Black Widows and Bullets (A Frank Cage PI Crime Story Book 1)

I keep thinking that Christmas is still many weeks away, but in fact there are only 13 days left now before presents will be ogled beneath decorated trees all over the world. Fortunately, Janet Rudolph seems to be keeping better track of the calendar than I have been. She has already posted her alphabetized and updated list of Christmas-related crime and mystery novels, in three parts— authors A-E , authors F-L , authors M-Z. Kingston Pierce at 5: Shortly before Crider died last February , his goddaughter, Liz Romig Hatlestad, adopted the cats and moved them to her home in the central Texas town of Brownwood.

She also created a Facebook page where we could keep track of their continuing antics. Sadly, Hatlestad reports on Facebook that little Keanu—who Crider first introduced here and here —has died. She wrote on December 6: We had taken to calling her Teensy at our house, because she was so petite compared to her brothers. She was our sweetest and most beautiful kitty, and we loved hearing her meow.

I hate so much to have to make this post and I just dread telling all the VBK family out there about this loss. This group has been a source of joy for me but today is very hard. Bill Crider , Obits. Kingston Pierce at 3: Less than a week after asking its critics and contributors including yours truly to list their favorite crime-oriented books of the year , CrimeReads editors today express their own opinions on that same pressing matter. Kingston Pierce at 1: Happy Birthday, Rita Moreno!

The Puerto Rico-born actress turn 87 years old today. But her crime-fiction credentials are also solid. Stryker , and In Plain Sight. Lawson highlights this news about her series of Dublin Murder Squad yarns: Dublin Murders follows Rob Reilly Killian Scott —a smart-suited detective whose English accent marks him as an outsider—who is dispatched to investigate the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of Dublin with his partner, Cassie Maddox Sarah Greene. Reilly is pulled back into another case of missing children and forced to confront his own darkness even as Cassie is sent undercover for another murder case and forced to come face to face with her own brutal reckoning.

TV viewers should see Dublin Murders premiere in Sunday, December 09, Revue of Reviewers, Critiquing some of the most interesting recent crime, mystery, and thriller releases. Click on the individual covers to read more. For Open Letters Review, Steve Donoghue presents 10 books —all published over the last dozen months—that he believes are worth special attention.

Book Marks highlights the best-reviewed mystery, crime, and thriller novels of the year. The process will evolve in four stages, as explained here. An ultimate victor will be announced on December The editors and contributors at CrimeReads weigh in today with their choices of favorite mystery, crime, and thriller novels published in plus a handful of non-fiction works about crime. You can enjoy the full CrimeReads feature here. Best Books , CrimeReads. Tuesday, December 04, King Rules Again.

Click here to see the top vote-getters among that group. Awards , Stephen King. Monday, December 03, PaperBack: Renegades of Time , by Raymond F. Cover illustration by Kelly Freas. The change of pace is provoked by a couple of unfortunate anniversaries occurring this week. First, it was exactly one year ago today—on December 3, —that Texas mystery writer and longtime blogger Bill Crider posted the front and back covers from Raymond F. I had thought originally to highlight a different book front here today, from the only Jones work I know is in my possession: As a boy, I was a huge fan of the Irwin Allen series on which Jones based that adventure yarn, and have managed to hold onto my copy of the book ever since.

So I have substituted Renegades of Time , instead. Things could change, but I suspect this will be my final post on the blog. I met with some doctors at M. Anderson [Cancer Center] today, and they suggested that I enter hospice care. A few weeks, a few months is about all I have left. Much love to you all. Bill Crider passed away quietly a little over two months later.

Click here to read about these matters, and more. Sunday, December 02, Reason to Read by Candlelight. Kingston Pierce at 4: Easley Poisoned Pen Press. Hat tip to The Gumshoe Site. The five boys were African American and Hispanic; the woman was white. Their convictions were vacated in after another man admitted to having committed the attack. The MWA has issued the following statement: Shortly afterwards, the MWA membership began to express concern over the inclusion of Linda Fairstein as a Grand Master, citing controversy in which she has been involved. After profound reflection, the Board has decided that MWA cannot move forward with an award that lacks the support of such a large percentage of our members.

We realize that this action will be unsatisfactory to many. We apologize for any pain and disappointment this situation has caused. MWA will be reevaluating and significantly revising its procedures for selecting honorary awards in the future. We hope our members will all work with us to move forward from this extremely troubling event and continue to build a strong and inclusive organization. Awards , Linda Fairstein. It seems that small American bookstores specializing in crime, mystery, and thriller fiction can never rest secure of their finances these days.

Once Upon a Crime is a splendid example of a friendly, knowledgeable business catering to the sometimes-eccentric demands of mystery-fiction readers. It would be a terrible shame to see it fail, while corporate booksellers survive. If you can it in this hour of need, please do. Click here for a full list of Irish Book Award winners. Kingston Pierce at 7: Wednesday, November 28, PaperBack: During World War II, phosphorescent paint was significant in the Pacific theater where fighters needed to land on small decks in the dark.

All of these normal items have interesting histories behind them. Ward has done well at developing their stories in a very readable volume. East of West Volume 4: There are incredible indie comics, covering every genre imaginable, just waiting to be discovered by everyone from traditional comic fans, and truly, anyone with an appreciation of good art and a good story. Looking for a gateway into the world of comics without a spandex-wearing superhero?

East of West will blow your mind. It is not the one we wanted, but it is the one we deserved. Following the trail of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as they herald the End of Times, the story focuses on Death, who seems to be our last hope. A split in the ranks and a tale of revenge carry through the story, much like a standard Western. But East of West is anything but ordinary. The remnants of the countries of Earth are haunting and sharp on the page as the reader is introduced to the characters and the twisted historical timeline, so different, but still recognizable.

As the End draws near, war splashes over the world, the Great Beast comes to wreak havoc and still, the Message looms. Haunting, mysterious and utterly beautiful, this Eisner Award nominated series has just released its fourth volume. He works at a factory, keeps a few beefers, volunteers at the fire department, and has been known to attend a poetry reading every now and then. All is fairly quiet for Harley as he moves toward his secret of happiness: He confides in his best friend, Billy Tripp, a hulking veteran forever in orange Crocs who lives with his books and cats in a trailer on the farm.

Harley--in honor of his modest, faithful parents and in deference to his goal of low overhead--tries to hide the calf, but it gets out. The mail carrier sees the calf, snaps some photos, and the Jesus Cow goes viral. Spectacular, funny characters populate the novel: Mindy, the welding, motorcycling artist in work boots; Maggie, the widowed junkyard owner; Carolyn, the outcast environmentalist; and Klute, the bullying Hummer-driving developer.

He writes affectionately of life in a rural community and showcases his personal connection to the people of such a place. Equal Before the Law: In April , the Iowa Supreme Court stunned the nation when it issued its decision legalizing same-sex marriage. At the time, marriage equality was the law in Massachusetts and Connecticut, but those were liberal, urban, coastal states. Iowa was viewed as conservative and rural and was in the dead center of the heartland. Furthermore, the earlier court decisions had been close; the Iowa decision was unanimous. In Equal Before the Law: How Iowa Led Americans to Marriage Equality, former Des Moines Register reporters Tom Witosky and Marc Hansen assemble a complete picture of the events leading up to the historic decision and its aftermath, including the successful effort to remove three of the justices and, two years later, the unsuccessful effort to remove another.

When six same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Polk County in , they knew they would be denied but were hopeful they would be victorious in the legal battle they were provoking. The legal maneuvering is intriguing, but the personal stories of the Supreme Court justices, judges, lawyers and most especially the 12 plaintiffs and their families, make the book truly compelling. The authors note that the vast majority of court decisions that have resulted in marriage equality in subsequent states cite the Iowa Supreme Court decision. The release of the book is especially timely in light of the anticipated United States Supreme Court ruling later this month on whether all states must allow same-sex marriage or at least recognize marriages licensed in the 36 states where it is now legal.

His mother died when he was 4, his father when he was 33, and his wife and unborn daughter two years ago. When the story begins, Paddy has no idea his end is so near. Three days earlier was quite a day for Paddy, a caring and upright young man. Later, one of his colleagues comes to him in a panic after the wrong body is delivered from a mortuary in London, and Paddy is led to deceive that family to avoid having an open casket funeral.

Then he is called out in the middle of the night to attend to a death in a nursing home. While driving home from that call at 3 a. And as you can probably tell from the title, Cullen does indeed find out. This is a J. Beaumont mystery with a twist. The surgery goes well, but in recovery he is visited by ghosts.

It begins with the ghost of the first homicide he worked on as a young detective in the Seattle Police Department. The second ghost that visited Beau is from an even more distant past. While in Vietnam, he had a superior officer who became a significant role model. A thick tome, it was on Beau when military action sent a piece of shrapnel at him. It lodged in the book, saving his life. However, that had never happened.

Halloween Books for Adults -- The BookBub Blog

Although both ghosts could very well have been hallucinations due to the drugs he had been given, Beau acted on both of them. The resulting solution to the old murder case brings both satisfaction and grief. I am a confirmed pack rat. Despite my propensity to move every few years, I still seem to justify hauling around the same stuff, over and over again.

Boxes of pictures that could easily be scanned, art projects from third grade and oh, so many books! I claim sentimental attachment, perhaps, or that I really will use it someday. I may fit into that shirt, eventually? I know many people can relate to this mind trap, but at some point, it has to stop or you risk ending up on a reality TV show - and no one wants that. With great insight into why we keep the things we do, the methods we use to convince ourselves of the need for stuff and how to break the habits, this book is a must-have for anyone with a hoarding habit, a cluttered closet or a materialistic mind.

There are no baby steps in this system, no going room-to-room or working on small piles, this is a complete overhaul that once complete, requires almost no maintenance. Think Spring Cleaning on steroids. The author brilliantly taps into the psychology of clutter and helps to change the readers thinking, so you can reclaim your life from your things. What better time to tap clear out the clutter and start fresh? Alby was the only person in the room with his mother as she died suffering from cancer, and his grief is profound.

Aggressive, angry, and with a heart full of bitterness and hatred, he makes a string of bad choices. An unexpected compassion exists through the obscenity and brutal insults he throws at them. In surprise tender moments that help break the stream of rage and anguish, Alby shows compassion toward creatures, too: Luckily Sumell provides a bit of humor to ease the intensity of this emotional story. Iowa City native Tim Johnston has received very well-deserved rave reviews for his first adult novel, Descent.

Grant and Angela Courtland, from Wisconsin, have treated their children, year-old Caitlin and year-old Sean, to a vacation in the Rocky Mountains. Caitlin, who will be starting college soon on a track scholarship, is looking forward to testing her running skills at the higher elevation.

Early in the morning, she wakes up her brother, and they head out, she on foot and he on a bike. Hours later, the parents receive a phone call that Sean has been seriously injured in an accident, but there is no trace of Caitlin. Sean tells the authorities he saw his sister being taken away in the vehicle that hit him. In most books that I read, I usually think about why an author came up with the title he or she did.

The three of them grow more distant from one another, and their paths diverge, as they address a heartbreaking question -- at what point does a family give up on the search, the hope of finding their missing child? Erik Larson, one of the most popular history authors writing today, has picked the sinking of the Lusitania as his next study. The centennial of the Great War began last year so the examination of the events that drew America into the war is very timely.

Touchstones

As is his style, Mr. Larson has paired two events in the same book. At the time of the sinking of the Lusitania, President Wilson was finding his way through the grief of losing his wife. As the story opens, the Germans had provided warnings that passenger ships were in peril on the open seas, although many dismissed these warnings.

Actions and inactions from that point forward doomed the Lusitania to its eventual sinking. Larson tells of the events from before the launch to the aftermath of the sinking by alternating the narrative from aboard the Lusitania captained by William Thomas Turner to aboard the German submarine, U, captained by Walther Schwieger. The personal details of the passengers and crew provide the story with an immediacy that works very well.

Larson in the past has covered many significant historical events in a very entertaining fashion. While it is difficult to call the history of the sinking of the Lusitania entertaining, he has provided an account replete with characters and details that are engaging and educational as well. In , Bill Blair stumbled on an unimproved property and immediately began to imagine the home and family he would build there.

A physician who had treated the wounded in Korea, he completed a second residency in pediatrics in order to focus on patients who would be more likely to recover. While their father is at work, the children are often unsupervised and seem to be raising each other. The book goes back and forth in time, spanning five decades. All the characters are believable, likeable in some way, and very human; there are no villains and no heroes. Was James a problem because of innate qualities or because four children were too much for his mother to handle? Did Penny choose to withdraw from her family or did Bill drive her away?

Leaving much to ponder, this would be an excellent choice for a book discussion group. Deep in the Appalachian mountains near rural Cashiers, North Carolina, the McNeely family persists in their legacy of drugs and violence. With a remarkable, authentic voice Joy gives us a raw view of the uncompromising life Jacob sees no way of changing: Jacob has always known she has what it takes to get beyond their hometown. His lyrical prose and engaging characters provide a compelling read about a boy destined to a life of crime and poverty and held there by both family and fear.

An absolutely haunting, stunning ending will resonate long after the book is closed. My Name is Mary Sutter is the story of a strong-willed young midwife from Albany, New York who is determined to become a surgeon at a time when women were largely barred from that career path. Although she is frequently nearly overcome by the horror she witnesses, Mary proves herself extraordinarily capable and in the end spoiler alert achieves her dream. With the germ theory of disease not yet recognized, surgery is performed in atrociously unsterile conditions spreading infection among the soldiers.

The proportion of deaths which can be attributed to disease, malnutrition, and other conditions not related to combat is made staggeringly clear.

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A doctor with whom Mary works struggles to muster the resources for microscopic research, hoping advancements in medicine will somehow keep the hundreds of thousands of casualties from being in vain. As in all the best historical fiction, Mary encounters a number of real-life historical figures including Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, and even, briefly, Abraham Lincoln. Compelling family drama and several concurrent love stories add a human dimension to this absorbing novel. Now living in Minnesota, his novel has been chosen as a March pick by the Midwestern Independent Booksellers, a well-deserved honor.

The story brings together two young women — one white and well-to-do, the other black and poor — who share two things. They each lost a son under tragic circumstances and they absolutely detest one another. Miss Hazel goes from a woman who takes her children joy-riding on drunken sprees through the Mississippi delta to living a drugged and sedated life in her bedroom. Vida, whose family and friends used to witness Hazel from their work in the cotton fields, has no pity for her.

Unexpectedly, a friendship forms that shakes the foundations of their community. The relationships between the deeply drawn characters make this an engrossing story. Just as I was reflecting on how far attitudes have come, the evening news broadcasted the recent actions of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Obviously, we still have a long way to go. In between, there are many fascinating stories of the people who worked together to make it happen. John Atanasoff developed what could be considered the first computer.

He was called away to serve in World War II, and with few collaborators at Iowa State University to carry on, the machine was stored away and essentially lost. Since a lawyer inexplicably failed to file a patent claim on it, the invention did not result in lasting credit or wealth. Another Iowan, Grinnell College graduate Robert Noyce, along with a team of men who had complementary strengths brought the microprocessor to life in the firm he created, Intel. Women are among the unsung heroes in the growth of the digital age.

During World War II, women provided much of the programming necessary to make the machines work. They worked together well as a team, but their efforts went unrewarded.

At the apex of a successful effort, the men went off for a celebratory event and the women made their way home. Unlike his previous book, Steve Jobs , which concentrated on Jobs as an inventor, this book sets down the history of innovation as a team effort. I love post-apocalyptic fiction. A shattered land, the sputtering hope and the triumph of heroes in the most desperate circumstances draws me in like a moth to the flame. In The Country of Ice Cream Star, award winning author Sandra Newman delivers a stunning piece of post-apocalyptic literature, epic in scale and full of the roughhewn, unforgettably brave and achingly melodic characters.

This is a phenomenal book on many levels. The unrelenting plot is deep, varied and addictive. The story is told in first person narrative from the title character, Ice Cream Star's viewpoint. Her voice is unique but somehow bitingly familiar. The characters live in a world of children; before reaching the age of twenty, they all die of a mysterious disease, called Posies—a plague that has killed several generations of people, going back 80 years. The rumors of a cure draw Ice Cream Star on a treacherous journey to save her brother, her own life and the life she holds in such reverence.

Along the way she is captured, treated with kindness and cruelty, encounters great love and great pain, all for the sake of freedom, the sake of hope. Newman's descriptions of the Factions that have sprung up in this new world, the dialogues, the people, the half-remembered rituals and pieces of the past are incredibly vivid. It becomes a treasure hunt to find the bones of the past hidden in the remains Ice Cream Star lives in. This is an astonishing book that will stick with you long after the last page.

The crime goes unpunished, although there are four suspects—including the narrator. Her agoraphobic great uncle, still suffering deep psychological wounds from the First World War, takes them in to his home in the walled city of Saint-Malo on the coast of Brittany. Child prodigy Werner Pfennig lives in a German orphanage with his sister, dreading his inevitable future in the coal mines where their father lost his life.

He finds his escape when his genius for repairing radios is discovered and he is given the opportunity to attend an elite school for young scientists. There he is torn between the boundless joy he takes in his studies and the shame he feels for not intervening in the brutality he witnesses. He is ultimately assigned to a team tracking Resistance radio transmissions. Until they do, the story bounces back and forth in time and place. Afterward, it fast-forwards to briefly summarize the remainder of the lives of the characters who survived.

While the survivors move on and are able to lead fulfilling lives, the shadow cast by the war never completely disappears. Short chapters alternate from the perspectives of Marie-Laure, Werner, and several other, more minor characters. A variety of subplots including the quest for a smuggled, purportedly cursed diamond contribute to the sprawling nature of this intricate, vividly detailed novel to make it a perfect winter read. This intriguing work of historical fiction is told from the point of view of Vanessa Bell, a post-impressionist English painter who lived from — I have to admit, before reading this novel, I had never heard of her.

On the other hand, her sister needed no introduction. She was the famously tortured writer, Virginia Woolf. In the early part of the 19th century, Vanessa and Virginia Stephen began to play host to a rather unorthodox weekly gathering. Besides the two unchaperoned young women, the group included their brothers Thoby and Adrian along with male friends from Cambridge. They were a collection of graduates, poets and artists who grew into a group of influential thinkers and commentators on many social and cultural subjects.

At a personal level, they also challenged the social norms of the day, including their views on open marriage and homosexuality. But when Clive Bell convinces Vanessa to marry him, it sets off a disturbing triangle with the envious Virginia, and the close relationship between the sisters never fully recovers.

Many members of the Bloomsbury set eventually became quite famous, and I enjoyed reading about these individuals during a time when they were still forming their ideas and opinions. Abandoned America was featured recently on BookTV, piquing my interest in the history to be found in old abandoned buildings. The book did not disappoint. The combination of photos and background information makes for a fascinating read.

All sites are located in the Pennsylvania area and the types of structures range from power plants to factories to schools to churches and hospitals. The author documented a shocking amount of material and equipment left behind in abandoned factories: The book also documented the way these buildings were managed after closure. This was the case for the motorcycle business where many motorcycles ended up being scrapped after cave-ins exposed them to the elements for an extensive time. This also was what happened to many churches, schools and hospitals.

Exposure and the rush to demolition meant a permanent loss of wonderful architectural features. Corruption and fraud also played a significant role in the loss of some sites where promises of redevelopment never materialized. The varied stories and photos are memorable, and this book will become a prized part of my library. Cookbook lovers are a special breed. Always on the look-out for something new, different or just with awesome pictures.

Rest assured, cookbook fanatics, I feel your pain and have a great new offering for you to add to your collection. My Drunk Kitchen by Hannah Hart is chock-full of ridiculous tidbits of wisdom, deliciously simple recipes and fantastic cooking hacks for even the most skill-challenged chef. My Drunk Kitchen started when Hannah decided to get a little drunk and record a video for friend.

The rest is internet history, as Hannah is a certified internet star and one of the most popular channels on YouTube. This book reflects her signature style, complete with pop culture references, rambling stories and words of advice for everything from hosting a party to romancing your crush. There is a rather large dollop of irrelevance throughout the book and the recipes very open to interpretation- a nice change from the traditional lists of ingredients and instructions.

This is very much a source book for new ideas, concepts and creativity- a wonderfully refreshing change to traditional cookbooks. Christopher Scotton has published a splendid debut novel, a coming of age story as devastating as it is hopeful. Kevin Gillooly, 14, has just moved there with his mother. The brutal attack rattles the town, and Buzzy, who witnessed the crime, holds his secret close. In the aftermath of Mr. They experience at once the beauty and history of the area and the astounding ravaging of it as they see the age-old mountains leveled by strip mining.

A thrilling and intense story, it is very believable and ultimately optimistic. Scotton shows how love and respect can help restore one ransacked by loss: Expertly developed characters and their pitch perfect voices and an insightfully described sense of place offer an authentic, graceful rendering of southern Appalachia by a talented new novelist whose admiration for the area and its people is obvious.

The Resurrection of Tess Blessing is a poignant, heart-tugging and often hilarious new novel from award-winning Wisconsin author Lesley Kagen. Tess Blessing is facing many of the normal challenges of middle-age, including sullen, teen-aged children with hair-trigger emotions and a husband going through his own mid-life crisis. She also suffers from a variety of mental issues - OCD, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and PTSD resulting from her childhood with a verbally and emotionally abusive mother. Finally, at the age of 49, Tess is diagnosed with breast cancer. Certain that this is her death sentence, she sets out to cross off items that make up her final to-do list.

This list turns out to be quite daunting. The story is told in a third-person narrative. The narrator, Grace, is someone who has been with Tess her entire life, as a guardian angel, an imaginary friend, or maybe a portion of her own subconscious. Predictably in a first comes love, then comes marriage fictional world, Rosie unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Not one to do well with the unpredicted or anything inspiring emotion, Don is faced with an overwhelming challenge. What follows as Don tries to cope is a sometimes laugh-out-loud funny string of events as he overthinks, over-studies, and over-quantifies the prospect of parenthood.

An array of characters, some from The Rosie Project and some new, present new problems for him to solve. Without intending to, Don weaves a web of deceit which gets more and more complicated. As the events compound, both Rosie and Don question his ability to be a parent and Rosie makes plans to return to Australia. However, romantic comedies must end happily and this novel is no exception. Despite his odd reactions to almost everything, Don demonstrates in his own quirky ways his dedication to being a good father.

Because I Said So! Each evaluation includes citations of studies and statistics and opinions from experts in the field. It is very interesting reading. And many of them are very enlightening:. The bread that is commonly used is not a normal diet for ducks and results in the ducks fouling the water and surrounding territory.

Some communities have even outlawed the practice. We are sure there are residual traumatic effects from being the sole helmet-wearer among his friends, but Ken Jennings and the AMA agrees — kids protect their noggins by wearing helmets! This book is going in our library alongside the dictionary, home medical guide and crossword dictionary to complete our reference section. The protagonist is Beatrice, who lives in a community that values extreme selflessness. Roth has created a society that divides its citizens up between five insular communities based on the attributes they hold in the highest regard.

The issues inherent in the system are obvious. The allegory and conflict are sharp and defined, a rarity in the world of young adult books. Beatrice is about to undergo a test that will help her determine which community she will live in for the rest of her life. The deceptive test reveals a lot more, however, showing her to be independent, incapable of having just one primary attribute. She must hide her status and does so by abandoning her beloved family and joining the Dauntless community, whose members value extreme bravery. What follows is a violent, passionate, exciting coming-of-age for the heroine, now known as Tris.

In the process of finding her strengths, she uncovers secrets that could destroy her world. Fast-paced, intense, romantic and gilded with lessons in learning to love thy self, this book is a gem in the world of young adult novels. Hurry and read it before the movie hits theaters this March! Globalization is a bad word in some circles. The idea of looking past or through the political and physical boundaries that separate the human race into pockets and looking at the world as a one big machine can be daunting and frustrating. Yet, it really is unavoidable in our current circumstances and we know this whether we like it or not.

Once upon a time, however, the global view was brand new. In the follow-up to his first book, , Charles Mann takes a look at how the world was just after Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and turned the world from small, separate pockets of people into a global society. Using a combination of his own observations from traveling, extensive research and conversations with the foremost experts in relevant fields, Mann explores the process of globalizing the world.

Using fascinating examples like malaria, rubber plants and parasites, Mann explores the swift changes that took place after that fateful voyage. Written in straightforward, but by no means dumbed down, language and filled with pictures and endnotes for further reading; this book takes the bits and pieces most already know and expands them into a much broader story, the wider picture so many miss in history class.

The exchange of ideas, flora and fauna from place to place, the development of the global economy and the lasting impact these changes have had may sound like dry reading, but Mann does a superb job of engaging the reader. It is of the fastest, most entertaining pages this science and history buff has ever read. Twelve-year old Raine is confused when her mother moves them from the Milwaukee apartment they share with Grandpa Mac to a crumbling estate hours away.

Raine protests the new arrangements and suspects a secret is being held from her. Raine builds relationships with the artists, and they shower her with attention. Raine must deal with the shock of this news, then with the range of emotions that surface as she meets her father. If you would like to hop on the fantasy bandwagon, the Kingkiller Chronicles by the incomparable Patrick Rothfuss is a fantastic place to start. Kvothe continues his tale of life at the University, where he is learning magic, much to determent of his pocketbook.

In the world of parenting, bedtime should be an Olympic sport. To be clear, this is not a book for children, but it would make an excellent gift for new parents or parents-to-be, as long as they are not easily offended. Curses grace every page of this delightful book and fittingly so, as there is little in life more frustrating than a sleepless child.

The story is told in simple rhymes, featuring kittens, tigers and animals of all sorts- but the main character is a nameless, likely familiar, insomniac human child. Watkins - Murder on Mt. Evelyn Talbot Novels Michael S. Lauren Maxwell series R. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Marshal Piedmont Kelly series Western mysteries - mainly set in Arizona? Jance - Joanna Brady series William W. Lost set partly in Chicago but mainly in Phoenix Michael J. Abramo - Jake Diamond P. Nick Bk 1 Mr. Crime Novel Rebecca M. Heald - Death in Eden: Marks - White Heat Bk 1 P.

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Buchman - Gas Grilled Chef! Tyler - The French Quarter: Voices in the Dark M. Aug 30, , 1: Borthwick Jean Scott Creighton - Dr.

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