The Racketeer

I read this novel in two days! There is just something about the clean writing of John Grisham that appeals to me.
Malcolm Bannister is serving a ten-year prison sentence for money laundering, a crime he is innocent of. While there he makes friends with an inmate who reveals to him that he plans on killing a Supreme Court judge.
When the murder takes place, Malcolm uses the info as a get-out-of-jail card. But that's just the beginning. The rest of the book is a non-stop escape! I loved it!

Accelerated

Wow! This was an eye-opener. As a teacher I was concerned about the high incidence of ADD and ADHD and the medications given to kids to control it.

This novel looks at that issue in NYC's best private school. Sean Benning's son is a third grade student at Bentley, a prestigious school. When the school psychologist suggests that his son, Toby might have ADD, Sean doesn't believe it. But, after a visit to an independent psychologist, he reluctantly agrees to the use of a Ritalin-like drug to help Toby keep up with his classmates.

But there are side effects and, after Toby has a reaction, Sean is determined to find out why the school was so intent on pushing these drugs.

I honestly couldn't put this book down. It's well written and kept me turning the pages.

Seconds Away

This is the second novel in the Mickey Bolitar series and I can't wait for the third installment. There is just something about the characters and the writing that I love.

In this installment Mickey and his sidekicks, Ema and Spoon, must solve the mystery of their other friend, Rachel's, shooting and Rachel's mom's murder.

As usual, the writing is spot on, the characters believable and lovable, and the action nonstop. If these books don't get teenagers reading, nothing will!

Shelter

I don't know why I hesitated to read this series by Harlan Coben because I love his writing. But, I'm glad I finally downloaded it and I read it one day!

Mickey Bolitar's dad is dead and his mom is in rehab so he has to live with his uncle, Myron. He hates Myron but knows he has no place else to go.

Mickey starts a new school and even has a new girlfriend but when she disappears, he and his quirky, nerdy friends decide to investigate.

Even though this is a YA novel, it reads like an adult one. Harlan Coben is just so masterful! He creates characters who are fun and real and this book just has so much heart.

In fact, as soon as I finished it, I downloaded the second one that was just released and I'm halfway through it.

Last to Die

Tess Gerritsen lives in Maine and that's what originally attracted me to her. So glad I found her!

Three teenagers have something in common. Their parents were killed the same week and the three kids survived. Now, their foster families are being murdered, too, and, again, the kids manage to escape. What connection could these kids have? Who wants them dead?

That's the mystery Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles must solve. It takes them to Evensong, the secluded private school in Maine the kids attend.

I really enjoyed this novel. The writing is crisp and the characters are believable and interesting. The focus switches from character to character so it's never boring.

Yay, I updated in a timely manner! Now, that I've figured out how to use the BlogPress app, it makes it so much easier to do it using my iPad.

I'm still trying to add a video but it keeps saying my YouTube password is wrong. I know it isn't because I tried it out at the YouTube site and it worked fine there. So, I've still got to twiddle with that. I took a video of Kylie reading to me. Yes! It happened, just as I thought it would. It made me realize that she's been able to read for a while, now, but, it's still a chore so she's been hiding it. When I challenged her, told her she'd be reading to me NEXT year, she took the bait. "Oh, I can read now, Grammy!" So I made her prove it. And she did! I hope to have it on here soon.

Update...Finally

Oh, I've been so neglectful of this blog! I don't know why I got so lazy. I have been reading, though. Now, if I can just remember anything about the books!


This was a sweet but harrowing coming-of-age novel about a young girl dealing with the slowing of the earth, the lengthening of days and nights, and the dissolution of her parents' marriage. It's wonderfully written with simple but beautiful language.



This is one I spent quite a bit of time on but haven't finished yet. It is about a wife who goes missing. It's told through two voices. The husband speaks and the more he says the creepier he gets. The wife's voice is heard through diary entries talking about their life together and that gets weirder and weirder.

I'm a curious soul so I'll definitely finish it but I just have to be in the right mood.



I read this one fairly quickly. It, too, is told through two voices but this time it's two half sisters. Dana's father is a bigamist. She grows up knowing he has another wife and daughter and always feels like she takes second place to his other daughter, Chaurisse.

The second half of the book is told through Chaurisse's eyes. She and her mom have no idea of her father's other family. When Chaurisse and Dana meet is when the book gets really interesting.

This is also very well written with lovely descriptions.


I just finished this one yesterday and am still freaked out. It is one scary book...not edge-of-your-seat scary but scary in the sense that, Yikes!, this could really happen and might even be happening as we speak.

Jackson Oz is a scientist who notices that there has been a worldwide increase in human deaths from animal attacks. But, no one will listen to his warnings until it's too late. He's a smart cookie and figures out what is causing the animals to act so out of character but the solution makes no one happy. This one will stay with me for quite a while.



Written by Tracey Clark, the founder of the Shutter Sisters blog, this how-to book is an ongoing read for me. I love all her simple yet effective ideas for capturing everyday life. Every time I read a section, it makes me want to pick up my camera and start snapping away. She doesn't go into the technical aspects of photography, just keeps it creative and fun.



Kylie and I are making our way through the Junie B. Jones series of books. They are a riot and we always crack up when reading about her misadventures. Junie B. is quirky and unique and we love her. Kylie started first grade last week and before I know it, she'll be reading to me!


Here she is heading into her first day. Don't you just love the welcoming look on her teacher's face? Ky will be visiting us this weekend and I'm anxious to hear all about how it's going. Just before school started I said to her, "You'll probably have homework this year." Her reply? "I know; I can't wait!"

She's just like her grandma!

The Innocent and Wheat Belly

I haven't read too many David Baldacci books because sometimes they just sound a bit too political but this one had an interesting summary so I decided to try it. Glad I did!

Robie is a hired killer, hired by our government to take out monsters. He has no problem doing that and he's excellent at it. One night he's hired to kill a woman but when he gets to her apartment and he sees her sleeping with her infant son, he can't do it. Suddenly, there is a shot. It misses Robie but kills the mom and child. Robie takes off, boards a bus, and meets Julie, a fourteen-year-old, also on the run.

Together, they must solve two mysteries: who killed the woman and child and who killed Julie's parents.




I'm a nutrition nut, always have been. I drove my kids nuts trying to make them eat right. But what is right? Well, I still don't know but this was an interesting look at wheat.

For years we ate only whole wheat bread. I used to make my own back in the seventies because it was unavailable in stores.

Then I read about blood type and, being a type O, I stopped eating wheat products...most of the time. I substituted with spelt, rice, and " gluten-free" breads.

This book made me stop that, though. I found out that the wheat produced now-a-days is not the same as ancient wheat; it's genetically modified to be bug resistant, produce larger yields, and grow faster and shorter. And it plays havoc with our systems. It has a really high glycemic index which causes spikes in our blood sugar, stores as fat, and makes us put on weight...thus, wheat belly.

So, starting a week ago today I stopped eating wheat, rice, spelt, and "gluten-free" products because they are made out of potato and rice flours which also have a high glycemic index. I feel great. I'm never hungry since the foods I'm eating digest slowly and keep me satisfied.

I'm sure I'll end up having some wheat but I'm going to make better choices overall. And if I lose a few pounds in the process, I'll be thrilled. I'm sick of my flubs! I'm not way overweight, or anything; I just have a bit of a spare tire I'd like to flatten. Maybe this will do the trick.

Here's what I had for lunch today: natural turkey breast from the grocery deli (no nitrates or nitrites) smeared with cream cheese and rolled with pepper jack cheese; raw green beans; and cottage cheese with hot pepper relish. Yum!


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