Matched by Ally Condie

A society where everything is decided for you. From what you wear and eat to where you work, who you marry, and when you die.

Cassia is excited and nervous for her Matching Ceremony, taking place on the day she turns seventeen. When the screen stays dark, she is worried she won't be matched with anyone and will be a Single, but it is then announced that her match is her best friend, Xander, who lives just down the street from her. This hasn't happened in many years. Usually, a match is made from another province and the boy and girl don't know each other. When Cassia finally watches her microcard with all of Xander's info on it, something happens she doesn't expect - another boy's face appears. A boy she knows. Ky Markham.

This sets into motion a story full of romance, struggle, and trying to find out what path is the right path. Not just for Cassia, but for all of society.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the other two in the trilogy!

A few items of business.....

First up: I have added to my 2012 book list. I have been listening to audiobooks while at work. I wanted to list them somewhere even though I'm not counting them in my official goal. They are under the 2012 tab above and will be listed below the books I have read.

Second: I finished another book two days ago. This one was Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett. I wish I had read the first book before reading this one. I might have understood some things a little better. I can say that the police lady is someone you will love to hate! Good story line. Be prepared for lots of goose poop in this one!!!

Third: I have added a widget on the right side that connects to my goodreads.com list. You will notice I have included the audiobooks on that list. I think I might up my challenge number on that website to include all the audiobooks I will end up listening to. I know I will reach the 80 before the end of the year with all those books, but I really want to READ 80 books, not listen to them.

3 More Books!!

I finished another book last night! Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley. If you couldn't tell by now, I love mysteries! I also love goodreads.com! When I was reading the Scottish mysteries, I checked out my recommendations on goodreads.com to see what authors and books I might be interested in. I got a big list of authors I've never read and checked out a bunch of books at the library. So far, so good!

Fatal Fixer-Upper is about Avery, a textile designer living in NYC, who just inherited her aunt's home in Maine. She plans to sell it and get back to NYC and her boyfriend when she finds out it's worth a lot more than the offered price if she just puts a little work into it.

As she starts fixing things up with the help of handyman Derek, she uncovers clues that lead to a missing local professor and the fact that her aunt may have been murdered instead of dying from an accidental fall. Avery digs into the history of Marie Antoinette and the possibility of several of the queen's personal items that may be in Maine. This leads to a lot of problems and Avery gets threatened too.

Will she solve the mystery before it's too late? Read the book to find out what happens!

Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mysteries

I just finished the fourth book in this series. I just love a good mystery with a strong female lead in it. Plus, there's no swearing and sex in them. Always a bonus for me. I'm no prude, but I think a lot of explicit sex and language just ruins an otherwise good book.

I have Scottish blood in me and thought this would be a great series to read. I was right! They even mention the MacMillan clan tartan (part of my family!) in one of the books. In the last book, The Corpse Wore Tartan, my favorite author, Clive Cussler, was even mentioned!!!

The books in the series include: Kilt Dead, Scone Cold Dead, A Wee Christmas Homicide, and The Corpse Wore Tartan. They were written by Kaitlyn Dunnett. Really good books if you like a clean, fun mystery. I highly suggest checking them out at the library!

Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun

This was a great book by Lois Winston. It's her first in a new crafting mystery series.
Anastasia Pollack is a crafts editor for a second-rate magazine. Her husband dies at a gambling table, leaving her completely broke with two teenage boys, a Communist mother-in-law, a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and a demon dog she calls Mephisto. She also finds out there is a loan shark after her because her husband owed him $50,000.

But it doesn't end there. She goes to her office and finds the fashion editor dead and glued to her chair by her own glue gun. Anastasia soon ends up the primary suspect in the murder. She has to find out who the real killer is and also get the loan shark off her back.

Only 3 days in...

And I've already finished 2 books.

The first was The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card (one of my favorite authors). This is the first of a new series he has started. It follows Danny North, a young man who comes from a Family of mages from the world of Westil. The Family has been cut off from Westil by Loki, a gatemage, who has not only closed all the gates in the world, but has taken them away. The North Family is living in western Virginia now, where they can keep to themselves and still practice their magery. Everyone thinks Danny is a Drakka, or one born to mage parents, but with no magic of his own. He soon finds out he is really a gatemage. But he can't let anyone know. It was decided long ago that no one Family can have a gatemage who could open a gate back to Westil. Any child who shows signs of being a gatemage is to be killed instantly. Danny fears for his life and runs away from the Family compound. He soon takes up with another kid named Eric. Together, they beg, steal, and hitch their their way to Washington DC. They find Ced and Stone and live in Stone's house for a while....
Well, I won't go into anymore details. You will just have to read it for yourself!

The second book I read was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. A very interesting first novel by Mr. Riggs. This book combines fiction and photographs into a thrilling read. Jacob experiences a terrible family tragedy and sets out on a journey to a remote island off the coast of Wales. He grew up with stories from his grandfather about a home he lived in during WWII where the children seemed to be fantastical. Jacob was shown pictures of some of the children. They were just too hard to believe. Anyone could have Photoshopped the pictures to make them look different. He soon grows tired of the stories and believes them to be just that, stories. But his grandfather always insisted they were real. While on the island of Cairnholm, Jacob finds the ruins of the once great home. Inside he finds a locked trunk. He breaks it open and finds more of the pictures like the ones his grandfather had. He starts wondering if the stories were true afterall and if the children did not die during the war, but are still living. Buy or borrow this book and find out what happens. The pictures will amaze you!

I did it!!

Yeah!!! I read 75 books this year with a few days to spare! This was a wonderful challenge for me. There were times when I thought I wasn't going to make it. Thank you to my old friend Emily Sonderegger for inspiring me to do the challenge in the first place.

For next year, I think I'm going to up my number to 80 books. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a wonderful New Year. Stay safe.

And tell everyone about my blog!!!

The Year is Almost Over

I only have 2 weeks left of the year and need to read 4 more books. Well, about 3.5 books really. I'm in the middle of reading The Death Cure by James Dashner. Such great books.... and he's a local author. If you haven't read The Maze Runner trilogy, I highly recommend them. Very well written.

Anyway, I have been updating my Books I've Read page with all the ones I've finished, but haven't really taken the time to write on this page. Sorry about that. If you want to know what I thought about any of the books I've read, just let me know. I would be happy to give you a review. Check out that page to see my newest books.

Good Reads

I love this website!

They have lots of giveaways for books. Ones that have been released and ones that are pre-release copies.

I signed up for a bunch last week and was surprised to get an advance copy of the book Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs. Now I just need to read it and post about it on the site.

If you are interested in free books, check out goodreads.com.

Numbers Update

So my goal is 75 books by the end of the year.

I am now at 52!!!

I really didn't think I was going to make it. Checking books out from the library has really helped my numbers though.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the library. I remember as a kid spending lots of time at the library during the summer months. I was always winning those reading contests they would hold! I would check out 8-10 books at a time and return a week later having read them all and filling my arms with more. It was a long walk from home, but my siblings and I really enjoyed going. When I was in my early teen years, I would check out poetry books and type up all my favorite poems on my Mom's typewriter (yes, an actual typewriter, not a computer!) I think I still have my file in one of my boxes in storage.

Anyway, I love the library. I love reading. I love that my kids love to read!

See ya later!

So much to catch up on!

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I got on here. Sorry to all my followers for that.

Well, I have many books to tell you about. Here is a list of what I have read since July:
- Murder by the Book by Betsy Brannon Green
- Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark
- Popped by Carol Higgins Clark
- Jinxed by Carol Higgins Clark (yes, I'm catching up on all my C.H.C. books!)
- Laced by Carol Higgins Clark
- Naked Heat by Richard Castle
- Killer Keepsakes by Jane K. Cleland
- Silent Auction by Jane K. Cleland
- Murder by Design by Betsy Brannon Green
- Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark
- Death Walker by Aimee & David Thurlo
- Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark
- The Second Sun by Chris Stewart
- The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
- The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum
- The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum

So that is 16 more books. Plus I am reading Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans right now. Next will by Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. And I'm headed to the library later today to pick out a few more.

I have really been enjoying the Carol Higgins Clark books. It's been fun to read how Regan Reilly and Jack (no relation) Reilly met and fell in love and married and had lots of adventures together! I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark (Carol's mother) for years and have read a few of the books the two wrote together, but I didn't read any of Carol's books until recently. She writes just as well as her mom does!

Richard Paul Evans has been one of my favorites for a long time. When I heard about his new Young Adult novel, I knew I was going to have to buy it! I even got a signed and numbered first edition.

I think that's going to be all the update for now. I might get into a little more detail later. We'll see how it goes.

Keep reading and support your local library!

Book Giveaway!

Check out this giveaway!!
ems-reviews-books.blogspot.com

Cold As Ice

Stephanie Black's novel, Cold as Ice, was a great mystery for me. I honestly didn't get the bad guy till the end. Now, a lot of times I can figure out who the bad guy is really early, but not this one. Loved it! Looking forward to reading more of her books.

I have a few books up next. Jane Cleland's Antiques to Die For, Carol Higgins Clark's Mobbed, and a history book on the Nasca people of Peru.

Four more books

Okay, so I have four books to go through. Bear with me here....

#1 - Where Angels Fall by Chris Stewart
This is the second book in The Great and Terrible series (TGTS). Ammon, Luke, Sam and Elizabeth are all on earth now, living their lives. Ammon and Luke were sent to the same family. Sam joined their family through the Foster program. They have loving parents who do whatever they can to keep their family together.
Elizabeth is not only in a different family, she's in a different country. She lives in Iran with her father. Her mother died from complications after childbirth. Her father loves her very much and provides whatever he can. Though they live a simple life, Rassa (the father) has the blood of royalty in his veins.
Satan is working overtime to influence those who stood against him in the preexistence. His influence runs deep in some. He has people that will do anything for power and money.
One he has a strong hold on is Prince Abdullah al-Rahman of Saudi Arabia. The Prince is scared his father and brother will make their kingdom into a democratic regime. No more princes and no more kings.
An old man approaches Prince Abdullah al-Rahman and tells him the secret to keeping his kingdom and gaining more riches and power. He just has to wait twelve years.
This story is gripping and intoxicating. Just as in our lives, there are those who would do anything for love and those who would do anything for greed. If you have never read these books, I highly recommend them. I can't wait to read the next installment: The Second Sun.

#2 - The Kingdom by Clive Cussler
This is the third book in the Fargo series. Sam and Remi get a call that their friend, Frank Alton, is missing. They meet with Mr. King, the man who hired Frank, to find more information. Their journey leads them to Nepal where they come across good guys and bad guys. They soon find out that Mr. King is not all he says he is. And neither is his wife/assistant and their two children.
Sam and Remi are fighting against a clock with an unknown time limit. They must find something called The Golden Man. Is it just a story, or is there really a box out there somewhere with the gold covered bones of man in it? Will Sam and Remi find it first, or will they die trying?
I absolutely love Clive Cussler's books! He keeps things clean while keeping it all exciting. No swearing and sex to ruin a story.

#3 - Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans
The second journal of The Walk series starts right where the first left off. Alan Christofferson is in the hospital after being attacked by a gang. He has been stabbed several times and would have died if another truck hadn't stopped and helped him. When he wakes up, Angel is by his side. Angel is a young woman he had helped when she needed her flat tire changed. Her phone number was the only one the hospital workers could find. With his walk put on hold until he can heal from his wounds, Angel has offered to take him home with her to recuperate.
They get along okay, but Angel is hiding something from him. Who is she? Why did she move back to Spokane? And who is Nicole? Alan soon finds out that Angel is Nicole and she is in Spokane after her son was killed in a car accident and her marriage fell apart.
Alan heals and is ready to resume his walk. The east gate to Yellowstone is open and he is anxious to get going. He says goodbye to Nicole and is on his way. He soon meets up with a young girl, Kailamai. He saves her from being raped by several young men who picked her up as she was hitchhiking. Alan and Kailamai walk together and he learns more about her past and what she wants for the future. An idea forms and he contacts Nicole. Nicole drives to meet them and invites Kailamai to live with her and go to school. Kailamai is very happy and leaves with Nicole.
Alan is alone again and making his way to Key West, Florida. He stops in South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The next morning, as he is leaving his hotel, he is stopped by woman who knows him. She asks if he knows who she is and when he says no she asks if he is sure. He looks closely at her and realizes he does know her. She tells him she has been looking for him for weeks.
I'm not sure who the woman might be, but I have my hunches. I guess I will have to wait until April next year to find out if I am right.
If you have not read this series yet, please do so. There are passages in them you might find very insightful in your own life. I know I have.

#4 - Wrecked by Carol Higgins Clark
Yes, that's CAROL Higgins Clark, not Mary Higgins Clark. Carol is Mary's daughter. And like MHC, CHC is a wonderful writer.
Regan Reilly and her husband Jack are on Cape Cod to celebrate their one-year anniversary. They didn't expect this! A woman renting the house next door is found at the bottom of her stairs to the beach. Skip thinks she's dead and goes to get help. By the time Jack and Regan get there, the body is gone, presumably swept out to sea.
No one knows anything about the missing woman, Adele Hopkins. She has kept to herself and refused any friends. When the police enter the home, several pillow with the words "Grudge me, Grudge me not" are found along with several 'I'm Sorry' cards and list of first names. Are these people she wants to apologize to? What happened? Why is she on the Cape? Where is she from? These are all questions the police, Jack, Regan, Skip and the rest of the country would like to know.
One problem.... Adele didn't get swept out to sea. Instead, she is being held captive by a raving lunatic who calls himself an actor. He is in town with the cast of a new play. What is going to happen to her? Will she ever escape? Read the book to find out!!!!

Well, that's it for today! Up next is Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark. I'll let you know how it goes!!

The Great and Terrible Series by Chris Stewart

This is the next series I am reading. I'm on the second book right now. The first book, The Brothers mainly takes place in the pre-existence. It follows 4 siblings, a sister and three brothers. They each have to choose whether to follow the Father and Jehovah or Lucifer. They each have their own struggles with their choices.
The second book, Where Angels Fall, continues the story of the four siblings. They have come to earth to different families. The brothers are all with the same family, while Elizabeth, the sister, has been born into a family in Iran. And that's as far as I have gotten on that one. :-) I will let you know how it goes!

Not a new one, but....

Okay, so I read this latest book several years ago, but I'm still counting it. I finished Saints by Orson Scott Card. It follows the lives of the Kirkham family from England to the Salt Lake Valley and the good times and bad times they have. Anna, the mom, Dinah, the daughter and Robert and Charlie, the sons have all had a brush with Mormon missionaries in England. Three end up joining the church and the other, Robert, refuses to listen to anything they have to say about it. Anna, Dinah and Charlie all go to America to join the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois. There, Dinah meets Joseph and Emma Smith. She becomes a plural wife to Joseph in secret. Dinah is also called Prophetess by many who know her. She helps people when they have need of prayer or blessing or a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.
After Joseph's death and the forced move out of Nauvoo, Dinah, Anna, Charlie and his family all go to the Salt Lake Valley to live out their lives in relative peace. Dinah lives to be 100 years old and sees the construction of both the Salt Lake and St. George Temples.
I still haven't been able to figure out if any of this book is true. If Dinah was a real person or not. It would be very interesting if she was real.

A suggestion..... or three..... or ten.....

I need suggestions on what I should read next. I am up for anything except romance, fantasy, or sci-fi (unless they are by Orson Scott Card).

3 More Down

It seems I'm always playing catch-up here. I have read three more books since I last posted. The first was So Much of Life Ahead by Dean Hughes. This was the last book in the Hearts of the Children series. I have laughed and cried throughout this series. It was wonderful. Mr. Hughes really knows how to create characters that you really care about.
The second book was Rick Riordan's book two of the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire. Carter and Sadie Kane are brother and sister magicians. They follow the paths of the ancient Greek gods. In this book, the god of chaos, Apophis, is about to break free of his prison and destroy the world. It is up to Carter and Sadie to awaken Ra and save the world. But it is a perilous journey. They must first find the three sections of the Book of Ra, hidden throughout the world. Then they must take the book and descend into the Duat, the underworld, to find Ra and read the spell that will awaken him. On the way, they come across other magicians trying to stop them along with more gods and demons who are bound to kill them before they can get to Ra. Carter and Sadie must also decide if awakening Ra is the right thing to do. And if they decide to do it, will Ra be the God he used to be?
The third book I read was Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Miri and her family live on the slopes of Mount Eskel. Her father and sister work in the quarry, but Miri isn't allowed to. She thinks it's because she's so small. One day, word comes from the lowlands that the king's priests have announced the Prince's bride will come from Mount Eskel. So a princess academy is set up for the eligible girls to instruct them on proper lowlander etiquette. Miri and the other girls don't like it very much at first. Olana, the tutor, isn't nice at all and gives out punishments for the smallest things. Then the girls turn the tables on her when Miri finds a secret about Olana. Olana changes her ways and the girls thrive on learning at the academy. After a year, it is time for the Prince to come and choose his bride. The night of his arrival, he is not very friendly. He is stiff and formal and leaves the next morning without choosing his bride. Unfortunately, as soon as the Prince's caravan leaves, bandits invade the academy and demand to know whom the Prince has chosen. They do not believe it when they are told the Prince didn't choose. A big snow storm comes and threatens to leave them stranded at the academy for the rest of the winter. Miri has to find a way to save herself and all the other girls before the bandits can take them away and/or kill them. Can she sing to the quarry rocks and make her father hear her? Will he understand she and the other girls are in danger? Will he be in time to save them? When will the Prince return and who will he choose as his bride? This was a good book and one I hope my daughters will read.

Can't believe I forgot!

I forgot about the book I just finished last night! I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. What a wonderful book. I don't usually read books after they come out in the movie theater, but this one intrigued me.
I have only read one or two books based during the Great Depression so I wasn't too sure about this one. With the circus backdrop, I was excited to read it. I found the character of Jacob Jankowski wonderfully written, both as the young man thrown into the circus life through sad events in his life to the old man in the nursing home waiting to see the circus with his family.
I laughed, cried and got really mad while reading this novel. I think I will have to pick up her other three books, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Colors.
Let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought of them.

Now..... where was I?

Take Me Home was great.
Gene was injured during the war twice. The second time got him sent home. He is happy to be back with Emily and Danny, but there is a lot of anger in him and he doesn't know how to handle it.
Diane's marriage is falling apart. Greg is gone al the time despite his promises to Diane to be home more. His temper flares at the slightest word. Can Diane handle it, or should she leave him for good?
Kathy is learning a lot in the Phillipines. Should she stay in the Church, or is she just too different to be accepted? Her last year is going to change her life for good.
Hans is given more freedom. But is he being set up by the Stasi? Will he end up back in prison? Is Rainer really his friend, or a spy for the Stasi?
This was such a good book. Diane's situation really hit home for me and I had tears in my eyes and slipping down my cheeks.

As for Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler, I enjoyed it as usual. There were a few twists I didn't expect and lots of action that I did. I think this was one of his better books of the older ones.

Now, I am reading the final installment of the Hearts of the Children series by Dean Hughes, So Much of Life Ahead. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh! I forgot one! I also read Mary Higgins Clark's newest book, I'll Walk Alone.
Alexandra "Zan" Moreland lost her son two years ago when he was kidnapped in Central Park. Now, someone is trying to destroy her and her interior design business. To make matters worse, someone is impersonating her. They have stolen her identity, used her bank account to buy things.
Now the police think she kidnapped her own son and possibly murdered him. Will anyone believe her that she didn't do any of those things? Will Alvirah Meehan be able to help her, or is she one of those that don't trust Zan? This book held my attention to the very end.
Thank you Mary Higgins Clark for another wonderful book and another installment in the Alvirah Meehan series!!!