101

I just finished Ian McEwan's "Solar." I found it a bit hard to follow and it seemed to drag in places. Michael Beard is a Nobel Prize winning physicist whose best work is 20 years behind him. He's married five times and always the womanizer even though he's short, fat and bald. His fifth marriage is rocked by his wife's infidelity which is something new for him so when he discovers that his wife has taken a second lover who is a co-worker of his he takes advantage of a freak accident to end his marriage and reinvigorate his career. The novel is full of greed and self-deception.

No big celebration for the new year. Just an early dinner out and then home to the regular Friday programming on television. My supply of goodies from the amazon box is quickly dwindling. I either need a raise or a second job to support my addiction.

100

Well, I was hoping for a better read for my 100th for the year but unfortunately it was David Guterson's "The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind." When I asked for it I was hoping for one of his novels and didn't realize it was a collection of short stories. I hate short stories and these were terrible. I still have a couple of days and two of those are work days so it's possible that there will be 101 before 2011.

99

Pretty sure this is the 99th book for the year. Kathryn Stockett's "The Help" is an excellent novel about Mississippi in early 1960's. The story is about two black maids and a white woman who was raised on a plantation. The white woman is fresh out of college and wants to use her journalistic skills. A hint from an editor in NY gets her interested in making a difference. She starts by telling what it's like to be a black maid to a white family so she needs to interview the maids. Not an easy assignment. In fact, very dangerous for all of them.

Number 98

I had a really boring day at work and it enabled me to read Erica Eisdorfer's "The Wet Nurse's Tale." I thought it would be an historical novel but it was just a story about a wet nurse in a Victorian time. Her mother had been one and due to her infidelity with the master of the Great House, she became pregnant and in her hour of need she became a wet nurse, also. Sarah Rose is a promiscuous, lovable, plump and scheming woman. Her second venture into infidelity gets her child kidnapped and she goes on a quest to find and get him back at whatever it takes. Very enjoyable read. If I've counted correctly, this is my 98th novel for the year. Pretty sure I can read two more before 2011.

Still can't believe it's Christmas Eve and tomorrow the house will be filled with kids and grandkids. Sure hope I didn't forget anybody and that I have enough food.

Little Bee

Another gem from my amazon purchase is Chris Cleave's "Little Bee." Definitely worth reading. Not even sure how to discuss it without ruining it. Two women meet on a beach in Nigeria. One on holiday and one running for her life. The later's story is one of horror and she and her sister are the last survivors of their village with a story to tell that the big oil companies don't want told. The former makes a sacrifice for her that saves her life, but is it enough. Two years later their paths cross again, but this time in England.

Didn't get much accomplished yesterday, since we ended up having a late lunch with my stepdaughter and that lasted till 5:30 pm which totally shot our day. Hubby is out again today trying to get the last of what we need before I get home from work. I even ran out of wrapping paper. Haven't done that in probably 40 plus years.

Another new author

In my amazon goodies I also had a book by Lorrie Moore titled "A Gate at the Stairs." Not sure if I will ever purposely read her again but it was thoughtful read which covered everything from religion, war, class and race. Tassie Keltjin, the daughter of a gentleman farmer, has come to a university town as a student. When at twenty she takes a job as a part-time nanny for a glamourous and mysterious family, she finds herself drawn deeper into their world and forever changed.

On the countdown to Christmas. Off tomorrow and planning on getting some cooking done and maybe a little cleaning. Still not sure who's coming. Would have been nice to know before we invested in all the food.

New Find

I got a pleasant box of goodies from Amazon.com yesterday and it was very timely. I grabbed "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford and spent a nice evening and most of today reading a wonderful story of an unpleasant time in America's history. The interment of the Japanese during WWII. A young Henry meets Keiko at the all white school they both have won scholarships to in Seattle. He's of Chinese descent and she's American born but of Japanese descent. Not a good mix if you're from China which Henry's father was and he's always badmouthing the Japanese. A friendship is forged and then the interment takes place. Promises are made and letters are exchanged but eventually disappear. Almost felt like I was reading a Nicolas Sparks novel. I will be watching for more from this author.

Hill Towns

It's been awhile since I read an Anne Rivers Siddons book and I thoroughly enjoyed "Hill Towns." Catherine Galliard hasn't left her mountain home in Tennessee in 30 years. Her phobia has kept her prisoner to the town. After receiving help from her pychiatric friend, she's able to make plans with her husband to travel to Italy. Along with 2 other couples they make the journey. They soon feel themselves being pulled in separate directions, and their marriage begins to unravel. The carefree journey becomes a test of their relationship.

Freebie

Read another H. Rider Haggard. This one was a sequel to "She." It was "Ayesha, the Return of She." This time we left Africa and ended up in India in Leo's and Holly's search for Ayesha. It's been about 18 years since she was killed (or at least that is what they thought) and they've been on their quest ever since. Leo has a dream and in it he sees a mountain with a light and it leads them to India and another long dangerous journey. Interesting read and the end of the mystery of She, I think. This one was not in my 1001 books to read before I die but like his others it was free on Kindle.

Almost finished with the Christmas shopping. Waiting for deliveries from the online purchases to come rolling in. Hopefully they will all arrive safe and sound. A trip to the toy store for the great grandchildren was an experience I haven't had in while. I'm finishing my second day of work out of seven straight and only getting Thursday off this week before Christmas. I'll be doing my last minute cleaning and cooking since I'm working Christmas eve. Crappy retail hours!

The worst

I've read some rotten books in my time but William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" was the pits. I pulled it off my shelf figuring I'd get some more of my classic author's read and I sure hope he wrote better than this or I don't see why his works are still around. You take a southern family and Mom is dying and one of the sons is building her casket in the yard outside her window and two of the others are off trying to earn a couple of bucks even though poor old Mom will probably be dead till they get back and Mom's asked Dad to drag her body back to where she was from so there the adventures starts. I know that was a run on sentence but the whole book was a run on book. From what I gather they drag her body on what should have been a two day trip but because there's been flooding and bridges are out, she ends up spending 9 days in the July heat on the road with her family watching over her. Buzzards are following! Sad to say that this book was apparently rewritten because Faulkner's original had so many typos and other problems. They shouldn't have bothered.

Love some history

Got to read some historical fiction. Philippa Gregory did a fine job with her latest "The Red Queen." Lots of wars and backstabbing behavior in the mid 1400's when Henry Tudor was trying to get on the throne to bring the Red Roses back to England. In this novel his Mother, Margaret Beaufort, was married off at the age of 12 to her first husband and father of Henry. She didn't get to raise him since she was widowed early and given a new husband while her son was kept by his uncle in Wales. Several attempts were made to get him to the throne and it wasn't until he was 28 that he was successful. Love that time period and love those Tudors.

Hoping to get a little sleep tonight. Acid reflux has hit hard and after only a hour or so of sleep I was brutally awakened by an attack. Usually I can make it till 4 o'clock before I wake up but this time it was 1:00. I'll be falling asleep at work tomorrow if I don't fall back to sleep soon.

Soul Intent

This is the sequel to "Soul Identity" by Dennis Batchelder. Still the same concept of identifying souls in the future but this one took the reader into the past to search for missing gold from a member. Half the book was spent in the 1946 after WWII. The missing gold was from a well known Nazi and it got more interesting after that.

Another freeby from Kindle

I read "Soul Identity" by Dennis Batchelder. Never heard of him before but I was at work and needed a new book so there it was. Not bad even if it was a bit farfetched. Basis was a group called Soul Identity that believed in the return of your soul which could be identified through your eyes. They would be the keepers of your wealth until your return which would be once again identified through the eyes. The organization had been in existence for 2600 years. Scott is a security guy who is hired by the organization to find out why Soul Identity is going under. Someone is destroying them and he has to find out how. Interesting to think that you don't have to leave your inheritance to anyone but yourself and that when you return in another life you can claim it. Hmmmmmmmmmmm! There's a sequel so soon there will be more about the group.

Can't get in the groove for Christmas. Here I sit with so few days off till then and I just can't get motivated. The house needs to be cleaned and the tree needs to be put up but it's not happening. Blah!

Blah

Finished the Patricia Cornwell's "Port Mortuary." It was about 500 pages and the last 250 were a fairly good read. Thought I would die of boredom and confusion through the first half of the book. I thought with her last book that she had gotten herself back on track with her characters and this book showed promise since she was back to writing in the first person again. Wrong! I was so confused. She opened with her being at Dover AFB and being a Colonel in the Air Force. In all my reading of her novels, I've never once remember her mentioning that she's in the reserves and that she'd served. If you weren't familiar with her characters you would have thrown the book down after the first couple of chapters. No explanation as to what was going on and why. First half was just conversation between Scarpetta and her niece and then Scarpetta and her husband. 250 pages of dialog that left me so bewildered! It finally picked up and was okay for the rest of the book but it still could have been so much better. Come on Patricia! Get with it! We know you can do better.

Another Haggard

I started a Patricia Cornwell novel but while at work I delved into another Henry Rider Haggard novel. "She" is another of the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Once more it's set in Africa and the characters are on a mission to find and kill the woman that originally killed their ancestor. That ancestor died 2000 years ago. Eternal life? Have to read it to find out. Another free book from Kindle.

I'm half way through Cornwell's book so hopefully I'll finish it soon. It's not that good.

Old author; new sequel

Kathy Reichs is a favorite of mine and she's decided to join in with the likes of James Patterson and John Grisham and write a series geared for teens. Her new one is "Virals" and it's a few teenagers that get themselves into a few mysteries that ends up nearly getting them killed. One of the pack is Tory Brennan and she's the great niece of Kathy Reichs' main character in her usual series. Of course if you're writing for teens you have to throw in a little weird "powers" or it's not going to happen. This group have a new twist on their abilities.

Off to Africa

Not really, but I just finished another Henry Rider Haggard novel. This one was "King Solomon's Mines." Once more it was based in Africa with Allan Quartermain and his aides venturing into uncharted reaches of the center of the continent to discover the infamous King Solomon's Mines, a repository of a legendarily huge treasure. The journey is full of peril and excitement. Including a tribal war with the Kukuanas who were ruled by King Twala and the witch Gagool. To top it off it was a free download from Kindle and it fulfills another of my "1001 Books to Read Before I Die."

Thank God for the postman

More books have come. I preordered a bunch of my favorite authors who just happened to have their books coming out this fall and the books have been arriving in a timely manner. The latest was Steve Berry's "The Emperor's Tomb." This time his character Cotton Malone (former agent turned book seller) is called in to help a friend rescue a child that has been stolen in China. For once Cotton's used book store did not get blown up or shot up in one of his adventures. He first heads to Belguim from his home in Denmark and then to China with death and destruction all the way. Great read! This is my 84th book so far this year. Beat out my 70 from last year in a big way. Don't think I'm going to make it to 100. That would be impossible with things like Christmas shopping and decorating taking priority this coming month.

Managed to get two days off in a row at work and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. One down and one to go. Even managed to get back to my new job one day this week and got a little extra reading time done. Already part way through "King Solomon's Mines" which is another of the 1001 books to read before I die!! It's another Kindle book so it's on my iPhone and easy to carry with me.

Dirk Pitt again

Clive Cussler has been writing Dirk Pitt novels since God created dirt and over the last few years he's taken him out of the spotlight and created other characters to write sequels about. Well, he dusted off Pitt and his side kick Giordino and they once more are saving the world or in this case, the mid-east. Even though they are long in the tooth now and able to collect Social Security they are diving, swimming, climbing and fighting their way through all that the bad guy can throw at them. Add in Dirk's son and name sake and his daughter and you've got a real family affair. He always has to find a treasure on a lost ship whether sunken or hidden for centuries to top everything else off.

Cross Fire

James Patterson hit another out of the park with his latest, "Cross Fire." Kyle Craig is back with a new face and an ice pick. Alex Cross is unaware who the new face is in the FBI until it's almost too late for him, his new bride and his kids. This is what I read James Patterson for and he didn't need a co-writer to help him out.

Thanksgiving tomorrow and nothing's ready on my end. Thanks to hubby for buying the groceries while I was working and when I get home at 3 today it will be to jump right into the pie baking and stuffing making. Dinner is at my daughter's and other than the turkey, ham, oyster stuffing, and pumpkin pies that I'm bringing, it's all on her and whomever she got to help with other sides. Not a big crowd since my stepdaughter is having her in-laws over and that will take a few away from our table. We'll just have to make do!

Edge

I love Jeffrey Deaver's books and was anticipating his new novel, "Edge." When I started it I felt like I was a dog circling to find it's perfect sleep spot. Round and round till I could flop down and get comfortable. Once there, it was great but it took a while. This wasn't one of his sequel. In this we meet Corte who works for one of those not talked about agencies in Washington, DC. Kind of a Lone Ranger type who rides into town and rescues the family in distress even before they're aware that they needed rescuing. There's a hit on the radar that an assassin that he's had dealings with before is back and it's up to him to find out who he's after and who has paid him to kill. He tracks down the family and sends them to a safe house and from there he has to figure out who in the family is the target and eliminate the threat. One of my contributing factors to getting through the book was that I've gotten used to reading a book straight through and I'm currently back at my old job and there's no chance to read except at lunch and that's crimped my style. Too many distractions!! I'm just filling in for a while and should be back to my new job in a couple of weeks when the dust has settled at the old one and they train two more replacements for the two new girls that have left or are leaving. What a disaster!

Another Kindle

This was a freeby from Kindle and was quite enjoyable. "The People of the Mist" by Sir Henry Rider Haggard gives us Leonard Outram who's father has lost their wealth and their good name in England causing Leonard to leave for Africa to find wealth to someday repurchase his family estate. Seven years and just a small amount of gold to show for it; his brother dies and he's left alone. He finds himself in a search of a woman who's been kidnapped along with many natives by a slave trader and the promise of wealth if he is successful. He is and the search for the wealth is an even more dangerous adventure than fighting slave traders. He has a sidekick that is unforgetable. Set in the late 1800's. Hopefully there are more of this author's books available.

Sequel

Lauren Willig writes Victorian historical novels about spies during the Napoleon era. I've read all of them, I think. This was a little different but was a nice little break from the horror of the last couple of novels I've read. "The Mischief of the Mistletoe" was set in 1803 and had the well known character of Jane Austen show up ocassionally in the novel. This was once again a search for the Pink Carnation spy.

Another great read

I have a day off and I have the beginnings of a terrible cold. Crap! Hasn't kept me from reading "Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens. Another Kindle find and another excellent read. It was also about an abduction and hostage situation but this one was totally different. WOW! Never figured this one out before the ending. Throw in some kinking sibling rivalry and you've got a perfect book. I do think I need a break from this story line or I'll be screaming in the middle of the night with nightmares.

Must Read

"Room" by Emma Donoghue was a great read! When I first started it I thought I picked a child's book by mistake but it soon became apparent what it was all about. Kidnapped and held hostage for 7 years! Gave birth to a son 5 years ago and the story is from his perspective. Locked in a shed 11 feet by 11 feet for his entire life with his mother and the "night time visitor," Bad Nick. I was fortunate enough to get a list of MUST reads from the TODAY show recently and several of my last books were from that list. I wish these books were on my shelf instead of in the Kindle! Hate owning books that I don't really have.

Okay, I did it again

Another book I forgot to blog about was "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff. This was another good read except it was like 3 books in one. Kept leaping from the original story about a woman accused of shooting her husband. She was a "First" which is an off shoot of the Mormans who still believe in polygamy. Every few chapters the story went off on the original 19th wife, which was Ann Eliza Young, 19th wife of Brigham Young, who fought for freedom from polygamy and became a well known activist and author of the original "19th Wife." It was a little confusing at first trying to figure out what was happening, but was very interesting and thought provoking.

WOW!

I forgot to blog my last book! I'm reading so fast that I can't keep track. "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin was an excellent book. A young girl disappears 20 some years ago and the only suspect is Larry, a local boy who was the last to have seen her. There's no body and no evidence so he's never tried but the community has their own way of punishing him. Now he's 41 and it's happening again. Will he be wrongly accused again? A must read!

Latest Grisham

Once again John Grisham has hit one out of the park with his latest "The Confession." Wrongly accused of a murder 9 years earlier, Donte Drumm awaits his execution in Texas. In Kansas, an ex-con shows up at a local church and confesses to the minister that he was the one who did the murder all those years ago. To get the confessee to Texas in time involves driving through the night and then hoping that they can make the deadline to prevent the execution. Can't say more of the novel would be ruined but it's a great ride.

I'm only half way through the day and my book is finished so I'll have to fire up one on my iPhone and start reading.

Adventure

I ordered Jeannette Walls'"Half Broke Horses" through Kindle. I borrowed it from my husband today and managed to read the entire novel. Wonderful read! No matter how much I loved my Grandmother, it would have been great to have one like the woman in this novel so that I would have had someone like her to write about. What a great character! Lily was born in the west in 1901 and from there she couldn't be stopped. She broke horses, ran the ranch by hiring the help and kept the family in line. She was sent to boarding school for her education but her father lost her tuition with a bad investment and she went home before she could complete eight grade. During WWII she qualified to teach since there was a teacher shortage so off she went on her horse at age 15 to make her own way. Determined to get her education she eventually ended up in Chicago where her life took a different turn. Back to the southwest and more ranching. She even managed to fit some flying lessons into her life. I don't know what I'll do if I have to give up my current job. I'm really enjoying my extra reading time.

Another Richard Castle

Okay, I'm all caught up now with the Richard Castle novels. This one was "Naked Heat" and was a follow up to the last one. A good read and very much like the tv series only in the book the guy gets the girl and they both solve the crime. I'm anxiously awaiting the John Grisham novel but haven't gotten it yet. Amazon is letting me down. Now I've got to read another book that I have while waiting the arrival of the one I want.

Confusing

My hubby and I regularly watch a tv show called "Castle" which is about a famous author who gets to hang with a detective and follow her around so he can get inspired to write a new series of books about her. Suddenly that new series of books has become published for real and are out and making the New York Times bestseller list. Okay, the cover says Richard Castle which is the character's name on the series and his bio is exactly what the show lists for him. Lives with daughter and mother in NYC. Shows the actor on the picture and everything. What the heck, I said. I'll read the books. I finished "Heat Wave" and it was difficult separating the characters on tv from the ones in the book but it was a pretty good mystery. Murder, mob, and art theft. Yep, that about sums it up. He has a second one and I might read it while I'm waiting for the new John Grisham to arrive.

My hubby got a kindle from his son for his birthday. Hubby isn't a big reader so I don't know how much use this kindle will get by the actual owner but I may be giving it a whirl. I downloaded a couple of books into it and then discovered that whatever I put into his kindle I can then download into my iPhone. Sweet! I'm loaded up with some new books to read at the boring job.

Hubby's birthday party was a great success! I especially liked that some old friends of mine showed up and we spent the evening catching up and laughing hysterically. I think we enjoyed his party more than he did. Now that we've touched base again we've promised to not be delinquent again in our friendship. Hopefully that will be the case.

Big party for hubby

Took a little longer to read my last novel. Kept getting interrupted at work with all the drama going on. Had to let a few people go which is never pleasant.

I enjoyed Philippa Gregory's "Fallen Skies." It was a change from her usual writing. She always took me back to kings and queens from long ago but this time she went back to post world war I and spun a nice little tale of a young woman who was destined to a life on the stage to escape her poor roots in England and was found by a wealthy young lawyer and swept into his tormented life. He had been forever changed by his time in the war and thought that this new young bride could make him forget the nightmares. She was suddenly left motherless and was pushed into marrying him to have somewhere to go. A strange twist at the end brought it to a different kind of conclusion.

It's party day, today! My hubby turns 80 on Monday and today is the big bash. His son is in from Hawaii and will be there to yell surprise. Wish we could get the other one out of his bedroom to join in the festivities. Anyway, I'm sure they all won't be there on time so as they stagger in it will be a surprise for hubby. A few friends will join the mix to make it a fun experience. If not, a few cases of beer and a bunch of bottles of wine will make it better.

Running out of books

I've proven that I could be a proof reader and read for more than 8 hours a day. I think I missed my life's calling. Of course, I would have to only read books that I like which I'm sure wouldn't be the case.

I finished Nicholas Evans' "The Brave." Once I got used to him jumping from young Tommy at 8 or 9 in one chapter to Tom in his mid 50's in another chapter, it was a very good read. I figured out the ending pretty quickly but enjoyed it anyway. Tommy is British and infatuated with American cowboy shows. It's the 1950's and that's all he can think about. His sister is an actress and gets a chance to make a movie in America. Tommy is told a secret that changes his life and off to the states he goes. There he gets his wish and is thrown into the Hollywood lifestyle. The older Tom is struggling with his past and his future that involves a tortured life with his estranged son. Two secrets are disclosed that bond the family back together.

Koontz again

I finished the Frankenstein series. Well, at least I'm caught up by finishing all the books. Dean Koontz's "Dead and Alive". Okay, they caught Frankenstein and that's the end of it till the fourth book when I already know that he comes back.

I thought I was caught up with all the Harlan Coben novels but I found one for the 1990's that I'd missed. This one kept me guessing till the end. Lots of basketball, murder, and mystery! Ready for more of Coben!

Day off

Okay! I had a list of things to do as long as my arm but NO! I had to spend the day reading my latest book. My hubby's birthday party is next week and instead of getting all those preparations done on my only day off before the big event I just buried my head in this book and read my day away. Sara Gruen's "Ape House" is a wonderful read. I enjoyed her "Water for Elephants" so I was hoping for a repeat. I was not disappointed. In this one Gruen took us to a Great Ape Language Lab where the bonobos were taught to sign and could communicate with there scientific protectors. After a bombing from a protest group the apes were sold and ended up on a television reality show. One of the original scientists that was injured in the bombing and a journalist joined forces to get the apes back. Well worth checking this one out.

Thank you Ms Mapson

I found this author a few years back and ended up buying and reading all her books. I've been waiting for quite a while for the latest to come out and it's finally here and it's read! Great book! Jo-Ann Mapson's "Solomon's Oak" is her best yet, I think. She introduced some new characters since she sometimes writes sequels. This was about Glory Solomon who is a new widow with lots of expenditures and little money. She runs a farm with several horses, goats and dogs. She rescues dogs from execution and trains them and finds them homes. Before her husband died they took in foster children (boys) and raised them. Now she's trying to pay the bills by making her farm a wedding destination. Her husband built a chapel before he died and she's putting it to good use. On the day of her first wedding event she was brought a foster child of 14 who needed help. Glory took on the challenge and the story that follows is one of hardship and love.

Another Patterson

I've been getting quite a few books delivered that have been stacking up pretty high and because I was reading some rather large novels I hadn't had a chance to get to the new ones. I finally got to James Patterson's "Don't Blink." I was a new character for him and a very good one. Wouldn't mind seeing this one again and knowing him and his long list of other co-authors, I would think that's a good possibility. In this one we were introduced to Nick Daniels, journalist. He travels the world for stories to write but in this one he ended up with more than he could handle in NYC. He was witness to a horrible murder in Lombardo's restaurant in NYC and from then on he went from witness to victim. Good and fast! Just like Patterson's other novels.

Slow day at work

Once again, thanks to my new position. I finished Nicholas Sparks' "Safe Haven" yesterday. I see another movie in the future. That man can write a love story. Girl meets boy, boy falls in love with girl, girl is already married to a monster who abused her and she's hidding out in small town, husband finds girl and you'll have to read it to find out the ending. Not a typical Sparks novel ending on this one. Great quick read!

My daughter is being honored tonight for being one of the 40 under 40 in Pennsylvania. It's quite a nice honor and we're so very proud of her and all she's accomplished. We're going to dude up and go along to see her get this award and probably eat some dry chicken. It's not been a great year for her so I'm hoping this will give her a little extra boost. Always nice to get an atta' girl!

I finished Ken Follett's "Fall of Giants" which is his first in a trilogy. Very interesting and filled with quite a cast of characters from all over the world. There's Maud and "Fitz" Fitzherbert from England who are brother and sister of gentry. Billy and Ethel Williams from the coal mines of England. Also, brother and sister. Gus Dewar of the US and aide to Pres. Wilson. Walter Von Ulrich from Germany. Last and far from least are the brothers, Lev and Grigori Peshkov of Russia. All their lives become intertwined at some point and changed through the onset of World War I. It's hard to put a novel of almost a 1000 pages into a short summary so I'll just say this one is worth a read. I look forward to the next two installments. Just hope I remember enough about this one to enjoy the next ones.

chalk another one up

Finished Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" today. I saw the movie many years ago and have been wanting to read the book for a long time. Now, thanks to iPhone and my boring job, I've accomplished my goal. I own the book but iPhone made it easier to read at my desk. I didn't remember much about the movie when I saw it other than the hidden secret in the attic. The book takes you through many years of Jane's life as an orphan that was thrust on an unwilling guardian and her life was made miserable. She was eventually sent to a charitable school for orphans and there obtained an education and taught for a while. She left there to be a governess and that's when the real story began. She was to marry the lord of the manor when on her wedding day it was disclosed to her that her groom to be was still married. That wife was insane and kept locked in an attic ceil. Jane runs away and is taken in by a family who care for her and make her a school teacher in the local school. Unbeknownst to her, or them, these are cousins of hers. A year passes and Jane has no word from anyone as to what has happened to her former "master." She decides it's time to go back and see. Have to leave you hanging at this point. Can't ruin the story for those that haven't read the book or seen the movie.

iPhone classic

I finished "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas. I enjoyed it but it did drag at certain points. I guess when it's been translated from a different language (my son wanted to know if I read it in French, HA!) and written in the early 1800's, then it's bound to have some slow areas. Poor Edmond Dante was living a great life until he was erroneously thrown into prison. A dungeon, no less! There, after many years, he's discovered by another prisoner who has tunneled 50 feet from his cell to Edmond's. They form a great friendship and when the other prisoner dies, he leaves Edmond with the map to his treasure and also a means to escape the prison. Now he's out and rich! Revenge is utmost on his mind. 24 years it has taken Edmond to become the Count of Monte Cristo and to plan the demise of those who put him in prison for 14 years.

Successful reunion

Still working my way through two novels. Might as well throw in "War and Peace" while I'm at it.

Had a great Cousin Reunion last Sunday! Good turn out! More of the next generation would be nice but the ones that were there were greatly appreciated. A great thanks to my daughter for her help in providing the location and cooking the chicken and pasta dish.

It was strange to sit around with the girls and discuss our health issues. My God, we're our mothers afterall. Who hasn't had a hysterectomy and who takes most after our grandmother who spent so much time in the hospital. That's one honor that I sure don't want. Most of us are plagued with a neck or spine problem so those problems were discussed at length.

It was fun watching the food being brought in with all the modern devices to keep everything warm or cold. Our poor mothers had to wrap everything in towels and blankets to keep it warm and now we just look for outlets to plug our crockpots into or warming trays to put things on. The amount of electronic devices that were in most peoples' hands was interesting also since we're all in or near 60 years of age. About half pled ignorance to most computers or smartphones. The rest of us were pretty comfortable using them and they were never far from our reach. Surprisingly the younger generation (26-40 years old) had the same split. My daughter and grandchildren have their's as an appendage. Must admit that I'm never without mine in my pocket but it's not constantly in my hand. The iPhone has been a great purchase and I love having my computer in my pocket. The majority of the relatives are now on "facebook" and that will probably be the way we inform each other of all upcoming events.

Be careful what you wish for

I wanted a job with a desk and chair. Little did I know that it would be the kiss of death. I'm so bored that I could scream! If it weren't for my iphone I would be GONE! I'm halfway through "The Count of Monte Cristo." This is definitely a good way to force me into reading more of the classics. They are free downloads and I've already prepared for my next one. Also, I've downloaded some games and take turns exercising my mind and reading. I've been promised that I'll get more assignments which probably means that "crap" work will be flowing my way. They did paint my area and I immediately got runny eyes and nose from the paint. Two days of suffering! Everybody thinks this is a cushy job and it would be if I just wanted to sit and wait for the phone to ring! I did set an all time record today with 33 calls so far. Yesterday I had 11 and the day before 20. Sad! I still have two hours to go.

work

This new job will be the end of my sanity. Sitting here in my little secluded area in the back of the building waiting for the phone to ring so I can assist customers. Not happening! Boredom and sleepiness are taking control. I've downloaded a couple of free classics into my iPhone so that I can sneak a little reading time in. Don't think bringing in my new novel by Ken Follett would be something I could get away with. Not at almost a 1000 pages. I'm doing what I said I never do. Reading two books at once. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is the classic that I've downloaded and I'm getting into it. I read the Follett novel at lunch and at home. At this rate my next review will be next month.

Sounds like we will have a pretty good turnout at my annual cousin reunion next Sunday. We are actually having a few 3rd cousins coming. They are under a year old and will be very welcome since I'm in need of a baby fix. I'm hosting it even though it is at my daughter's house so I need to get busy and get the necessary stuff for the event. After that it's my husband's big birthday party. Not many people have responded so it may be a tiny big birthday party. I feel bad for him that a couple of his kids are not going to make it. The friends that I would have invited have passed away. He's alienated from his brother so the gang will be small.

More Frankenstein

I finished Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein: City of Night." This Book Two of his series. I'm glad I'm reading them pretty quickly or I would have trouble remembering the previous book. This one is still pursuing Dr. Helios (Frankenstein) to try to destroy him and all his New Race. The third book is on order and I'm hoping to read something else before it gets here.

My new job started today. I just got back from vacation and the new phone sale center is up and running. Unfortunately no one is calling! Boredom is inevitable!

My brother left this morning after his two week stay. We managed one fishing trip two days ago but caught nothing. Yesterday we were rained out. Sure hope I get another chance at fishing before my license expires at the end of the year.

Fishing?

It's my fifth day of vacation and we were to be on the lake fishing. It's now 10:00 am and my brother just got up. Geez! What kind of fisherman is he? I've been up since 5:00 waiting patiently for someone else to join me. Now it will just be a ride around the lake in the boat because we all know fish don't bite in the middle of the day.

So far this vacation we have visited two uncles, and three aunts. Kind of making the rounds of the relatives and surprising them. Doing a good job of surprising them!

Finished the first of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. This one is the "Prodigal Son." Since I already read the fourth in the series I had a little background into what was going to happen but it was still a good read and I'm now a few chapters into the second of the series while waiting for a new book shipment from Amazon to come rolling in. It includes the 3rd in the series but I'm sure I can find something else to read to take a little break from Frankenstein.

Finally

I finally finished "The Machiavelli Covenant" by Allan Folsom. It was a good read but I've been working 9 straight openings at work which means that I can't stay up as late and read like I want. I try to read at lunch at work but the breakroom is so noisy and distracting. Anyway, this is one of several of Folsom's books and I think I detect another sequel situation and I might have to check into his first and last books to pull the story together. Felt a little confused by some parts since I didn't read the first one. All in all it was interesting with a plot to overthrow Germany and France's leaders through assignation and then replace them with people that were more in line with the US's thinking. The president was shocked by this proclamation coming from his own staff and in fear for his own life and the country's survival, he planned his escape. Along the way he befriended another US former cop and they try to find the group that is planning the destruction of parts of the mid-East and the takeover of the US government. The story left you hanging so it's obvious there is more to come.

My brother is visiting and in the week he's been here we have gone to his 45 class reunion where I was amazed by all the "old" people that attended. Scary! Also, he's spent the rest of the week in my basement creating a workshop for me. Nothing fancy but I now have tons of outlets to plug in all the items I need to do stained glass work and any other craft I want to take on. Plenty of light in the area, also. I'm officially on vacation for the next 6 days and we were hoping to go fishing but can't get a time when hubby can join us so we're taking some day trips to visit some elderly relatives and maybe a day or two at the local lake. Neither one of us is ready for any long treks over rough terrain with my newly healed (?) ankle and his not so healed broken foot.

Brother's visit

My brother is coming this week for a long visit. His 45th reunion is next weekend and he's coming early and staying beyond. Now that he's retired, he can do these things. If all goes well, we're going to sneak in a few days of fishing if I can find a cheap place to go.

Finished reading "Lost Empire" by Clive Cussler. This is a co-written novel and one of his new series with the Fargos as lead characters. Wealthy adventure seekers who always end up in precarious positions that all of Cussler's characters are known for. This one took us on a search of the true background of the Aztecs. Good, fast read.

Book Bargain

Picked up "Bleeding Kansas" by Sara Paretsky at an outlet store and since I'd read one of her books before I took the chance that it would be good or worthwhile. Took a long time to get all the characters memorized and I felt it was a bit all over the place. About half way through I started to enjoy it more. Kind of a modern version of the Hatfields and McCoys but set in modern day Kansas. There were flashes back to the 1800's when the early settlers of the area and ancestors to the families were united in their quest to help the slaves to freedom. Throw in a ton of religious turmoil and some "love thy neighbor but don't get caught" and you've got the book in a nutshell.

Mind Candy

Apparently Tess Gerritsen started her career as a Danielle Steel wanna be. I didn't realize the novel "In Their Footsteps" was written in the mid 90's when I picked it up. This was a bit of mystery with romance thrown in and not my cup of tea. Her later novels are usually very good but this was just fluff.

Jammie day

I debated on my day off without hubby to clean two months worth of dust from my house or take a jammie day and read a book. The book won with a nap thrown in. Kathy Reichs' latest "Spider Bones" is excellent. It's one of her Temperance Brennan series and this one took us from Montreal where a body was discovered in a pond but the fingerprints said he had been dead since Vietnam in 1968. The body that was mistaken for him was exhumed and that lead Tempe to Hawaii where they do the searches for missing remains of all the wars' MIAs. More mystery and intrigue follow and even an attempt on her life. Couldn't put it down for more than my nap time.

New series

I bought the latest Dean Koontz book which happened to be part of his Frankenstein series. I have two others but never read them but now I have to do so and also I will need to order the one I'm missing to fill in the blanks. This one was good even without having the background but it definitely left me hanging since there was no ending. There's a whole other novel waiting to be written to complete this latest story. A town in Montana has been put under seige by Victor Immaculuate formerly known as Victor Frankenstein (the creator of Frankenstein). Everyone thought he was killed two years ago but his clone is alive and well and creating havoc in Montana. People are seeing double as they are replaced by Victor's non human creations. Enter Frankenstein and his former cop friends to help take back the town and destroy his creator. Have to wait until next spring to find out what happens next but I can find out what happened before.

Another Patterson, or is it?

Finished "The Postcard Killers" by James Patterson and Liza Marklund. Yes, it had the Patterson look and the short chapters that he's famous for but other than that....I think it was all Liza. Not like his style. Took me till half way through the book to get into it at all. Hope this isn't a new series of books. It took place in Europe. A couple is traveling around Europe killing off couples and staging them to look like famous paintings from that area. They are being hunted by a NY detective whose daughter was one of the victims. His helper is a journalist who received one of the postcards that was part of the killers calling cards. Why do you need so many co-authors, Mr. Patterson?

A change of pace

Finished a novel by Deanna Raybourn called "The Dead Travel Fast." Set in the mid 1800's young Theodora leaves her home in Edinburgh and heads to Transylvania to visit a former school friend. She aspires to write a book and what better place to do so than in the heart of vampires and werewolves country. Strange things start happening quickly. Nice break from my other recent reads.

Finished

I think I'm all caught up now with the Harlan Coben books. Now I'm depressed that I don't have anymore. He's just so good! There was no Myron Bolitar this time. This was about a guy who while in college jumped into the middle of a fight to help his friend out and ended up killing a kid accidentally. He went to jail for five years. When he got out he finished school to be a lawyer but because of his record he couldn't practice. He worked with his brother's law firm as a paralegal. Suddenly he's being victimized. Seems his record is making him a target. This novel took lots of twists and turns and came up a winner.

Caught up with Myron

I finished the last of the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. This one was
"Darkest Fear" and it was equal to all the others. This time Myron discovers he's a father of a 13 year old boy with a rare disease that can only be cured with a blood transfusion. The problem is finding the donor. They know that there is one but he's gone off the grid and finding him leads to a serial killer. Another one that you don't want to put down.

Got my cast off today but the xrays showed that the bone hasn't knitted together so I'm in an air cast for another month. It was very painful trying to get around and I had to break down at work and put some thick gauze along the inside of the cast to keep it from cutting into my leg. The upside is that when I got home I soaked in nice soapy hot water and scrubbed off the dead skin. What a relief! I could sleep without it but would have to put it on everytime mother nature called during the night and that velco sound is very loud in the middle of the night.

5 more days

With luck I will be out of the hard cast by Monday! Can't wait...I've been so claustrophobic wearing it that I could just scream.

Finished another Harlan Coben novel. This was "One False Move." Once again it was great. I left it at work last night when I left and didn't realize it till I got home. I was so frustrated! I started the next one to keep from going nuts and got so hooked on it that I didn't want to put it down. Stopped off at work to pick up the book and finished it just now. I'll be grabbing up the next one to catch up where I left off earlier today. Myron Bolitar was at it again! He got involved with a young black woman who was a star basketball player for the new women's league. Her father used to be a friend of Myron's and he was missing. The woman's mother had disappeared 20 years ago and now Brenda wanted Myron to find her father and her mother. To top it off he had to keep Brenda safe from someone who was threatening her life. Brenda dangled the promise that she would be willing to sign up with his agency for representation if Myron found the missing parents. Once again he had me fooled as to who dunit right till the end. Not many do. I'm down to the last book now of the Bolitar series. I'm not even sure that the series is being continued. Good thing I like Coben's other books.

Heading out

Killing some time before my crazy work hours. God, I hate this 9:30 to 6:30 shift. Looks like it's going to be permanent. I've been awake since 4:30 so I'll be a zombie by 2 which is my new lunch time. Got to put some requests in for some weekends off or I'll never get them.

Finished Harlan Coben's "Back Spin." I think I'm down to two of Myron Bolitar's series left. This one was just as great! Being a sport agent has lead Myron to the US Open in search of new clients. His attitude toward golf is exactly like mine. Stupid game! But there's money to be made. What he finds is a kidnapping and murder. Usually he has the help of his sidekick, Win, but this time he's on his own. The kidnapping involves estranged members of Win's family and he refuses to help. That is also a mystery that is uncovered at the end of the novel. Grabbing the next book and heading out.

Day off

Thank God for days off! Doesn't look like this new job is going to get me two in a row. Every 3 - 4 days I get one. Not liking it but I'm hoping some miracle will happen and I can retire in another year or at least go back to part time.

I purchased the rest of Harlan Coben's novels that I haven't read. I think I own them all now and I'm going to read them in order and fill in the blanks for one of my favorite characters. Myron Bolitar. This novel was the first that Coben wrote about Myron. It's "Deal Breaker." Loved it as I've loved all his books. Once again I was chuckling through the murder and mayheim. This time Myron and his sidekick, Win, were trying to solve the murder/disappearance of his ex-girlfriend's younger sister. What a trip! Porn, gambling, murder, etc. I have four more novels to go till I'm caught up.

The ankle bones connected to the leg bone

I slipped in the shower the other night and my bum leg went slipping off the edge and slammed into the tub. Now I have a nasty bruise on the inside of that knee. By the next morning the whole leg had swelled right down to the toes. The cast was cutting into the top of my foot. Of course that was the day I had to be on my feet the most at work. Sure was glad for today off! What a klutz!


Tomorrow is a big day! Our 32nd wedding anniversary! I'm working till 6:30 so plans for a night out are probably not going to materialize but after all these years I guess it isn't a big deal. Can't believe how time has flown by. Seems like just last year that we were the talk of the office.

Finished a great novel by Louise Murphy. "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel" puts a new spin on the old fairy tale. Two very young Polish Jewish children are dropped off in the woods during WWII to make their own way so their father and stepmother could lure the German's away from the children. They are told to never use their old names and to go by Hansel and Gretel. They were to look for a farmer that would take them in. They wandered around until they came to a hut occupied by an old woman who against her better judgement, took them in and got them phony papers to proclaim them to be Christian. She kept them safe even though there was a strong German presence in the local town and suspicions were high. The parents joined the particians that wandered the forests killing all the Germans that they encountered. This was an excellent novel and I'll be checking to see if there are more by this author. It was a good find for me on Amazon.

Another Gerritsen

The latest Tess Gerritsen was a definitely page turner. I had the day off and "me and the sofa" had a wonderful day of reading her very fine book. Once again Rizzoli and Isles are at it. Isles has disappeared and thought dead. Rizzoli isn't so certain so goes looking for her along with Rizzoli's FBI husband. Throw in a cult and the desolation of Wyoming and you got yourself a good read.

Off today and enjoying it with my foot up and resting after a long week and physical abuse of the ankle. Back to the grind tomorrow and then off again Monday.

Hoppalong

Still hopping along with my cast. Another 3 weeks or so and I should be good as new.

Finished "Body Double" by Tess Gerritsen. This was one of her Rissoli and Isles novels. Apparently they are making a new tv series based on these characters. Rissoli is a cop and Isles is a medical examiner. Isles comes home from a vacation in Paris to discover her street filled with cops. A murder was committed right in front of her house. The victim was a shock and leads to a rather fast good read. I've got Gerritsen's latest book ready to read.

Happy Birthday to me

Had a wonderful birthday celebration with my kids, yesterday! Always good when family gets together and we can catch up.

I finished "The Whisperers" by John Connally late last night. I always enjoy his novels and this was no exception. Once again his character Charlie Parker joins with his backup team of Louie and Angel to solve the mystery of why so many veterans are taking their lives in the small Maine town. Thriller thrown into mystery novel. Suicide, smuggling and suspense all wrapped up in one good read.

Spending the day with my feet up and in my pj's. Hubby will throw out a few suggestions which I will probably pooh pooh and well settle in for a quiet day off.

Back to the hospital

I finally get a day off and had to spend it having an endoscopy done. I'm really fed up with having to do these health things. Still have the female things to go but I've racked up the stress test, colonoscopy, endoscopy and the surprise broken ankle so far in the last couple months. I knew I had a polyup in my stomach. I named him Ernie. Apparently Ernie grew and was twice the size he was 3 years ago so the doctor took him out. He'll be byopsied and I'll find out next week what the results are. He also found an ulcer. WOW! That was a surprise. He biopsied that, too.

I did finish my latest book. Tana French wrote another excellent novel. "Faithful Place" was very well written and kept my interest throughout. Based in Ireland, the main character is a cop who left his family 22 years before and didn't look back. He had the "Angela's Ashes" kind of existance and was glad to be done with it. The events of the story took him back to his neighborhood and back into the unwelcoming arms of his family. What he discovered was an even greater reason to walk away from the "family."

Fall down; go boom

I fell in the driveway again! It's my way of doing bone density tests. Unfortunately, this time I failed the test. Knowing that I was going down, I did a little jig to try to correct for it and my ankle rolled and I felt the snap. My hubby had just gone in the house and there I sat. I knew better than to try to move and I was certain it was broken. Just sit patiently and eventually he will realize I'm taking a long time to come back in out of the 100+ degree heat. Just praying he didn't go in and sit down and fall asleep which he does quickly. I sat there for at least 20 minutes and then I heard the door open and out he came. I yelled to him to bring the car so he backed it up and I butt walked off the driveway so I could be in line with the passenger door. Off to the ER! Xray confirmed that I had a nice clean break at the ankle but they needed to hear from the bone guy and that took a while. Finally they said I had to rush to the bone guy's office to get a cast so I was loaded back in the car and off we went. Hubby brought crutches but without a cast I couldn't use them to well. Putting my foot down at all would have been a bad thing. A wheel chair was found and I was put in a room where a nurse put my cast on. Doctor showed up to confirm it was broken and inspect her job. No work until after he sees and re-xrays me again on Monday. Keep the foot elevated for 72 hours. Put ice on it........ok, that's just plain stupid when there's a cast that prevents the cold from getting to the swelling. Hubby was with me for two days and then had to go to work. I've been alone now for two days and it's difficult getting up and down and trying to get a drink or food. It's lonely! Kids are busy with their lives so here I sit. Oh well!

Read Sharyn McCrumb's "The Devil Amongst The Lawyers." I wasn't too crazy about it. Murder took place in 1935 and daughter of the victim was arrested for it. Newspaper reporters flocked to Virginia to cover the trial but wanted nothing more than to make the locals look like hillybillies and the defendant look like the innocent damsel. The characters' stories kept getting in the way of the main story line and it got rather confusing.

Another book

Finished James Patterson's latest in one day. "Private" has a new character and a good story line. Definitely a good read and a quick one. Jack Morgan is the owner of a successful corporation called Private. It's a private investigative group with the highest tech capabilities. They've been contracted by the city to find a serial killer. The police haven't been successful but with the help of Jack and his crew they are successful. I see a new series for Patterson and his co-author.

Another day in the neighborhood

I'm going to stop advertising the books I read on Amazon. I'm running in negative numbers now and owe them. Not a good thing. I will continue for a while in just writing about the books I read but that will probably end soon from lack of interest. I read another Catherine Coulter. The latest is "Whiplash" and it was better than the last but I'm still bummed out by the fact that she's made the main character a physic. Oh, please! Also, the FBI is not going to let a married couple work together and one of them be the other's boss. Come on Catherine........be more realistic in your writing.

Ordered my new iphone 4g again today. My first mistake was going to Best Buy and placing the order in the first place. I pre-ordered with them on the first day and was told I could get it on the 24th. Had an appointment time and everything but then the phone rang and they had over ordered and I lost. Had to wait another week! Well that week has come and gone and I finally called and told them I wanted a reimbursement of all my gift cards so I could purchase elsewhere. They agreed to do it on a credit card so that's what we did last night. Today I spent half my day off on the phone and internet trying to get it ordered through AT&T. Sometime in the next two weeks I hope to have my birthday gift from my hubby. Geez! What a pain!

Managed to get two days off this weekend which is unheard of in retail. Especially a holiday weekend. No plans but a nap is in my future. Was watching Wimbledon tennis but am bummed about Federer losing and Nadal headed to the finals. Crap! Hate him! Guess I should hit the store and get something to make it holidayish as far as food is concerned. Don't even have propane and the mice are nesting in our grill.

Only one more

I have two more Catherine Coulter novels to read so I finished "Knockout" and the last is "Whiplash" which I started last night. I want to get them out of the way. I didn't enjoy "Knockout." It was choppy and all over the place. Plus it was "out there" with it's physic bizarreness. The novels used to be a little more believable but now they're just silly. No longer an FBI thriller series.

a new sequel

John Grisham has been writing excellent novels for many years. He's written a kid's book called "Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer." I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book so I know what happens since I was left hanging. Theodore is a 13 year old lawyer want-a-be. He helps his friends and in this case he's helping solve a murder investigation. Good story!

Adventure

Reading Clive Cussler is always an adventure; whether underwater or on land. His newest character entered into his second novel called "The Spy." Set in 1908 there is a lot of pre-war talk and there's a spy on the loose in the shipyards of NY and NJ. The Van Dorn Detective Agency is on the job and their star detective, Isaac Bell is throwing a monkey wrench into the plot. A different kind of adventure for Cussler who usually takes his books into the deep but with this sequel they do most of their travel on land in trains. Good, fast read.

Back to work tomorrow after 12 days off. Hate the thought of returning but it has to be done.

Chuckle

If you want a chuckle while you read, then this is the book to get. I've read other Nelson DeMille books with this character in it and enjoyed them immensely. "The Lion" is a sequel to "The Lion's Game" that came out years ago. Federal agent John Corey of the Anti-Terrorist Task Force took on Asad Khalil (known international terrorist) in the first novel and he's made a return visit in this one. In between the blood and gore, DeMille gives Corey a great sense of humor which has you laughing through the horror. Couldn't put it down! Guess my next read will be the latest Clive Cussler.

Cancer Free

Got the good news yesterday that my daughter is cancer free!



Finished Jeffrey Deaver's "The Burning Wire." Very good read! This was a Lincoln Rhyme novel so once again the quadriplegic forensic criminologist was hard at work trying to stop the latest bad guy. This criminal was electrocuting people. There was a surprise at the end of the novel which has me anxiously waiting for the next installment.

Surgery over

The surgery is over and the outcome is good. She's already back home and running around her house like a crazy woman. A very difficult few days in the hospital with terrible pain and difficulty in movement but in just a few days she's back to doing well. Just waiting now for the pathology report and keeping the prayers going.



I finished the Stieg Larsson trilogy. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" was the last of the three novels that he finished before his death in 2004. There were a few times in the novel that I felt a little confused with the explanations of different Swedish government departments and their background but overall it was an excellent book. It took me longer to finish then usual but it was a difficult week and it was hard to keep focused on a novel. This novel picked up immediately after the ending of the 2nd novel. Lisbeth Salander's character survives a bullet to the head and even locked up in a hospital on trumped up charges she is still able to find a way out of her dilemma with the help of her old friend Mikael Blumkvist. I've heard there is movie about the first book already released and two more finished about the other two books. I'll be anxious to see them.

Waiting

Here I sit in the waiting room of a local hospital waiting for news of my daughter. She went in for removal of her left kidney and a renal tumor the size of a mountain. We've known about this for the last few weeks but have had to wait patiently for the surgery to get it OUT! Finally the day has come but now we wait for the procedure to be done. As a parent you never want to experience this. Years ago I waited for my son to go through the removal of melanoma mass from his shoulder. Cancer is not something that our family has had to deal with. We're used to hearing about someone having an anuerysm or a heart attack. We know diabetis runs rampant, also. Cancer, NO! Especially cancer in your kids! She's very upbeat and I'm impressed with her ability to handle this situation. Inside, I'm a mess! On the outside I'm putting on the brave face. God is definitely giving me the strength "I" need to get through this.

Scary book

I read John Connolly's "Bad Men." He writes a sequel with Charlie Parker as the main character but his was a thriller with just a mere mention of Parker. This was more like an early Stephen King novel. It took me a while to finish since it literally had me scared to read it.

Visit from brother

My brother rushed here from Florida to be with the family during our crisis only to find out that the reason he came is being postponed until June 3rd which is a week after he needs to be back home. I feel so sorry for him that he made the trip. I've had to work through his visit. I thought by now I would be off for "family medical leave" but I can't do that now until the 3rd. I'm beaten down and depressed. It was just last May that we rushed to Kentucky to be with my younger brother and that didn't work out well. I pray this crisis ends with the best prognosis.

I read it but...

I read Elizabeth Lowell's "Dark Fires." It was an old release from the late 80's and I've liked her other books so I figured it would be okay. This one was so Danielle Steel that I won't even put it on my shelf. Goes in the box for donation.

Anne Tyler

Finished Anne Tyler's "Noah's Compass." Excellent story and love her books. She lives in Maryland so she incorporates lots of local stuff and places into her novels. This one was great.

One foot in front of the other

I've been dealing with a family crisis and I'm just so down about it that it's a struggle to keep holding on to sanity. Lord help my loved one through this dark and dismal time.



I read James Patterson's "The 9th Judgement" and it was exceptionally well done. It's one of his Women's Murder Club series and one of the best so far. Not in the mood to go into details but go for it.

Just the facts

I love Harlan Coben books. He has me chuckling in the middle a murder mystery. "No Second Chance" is a great read which I didn't want to put down. Dr. Marc Seidman wakes in the hospital after having been shot and everyone thinking he's dead. His wife is found shot, also, and their 6 month old daughter is missing. Who did it and what happened to the baby. The twists and turns through the book are excellent and I love it when I can't figure out the ending. Coben got me good on this one. His sense of humor is an extra that I always look forward to.

Just another read

Mary Higgins Clark's latest "The Shadow of Your Smile" is one of her best. Kept me very interested and guessing till the end. Typical murder mystery with an interesting twist at the end.

Trauma

Two daughters in the hospital at the same time. Oh Lord! I need to split in two and quit my job to handle this.

More health issues

Finished the book "This Body of Death" by Elizabeth George. One of her best and I've read them all (the Inspector Lynley Series). This time they are trying to fill the spot left open when Lynley left on compassionate leave after his wife's murder. They've put a woman in the spot and her first assignment is to find the murderer of a woman found in a park/cemetery in London. She shows up at Lynley's door to beg him to come back as part of the team and he apparently is ready to do so. His former partner (Barbara Haver) and other co-worker are sent to another area of England to do some background on the dead woman's exboyfriend and family. Lots of suspects to choose from and the new acting superintendent is all over the place in her decisions as to who did it and why. Lynley discovers her drinking problem early on and confronts her with it. She denies she's an alcoholic but it's obvious that she is since she can't make it through the day without several of her airline size bottles of vodka that she keeps in her purse. I'm sure we'll see her character again in the next novel. Elizabeth George kept me guessing till the end which one of the characters was the murderer and she had a great twist at the end.

I got a letter concerning my stress test and apparently my heart is within "normal range." Whatever that means. Now my latest issue is a very sharp abdominal pain that won't go away. Been having it since last Thurs. Got so bad yesterday that they actually told me to leave work since I couldn't move very well and walking was difficult. I wasn't too happy with the supervisor for mentioning it to the boss. I've never called off sick before and resent someone making that decision for me. I noticed they didn't ask me to leave until they were sure there was coverage on the desk to replace me. I was scheduled for my sleep apnea test at the hospital on Monday night but I'm cancelling that. Hubby says that I'm not snoring anymore since I've been using the Nasonex and I don't think I want to live the rest of my life hooked up to a breathing machine at night. I'm sure that's what would happen. I can't wear the boot contraption for my heel spur without feeling claustrophobic so how could I wear a mask. I'm a mouth breather so what would a nose mask do to help me?

Again

I read another of Catherine Coulter's books. This one was a little better but I'm sorry I bought the other two. Just not as good as I remember them being. "Double Take" was based on a sheriff from the south who was told that his missing wife of three years was seen in San Francisco. He went there to check out the woman who was now married to a very rich well known. He saw differences but was immediately drawn into a mystery that ended up involving the FBI. The usual "gang" of agents showed up to help solve the problem. I think I will take a break from the FBI series for a while. Looking forward to reading an Elizabeth George book that just came out.

I started my commissioned stained glass piece today and needed to change the grinder bit. For some reason it was frozen and wouldn't come off. Turned the project over to hubby and now I need a new grinder. The local shop won't have one in until next week and that's running me late on getting my project done. Hope I can get it done by Mother's Day.

Apparently my new ENT Doctor doesn't think it's important that I get my singing voice back again. He figures if your don't make your living doing it then no big deal. I have an irritation and swelling from my acid reflux that has closed off most of my nasal passage. Probably some allergy, too. I will have to go for sleep apnea tests soon to determine how bad I am. Still haven't heard about the stress test and blood work.

Another checkup

Still waiting for the results of the stress test but tomorrow I go to have my vocal cords checked. I'm pretty sure that I have polyups on them. My Mom had them and since I've had them in my stomach and my singing voice has been shot for years, I think something is definitely wrong. Time to find out. May I say again.........60 sucks!



I finished "The Cove" by Catherine Coulter. It's the first book of her FBI series and I've read quite a few but if I would have read this one first I doubt I would have bothered with the rest. Surprising weak book compared to her others. She later switches characters and makes a minor one in this book a major one in her series. Too fragmented. Maybe because she was still a new writer. I had stopped reading her and then decided to catch up with her latest and while I was at it decided to read the first. I will read the others since they are more current and hopefully better. They even re-released "The Cove" along with "The Maze" in a book called "The Beginning."

Stress test

Tomorrow is the day of my stress test. Yes, I'm stressed about the test. Too many family members have had heart problems and I don't want to be one of them. It's early in the day and they say it takes 4-6 hours. What a crappy way to spend my day off. I'm scheduled for work on Friday with a big meeting planned for later in the day to discuss problems on the service desk. That means I work 6 hours; go home for 5 and then back for 2. More stress! Maybe I won't be able to make work on Friday after tomorrow's procedure.



Finished Harlan Coben's "The Final Detail." Another sequel. It's one of his Myron Bolitar novels. I've read most of them but there are still a couple that I'm missing. I enjoy his books a lot even though he's a sports jock and a sports agent who also plays at being a detective. This one had him trying to figure out who killed one of his clients. His partner was blamed for it and being held without bail. Harlan Coben has a great sense of humor that comes out at the best times in his books and I find myself chuckling through them. I've got to finish reading the series.

My fav

Zipped right through Elizabeth Berg's "The Last Time I Saw You." Once again, an excellent story. Her characters are all my age and therefore can relate to. When she flashes back to their earlier life, I'm right there, too. This time she took us to a class reunion. She centered on several characters and gave a look at what they were living now and what they'd been like 40 years ago. Love this woman! Sure hope she keeps writing because I've officially read them all and have to wait patiently for her next book.

Enjoying my day off and I know I need to start a piece of stained glass I promised to a co-worker but I'm so lacking in motivation. I donated a piece to my daughter-in-law for a charity and it sold for $200 which is great! I doubt I'll be able to do much more since I'm already suffering from arthritis of the thumbs and one little finger. Age sucks!

Forgotten author

I almost forgot about Tawni O'Dell. She is a good author and I've read a few of her books and enjoyed them. I happened to be browsing the new releases and there she was with her new book "Fragile Beasts." Tawni always writes her novels and centers them around the coal regions of Pennsylvania. This one had a Spanish connection. A sister of a coal mine owner seeks adventure in the late 1950's in Spain where she meets a famous bull fighter. Their time together is cut short by his death but surprisingly she recues the bull and brings it back to PA. Flashforward 45 years and we're back in PA and there's a whole other storyline going on. This one involving two teenage boys and the dysfunctional household that they are existing in. Boys meet 77 year old coal miner's sister and all their lives change. Great story and I'm glad I found it.

Now I get to tear into Elizabeth Berg's new novel that just arrived yesterday!!

Insomnia

Tension at work is making me get less sleep. Even on my day off I can't get rest and am up at 3:00 tossing and turning. I hate it!




I did read "Hell Gate" by Linda Fairstein. Another sequel! Didn't realize how many I read. Guess that's how they hook you and keep you coming back. Fairstein's characters are an assistant district attorney in NYC and her two cop buddies that work on Special Victims Units. This time they are working what they thought were two cases only to discover that the victims from a ship wreck carrying white slaves from the Ukraine to the US had a link to a Mexican mistress of a NYC Councilman who was found murdered. I like her books very much but I did find this one a little hard to keep all the different characters in line. Too many politicians and lawyers on the merry-go-round.

Excellent book

Finished an excellent book by Harlen Coben. "Caught" was the best read I've had in a while. Kept me wanting to keep reading non-stop. Actually was on my last chapter at dinner break from work last night and couldn't believe I couldn't finish those last few pages. Almost sat in the parking lot to read it before I got home but then came to my senses! Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission to identify and bring sexual preditors via elaborate sting operations. She and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined. Nicely done and with a real twist at the end.

Big family dinner on Sunday! I'm not cooking. My baby girl is doing this one. I'm planning on going early to help but I don't have to take anything. Yippee!

Another sequel

As I just said, my reading has become a bunch of sequels. Kate Jacobs wrote another. "Knit the Season" is the fourth in her series. I think the first was still the best but she's keeping it going. It all started with a dream of a woman named Georgia Walker who wanted her own knit shop. She had always loved knitting and she learned from her grandmother in Scotland. She was extremely good and designed beautiful patterns for knit gowns. She had a daughter who she raised alone and it wasn't until years later that the father came back into her life. The knit shop had many regular customers and they created a knitting club which meets on Friday nights. It's more than just a learn how to knit group. They became close friends and shared life changing events. The first novel saw the demise of Georgia Walker to cancer and from there we've watched all the others, including her daughter change and grow, always thinking and remembering their friend Georgia. New changes were brought about in this novel. I'm not sure how much longer Kate Jacobs can continue this format and keep it interesting. Might be time to bring the knitting group to a close.

More sequels

It's beginning to look like all I read are sequels. Clive Cussler has written another in his series from the Oregon Files. This one is "The Silent Sea." These are a little different from his NUMA series. This is about a ship that has been overhauled to look rusted and ruined on the outside but inside it is a modern wonder of technology. The corporation that runs the ship does "jobs" for countries around the world, including the US. These are jobs that need to be done without the world in general knowing about them. This job was many fold. Started as a rush to Argentina to find a satelite that was possibly shot down and needed to be recovered for the US. That leads to the discovery of a blimp that was flown and came down in Argentina in the 1940's. In the process of notifying the next of kin, the background for a treasure hunt came about which lead the corporation on a mission to the Anartica to save it from a combined Argentina/China takeover there. I love the adventures!

Three days off from work and I'm ecstatic! That hasn't happened in ages and especially since I became full time. Don't try to pry me off the couch! Another big decision was made this week and I put my real estate license in escrow. 19 years ago I became one and it was time to give it up. No regrets!

Another success

James Patterson's latest book in the Maximum Ride series is "Fang." I know it's for teenagers but I enjoy them and that's that. This one was back on par and I'm looking forward to next March and the next release. Hope I can remember what happened in this one by then. The bird kids are growing older and things are changing!

Replenishing my stash

I got a shipment of books from Amazon and I'm feeling good about it. Finished Harlan Coben's "Just One Look." Very good read! He's definitely up there with my favorites. This one was about a woman who 15 years ago had suffered a terrible accident at a rock concert that left her with a limp and no memory of that time other than what she read and was told. She married a wonderful man and had two children since then but suddenly her world is turned upside down with a photo of her husband and 4 other people from many years ago. When she confronts him, he disappears from the house and does not return. Kidnapping, murder and intrigue are all included in this great novel.

Went to the doctor yesterday. I got an EKG while there; I'm scheduled for a stress test, a visit with an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor, an endoscope, a colonoscopy and blood work. Gee! The works! Guess you shouldn't mention to your doctor that you're having shortness of breath and chest pains. The other things are just follow ups from the stomach polyps from years ago.

Having dinner with my old friend from Michigan tonight. I had all day today to spend with her but somehow we're just doing dinner. Left me time to fight with AT&T over my internet connection. I had difficulty recently with a credit card and the possibility of fraud so they cancelled it and replaced it. Unfortunately my internet was automatically paid for with that card so I got an email telling me that I needed to contact them with a new credit card number by the end of the week (today). I started with the number they sent and that was the mid-west who transferred me to New England, then to Texas, then the south. I then was given what I was assured was the correct number which put me on hold automatically for at least 60 minutes and ended up being 2 hours of Kenny G music. This happened many times over the last few days with no one answering. Last night I lost internet connection so I called tech support. "Hello India!" Four more calls and I was given another number to try for my billing and never did get reconnected to the internet. After three more attempts this morning and another hour and a half of Kenny G, I got a real live person who informed me that he wasn't the person I needed to talk to. He transferred me once again and this person actually (all India, all the time) was able to get the bill straightened out. Back to tech support and I need to thank "Glenn" for his knowledge in getting me back on line. I will never listen to Kenny G again and as for AT&T, you definitely are not the company you used to be and I'm sorry to have to deal with you. If I weren't fond of my email address and the fact that I have had it for 14 years I would have dumped them through this whole fiasco.

More sequels

This is the sixth book by Lauren Willig in her sequels. "The Betrayal of the Blood Lily" was interesting but she has to be running out of spies from the late 1700's to 1800's. This one was set in India where one of her characters from a previous novel (that's what she always does) is involved in a plot to uncover a French spy. Being English, that is the most important thing to do. Each of these spies is named after a flower and this time they caught "the Marigold." I have know idea why the title is Blood Lily! Oh well! It's a cute book with a cute story, set in a time that I enjoy reading about. Since I've invested time in reading all the others then I will continue to read the rest.

Looking forward to a visit this week from my friend from Michigan. We only get to see each other once a year and this is the week. This is the first time I've had to work most of her visit and that won't be good but unfortunately she didn't give me ample notice so that I could request time off. She's the one friend that I can be almost certain that I'll have an email from at least several times a week if not several times a day.

Spring is coming

The snow is pretty much melted and the flowers are starting to peek through. Temps have been pretty mild and it looks like spring is coming. Kind of feel like there should be more.

I haven't had much time to read. As I've said before, the job is cutting into my reading time. I've got tons of books on pre-order. Lots of releases coming soon. Sure would like to have some time off to catch up. I need to catch up on cleaning, too.

My friend from Michigan is coming to visit next week. Unfortunately I won't have a lot of time off to spend with her. A day off at the end of the week might get us a lunch or dinner. We only see each other once a year when her husband comes back to PA for a newspaper convention.

Haven't seen much of my family either. Hoping that changes soon, too!

Disappointed

Next to Elizabeth Berg, I'm so into Jodi Picoult's novels. I wait every March for her latest and drop everything to read it. "House Rules" didn't jump right out at me. It took till page 96 to get me hooked and then I carried it everywhere to snatch those precious reading moments. On the last page I was left lacking. The novel is about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. He's obsessed with forensic science and that obsession leads to him ending up on trial for a murder. I won't go into more detail since it's still a good book, just not the ending that I would have preferred.

A discovery

When going through my stack of books to read, I happened upon another Elizabeth Berg book which I can't for the life of me figure out how I missed reading. What a find since this has been such a slow period for my favorite authors and their lack of being published. March is looking up with some new ones on the horizon.

This Berg book is "Say When" and once again, I love her! She makes the main character a contented husband and father who all of the sudden has his life pulled out from under him when his wife announces she wants a divorce. She's found someone new and he just doesn't do it for her. In fact, he never has. The ups and downs the author puts him through are.......well what can I say.......typical Elizabeth Berg. I wish she wrote more because now I'm truly saddened. I have no more of her books.

We were to have another blast of winter but other than a dusting and some severe winds, it was a disappointment. The farmer's almanac is forecasting the worst storm yet for the 7th of March so here's hoping!

After some miserable days at work I'm so regretting not getting the new job just so I would have had a chance to get away from the drama that I have to live with while working with other "women." I've always hated it! Dueling drama queens! That's what I'm surrounded by. A new assistant manager has come to replace the one that went bipolar on us. He's in his nesting phase so he is trying to make everything his "own." New way of doing everything. He sure is shaking up our area and spurring on the drama queens. One is my department head so she's determined to make all our lives miserable in the process. Oh well! I can retire in just over 19 years so surely I can hang in there for that.

No new job for me

I didn't get the new job which of course is what I expected. They played games with me so they could have their quota of interviews and then they placed who they originally wanted in the job. I'm too old to worry about it and I just want to get through the next 20 years of working so I can maybe retire at 80.




I finished "The Rose Labyrinth" by Titania Hardie. I found this one on our New England venture last summer and it looked interesting. Came with clues to solve the riddle and everything. Well, I'm not much for riddles so there were parts of the book that left me with major areas that I wished I could just skip. The story line was interesting but way too complicated trying to follow the background. An English woman passes away and her heritage is that she's to pass on to a female member of her family some papers, a Bible, and a legend. She has no daughters so she picks her youngest son who is a freelance journalist. He gets hooked into searching for the background. A religious fanatic group apparently wants the same information and is willing to do what it takes to get it. Just another author trying to come up with another kind of DaVinci Code type novel.

Great book

I finished "The Swan Thieves" by Elizabeth Kostova. Excellent! An artist named Robert Oliver is becoming well known. He's obsessed with a face he sees in a painting. It becomes his focus on canvas and in a search for the background on the late 1800's model in the painting. The model is an artist also and her story is told throughout the novel in the form of letters. Robert's obsession leads to a mental disorder and he's eventually committed to a mental hospital. Enter Phychiatrist Andrew Marlow who is treating Robert. He becomes so focused on his patient that he too becomes a bit obsessed with trying to unravel the mysteries of the face in the painting to help Robert back from the brink.

I had my interview today. It went well and for a while I thought it seemed like it was wrapped up but then when I was leaving she said she'd let me know after all the interviews were over. No matter the decision it will be okay but it would be nice to have this new more important job. A feeling of accomplishment that I haven't felt in a long time. It will be sad to leave my current job and the people I've come to care about but to get the new job I'd have to change locations.

After the blizzards

The world of white still surrounds us. It was thought that we would get more snow yesterday but it didn't amount to much more than some icing that will cut down on the drifting that is still happening across some fields and roads. Our driveway is still treacherous and I have to back into it in case I have to leave before my hubby and there is no where to turn around. Just can't push the snow anywhere anymore. Still so much more beautiful than the ugly gray and brown that would be sitting out there waiting to depress me. This is the worst time of year to get through.

A new job popped up at work recently and for the heck of it, I applied. It's an Associate Support Department Supervisor position. It's basically what the scheduler does by a higher level. The scheduler is in line to get it and everyone knows that. She's got the experience and I only had a couple of days of training in her position when she wanted to take some time off. Haven't done it in a while but still have my notes. I figured they would need three candidates to interview so they could make their choice which we all know was already made. This job is straight lined to the District Manager and the Store Manager. Well, I was interviewed by the Assistant Manager that just came on board within the last 6 months. I've been interviewed before and expected the same routine questions. Well, not this time. I had 9 "what ifs" and a role play. I through some past experience into the mix from when I worked in corporate America and apparently I made a little impression. Got a call from the Store Manager a few days ago stating that it was between the current scheduler and myself and that I was to have a second interview with an HR rep at one of our other locations an hour away. That takes place tomorrow. It was mentioned that if I was willing to go to another location to work that there was a pretty good chance that I'd get the same job at that location. I'd hate to move but I'm very familiar with the other location since I used to work in real estate in that town and lived 40 years ago in a town close by. I mentioned to the other Assistant Manager that hired me that I had a second interview and she said "Yea, you're going to the other location. They asked for you there." I can't imagine anyone from there asking for me since very few know me there and I would be the outsider. They already have a scheduler there and probably don't need an assoc. support dept. head. Hmmmmmmmmmm! Well, we'll find out tomorrow when I have the second interview. It's good practice and what the heck! I started full time yesterday so I still have that. It would be good to get away from the pettiness of the group I work with and move into a position that would eliminate a lot of that. There would also be a desk, chair, office, and regular hours in this position that would be a much welcomed change.

Seems every book I've picked out to read this year is a rather long one so it's taking me longer to get through them. Plus with these much longer hours, I'm losing valuable reading time.

More Snow coming

Another storm is headed our way! I don't know where we'll put another foot of snow when we try to clear it out of the driveway. My concern is missing work! Would hate to miss another day due to weather.



Harlan Coben wrote another excellent sequel in the Myron Bolitar series. "Promise Me" is an excellent read. I have not read all of the series but I'm hoping to fill in the blanks. He makes me chuckle with his wit. Myron is a former basketball star that made it to the big leagues when he blew his knee on the first game. He went back to college and got his law degree and now runs a successful representative business. It used to be just sports figures but he's branched into representing actors, also. Of course his business is just a sideline for his need to be a superhero to whomever needs his help. Along with his sidekick and long time friend, Winston, he solves crimes. This time his friend's daughter has gone missing. He has promised to find her since he feels responsible for her disappearance. He had told the daughter that if she ever needed help that she should feel free to call him, no questions asked. He got that call in the middle of the night and he picked her up and dropped her off where she asked with limited questions asked. After that she was gone. Very interesting turns and twists to the story.