I’ve been reading a lot lately. Some books have been good and some only so-so. Here’s what I’ve read over the last week. Book cover photos courtesy of Amazon.com I’ve given each book a star rating (1-5, with 5 being the best) in case you just want to skip reading the review and just get to the bottom line

From the back of the book:

An unsolved murder.
A missing child.
A lifetime of deception.
In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.
CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth, and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies…

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I was instantly captivated and found the characters likeable and believable. I would definately recommed this book. 5 Stars

From Amazon: As the Lincoln Rhyme series rolls along, the quadriplegic criminalist’s cases keep getting more and more elaborate. The Cold Moon (2006) was extremely intricate, but this one tops it. Lincoln’s cousin has been arrested for murder. The case seems airtight, but when he looks into it, Rhyme begins to suspect that he has stumbled onto an especially devious serial killer, one who uses cutting-edge data-mining techniques to steal the identities of his victims and of the innocent people he frames for his crimes. Rhyme is perhaps the best and smartest investigator in the game, but how do you catch a killer when you don’t know anything about him? If a large part of writing a mystery is like making a puzzle, then Deaver may just be the cleverest puzzle maker in the business. He has built his reputation on the strength of well-drawn characters; hyperrealistic dialogue (you don’t read it, you hear it); and right-angle plot twists that are impossible to predict. There is no one quite like Deaver—or like Lincoln Rhyme. –David Pitt

My Thoughts: I really enjoy the Lincoln Rhyme series and I’ve read every book. I did enjoy this book, however, I felt that it was bogged down with LOTS of technical details, most of which I skipped over. I also was slightly annoyed that the murderer was barely mentioned in the book and then all of sudden that is the person that done it???? Seriously, I had to go back and find where they even mentioned him at…ayi yi yi. That being said, Mr. Deaver is a fantastic writer and I’ll continue to buy his books. 4 Stars.

From Publishers Weekly: Like The Horse Whisperer, Gruen’s polished debut is a tale of human healing set against the primal world of horses. The Olympic dreams of teenaged equestrian Annemarie Zimmer end when her beloved horse, Harry, injures her and destroys himself in a jumping accident. In the agonizing aftermath, she gives up riding and horses entirely. Two decades later, she returns to her family’s horse farm a divorcee, with her troubled teenaged daughter, Eve, in tow. There, her gruff Germanic mother struggles to maintain the farm and care for Annemarie’s father, who is stricken with ALS. Although Annemarie decides (disastrously) to manage the farm’s business, her attention quickly turns to an old and ostensibly worthless horse with the same rare coloring as Harry. Her long-denied passion for riding reawakens as she tracks the horse’s identity and eventually discovers it to be Harry’s younger brother. She must heal both horse and herself as she struggles with her father’s deterioration, Eve’s rebellion and her attraction to both the farm’s new trainer and her childhood sweetheart Dan. Impulsive and self-absorbed, Annemarie isn’t always likable, but Gruen’s portrait of the stoic elder Zimmers is beautifully nuanced, as is her evocation of Eve’s adolescent troubles. Amid this realistically complex generational sandwich, the book’s appealing horse scenes—depicted with unsentimental affection—help build a moving story of loss, survival and renewal.

My Thoughts: After reading and loving Water For Elephants I was looking forward to reading another Sara Gruen book. I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I didn’t. There were too many situations in the book that left me thinking a) what the hell is going on??? or b) what the hell is going on??? I completely did not understand the relationship the main character had with her father and I really struggled with that. Additionally, the main character was written as a competent person in part of the book and then later in the book she’s completely incompetent??? Thankfully, Ms. Gruen’s writting has improved as is proven in Water for Elephants. 3 Stars

Product Description: America’s #1 bestselling author, James Patterson, brings us a magical story about a love that transcends boundaries . . . AN IMAGINARY FRIEND Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany’s. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He’s perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can’t stay forever, though. On Jane’s ninth birthday he leaves, promising her that she’ll soon forget him. AN UNEXPECTED LOVE Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone-a handsome, comforting, funny man. He’s perfect. His name is Michael . . . AND AN UNFORGETTABLE TWIST This is a heartrending story that surpasses all expectations of why these people have been brought together. With the breathtaking momentum and gripping emotional twists that have made James Patterson a bestselling author all over the world, SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY’S takes an altogether fresh look at the timeless and transforming power of love.

My Thoughts: Oh, what a lovely story. Almost completely predictable, but completely enjoyable. A real treat and so different than what Mr. Patterson usually write. A wonderful story of love. However, set aside all notions of real life. This is more along the lines of a fairy tale~~make believe characters and situations, but I think we could all use a fairy tale in our lives now and then. Great beach read. 4 stars

From Publishers Weekly: … a couple recovering from the loss of an infant son. Elayna Leopold, 35, traded in her life as a single magazine editor in Manhattan for life as wife and mother in affluent suburban New Jersey, with lawyer husband Paul. Two years after the death of their son, Oliver, Elayna spends her days caring for six-year-old daughter Hazel and working as a freelance editor of a poetry magazine. Elayna starts to come back to life, her awakening coinciding with the appearance of hot young dog-owner Kevin in the apartment building across the street. As Elayna’s entanglement with Kevin threatens her marriage, Hazel’s relationship with Elayna’s fashion photographer father, Devon, raises the specter of Elayna’s childhood and her father’s dubious judgment. Excellent characterizations (including Devon, Elayna’s adulterous friend Celeste, and day care provider Pansy Dougherty), dialogue and the spot-on representation of the family dynamic make this book difficult to put down. One keeps waiting for something horrific to happen, but instead the story builds slowly and plausibly. What happens is subtle and ambiguous—as in real life.

My Thoughts: A likeable book and an easy read. Great for the beach. 3 1/2 stars.

What are you reading??? If you have any book recommendations please let me know. I’m always looking for new books to read.