Promise Me

Promise Me by Harlan Coben is mystery novel set in New York City and around Livingston New Jersey.  It is about a couple of missing girls.  They both have just turned 18 so have they run away or has something sinister happened to them.  Great story with some interesting plot twists.  It is a quick read that will keep you interested until the very end.

vanishing acts

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult  is about a woman who finds out that her father had kidnapped her as a 4 year old girl.  She cant believe that it is true and has her fiance defend her father against these charges.  She has a 4 year old daughter with her fiance and a best friend fritz who help her along the way.  She starts to recover memories of her former life and her mother.  This story is one of right and wrong, and how does a person define right and wrong.  Good story very basic picoult.

The Girls From Ames by The Girls From Ames and Jeffrey Zaslow

This is an awesome book.  It is about 11 girls from Ames Iowa and their friendship thru the years.  They are now in their forties and are still close friends. They have been thru love and loss together and are the stronger for it.

This book will make you laugh until you cry and then just make you cry.  It is a read for every woman who has ever had a close friend or a group of friends.

The Associate by John Grisham

Kyle McAvoy in the hero in this grisham novel.  He has grew up in his fathers law office in pennsylvania and is in law school at Princeton.  He has a deep dark secret from his past and someone is taking advantage of the fact for their own dark secret purposes. 

Definately worth the read 

Santa Fe Dead by Stuart Woods

Attorney Ed Eagle  testifies against his ex wife who tried to kill him and finds the legal system has again screwed up.  On another front there is a murder of a very rich woman and her son.  The husband calls on eagle to help him but again things are not as they seem.

Good story at a fast pace.  nice summer reading that will keep you entertained

In The Woods by Tana French

This book is about a little girl who gets murdered and the detective assigned to her case was also involved in a strange experience in his past.  Detective Rob Ryan as a twelve year old went in to the wood to play with his two friends and hours later was the only one found.  He was found clutching a tree and blood in his shoes.  The case was never solved and years later a little girl was murdered in the same woods and rob was in charge of the case.  

This book has a good story within a story but the older story never gets resolved with any sense of satisfaction.  The story in the whole is good but lacks something.  It could be so much better.

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

This is a really funky story that never really resolves itself.  Kirstin Barns is a New York City nanny who is having an affair with the father, Michael Turnbull.  She keeps having a "dream" about 4 body bags in front of a manhatten hotel and she keeps meeting up with dead people from her past.  Very iteresting concept.

The Quickie by James Patterson

Lauren Stillwell, an NYPD cop finds her husband leaving a hotel with another woman, she decides that she has to beat him at his own game.  However her plan of revenge goes wrong and more wrong by the minute.  Lauren also must take a case that threatens everthing she stands for.  He is holding a secret that can blow her world apart and she is scared stiff.  With her whole world on the line she fights with everything she has and wins.

Run For Your Life by James Patterson

A serial killer who calls himself the Teacher is killing the powerful and arrogant in New York City.  Detective Mike Bennett father of 10 adopted children who have come down with flu.  During this epidemic in the Bennett household the Teacher is reeking havoc all over the city and Mike Bennett is the only one who can solve the case. excellent

Step On A Crack by James Patterson

Story of a mass kidnapping and the first appearance of Detective Mike Bennett.  His wife is dying of cancer and they have 10 adopted kids of various ethnic origins.  The first lady has died and dozen men sieze the church where the funeral is being held.  Bennett is the main negotiator.  So between his dying wife , the kids and the kidnapping the reader is tossed all over the place.  It is a fast paced story the is very satisfing.  

The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan

This is the story of John Grogan and his family.  He came from a devout catholic family just outside of Detroit in the 1960's - 1970's.  He managed to disappoint his parents at what he preceived as every turn.  From not embracing their religion as his parents had on thru the usual kid stuff and his love affair and eventual marriage to a very stong willed woman named Jenny.  

The story takes you through a great family saga that everyone can relate to.  It really shows what a surprise Marley was to him after he had the best dog on the planet as a kid.  It has very complex relationships as all families do.  Again it will make you laugh out loud and also cry.  great book.

Marley and Me by John Grogan

The story of a man and his dog, from beginning to end.  It will make you laugh out loud and make you cry.  Anyone who has ever had a dog will identify with this tory since all dogs have at least a little Marley in them.  John Grogan and his wife Jenny had no idea what they were getting themselves into when got Marley.  Everyone will love this dog and this story.

slumdog millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup is a great book.  I really wasn't that interested in seeing the movie even after it won the academy award but now after reading the book I am dying to see the movie adaptation.  The story is about a boy or young man who has lived somewhat on the streets all his life.  He gets on a game show and wins, but the powers that be didn't want that to happen and have him arrested for cheating.  At the police station he tells his lawyer how he came to know the answer to all the questions.  It is such a wonderfully  told story that when you read it you will want to read it again.  This young man has led such a rough life but it lead him to where he is now.  The book is so full of interesting twists and turns it is amazing.  While I was reading each account of how he managed to answer the questions i was trying to figure out what the question will be on the game show.  Wonderful story told beautifully, i highly recommend it.

Killers at large

Killers At Large by Nigel Cawthorne is a true crime book. This book goes over some of the more infamous unsolved serial killers not only in the united states but also around the world.  I like true crime stories and this one is very good.  The author goes over about 80 unsolved cases, including the zodiac killer,chicago's tylenol terrorist, the butcher of belize, jack the ripper and the monster of florence.  He does a good job of condenseing the cases into short readable form however there are a lot of typos.  He certainly needs a new proofreader.  If you like true crime stories you will like this book.

Rebecca

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a story of a second wife living in the first wifes shadow or so she thinks.  The first Mrs. de Winter was a beloved woman of breeding and taste.  Her faithful servant Mrs. Danvers keeps her rooms as if she were going to back at any minute even though she has been dead for about a year.  The second Mrs. de Winter however has a whirl wind relationship with Maxim and he brings her to his home where she learns the truth about the first Mrs. de Winter which is very different then she thought.  A classic that is great read.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau

The Island Of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells is a classic in literature, but man it is kinda sick as well.  The story is that a man is ship wreaked and finds what a appears to be a deserted island.  The island though is not deserted it is inhabitied but a different sort of population.  Dr. Moreau and an associate has been conducting experiments on animals attempting to transform them into humans.  This is not cloneing but rather a weird sort gene combination experiemnts not on embryos in test tubes but rather developed animals.  Kinda sick i just had to see it through to the end.  

The Art Of Racing In The Rain

The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein is the story of a man who gets a puppy, gets married, becomes a father, loses his wife, fights with in laws, loses daughter to in laws but untimately finds his bliss.  That being said it is all told through the eyes of the dog.  A very interesting concept I thought.  Good book with an ending that is really great.  

Against Medical Advice

Against Medical Advice by James Patterson is an interesting book about a boy growing up with tourettes syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder.  This story really shows how one family overcame such adversity, strength, courage and love.  This poor guy wakes up one morning when is 5 years old with a twitch in his neck and for the next 13 years he goes through a living hell.  But even though he has gone through all that he survives. Amazing story of how strong a family can be when put to the test.

The Historian

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is about a girl who has found and book and some letters in her fathers library.  She follows the letters a book on a journey to find the truth about vlad the impaler and about her family.  Extrodinary book.  When you read try to see what the girls name is i cant seem to figure it out and if you do find out her name please let me know. Thanks

The Outlander Series

The Outlander Series consists of 6 books so far, they are, Outlander, Dragonfly In Amber, Voyager, Drums Of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and A Breath Of Snow and Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon.  It is about a woman, Clare Randall, who has time travel back to the eighteenth century

where she meets Scotsman Jamie Frasier.  The two fall in love and go for some amazing adventures.  I love this series so much.  It is an action, love, historical series like no other that i have read.  

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossein is an awesome book.  Hossein also wrote the Kite Runner which was good too however, this one is much better.  It span thirty years in Afghanistan.  From the soviets to the taliban.    It is amazing the change that took place and how the people dealt with them.  The women especially.  This book i could see being taught in high school.  It tells the historical side of these people so well.  You come away with a whole new understanding of the culture of Afghanistan.  The character are so well written that you can identify and love them or hate them they become real.  Excellent Book.  

Sophies Choice

Sophies Choice by William Styron  is a good book but it is disturbing.  It is about a woman is haunted by a choice she was forced to make during the holocaust.  It was a choice no one should ever have to make.  She lives the rest of her life kind of punishing herself for that one act.  She is a sad and disturbed woman who tries to out run her past but it just keep haunting her.  I highly recommend this book. 

Peace Like a River

A really good book that i have read lately is Peace Like A River by Leif Enger.  A friend recommended it one night a party and the next morning my husband got out of bed and said pees like a river and the title stuck in my head.  I went to book store and bought the book the next day.  It is about a family.  The oldest brother shoots a couple of boys in his home.  He is arrested and but in jail.  He escapes from jail and his family goes out looking for him.  Such a good story i loved every word.  It is set in the 60's but it is very reminisent of the old west of north dakota.  I highly recommend it.

The Book Of God

 The last book I read was  The Book Of God by Walter Wangerin, Jr. .  It is basically the Bible set in story form.  That being said I was really surprised that he started with Abraham and not Adam and Eve.  However he did cover that story later in the book.  I will Have to say that I did not find any redeeming qualities in any of the characters in the book.  I realize that the Bible has more sex and violence than probably most books on the market today but i just thought that everyone was awful.  Starting with abraham and following thru to Jesus.  I really hope that it wasn't really ;like that because it really bothers me that my faith is based on such people of so little morality.  But, i could be reading it wrong, i am by no means an expert.  I did ask my pastor about the book and he did say the author did take some artistic license in the writing of the book but i was a bit disappointed .