Tuesday Teasers

Tuesday Teasers asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
• Please avoid spoilers.

My teaser sentences are:

"Like most people who soak up attention, he wasn't always big on returning it. I don't mean I ever doubted his feelings for me; just the opposite-I always knew he loved me even if it was seldom expressed in so many words." (p. 20)

~Basketball Jones by E. Lynn Harris~

What's On Your Nightstand?

February was not a good reading month for me. I took on too much this month and as a result my reading suffered. Hopefully March will be a better month. Having said that, here are the books I want to read in the coming weeks:

In early March, I will attend a reading and book signing for Jodi Picoult which I'm very excited about. I went to her book signing last year for Change of Heart and she spoke about Handle with Care. Since then, I've been looking forward to reading this book.

I'm sure my reading list will change next month, which is fine. I just want to get back into my "reading groove" and tackle my TBR list.

Musing Mondays

Library

How often do you visit the library?  Do you have a scheduled library day/time, or do you go whenever?  Do you go alone, or take people with you?

Prior to this year, I went to the library about 3 or 4 times each week.  I work about a mile away from a library, so I usually spend my lunch hour there reading my current book.  Earlier this year, I decided I needed to cut back on my book borrowing because I check out way too many books that I can read in the 3-week loan period. Now I go about 1 or 2 times each week.

I don't really have a set day that I go to the library.  I prefer to go on Saturdays because I have more time to spend browsing without feeling rushed.  Unfortunately, I can't go every weekend.  One of my favorite libraries is further away from my house, so going there on Saturdays is easier.  The library near my work is much smaller (I prefer larger libraries) and I usually go there to pick up holds or return books.

Run for Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Title: Run for Your Life
Authors: James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Series: Michael Bennett #2
ISBN-10: 0316018740
Pages: 373
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Date Finished: February 22

From the dust jacket: A calculating murderer who calls himself the Teacher is taking on New York City, slaughtering the powerful and the arrogant. Everyone is his potential student—from the loud-mouthed girl on her cell phone to the city's snooty upper crust. His message to them is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

There is only one man in the NYPD who can tackle such a high-profile case. Detective Michael Bennett. For anyone else, the pressure would be overwhelming, but Mike is ready to step up—taking care of his ten children has prepared him for the job. As the media frenzy escalates, all of Mike's children fall victim to virulent flu bug—almost as challenging an assignment for Bennett as tracking down the killer!

A secret pattern emerges in the Teacher's lessons, leaving Detective Bennett just a few precious hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. Run for Your Life is the most speed-charged, adrenaline-packed novel ever from "the man who can't miss" (Time magazine).

First sentence: Getting stuck on a bus in New York City, even under normal circumstances, is a lesson in frustration.

My review: When I read Step on a Crack, the first novel featuring Michael Bennett, I did not know it was the start of a new series. Michael Bennett is a character that is easy to like. He's a dedicated police detective, but sometimes fantasizes about a career change. He's determined to make the streets of NYC safe. At the end of the day, Detective Bennett wants to be a great dad to his ten children. Having just lost his wife to cancer, Mike tries to pick up the pieces and move on while dealing with his grief. He stumbles and sometimes makes mistakes, but his family is his first priority.

While taking care of his sick children, he's also dealing with a serial killer: the Teacher. At first the string of murderers appear to be random, but soon Mike learns the victims were targeted. The question is why? As Mike races to find the answer to this question, little does he realize the Teacher just added a new name to his list.

True to Mr. Patterson's style, Run for Your Life is packed with suspense and twists and turns. The chapters are short, so it's easy to find yourself reading 50 pages before you know it.

Waiting on Wednesday

Title: Long Lost
Author: Harlan Coben
ISBN-10: 0525951059
Release Date: March 31, 2009

From Amazon: Myron Bolitar hasn’t heard from Terese Collins since their torrid affair ended ten years ago, so her desperate phone call from Paris catches him completely off guard. In a shattering admission, Terese reveals the tragic story behind her disappearance—her struggles to get pregnant, the greatest moment of her life when her baby was born…and the fatal accident that robbed her of it all: her marriage, her happiness and her beloved only daughter.

Now a suspect in the murder of her ex-husband in Paris, Terese has nowhere else to turn for help. Myron heeds the call. But then a startling piece of evidence turns the entire case upside down, laying bare Terese’s long-buried family secrets…and the very real possibility that her daughter may still be alive.

In grave danger from unknown assailants in a country where nothing is as it seems, Myron and Terese race to stay a step ahead of Homeland Security, Interpol, and Mossad. Soon they are working at breakneck pace, not only to learn what really happened to Terese’s long-lost little girl— but to uncover a sinister plot with shocking global implications.

Tuesday Teasers

Tuesday Teasers asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
• Please avoid spoilers.

My teaser sentences are:

"I couldn't believe, either, that the 21 Club intended to stay open for business tonight. A line of well-heeled, beautiful people filled the sidewalk, impatiently waiting to get in. Maybe the murder was an extra attraction." (p. 102)

~Run For Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge~

Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

Title: Shoots to Kill
Author: Kate Collins
Series: A Flower Shop Mystery #7
ISBN-13: 9780451224743
Pages: 315
Year Published: 2008
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Finished: February 15

From the back cover: Last I heard, being a five-foot-two, green-eyed redhead wasn't a crime. But that's precisely why I, Abby Knight, was yanked out of my Corvette by a state trooper, handcuffed, and thrown in jail.

This isn't your average case of mistaken identity.

Eight years ago Abby babysat Elizabeth Blume, a teen who seemed intent on making Abby's life miserable. Elizabeth imitated Abby's dress, pored over her diary, and sabotaged her love life. Now Elizabeth is back in New Chapel, and she soon adopts a new look: Abby's. Elizabeth, now going by Libby, copies Abby's entire life-she even drives a bright yellow car and opens a nearly identical shop. But when Libby comes between Abby and her boyfriend, Marco, imitation becomes the sincerest form of trouble, and that's before Abby is accused of murder. Is Abby's devious double the real killer? Or is there a more sinister suspect in town who's using them both to cover his evil crime?

First sentence: As far as I knew, being a five-foot-two-inch green-eyed redhead wasn't a crime.

My review: Abby Knight is back for the seventh book of A Flower Shop Mystery Series. This time Abby finds herself involved with a former charge who gradually steals Abby's life. Right away Abby feels Libby is up to no good, however everyone else thinks Abby is overreacting. Things soon turn from bad to worse when Abby is mistakenly arrested for murder. Abby thinks Libby set her up, however Abby doesn't have any proof.

Libby comes between Abby's relationship with Marco which leaves Abby no choice but to end the relationship. As Abby starts her own investigation, she finds herself, unwillingly, working with Marco. Together they try to solve the murder, while trying to avoid their feelings for each other.

Random thoughts about the series: Shoots to Kill is a good addition to the series. Abby Knight is an amateur sleuth with common sense. She constantly finds herself in the middle of murder investigations (sometimes she's a suspect) due to her meddling, but she means well. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a new cozy mystery with a hint of romance.

Bras & Broomsticks - Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Bras & Broomsticks
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Series: Magic in Manhattan #1
ISBN-10: 0385731841
Pages: 310
Year Published: 2005
Genre: Young Adult
Date Finished: February 12

From the back cover: Rachel can't believe it. Her younger sister, Miri, is a witch! How come Miri inherited the supernatural skills that could have turned Rachel into a teenage superstar?

Just as Rachel suspects, magical powers are wasted on the young. Miri refuses to use them for Rachel's benefit. And Rachel is desperate! Not only does she need to learn some serious dance moves, she's got to win her best friend back, stop her father's wedding, and snag a cute guy's heart.

Maybe Rachel will discover she's got magical powers of her own. Or maybe, just maybe, she can find a way to change Miri's mind. . .

My review: I've read several of Ms. Mlynowski's chick lit books and ran across this book at the library. Having enjoyed her adult fiction, I decided to give this one a try. Rachel is just like any teenage girl: worried about wearing the latest fashion, crushing on the cute, popular guy in school and trying to maintain her friendships. It's not like she doesn't have enough already on her plate when she discovers her younger sister and her mother are both witches.

After getting over the shock (and the disappointment that she's not a witch), she convinces her sister to use some magic (against their mother's orders) to help her win over the "in" crowd and break-up her father and soon-to-be step-mother. What Rachel doesn't realize is, she should be careful what she wishes for because she might just get it.

Although Rachel makes poor choices and uses her sister's spells for selfish gain, she soon realizes what she thought she wanted isn't better than what she currently has. Bras & Broomsticks is a light, fun read, however it speaks to an important message: do not take for granted the important people in your life. Also, we sometimes may need a reminder that we cannot force other people to always do or be what we expect of them.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Musing Mondays

Bookmarks

What do you use to mark your place while reading? Do you have a definite preference? Do you use bookmarks, paper, or (gasp) turn down the pages? If you use bookmarks, do you have a favorite one?


I started collecting bookmarks around 4th grade. Somewhere between college and grad school, I stopped using bookmarks and just remembered where I last read. This was actually pretty easy considering I didn't read many pleasure books during those years.

Now I currently use bookmarks. I started collecting NYC postcards and I used those for bookmarks for awhile. Recently, I started buying bookmarks from Sacchi. I prefer using bookmarks with motivational quotes written on them. I have about 15 or so and I try to use each one, however I do have my favorites:

1. "Never, never, never quit." ~Winston Churchill
2. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
3. "It's never too late to be what you might have been." ~George Eliot
4. "Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible." ~Anonymous
5. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've always imagined." ~Henry David Thoreau
   

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

Title: Plum Spooky
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers
ISBN-10: 0312383320
Pages: 309
Year Published: 2008
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Finished: February 5

From the dust jacket: Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.

Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He's chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he's chosen the Barrens as his new playground.

Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He's now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn't made it out of the boys; department at Macy's. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn't met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.

Diesel pops in and out of Plum's life like birthday cake-delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He's an uber bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He's after Grimoire, and now he's also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn't mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs.

Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course. . . monkeys.

First sentence: Sometimes you get up in the morning and you know it's going to be one of those days.

My review: Stephanie Plum is back in her first full-length Between-the-Numbers novel. Her FTA is Martin Munch. Diesel assists her with Munch as he is looking for Wulf Grimoire. Lula also attempts to help, however she's has personal problems of her own: planning her wedding to Tank, one of Ranger's men.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think about this book. I guess I've expected more from this series. By now, I think Stephanie would know how to effectively capture a FTA. I feel as though I'm reading the same plot book after book. I understand Stephanie Plum is a comical cozy series, if you will, however the situations Stephanie finds herself in is just over the top.

I liked Carl the monkey, however giving people the finger got old for me around page 22. At times, I forgot about the other characters. Stephanie's parents and grandmother have a few appearances in the novel. Morelli is allowing his brother to crash at his place because his wife kicked him out. Ranger comes to rescue Stephanie from tricky situations. Other than that, they're hardly mentioned at all. This books really centers around Stephanie and Diesel.

I only recommend this book if you want to stay current with the series, however I wouldn't rush out to buy it. Hopefully book 15 will be better.

Sunday Salon

It has been awhile since I actually posted on my blog. This past week was very busy and I found myself faced with having to let things go. Unfortunately participating in weekly events and writing book reviews had to be pushed aside. A few weeks ago, I fell behind on my TV shows
(thank goodness for DVR) so I'm trying to catch up with them as well. Right now I'm up to date with Lost, 24, Grey's Anatomy and Law and Order: SVU. I still have Damages and ER to watch.

Anyway, back to reading. This week I finished Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich. It's a Stephanie Plum "Between-the-Numbers" book. Honestly, I don't know what to say about it, which is one of the reasons I have not written the review yet. I had decided to not add my name to the waitlist because I have been disappointed in the last 3-4 books in this series. About two weeks ago, I was at the library and noticed it was in the "Hot Picks" section (books that can only be checked out for two weeks and cannot be renewed) and just decided to check it out.

Well, last Sunday I decided to not read it and return it on Monday, but when I got to the library, I decided to keep it after all. So I had until Friday to finish reading it. I did manage to finish it and now I'm just thinking about what to say for my review.

Moving on. I'm still listening to Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski. Last week, I didn't to listen it as much during my commute. My mind was filled with work on my way home and I just couldn't focus on the story. The plan is to finish it this week. Currently I'm reading Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins, book 7 of the "Flower Shop Mystery" series featuring Abby Knight. I just started it today and so far I'm really enjoying it.

Hopefully this week will be back to normal and I won't feel so pushed and can resume my participation with weekly events.

Grace by Richard Paul Evans

Title: Grace
Author: Richard Paul Evans
ISBN-10: 1416550038
Pages: 307
Year Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction (Holiday)
Date Finished: January 31

Eric's life changes the moment he sees Grace dumpster diving outside the restaurant where he works. He immediately recognizes her from his Spanish class, however he has never spoken to her. After a brief conversation, Eric feels compassion towards Grace and invites her in for a meal, his treat. Grace discloses she ran away from home and doesn't have a place to go. Eric invites her to stay in the clubhouse in his backyard and Grace, at first hesitates, but then agrees.

So begins a significant relationship in Eric's life. Grace becomes his first love and this relationship will shape Eric's life in years to come. Grace is a touching, compelling story about love and loss.

Extracurricular Activites by Maggie Barbieri

Title: Extracurricular Activities
Author: Maggie Barbieri
Series: Alison Bergeron (Murder 101) #2
ISBN-10: 0312355386
Pages: 294
Year Published: 2007
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Finished: January 31

First sentence: I have two best friends; one is a nymphomaniac and the other is a priest.

My review: When we first met Alison Bergeron, she was the number one suspect in a college student's murder. Not only did Alison have a past with the victim's parents, her ex-husband had an affair with the student as well. Just clearing her name from one investigation, Alison soon finds herself involved with another murder. . . her ex-husband Ray. Ray's death has Peter Miceli's name written all over it, as his death was a signature Mob hit. As much as she despised Ray (after all he had numerous extra-martial affairs), Alison is stunned by his death and can't help but to play amateur sleuth once again.

Finding Ray's killer will also distract her from her on-again, off-again relationship with NYPD homicide detective, Bobby Crawford. Crawford has marital issues of his own: he's legally separated from his wife, however he failed to mention this at the start of his relationship with Alison. It's quite difficult for Alison to avoid Crawford because his partner is marrying Alison's best friend, Max, and he is best man while Alison is maid of honor. And not to mention, with all of Alison's snooping, she finds herself in situations that only a police officer can assist her with.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Alison is an amateur sleuth with good sense. The plot at times is funny, but not over the top. The author provides enough twists and turns that will make the reader wonder who really is the killer. After the killer's identity is revealed, we learn why Ray was killed and how Alison is involved.

Alison's character is one the reader can relate to: she's hard working, trying to pick herself up after a bitter divorce while contemplating re-entering the dating scene. The reader will hope Bobby figures things out with his estranged wife before Alison moves on. The two definitely have chemistry and both deserve a second chance on love. If you're looking for a good cozy mystery, I recommend this series.