The Missing Ink (Tattoo Shop Mystery #1) by Karen E. Olson

The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson


Murder leaves a mark

Brett Kavanaugh is a tattoo artist and owner of an elite tattoo parlor in Las V egas. When a girl makes an appointment for a tattoo of the name of her fiancé embedded in a heart, Brett takes the job but the girl never shows. The next thing Brett knows, the police are looking for her client, and the name she wanted on the tattoo isn’t her fiancé’s...



My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fun new series. I liked the main character. She is spunky and fun. The mystery kept me guessing to the end. The book could have been written a little better, but it is a series that I intend to continue with.

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The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith


Peter thinks the only way he can reclaim his room is by declaring war on his grandfather.

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, William Allen White Award, Tennessee Children's Choice Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, An IRA-CBC Children's Choice, Mark Twain Award, Young Hoosier Award, South Carolina Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, Georgia Children's Book Award.



My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reading for my 5th grade Literacy Circle

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Totally enjoyed this book. It was funny, cute and had a great message.

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Strange Brew by P.N. Elrod (Editor / Contributor)

Strange Brew by P.N. Elrod


Today’s hottest urban fantasy authors come together in this delicious brew that crackles and boils over with tales of powerful witches and dark magic!

In Charlaine Harris’ “Bacon,” a beautiful vampire joins forces with a witch from an ancient line to find out who killed her beloved husband. In “Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs, a blind witch helps sexy werewolf Tom Franklin find his missing brother—and helps him in more ways than either of them ever suspected. And in Jim Butcher’s “Last Call,” wizard Harry Dresden takes on the darkest of dark powers—the ones who dare to mess with this favorite beer.

For anyone who’s ever wondered what lies beyond the limits of reality, who’s imagined the secret spaces where witches wield fearsome magic, come and drink deep. Let yourself fall under the spell of this bewitching collection!



My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very enjoyable read. Some old favorite authors as well as an introduction to some new ones for me.

My 2 least favorite stories were Charlaine Harris's Bacon and PN Elrod's Hecate's Golden Eye. The rest of the stories were quite enjoyable.

I will add one warning. If you have any desire to read the 'Cin Craven' series by Jenna Maclaine, you may want to read them before reading the short story included in this book -- 'Dark Sins'.


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Murder Makes Waves (Southern Sisters Mysteries) by Anne George

Murder Makes Waves by Anne George


Those hilarious southern sisters, who prove that sibling rivalry never ends, are heading for a vacation at the beach. Mary Alice's flamboyant behavior aside, serious, sensible Patricia Anne looks forward to relaxing at her sister's beachfront condo in Destin, Florida, so she kisses her ever-loving spouse Fred good-bye, reminds him to water the plants and feed the dog, and the girls head south for some fun in the sun.

Mary Alice loses no time in making the acquaintance of just about everyone in sight, so watching the sun go down on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Mexico is a welcome respite as far as Patricia Anne is concerned. . .until a dead body washes up in the waves and the victim turns out to be one of Mary Alice's newfound friends. With no witnesses t the crime except a few great blue herons, the sisters have no choice but to bypass the clueless police and follow their own instinct to find the killer. Before long they're on a murky trail of dirty real-estate deals, giant turtle habitats, and a sea of evidence pointing to a mammoth motive for murderer.



My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another great adventure in the Southern Sisters Mysteries.

When Patricia Anne and Mary Alice go on an adventure to the Florida Panhandle they find themselves in the middle of another murder mystery. I love the interaction between these two characters and the other characters we see throughout the series.


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The Spy Who Haunted Me by Simon R. Green

The Spy Who Haunted Me by Simon R. Green


The legendary Independent Agent is dying ...so who will inherit his hoard of secret information and fabulous secrets? For most of the last century, he was the greatest spy in the world, but now The Independent Agent is retiring, he has decided on one last great game - the six greatest spies in the world today must work together - and compete against each other - to solve the six greatest mysteries in the world. Whoever wins the game will also win The Agent's priceless treasure-trove of information. Eddie Drood, aka Shaman Bond, has been invited to join the great game, and of course he can't say no, especially when he learns what the mysteries are - everything from the Tunguska Incident to the Philadelphia Experiment, to whatever the hell it was really happened at Roswell. But that means he needs to survive working alongside old friends and old enemies ...especially when the spies start dying, one by one ...And one of them is going to haunt him ...for the rest of his life. THE SPY WHO HAUNTED ME is the third of the Secret Histories: a riveting roller-coaster ride through the dark side.



My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy this series. We got to meet some new characters, including Walker, who comes from Green's Nightside series.

The story was good, the characters were fun, but the ending was too abrupt for me.

I do however very much look forward to the next in the series.


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Worth by A. LaFaye

Worth by A. LaFaye


Before the accident Nathaniel's life seemed pretty good. His help around the farm made his father proud. But now, with a busted leg, Nathaniel can't do farmwork anymore, so his father adopts another son through the Orphan Train. Feeling replaced and useless, Nathaniel attends school for the first time. Meanwhile, sturdy and strong John is able to do the work that earns Pa's attention.

But the truth is, John Worth has his own set of troubles. He is treated more like a servant than a son. Kept awake at night by nightmares of his family's death, he remembers having a pa who took pride in him. But now he has no one, until a community battle and a special book reveal a potential friend -- and a chance for understanding.


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A good read. When the main character is injured in a farming accident he feels like he is less of a son to his father. When his father brings in an orphan boy to help on the farm, he feels like he is being replaced. The book explores how he deals with the pain and humiliation that he feels with being crippled and his changing relationship with the orphan boy.

The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene

The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene


One day the rain just didn’t stop. As the flood waters slowly rose and coastal cities and towns disappeared, some people believed it was the end of the world. Maybe they were right. But the water wasn’t the worst part. Even more terrifying was what the soaking rains drove up from beneath the earth -- unimaginable creatures, writhing, burrowing...and devouring all in their path. What hope does an already-devastated mankind have against...the Conqueror Worms?



My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. When I first got the book and saw the cheesy cover with the giant earthworms I thought "Give me a break." But I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I have always loved Post Apocalyptic books so that probably helped. I loved the main character. I enjoyed how the story changed in the middle and we go to see another point of view and I even liked the way that the book ended, although normally I would be upset that we are left wondering.

All in all a good read. I am looking forward to more of Brian Keene's books in the future.

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Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt


Imagine coming upon a fountain of youth in a forest. To live forever--isn't that everyone's ideal? For the Tuck family, eternal life is a reality, but their reaction to their fate is surprising. Award winner Natalie Babbitt (Knee-Knock Rise, The Search for Delicious) outdoes herself in this sensitive, moving adventure in which 10-year-old Winnie Foster is kidnapped, finds herself helping a murderer out of jail, and is eventually offered the ultimate gift--but doesn't know whether to accept it. Babbitt asks profound questions about the meaning of life and death, and leaves the reader with a greater appreciation for the perfect cycle of nature. Intense and powerful, exciting and poignant, Tuck Everlasting will last forever--in the reader's imagination. An ALA Notable Book.



My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very enjoyable book that asks a thought provoking question. Would you choose to be immortal if you were given the chance?

I enjoyed meeting the Tucks and Winnie Foster.


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