Books Read in January 2012

Chittenden, Meg

- Snap Shot 

Fiction.  Mystery in a town based on a real town in Washington.  An ex-PI-turned photographer and a chiropractor help solve a case of murder that has ties to the photographer’s secret past.

de Lint, Charles

- Spiritwalk 

Fiction.  Another excellent page turner from de Lint.  Fantasy/Paranormal tale about a very special house and its inhabitants, as well as the cadre of otherworldly beings that populate this story of good vs. evil.  This is the sequel to his Moonheart.

- The Harp of the Grey Rose 

Fiction.  A fantasy tale of a young man born to be a harpist, who was orphaned at a young age and taken in by a wise-woman.  He meets The Grey Rose, a beautiful wondrous daughter of the gods for whom he undertakes a dangerous journey to help her defeat the evil that is beginning to overtake the land.

Waters, Sarah

- Fingersmith

Fiction.  Story within a story, within a story, each part written in the first person by different characters, all coming together to tell one intricately written tale.  Two girls with vastly different backgrounds are thrown together in this intriguing, at times depressing, story of tangled lives.  Excellent tale.

Books Read in December 2011

Adams, Ellery

- A Killer Plot 

- A Deadly Cliche

- The Last Word 

Fiction.  First three in a series about a wealthy restauranteur living in a small coastal town in North Carolina who joins a writer's circle in order to work on her unfinished novel.  In the meantime, they find themselves solving murders. 

Alderman, P.J.

- Haunting Jordan

- Ghost Ship

Fiction.  First two in a series based on Port Townsend, in which a retired private investigator buys an old Victorian home inhabited by two sister ghosts.  Current day blends with the swashbuckling days of yore, as she is caught up in solving murders taking place both now and then with the help of the ghostly sisters and the gorgeous hunk lawyer who lives down the road.  Great series!

Balzo, Sandra

- Uncommon Grounds 

Fiction.  First in a series about an ex-PR woman who buys a gourmet coffee shop and solves mysteries.

Coyle, Cleo

- On What Grounds 

Fiction.  First in a series about a divorced woman who returns to work managing a gourmet coffee shop in New York City and solves mysteries.

Grafton, Sue

- V is for Vengeance 

Fiction.  Another Kinsey Milhone romp through Santa Teresa, California.  A female private investigator solves mysteries.

Kaelin, Lauren & Fraioli, Sophia

- When Parents Text

Non-fiction.  Funny true texts sent between parents and their children.  

Lafayllve, Patricia M.

- Freyja, Lady, Vanadis

Non-fiction.  Story and history of the Norse goddess Freyja.

Waters, Sarah

- Fingersmith 

Fiction.  Twisted tale of two young women whose lives become forever entangled from which both are trying to survive.

Books Read in November 2011

Damsgaard, Shirley
- The Trouble with Witches 
- Witch Hunt 
- The Witch is Dead
- The Witch’s Grave
- The Seventh Witch 
A woman and her grandmother, who live in Iowa and happen to be witches, solve murders using Appalachian folk magic.


Evanovich, Janet
- Explosive Eighteen 
A klutzy bounty hunter bumbles her way to solving murders with a crazy sidekick, an incredibly hot and mysterious hunk, and a gorgeous cop boyfriend.  Totally hilarious.


Galenorn, Yasmine
- Courting Darkness 
- Hexed
These aren't cozies, they're urban or paranormal fantasies written by one of my favorite authors.  A family of 3 half-human, half-fae sisters, one of whom is a witch, one a vampire, and one a were-cat, work with a variety of co-horts to fight against evil.


Royal, Brandon
- The Little Red Writing Book (non-fiction)


Staub, Wendy Corsi
- Awakening 
- Believing 
- Connecting
- Discovering
Based in Lily Dale, New York, a spiritualist town, a young girl and her grandmother use their psychic skills in solving murders. 

Books Read in October 2011

Alt, Madelyn

- Home for a Spell 

Blackwell, Juliet

- If Walls Could Talk 

Blair, Annette

- Larceny and Lace

- Death by Diamonds 

- Skirting the Grave 

Childs, Laura

- The Teaberry Strangler 

- Scones & Bones 

Christie, Agatha

- Poirot Investigates 

- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd 

Dams, Jeanne M.

- A Dark & Stormy Night 

Davidson, Diane Mott

- Crunch Time

de Lint, Charles

- Moonheart 

Evanovich, Janet

- Smokin’ Seventeen 

Fluke, Joanne

- Cream Puff Murder 

- Plum Pudding Murder 

- Apple Turnover Murder 

- Devil’s Food Cake Murder

Grafton, Sue

- T is for Trespass 

Hunter, Maddy

- Hula Done It

- G’day to Die

- Norway to Hide 

Lewis, Matthew Gregory

- The Monk 

Micheals, Fern; Barton, Beverly; Fluke Joanne; Jump, Shirley

- Sugar and Spice 

Myers, Tim

- Innkeeping with Murder 

Starbird, Margaret

- The Woman with the Alabaster Jar

Holy cow!

I'm actually going to do NaNoWriMo this year!!!!!!!!!!!!

Books Read in September 2011

Allen, Sarah Addison

- Garden Spells 

Fiction.  Story of two sisters who followed very different paths in life, only to have them reunite as they grow as adults and as sisters.  Two sisters, a girl, and a temperamental apple tree.  Very magical.

Christie, Agatha

- The Mysterious Affair at Styles 

- Murder on the Links 

- Poirot Investigates 

Fiction.  The first three Hercule Poirot mysteries.

Davidson, Diane Mott

- Double Shot 

- Dark Tort 

- Sweet Revenge

- Fatally Flaky 

Fiction.   Books 12-15 of the Goldy Culinary mystery series.

Greenway, Alice

- White Ghost Girls 

Fiction.  Story of two  American sisters who grow up in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War.  Surprise ending.

MacInerney, Karen

- Murder on the Rocks 

Fiction. First book in the Gray Whale Inn mysteries set in Maine.  Natalie Barnes starts life over as an innkeeper and finds her livelihood in danger from a greedy land developer.

O’Brien, Edna

- A Pagan Place 

Fiction. Story of a young Irish girl's life in the early 1900's Ireland.

Radclyffe

- When Dreams Tremble 

Fiction. Lesbian love story of young love, loss, growth, and renewal.

Stamps, Laura 

- The Witches of Dixie 

Fiction. Book 1 in the Witchery trilogy.  Paranormal tale of four southern bell witches.

Swendson, Shanna

-  Enchanted, Inc.

Fiction. Book 1 in the Katie Chandler paranormal comedy treat.  Very light and magical.

Wesselman, Hank

- Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future

Non-fiction. Anthropologist Hank Wesselman's account of a series of visions he has while living on the Kona coast.  Written like a fictional story, I had to keep reminding myself that these were his true visions.

Books Read in August 2011

Cornwell, Patricia

- Postmortem 

- All That Remains 

Fiction, books one and three in the Kay Scarpetta medical examiner mystery series.

Davidson, Diane Mott

- Killer Pancake 

- The Main Corpse 

- The Grilling Season 

- Prime Cut 

- Tough Cookie 

- Sticks & Scones 

- Chopping Spree

Fiction, books five through eleven in the Goldy Culinary mystery series based in Colorado.

Evanovich, Janet

- Wicked Appetite 

Fiction, first in the new funny and hunky Diesel mystery series.

Koontz, Dean

- The Face 

Fiction, creepy tale surrounding the son of a world famous actor, whose only protectors are the head of security on his father's staff, and the newly dead friend of the security chief.

Leigh, Lora

- Dangerous Games 

Fiction, steamy tale about a Navy SEAL's relationship with a DEA agent he's known all his life, and their assignment to end a reign of terror by a Colombian drug cartel.

Malone, Nancy M.

- Walking a Literary Labyrinth: A Spirituality of Reading 

Non-fiction, the relationship between a recovering alcoholic Ursuline nun and her love of books and reading.

Patterson, James

- Violets are Blue 

- 2nd Chance 

- 3rd Degree 

- 4th of July 

- Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas 

- Cat & Mouse 

Fiction, books four and seven of the Alex Cross series, books two through four of the Women's Murder Club series, and a wonderfully romantic novel of love, loss and second chances.

Shayne, Maggie

- Infinity 

- Destiny

Fiction, books two and three of the Immortal Witch series of three related couples of High Witches battling Dark Witches.

Townsend, Kari Lee

- Tempest in the Tea Leaves
Fiction, cozy about an immature tea leaf reader who moves to a small town and begins to solve mysteries.