churchill in the Tomas stronghold.

This is a fun series of children exploring the world with puzzles to solve.  Great descriptions of exotic locations as well as historical facts all mixed in with a treasure hunt.

Series/ Progress: 39 Clues 7/39
DATE READ: April 19 - April 21
NO. OF PAGES: 192
Type of Book audiobook
SOURCE: audio stockpile

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl ★★ by Timothy Egan

This book told the tale of several families that headed west for the "free" land and encountered problems caused my weather (a severe drought) and constantly fluctuating prices for the crops they were able to grow.

Sometimes they had mountains of money and other times their crops were worthless.
The book was rather dry, no pun intended, and left lots to be desired, IMHO.

DATE READ: March 25 - April 11
NO. OF PAGES: 340
Type of Book audio book
SOURCE: Public library Overdrive

In Too Deep ★★★ by Jude Watson

Amy and Dan continue to search for the next clue but are beginning to become suspicious of Nellie Gomez, their au pair, after discovering that she has skills that don't seem to go with being a nanny.  Strange relatives  are still popping up all over but Amy and Dan's smarts are still outwitting the nasty adults.  This time they encounter cave spiders and murderous surfers.


Series/ Progress: 39 Clues 6/39
DATE READ: March 10 - March 10
NO. OF PAGES: 198
Type of Book Audiobook
SOURCE: Public Library

A Bone to Pick ★★★ by Charlaine Harris

Aurora is startled when she is informed that an elderly reading friend who has died left her home and savings to Aurora.  But what she finds comes with the inheritance is a mystery that needs solving before it turns even more deadly.

This was a fun read, especially when Roe is forced to deliver the baby of her former arch rival.  Looking forward to more.

Series/ Progress: Aurora Teagarden Mystery 2/9
DATE READ: February 15 - February 16
NO. OF PAGES: 272
Type of Book e-book
SOURCE: Overdrive

The Black Circle ★★★ by Patrick Carman

Amy and Dan Cahill are off on their next adventures this time sans Nellie.  Receiving a note including tickets to Russia, the twins head off for their quest to find the next clue.  They team up with Holts because this quest is time sensitive and they know that they can't do it alone.

Another fun installment of youth vs. evil.  Looking forward to the next one!

Series/ Progress: 39 Clues 5/11
DATE READ: February 13 - February 15
NO. OF PAGES: 320
Type of Book audiobook
SOURCE: Public Library

Our Souls at Night ★★★★ by Kent Haruf

What a quiet gentle book.

Addie was a widow and Louis a widower.  When Addie comes to his house to ask him to spend the night, Louis and this reader are a bit startled by the bluntness of the request.  But as Addie explains how her loneliness  affects her especially at night, this reader totally understood where she was coming from and why just having that warm body and voice in the dark was a comfort.

As the story progressed we see the friendship deepen to where they are sharing more than just a bed and feel the heartbreak as the situation is taken out of their control by outsiders.

I had never read anything by Kent Haruf before and heard that this book was his last.  If all his books are as beautifully written, the literary world has lost a star IMHO.

I will be looking for his earlier books.


DATE READ: February 7 - February 7
NO. OF PAGES: 192
Type of Book audiobook
SOURCE: Audio Stockpile

The Husband's Secret ★★★ by Liane Moriarty

What would you do if you found a letter addressed to you from your spouse with the instructions "to be opened only on the event of my Death"?

Ethically, you need to put it aside but curiosity of what the letter contains can drive a person crazy.  This the premise of the Husband's Secret.

The novel is filled with the concept of guilt - Rachel feels guilty because of Janie's death, Jon Paul feels the weight of culpability for his actions which have driven him for years while others, Felicity and Will don't seem to feel any guilt at all for their behavior.

I read this book for my ladies' book club and our discussion really centered around the first question - would you open the letter?  I found it extremely interesting that those who had been married for a lengthy period of time said no but that the younger and shorter married members said yes.  I guess it's a matter of trust.  Overall, I felt that the book was predictable as to the involvement among the characters.


DATE READ: January 22 - January 31
NO. OF PAGES: 573
Type of Book audiobook
SOURCE: Audio Stockpile

Warren G. Harding: America's 29th President by Deborah Kent

110 pages from public library

It was extremely difficult to locate a biography of our 29th president and I finally had to settle for this edition from the Children's section of the public library.

I can understand why there are few bios of this president for the simple reason he doesn't much and he was far from a stellar personailty.

Warren Harding had little education and was unsuccessful in many of his life attempts in business, however, he was a smooth talker and a ladies man and in the first election where women were allowed to vote, he seems to have won them over.  Maybe it was fortunate that he died in office.

Accomplishments during his administration included the improvement and expansion the nation's highway system, licensing of radio frequencies through the Commerce Department under Herbert Hoover, the eight-hour work day became common in American industry, and appointed former President William Howard Taft as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

There's no more time!  The battle to prevent Gaea awakening is now!  But the questing demigods have to first prevent all out war between the Greeks and Romans and unite to prevent the monsters and Titans from destroying the Earth as they know it.

The gods themselves can be no help (they're all suffering from Multiple personality disorder - both their Greek and Roman sides are warring) so the demigods each must complete their mission to prevent the catastrophe.  Nico and Reyna are tasked with return the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood which should stop the infighting between Greek and Roman.  

The rest on the Argo II must rescue Percy and Annabeth (they always seem to be in trouble) and prevent the spilling of their blood on Olympus.

This was an action finale to a fun and enjoyable series!  My only disappointment was the ending seemed unsettled - not a cliffhanger - as if the author was leaving an opening for another? 

★★★½

GENRE: Young Adult
CHARACTERS: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Nico DiAngelo, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang
Series/ Progress: Heroes of Olympus 5/5
DATE READ: September 29 - October 3
NO. OF PAGES: 516
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI 
SOURCE: Library Overdrive

The Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke

As much as I like the characters in the Hannah Swensen mysteries, the mysteries are beginning to really be left behind in favor of the soap opera-like tales of Hannah's love life.  I was glad to see that there was a new wedge in the pie, but when the murderer isn't even on the screen let alone the radar until the last few chapters, maybe it's time for Hannah and the Cookie Jar to retire.

Will I read the next, probably, just hope the mystery is better.

★★½

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
CHARACTERS: Hannah Swensen, Judge Colfax,  
Series/ Progress: Hannah Swensen Mysteries 18/18
DATE READ: September 27 - September 29
NO. OF PAGES: 368
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , ALPHAKIT
SOURCE: Library 3M Cloud

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

At the end of the last installment, Percy and Annabeth get caught in a giant web which pulls them through an opening and they fall into Tartarus, used as a dungeon of torment and suffering and prison for numerous monsters.  To survive, Annabeth and Percy must make their way through the abyss to the Doors of Death where hopefully their friends will be waiting to free them.

Percy and Annabeth's encounters in the abyss are filled with danger frequently offset by amusing interactions with monsters that aren't all bad.

Meanwhile, above, the remaining quest members are encountering their own monster problems trying to reach the Doors of Death on their side (first they have to figure where that would be.) 

The story was fun and full of action - will definitely have to read the last SOON!

★★★★

GENRE: Young Adult
CHARACTERS: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Nico Di Angelo, Frank Zhang, Jason Grace
Series/ Progress: Heroes of Olympus 4/5
DATE READ: September 19 - September 28
NO. OF PAGES: 597
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , ALPHAKIT
SOURCE: Audio Stockpile

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

This was a wonderful group of short tales regarding each of the 12 main Olympian Gods and how they came to rule Mount Olympus.  We hear how the main 3 (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) defeated the Titans, and how the areas - sky, seas, and underworld were divided up.

There were also stories of the twins of Apollo and Artemis and how Athena was born from Zeus' head, Aphrodite's marriage to Hephaestus, Hera's jealous reactions, and how Hermes acquired is miraculous shoes.

Great background for the Olympian series.

★★★

GENRE: Young Adult
CHARACTERS: Percy Jackson, Zeus, Hades, Posiedon, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus
Series/ Progress: Percy Jackson and the Olympians  10/10
DATE READ: September 15 - September 18
NO. OF PAGES: 256
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , ALPHAKIT, 
SOURCE: Public Library

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I won't even begin to try to tell the tale of this depressing, dragged out tale of murder and alcoholism.

I would have abandoned the entire book 60 pages in but since it was my book club selection I had to persevere.  I had it figured out very quickly and it really didn't hold my interest.

Can't figure out what the big hoopla was all about but I can tell you that I won't be going to see the movie when it's made.

★½

GENRE: Thriller
CHARACTERS: Rachel, Tom, Anna, Megan, Scott, Det. Gaskill
DATE READ: September 10 - September 11
NO. OF PAGES: 336
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , AlphaKit
SOURCE: audio book  Library


SO SAD THAT BOOK #100 WAS SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT.

Million Death Quake by Roger Musson

This book wasn't what I expected from the title.  I expected to read about where the great quake was expected to occur and possibly what we could do to prevent catastrophic death count, however, what I got was a book about the causes of earthquakes, identification of areas that are prone to large magnitude earthquakes, and the explanation of the measurements and what they mean.  Disappointing.

★★½"

GENRE: NON-FICTION
DATE READ: August 8 - August 16
NO. OF PAGES: 244
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , AlphaKit
SOURCE: Public library