Night School

It’s 1996, and Reacher is still in the army. In the morning they give him a medal, and in the afternoon they send him back to school. That night he’s off the grid. Out of sight, out of mind.

Two other men are in the classroom—an FBI agent and a CIA analyst. Each is a first-rate operator, each is fresh off a big win, and each is wondering what the hell they are doing there.

Then they find out: A Jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany, has received an unexpected visitor—a Saudi courier, seeking safe haven while waiting to rendezvous with persons unknown. A CIA asset, undercover inside the cell, has overheard the courier whisper a chilling message: “The American wants a hundred million dollars.”

For what? And who from? Reacher and his two new friends are told to find the American. Reacher recruits the best soldier he has ever worked with: Sergeant Frances Neagley. Their mission heats up in more ways than one, while always keeping their eyes on the prize: If they don’t get their man, the world will suffer an epic act of terrorism.

From Langley to Hamburg, Jalalabad to Kiev, Night School moves like a bullet through a treacherous landscape of double crosses, faked identities, and new and terrible enemies, as Reacher maneuvers inside the game and outside the law.

There was no need to worry that this would be a "different" Reacher by going back to his days as a MP. The action was fast paced with a few twists. He is a problem solver and works with a team to figure out what is going on before it's too late. Supporting cast added to the intrigue and enjoyment of the story. Another great installment in one of my favorite series that I highly recommend.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via Netgalley for this review copy

Thank You Penguin Random House

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this wonderful box of books.

I entered the Random House's "Cozy Reads with your Favorite Authors" sweepstakes, and was one of eight winners of these ten books!  They arrived a couple of days before Christmas.  I decided to give a couple of them as gifts so I had to wait to share this surprise!

Bones Never Lie

Unexpectedly called in to the Charlotte PD’s Cold Case Unit, Dr. Temperance Brennan wonders why she’s been asked to meet with a homicide cop who’s a long way from his own jurisdiction. The shocking answer: Two child murders, separated by thousands of miles, have one thing in common—the killer. Years ago, Anique Pomerleau kidnapped and murdered a string of girls in Canada, then narrowly eluded capture. It was a devastating defeat for her pursuers, Brennan and police detective Andrew Ryan. Now, as if summoned from their nightmares, Pomerleau has resurfaced in the United States, linked to victims in Vermont and North Carolina. When another child is snatched, the reign of terror promises to continue—unless Brennan can rise to the challenge and make good on her second chance to stop a psychopath.

But Brennan will have to draw her bitter ex-partner out of exile, keep the local police and feds from one another’s throats, and face more than just her own demons as she stalks the deadliest of predators into the darkest depths of madness.

Seventeen years ago I grabbed a book to take along with me  to read while the kids were playing.  The title was Deja Dead. Sixteen books later I still love Temperance Brennan. She is smart and savvy, has her flaws but still gets the job done.  It was nice to have Ryan return in this book, and I liked the dynamic of them both dealing with life changing losses. I did miss an update on her daughter.  The secondary story involving her mother is excellent.  I appreciate that the forensic information is easy to understand and the humor comes at the right moments. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Author: Kathy Reichs
Published: Sept. 2014
Pages: 337
Genre: Suspense Series
Source: Random House/NetGalley
Finished: 9/15/14


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Random House via NetGalley and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

The Chase

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

Kate and Nick are a great duo with a bit of attraction that has not been acted upon yet. Action is non-stop with plenty of humor.  The secondary characters add so much to the story.  An all around fun read!  This is the second book in the Fox/O'Hare series, but is easily read alone.  I look forward to Nick and Kate's next case.

Author: Evanovich and Goldberg
Published: February 2014
Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Random House Publishers/NetGalley
Finished:  2/23/14

Release Day Giveaway

This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from April, Random House and NetGalley and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

Starting Now

For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.

With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways.

As A Good Yarn becomes a second home—and the women a new kind of family—Libby relishes the different person she’s become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.

I love the Blossom Street series, and am always glad to return. We are sucked right into Libby's life and feel for her when she is let go from her law firm. She thinks it will be a piece of cake getting another job, and is surprised to find that is not the case. As she is waiting and looking, she stops into the Yarn Store on Blossom Street and her journey to a new life begins. It is not an easy journey as she meets beloved characters and a few new ones. A quick, easy, enjoyable read..

Author: Debbie Macomber
Published: April 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Random House/LibraryThing Early Reviewer
Finished: 4/1/13



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Random House and LibraryThing Early Reviewer and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

Break The Skin

Laney—a skinny, awkward teenager alone in the world—thinks she’s found a kindred spirit in thirty-five-year-old Delilah. Until the police come to ask Laney questions and she finds herself reconstructing a story of suspense, deceit, and revenge; a story that will haunt her forever.

Seven hundred miles away, in Texas, Miss Baby has the hardened heart of a woman who has been used by men in every possible way, yet she is desperate for true love. When she meets a stranger, a man who claims he can’t remember his real name or his past but who seems gentle and trusting, Miss Baby thinks she may have finally found someone to love, someone who will protect her from the abusive men who fill her past.

But Miss Baby and Laney are connected by a terrible crime, and, bit by bit, the complex web of deceptions and seemingly small misjudgments they’ve each helped to create starts to unravel—all the way to the shocking, tragic climax.

In reading the summary of this novel, I was very intrigued to find out how two women  with 700 miles between them are connected.  The author does such a great job with the atmosphere of the novel, as soon as you start reading there is such a sense of "something wicked this way comes" that it kept the pages turning.  It is a great study of how far people will go who are craving to be loved, accepted and understood.  There characters are very sympathetic even though they make terrible decisions.  A remarkable read.

Author: Lee Martin
Published: November 2012
Pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Broadway Paperbacks
Finished: 12/6/12


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Danielle and Random House, Inc./Broadway Paperbacks and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

Wife 22

Maybe it was my droopy eyelids.
Maybe it was because I was about to turn the same age my mother was when I lost her.
Maybe it was because after almost twenty years of marriage my husband and I seemed to be running out of things to say to each other.

But when the anonymous online study called “Marriage in the 21st Century” showed up in my inbox, I had no idea how profoundly it would change my life. It wasn’t long before I was assigned both a pseudonym (Wife 22) and a caseworker (Researcher 101). And, just like that, I found myself answering questions.

7. Sometimes I tell him he’s snoring when he’s not snoring so he’ll sleep in the guest room and I can have the bed all to myself.

61. Chet Baker on the tape player. He was cutting peppers for the salad. I looked at those hands and thought, I am going to have this man’s children.

67. To not want what you don’t have. What you can’t have. What you shouldn’t have.

32. That if we weren’t careful, it was possible to forget one another.

Before the study, my life was an endless blur of school lunches and doctor’s appointments, family dinners, budgets, and trying to discern the fastest-moving line at the grocery store.

I was Alice Buckle: spouse of William and mother to Zoe and Peter, drama teacher and Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions. But these days, I’m also Wife 22. And somehow, my anonymous correspondence with Researcher 101 has taken an unexpectedly personal turn. Soon, I’ll have to make a decision—one that will affect my family, my marriage, my whole life. But at the moment, I’m too busy answering questions.

As it turns out, confession can be a very powerful aphrodisiac.

It takes a bit to get used to the way the story is told using various forms of social media, Google searches, emails and Alice's answers to the survey questions.  Once I got the flow of the book I was hooked.  Even though Alice is a few years younger than I am, and at times I did not like her,  I could relate to her life.  This is laugh out-loud funny at times. I saw the ending coming and thought Alice's way back was not as complete as I would have wanted. An entertaining debut novel.

Author: Melanie Gideon
Published: May 2012
Pages: 400
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source:  LibraryThing Early Reviewer/Random House
Finished: 5-4-12
3 Bears



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program and Random House Publishing Group and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

The Day The World Ends + Giveaway

Ethan Coen’s screenplays have surprised and delighted international audiences with their hilarious vision and bizarrely profound understanding of human nature. With his brother, Joel, Coen has written, directed, and produced some of the most original and beloved movies in the history of cinema, including Raising Arizona; Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; Fargo; The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Intolerable Cruelty; an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men; Burn After Reading; and—most recently—True Grit, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Coen has also written collections of critically acclaimed plays (Almost an Evening), short stories (Gates of Eden), and poetry (The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way), all presented in his distinctly humorous and oddly brilliant literary voice.

Coen’s eccentric genius is revealed again in THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS, a collection of poems that offers humor and provides insight into an artist who has always pushed the boundaries of his craft.

THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS is a remarkable range of poems that are as funny, ribald, provocative, raw, and often touching as the brilliant films that have made the Coen brothers cult legends. Short, accessible, and nearly the same price as a movie ticket, this new poetry collection is a perfect treat for Coen’s legions of fans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: When not writing plays, poetry, or short stories, ETHAN COEN makes movies with his brother, Joel Coen. After thirteen films, the Coen brothers have one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed bodies of work in the history of cinema.

I have not (had to) read poetry since high school.  It has been a goal to read out of my comfort zone for the last couple of years, and I have done so, except with poetry.  When I was offered this book, I knew I had to give it a try.

  I've had to resist reading the poems at my normal pace, otherwise all I was doing was reading words.  Once I slowed down, I got into a rhythm.  Honestly, it will take quite a bit more reaching outside of my comfort zone with poetry as I am not quite there yet.  I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in some of the poems, the ability to relate to others and those that were very thought provoking.  This is a quick book to get involved in reading poetry.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I have 2 copies of The Day the World Ends:Poems by Ethan Coen up for giveaway. Open to  US & Canadian residents only (no PO boxes)

Please enter with a comment and your email.  Two random winners will be chosen on May 6th.



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Jonathan Lazzara and Crown Publishing Group and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.