Book Update for 2012

With the revamped blog design I want to make sure that I keep up with my Books read in 2012 list. So here we go—I will add new books as I complete them but for now this is what we have to date!

1. Knee High by the 4th of July by Jess Lourey The best way to start the year off is to read a Jess Lourey book. I am quickly working my way through them and will be so sad when I have read all that she has written so far. Love her style and her humor and the twists and turns along the way. By far my favorite author !!!!

2. Excuse Me, My Brain Has Stepped Out by Pandora Poikilos

This was an interesting book that I happened upon on a Kindle site. The price was right and I downloaded it. The book is a series of letters written to a father by a daughter and I got a little lost along the way–thinking it would be a little different than it was -but it was still a good book to read to be part of a diary that journaled her illness and the steps along the way.

3. October Fest by Jess Lourey

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE! Jess remains my favorite author. And yes–I am on a first name basis with her! 🙂 Her witty and fast moving novels make me laugh out loud repeatedly to the point where the hubby has to check on me! She has yet to disappoint me. I start reading and can not put it down. That is a sign of a good book to me!!!

4. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

What a great book!!! The author details the life of 3 sisters, their lives entwining over the years and the effect of the illness of their mother on their complicated and often entertaining lives. I started this one and was drawn in immediately. Great read for anyone with a sister!!!

My Funny Dad, Harry by Karen Arlettaz Zemeks

I follow Karen’s blog and finally took time to read her book about her father. I totally enjoyed reading about this unique man and his love of his cats! The book was a great read and one that I know Karen worked hard on and it makes it even more special to be able to read something from someone you know!!! Find it on Kindle or on Amazon and read about Harry!!!

6. Beach Cottage Decor: Life’s Simple Pleasures by Cincy Adkins

I love beach decor and this freebie on Kindle was a nice short book to get some ideas on how to decorate in beach decor. I didn’t get any really unique ideas but it was nice to have some basic ideas in one place.

7. An Honest Mistake by by Andrew Bliss

A funny quirky Kindle single that made me laugh with its funny twists!

8. A Life Worth Living by Jennifer Probst

A fabulous book by a friend of a blogging friend about a dog and his life written from his point of view. A must read for any pet lover!

Hidden Truths by Brenda Youngerman

Another fabulous book from Brenda that hits hard on an issue that remains hidden too often. Hard to read at times and hard to put down until you finish—recommended highly for anyone who wants to read a story with a message!

10. Sparkle by Mara Altman

The author delves into the history of the engagement ring and why there is so much emphasis placed on THE ring. Great insight into what the engagement ring is all about. A Kindle single which was an enjoyable read if you ever wondered!!!

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

A fun quick read by Evanovich–one of her earlier romance novels that has the first glimpse of Bob the Dog. Fun afternoon read for those of you who like romance or who are Evanovich fans!

12. The Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell

As always I am in love with anything that Patricia Cornwell writes and this book was no exception. I had to take breaks while reading it which did not make me happy but life called. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is at it again in this book and this time she is trying to find out what happened to her former deputy chief–Jack Fielding. The book takes twists and turns along the way and takes the reader right along. Great book!

13. The Rainy Day House by Linda Legeza

I picked this book up when I was at Lakeside, OH this past summer as it is authored by a woman who spends her summers in Lakeside. I was intrigued and wanted to see what the author would write about since it was supposed to be about Lakeside. I was not disappointed. From the descriptions of the town to the restaurants and Hoover Auditorium it helped fill my Lakeside void for a few hours. The story itself is a romantic tale of two people who find each other after loves are lost, their families and many other complicated scenarios but it all makes for an enjoyable read. Especially when the reader knows the places that are being written about. Any Lakeside lover would love this book!

14. Bossypants by Tina Fey

I am a huge Tina Fey fan. Not sure if it was the Sarah Palin characterization that won me over or what but I like her so when I saw her book at the library I thought it was worth a read. It was funny, crude in parts but overall a funny read that made me chuckle out loud.

15 House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson

I started this book and wasn’t really sure if it was one that I was going to finish. Ever have one of those? It is a Christian novel and sometimes I am not a huge fan of those because too often they sound like the Christian message is being forced and not really a true part of the story. This novel revolves around a family with many secrets that start to unravel as the book goes on. I stuck with it and decided that it was worth my time. The Christian message is there but it fits as part of the whole story —-as the family discovers how to be a family again, God enters and plays a huge part in the healing process. Good book to read if you have questions about if Christians have problems or if life is easy!

16. Getting Old Can Kill You by Rita Lakin

Imagine a retirement community with a group of private investigators who try to solve cases and this is what you get. A funny series which one reviewer likened to “the Golden Girls play Nancy Drew”. The ending was surprising, to say the least, and even though I had this one on my Kindle and had stopped reading it to start another book I was able to pick right up where I left off and join in the fun again! Fun series to read.

17. Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

I had pre-ordered this book on Amazon and it was one of the few I actually got in hard copy and not on my Kindle. I had forgotten all about it and then it arrived and I figured it would make for a great Sunday afternoon read which it did. From start to finish I saw glimpses of Evanovich’s writing style and the book, though a love story that I don’t usually seek out, was a fun read. The characters were interesting and the pace of the story kept me interested in what was going to happen next and kept me guessing who the “villain” was. Fun book and worth a look!

I Travel by Train by Rollo Walter Brown

I am on my journey through my Great Great Uncle’s books and this book was much more than I expected it to be. Written in the depression Brown depicts characters and life during that time as he travels by train throughout the country. I found myself connecting with his love of talking to people and getting to know their story—-i think I have a bit of him in me. His description of poverty in the chapter entitled “Waste” struck me and I will be expounding on that at some date, I am sure. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one I have chosen to read.

November Hunt by Jess Lourey

Jess does not disappoint in her next book in her month by month series. This one is probably my favorite one so far and it was one of those books that I just could not put down. I love the writing style, the witty comments inserted here and there and the characters—oh the characters are just that!!! A special bonus in this book is that I “recognized” some special characters—the owners of the local hardware store!!!! What a great book. Can not wait for the next one!! Get writing, Jess!

20. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen I loved this book also!!! Seems like I am picking some great ones to read this year already! The novel centers around a mysterious and intriguing secret that the folks in the town of Walls of Water, NC have to dig deep to uncover. This was one of those books that took some twists and turns along the way but it was a fresh and interesting read from start to finish. Great read! Definitely going to find more books by this best selling author.

21. Courting Trouble by Lisa Scottoline What is not to love about any of Lisa Scottoline’s books? This book was a great one, as usual, centering around Anne Murphy a lawyer who discovers in the morning paper that she has been murdered! Yikes!!! Through twists and turns the reader learns of what happened and the unpredictable is explained!

22. Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer A collection of shorts that delves into pain and loss….depressing at times but well written.

23. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller LOVED this book!!! My sister loaned it to me eons ago and I finally picked it up when she recently asked me if I had it. 🙂 Don’t know why it took me so long to read it but once I started I did not put it down. The book is the story of how the author who became disillusioned and burned out from the Christian life turned it around and came back to an even better Christian life!!! I was not sure what to expect when I started reading but his words resonated with me and I found myself saying “I have felt like that” time and time again. Also out in a movie now in limited viewing areas which of course I would love to see. Highly recommend this book!

24. Skewered Halo by Brenda Youngerman Another book by Brenda that is my favorite of hers so far. A better review is going to be coming but suffice it to say –this was a page turner and one that I will reread! As always Brenda delivers “fiction with a purpose” and while this one was no different it had more twists and turns than I think her other books have offered. Great book! Great author!

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones When I started this book and realized that there was a “grim reaper” theme I thought I would hate it and not finish it but no……it was fabulous!!! I could not figure out where it was going from page to page so that is a sign of a great book for me! A little quirky and definitely fun!!!

26. Death in High Places by Jo Bannister Another book that I totally enjoyed! I am on a roll these days—this book was one I found at the library and read in one sitting! A great Sunday afternoon read which is about two friends who go mountain climbing and only one comes back from the adventure. Of course there is more to the story so I won’t ruin it for you!

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz Fun book about the Spellman family who are private investigators—the first in a series and I will be checking more of her books out later as I totally enjoyed the misadventures! The family is definitely dysfunctional and I got drawn up in the story of Izzy, Rae, Uncle Ray, Albert and Olivia as they live their crazy lives.
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris

Roe is trying to decide if she wants to be a real estate agent. Problem is dead bodies start showing up at houses that are for sale….fun quick read .

29. Things I want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble

I loved this book. A mother writes letters to each of her daughters to read after her death. What they reveal is touching and sometimes shocking but definitely real life issues. Great book by a great author.

1. 1. Fifty Shades of Gray, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James

With all of the publicity around these books —I read all three of them and that is all I am going to say….

33. The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Cogan

This is a book about Harvard grads and the paths that their lives take after graduation. I found it difficult to stay engaged with it at times for some reason but the characters were believable and interesting. Not on the top of my reading list but a decent read. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood when I was reading it.

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

This is a book about second chances. This is a story about an unfaithful husband, a widow and a dog. It definitely was not what I expected but I totally enjoyed the twists and unexpected story line. Well worth a read!

35. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Definitely a book that was not what I expected. The Fang Family were artists—their children tried to separate themselves from their parents to avoid the “dramas” that were part of their daily lives but ended up getting pulled back into the performances. A quirky and unexpectedly fun book to read.

36. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I loved this book. I will never look at flowers again without thinking of their language and meaning! Somewhat predictable at times but still a great book that would make a delightful book club selection. Two thumbs up!