Daughter of the Forrest (3.5)

Juliet Marillier - I thought this was a pretty good retelling of the fairy tale of the seven swans and their sister. There is one fairly graphic scene, so I can't really recommend it to the little ones. Not too much detail so I was grateful for that. I have started reading another series from this auther - The Bridei Chronicles - and I think I might be liking this one better. I think her characters are facinating...how else could you tell a love story when one of the characters never actually talks?

Author - Elizabeth Peters (5.5)

I know I have mentioned this author to most of you by now, but I really get a kick out of her books. I haven't been really good to read them in order, but I still enjoy the ones I have read. She follows two egyptologists at around the turn of 1900. One of the main characters is nicknamed "The Father of Curses" because he will throw out a 'darn it' every now and then. Someone's life is guaranteed to be in danger at some point during the book, and I haven't been able to successfully identify the bad guy before she reveals it. (I like that!)

The Princess Diaries (4)

Author - Ann Cabot
Such a cute book. I thought it would be like the movie...while there were similarities, I enjoyed the character of the Grandmother so much more in this book. She is a feisty thing! There are somewhere around a dozen books in the series, so it could keep you entertained for a while.

Goose Girl

Author: Shannon Hale

If you guys liked Princess Academy my guess is you will like this one even more. It is hard to put down and believe it or not the ending isn't to terribly predictable.

Skywatch West, The Complete Weather Guide (3.0)

Author: Richard A. Keen

This is an interesting book. It describes the various forces at work that produce our weather in the Western US. It talks about the atmosphere, winds, jet streams, cyclones, storm tracks, micro-bursts, tornadoes, lightning, rain, snow, cloud formation, etc. He discusses some things that I still have a hard time understanding. Maybe someday I will understand. I found the discussion of 'latent heat' and its role in storm development interesting.

Hazardous Duty (4.5)

Author: Betsy Brannon Green; Publisher: Covenant
Savannah McLaughlin is running a little late. Those extra few minutes could mean she may never see her daughter again. The only clue Savannah and the police have to six-year-old Caroline's disappearance is a note with a cryptic verse of scripture. With no signs of progress, Savannah is desperate enough to call the one man she knows can help - the one man who absolutely despises her.

If anyone can find Caroline, it's Major Christoper Dane. The Army often calls on him to discreetly extract people from dangerous situations. But can Savannah trust him and the band of misfits Dane surrounds himself with? Or will the betrayal that took place in their dark past exclude any chance of a bright future?

This was another excellent novel. I had a hard time putting it down to go to bed.

Fancy Pants (4.5)

Author: Cathy Marie Hake; Publisher: Bethany House
When "Big Tim" Creighton spies the mincing fop headed toward Forsaken Ranch, he is appalled. Thankful his boss isn't around to witness the arrival of his kin, Tim decides he'll turn "Fancy Pants" Hathwell into a man worthy of respect.

Lady Sydney Hathwell never intended to don men's attire, but when her uncle mistakenly assumed she was a male, the answer to her problems seemed clear. Her disguise as "Syd" was meant to be temporary ... but the arranged marriage she's fleeing, her uncle's attitude toward the fairer sex - and her own pride - compel her to continue the guise far longer than she had planned.

When her deception is exposed, will she be forced to abandon her hopes for family ... and true love?

This was an excellent book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel.

Chaos (4.0)

An LDS novel. A school teacher (man) comes home after school and finds his apartment trashed. On his bed are drugs. He receives a phone call that tells him an assassin is going to kill him for being a rat. As he hears sirens in the distance, he takes his bike and runs. He has the police looking for him because they think he has killed four policemen. The assassin is following him and wants to kill him. Who has set him up and why? Who can he turn to for help? Oh, what about the girl friend from college? Would she help him? How can he figure out how to get out of this mess? This was another fun book and story. Oh, briefly, chaos theory becomes part of the story too.

Unspoken (4.0)

Another LDS novel. A good story. This is a psychological story. Lots of good things to think about. There is of course a romance. (The actual story is fuzzy in my mind. I know it was good, I just can't remember all the details.)

Do No Harm (4.0)

Another LDS novel. A good story. Bad guys are kidnapping people and performing horrible medical experiments with them. They must be stopped. But the bad guys are well financed and are not afraid to kill. There is romance, of course. A lonely widower and a beautiful nurse (the females are always beautiful) who has been the subject of a medical experiment. She survives and escapes her captors. She is awesome.

The Perfect Plan (4.0)

Author: Jeri Gilchrist. A good story. This is an LDS novel. Rich girl is neglected by her father and abused by her Aunt. Her Mother is killed when she is 3. Father interferes in the girls college romance and drives the two apart. Rich girl separates her self from her father and Aunt and finds happiness in landscaping. Oops! She gets arrested for stealing $50,000. She is now poor and requests a court appointed lawyer. A lawyer shows up at the jail and it is her college sweetheart. In the background, there are evil people that want the girl and her father dead. Why? Could it be greed? Will good and love triumph? Of course. It is a novel.

A Matter of Character: Inside the Whitehouse of George W. Bush (1.0)

I only read a few paragraphs here and there in this book. The author traces George W. Bush's conservative development. The author slams the liberals and their elitist attitude. I decided I didn't really want to read much more than a few paragraphs.

Plan of Attack (1.0)

This book is written by Bob Woodward, one of the Washington Post reporters that helped break the Watergate scandal. It is about the Bush Whitehouse and how we ended up attacking Iraq. I did not read the entire book. I read a few of the first chapters and decided I had read enough. It details the differences of opinion of those surrounding Bush and how Bush made decisions.

The Ezekiel Option (4.0)

This is a last days novel about the gathering of the forces of Gog against the nation of Israel. It is based on Ezekiel 38 and 39. Some interesting ideas, but be aware that it is written by a man that believes in the "rapture" and so forth. Even so, it is interesting to contemplate what will cause the forces of Gog to come against Israel. Also, be aware that the LDS Church stand on who "Gog" might be is that we don't have a stand. We do not want to cause contention, so our leaders do not identify "Gog". There is much speculation and devisive commentary on the internet about "Gog".

Liberty (4.0)

Rear Admiral Jake Grafton is the hero of this story. The author is Stephen Coonts. A good story. Terrorists want to set off nuclear bombs in a few key cities (like Washington, D.C.). Jake and the good guys try to figure out how to keep the bad guys from setting them off.

The Bishop's Bride (4.5)

This was an excellent book. Fun to read. A widower is called to be the new Bishop of a ward and he is given 3 weeks to find and become engaged to another woman. That is when he will be sustained as the new Bishop. He is told that within a month of that date, he needs to be married. What a challenge. See how the Lord prepares the way for him. It is not easy.

Artemis Fowel Series 5.0

Author: Eoin Colfer
This is a series about a boy genius who discovers a whole underground world of fairies, dwarves, etc... It is a lot of fun to read, and of course Artemis is the villain. The author has a fun sense of humor. It is like reading a spy novel and a slight fantasy all combined. The sixth book just came out. I can't wait.

Barracuda 945 (5.0)

This is another novel by Patrick Robinson. This one has some of the same characters as the other novels. One of the characters is Major Ray Kerman a member of the SAS (British Special Forces). This novel describes his thoughts and feelings leading up to his sudden conversion to becoming an Islamic terrorist. He then becomes Ravi Rashood, a very dangerous terrorist. Yet there is something about him that you can identify with and understand why he becomes a terrorist. I haven't finished with this book yet, but I already think it is worth a 5.0.

Saucer and Saucer: The Conquest 5.0

Stephen Coonts is the author of these two novels. These were fun and interesting to read. They are about a flying saucer, found in the Sahara Desert by the hero, Rip (something; I have a hard time remembering names). There is also a beautiful ex-Air Force test pilot who comes to Rip's rescue when things look dark and pilots the saucer. What becomes more intriguing is when they discover that they can put on a headband and tell the computers what they want it to do simply by thinking. Some fascinating ideas. Lots of action and suspense. I rate these two novels at 5.0. And there is always the possibility of a follow-on book because a mother ship was found by the Australians.

The Shape Shifter 3.0

Tony Hillerman is the author. It is a murder mystery and the hero is a retired Navajo policeman (I forgot his name already, but one of his sidekicks is named Chee, also a Navajo). There is a lot of description of Indian beliefs. It is a good mystery even if you don't like fruitcake. I give this novel a rating of 3.0.

Ghost Force (5)

This book was written by Patrick Robinson. Imagine Russia hungry for oil, even with huge oil fields in Siberia. Then, the Russians persuade Argentina to invade the Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas) again. Only this time, because of insideous cuts to the military by left wing politicians, the British military is forced by those same politicians to take their weak forces 8000 miles through the Atlantic to try to recover the Falkland Islands from the Argentinians. However, the Russians have a silent submarine waiting to ambush the British Navy. So, what happens? You will have to read the book to find out. Even though I gave it a 5, I wouldn't buy it at Costco. Borrow it from the library instead. This was an exciting and thought provoking novel.

Monster Blood Tatoo

Author: D.M. Cornish
I haven't read this yet but a good friend recommended it. She loved the Artimis Fowel series. She loves good children's books so I take her recommendation pretty seriously. She put it in the Harry Potter category. And the good news is it is Book 1.

The Princess Academy (4.5)

Read this book last night when I should have been going to bed. It was so fun I couldn't put it down!

Act of War

Act of War was written by Dale Brown. Terrorists explode a nuclear bomb in Houston. The heroes must find the bad guys before they explode more bombs. This is a techno thriller involving space and robots. A fun book. Dale Brown has written a bunch of these type of war thrillers involving airplanes of all kinds and futuristic weapons.

Prologue: The Brothers

This is volume 1 of a series titled, The Great and Terrible. The author is Chris Stewart. Volume 2 is titled, Where Angels Fall. Volume 3 is titled, The Second Sun. Volume 4 is titled, Fury & Light. An excellent series. I think there will be additional volumes after volume 4. This series takes you all the way from the pre-existance into the last days. I can't wait for the next volume. This is a story of the struggle between Satan and Our Savior as they struggle for the hearts of men.

Angels Don't Knock

This novel is written by Dan Yates. A follow on novel is titled An Angel In the Family. I enjoyed both of these novels. Dan Yates has written a whole series of books about angels. Any of them might be enjoyable to read. Angels Don't Knock involves an angel who is supposed to marry a young woman, but he died before she was born. There was a screw up in Heaven and the two subjects were not sent to earth at their appointed times. These are enjoyable books.

An Unexpected Love

Michelle Ashman Bell wrote this novel. The follow on novel is titled Forget Me Not. Both are excellent books. Divorced mother of one daughter is very bitter toward her ex-husband. She has a lot of psychological baggage. She also has recovered from breast cancer and surgery to remove the infected breast. She is very self concious. Her friend develops breast cancer and needs support. There is an unexpected meeting with a Viet Nam vet who is struggling. Could there be love in the air? There are certainly many problems ahead. Both novels are good reads.

Grave Secrets

Grave Secrets was written by Marlene Austin. I think this story is about a young woman who has just graduated with an advanced degree. Her Aunt, who raised her, dies and for the young woman to inherit the estate, she must live in an old cottage for one year and write a book. It is an interesting story involving threats to her life and some genealogy work.

Prodigal Journey

Prodigal Journey was written by Linda Paulson Adams. It is about the last days. It is an LDS novel. It has good characters and is very exciting. This book is volume 1 of a series about the Last Days. Vol. 2 is titled Refining Fire. I have read both. They are good. I don't thing volume 2 completes the series. The story takes place around Independence Missouri.

The Deep End

Traci H. Abramson wrote The Deep End. It involves an olympic hopeful swimmer that is placed in the witness protection program after she witnesses her boyfriend being murdered. It is an exciting book. It has an LDS theme. This book has, I believe, two follow on books. The are titled, Ripple Effect, and Under Currents. I also read Under Currents and did not realize that Ripple Effect was the middle volume. Under Currents was as exciting as The Deep End and has the same girl still trying to avoid being killed by the bad guys. I would rate these as good books.

Relentless

Relentless is written by Clair Poulson. Any of Clair Poulson's novels are good to read. They are mysteries. This particular book is a story about a kidnapping. A young girl happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and is taken hostage by a vicious killer who has escaped from prison. There is also a beautiful cop that helps the young man who was the kidnapping victims boy friend as they search for the bad guy. There are a lot of good characters in this LDS centered mystery. A good book, but intense. It is for adults.

Whisperings & Shattered

These books are written by C. K. Bailey. You should read Whisperings first, then Shattered because Shattered follows the same characters as in Whisperings after the events in Whisperings. Or, a better way to say that is that Whisperings is vol. 1 and Shattered is vol. 2 in a series. Very interesting story about a psychologist that needs psychological help but doesn't want the help. It is also a love story. The main character is kind of a prickly stubborn person. Vol. 2 brings in more mystery with bad guys wanting to kill the main characters. This is an LDS centered novel. Good.

Dead To Rights

Dead To Rights was written by J. A. Jance. It is one of several Joanna Brady mysteries. I really like Joanna Brady. She is a single mom (her husband, a deputy sherriff running for sherriff is murdered) who is elected sherriff instead of her dead husband. Once again, Joanna must solve a terrible murder. In the process, she still has to deal with a daughter that is struggling with the loss of her father, and a budding romance with a motorcycle enthusiast. She also has an insensitive mother and wonderful parents-in-law. Any one of the Joanna Brady series is a joy to read and has a lot of mystery.

The Trouble With Angels

The Trouble With Angels was written by Debbie Macomber. Three angels are sent down to earth to help three people with broken hearts. The angels names are Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy. I enjoyed this story.

I'm so excited about this. We should also put books on that Mark and Elaine would be interested in. Mark loves fantasy adventure and I have no idea what to recommend.

Nimitz Class

Nimitz Class by Patrick Robinson. Can you imagine a modern carrier with 6000 personnel suddenly vaporized in a nuclear explosion? Well, that is what this book is about. How do you find out who attacked the aircraft carrier? I am about half way through this book and am enjoying it very much.

The Rising Tide

The Rising Tide was written by Jeff Shaara. It is about the start of the US effort in World War II in Europe. It is a fascinating account. As I read it, I kept thinking that it is a miracle we helped defeat Hitler.

Tom

Coming Soon!!

Chris wants me to add a rating scale we can use to rate how good a book is. That should be one of the next additions.

Ok, really...I just wanted to write another post today!

First Post!

Ok, so I don't promise that initially this is going to be very cool, but I just put it together on my lunch break. So cut me some slack! Right now I have this set up so that only those of us who are in the family can see and post to the site. I am pretty sure that you have to accept the invitation to even see the posts, so congratulations on getting this far!!! Give me any suggestions you have for things you would like to see. I think I will try and get a list of good classics up on one of the sidebars, and maybe even a picture! Oooooooooooooo...pretend to be impressed and humor me.