Quinn by Iris Johansen

From Goodreads: As a former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn has seen the face of evil and knows just how deadly it can be. When he first met Eve Duncan, he never expected to fall in love with a woman whose life would be defined by her dual desires to bring home her missing daughter and discover the truth behind her disappearance---no matter how devastating. With the help of CIA agent Catherine Ling, they make a shocking discovery that sheds new light on young Bonnie’s abduction and puts Quinn squarely in the crosshairs of danger. Eve’s first love, John Gallo, a soldier supposedly killed in the line of duty, is very much alive---and very much a threat.

Finally a "Q" book for the A-Z Reading Challenge. In my enthusiasm to plunge into this Q book and cross that letter off my list, I neglected to notice something important. This is the second book in a trilogy. A trilogy that is itself based on another series. Sigh. So I was not up to speed going in and then....she doesn't resolve ANYTHING during this book. The portion of the ride that I was on was entertaining but, by my own fault, I am left completely unsatisfied. (Except, of course, for the satisfaction in crossing Q off the list.)

My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

From Goodreads:Gorgeous, sharp, and anything but shy, Chelsea loves men and lots of them. My Horizontal Life chronicles her romp through the different bedrooms of a variety of suitors, a no-holds-barred account of what can happen between a man and a sometimes very intoxicated, outgoing woman during one night of passion. From her short fling with a Vegas stripper to her even shorter dalliance with a well-endowed little person, from her uncomfortable tryst with a cruise ship performer to her misguided rebound with a man who likes to play leather dress-up, Chelsea recalls the highs and lows of her one-night stands with hilarious honesty. Encouraged by her motley collection of friends (aka: her partners in crime) but challenged by her family members (who at times find themselves a surprise part of the encounter), Chelsea hits bottom and bounces back, unafraid to share the gritty details. My Horizontal Life is one guilty pleasure you won't be ashamed to talk about in the morning.
Well, I actually am a little bit embarrassed to talk about this one in the morning - Chelsea Handler is one trashy girl. I knew that from Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea but there it was on the Kindle bestseller list for a mere $1.99 and I thought, "Why not? I've spent two dollars on stupider things than this." And, you know what, it was worth that $1.99, it was funny. I have either gotten used to her raunchiness and was less shocked by it or she toned it down a little bit in this book. While the last one was 75% Ewww and 25% Funny - this seemed to be the reverse or at least 50/50. This book has the honor of being the first book that I read entirely on my iPhone. It was an accidental beginning, I had some time to kill and thought I'd peek at a few pages. But then I kept going back to it again and again and, voila, it was done. A collection of essays is perfect on the iPhone because there is a clear start and stop and you don't have to try to remember anything from one read to the next.

This counts toward the e-book challenge. Click on the logo to see my progress.

Hardly Knew Her by Laura Lippman

From Goodreads: Lippman sets many of the stories in this anthology, Hardly Knew Her, in familiar territory: her beloved Baltimore, from downtown to its affluent suburbs, where successful businessmen go to shocking lengths to protect what they have or ruthlessly expand their holdings, while dissatisfied wives find murderous ways to escape their lives. But Lippman is also unafraid to travel - to New Orleans, to an unnamed southwestern city, and even to Dublin, the backdrop for the lethal clash of two not-so-innocents abroad. Tess Monaghan is here, in two stories and a profile, aligning herself with various underdogs. And in her extraordinary, never-before published novella, Scratch a Woman, Lippman takes us deep into the private world of a high-priced call girl/madam and devoted soccer mom, exploring the mystery of what may, in fact, be written in the blood.

Wow, this one was great! The title, Hardly Knew Her, is apt as each short story takes the lead character places I couldn't imagine when they are first introduced. Not literal places, of course, but the dark places - deceit, murder, adultery. The Pollyanna in me has always believed that ordinary people are really capable of extraordinary things given the opportunity to shine. But this book takes it to the flip side of that coin, are we also, we "ordinary people", capable of horrific evil if that opportunity presents? Fun, quick read. This was the first Laura Lippman I have read. Not sure if I am ready to commit to a new series - I think her Tess Monaghan character has a series of books but I'll look and see what else she's got.

This works for these challenges..

What's On Your Nightstand? September 2011

This monthly feature is hosted by 5 Minutes for Books on the last Tuesday of every month. Click on the logo to go and check out all the participants.


This weekend was the library Fall book sale so this pile is my result! I didn't just shop willy-nilly - these are books that I have had on my mental wish list, or that complete a series, or are by my "must have" authors so I am very excited about working my way through this stack! From the bottom up...

Back When We Were Grown Ups by Anne Tyler Anne Tyler is a favorite, I try to read all of her books.

Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella The shopaholic series is the Chinese food of books, you read until you're stuffed and then ten minutes later you have to read again. So it turns out when I read the description more carefully, that I have read this one already - just forgot. Oh well.

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith This is another series I abandoned and now want to return to and wrap up. These read so quickly and are very sweet - will enjoy this one.

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson Probably my most exciting purchase. I loved Backseat Saints and Gods in Alabama, I am an official Joshilyn Jackson fan girl.

Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs More Running with Scissors type stories, I assume, we'll see.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark Another author that I just read every book no matter what. I don't buy them at full price but I do read them...eventually.

The Day of the Storm by Rosamunde Pilcher yes, she wrote the Shell Seekers.. that seems to be all anyone ever remembers of dear Rosamunde. But I am loyal - I read them all, eventually.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens and I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass Saw these two when they were making the rounds on book blogs and have had them on my mental wish list ever since.

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah I think I was kind of late to the Kristin Hannah lovefest but have since read a few and enjoyed them very much - looking forward to this one too.

Innocent Traitor by Allison Weir At one point the Facebook Historical Fiction book club chose an Allison Weir and I liked that one so am hoping this one will be as good.

The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde Title caught my attention awhile ago and it sounds interesting.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday started by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). This month Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Amused at Amused by Books. Stop by there to check out everyone else's mailboxes.


From Goodreads: One sparkling summer day, Jill Abramson brought home a nine-week-old golden retriever named Scout. Over the following year, as she and her husband raised their adorable new puppy, Abramson wrote a hugely popular column for The New York Times's website about the joys and challenges of training this rambunctious addition to their family. Dog-lovers from across the country inundated her with e-mails and letters, and the photos they sent in of their own dogs became the most visited photo album on the Times's site in 2009. Now Abramson has gone far beyond the material in her column and written a detailed and deeply personal account of Scout's first year. This one came from the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. Looks cute, I do love dogs and hers looks very sweet.

From Goodreads: Quinn Cummings is perhaps best known as the Oscar-nominated actress who played Marsha Mason's daughter in The Goodbye Girl and, somewhat less visibly, as the creator of the HipHugger, a sling-like device for carrying a baby. With the publication of this book, it is possible that Cummings will be remembered too for her unique insights and observations. For example: "I live in Los Angeles where it is now socially acceptable to carry a Starbucks cup anywhere, including a funeral." "Nearly everything I knit quickly develops an uncanny resemblance to a double helix. The only things which don't resemble a double helix are the potholders I knit. They resemble tumors." A delightfully undomesticated, unforgettable first book. This was just an impulse buy - the front cover caught my eye and the back cover read as something I would enjoy.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday started by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). This month Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Amused at Amused by Books. Stop by there to check out everyone else's mailboxes.

It's Audiobook time - I purchased a handful this past week and I am very eager to give them a listen!

From Goodreads: "It took ten seconds for Web London to lose everything: his friends, his team, his reputation. Point man of the FBI's super-elite Hostage Rescue Team, Web roared into a blind alley toward a drug dealer's lair, only to meet a high-tech, custom-designed ambush that killed everyone around him." Now coping with the blame-filled words of anguished widows and the suspicions of colleagues, Web tries to put his life back together with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Claire Daniels. To do so, he must discover why he was the one man who lived through the ambush - and find the only other person who came out of that alley alive...a ten-year-old boy who has since disappeared. I love David Baldacci on audio - he can make the time in the car just fly by. And, I particularly like Ron McLarty as narrator - he's great. This is a win-win! Really looking forward to it!

From Goodreads:Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again. For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six-year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor's family are threatened. Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.' I've listened to at least one other Harlan Coben book and it was very good - this one sounds great!

From Goodreads: The news that he had incurable cardiomyopathy struck Ryan Perry as hard as any heart attack. The 34-year-old Internet tycoon felt that his days were numbered; but thanks to a transplant, he was able not only to survive but to move forward, enjoying every day with the gratitude of a true survivor. Then one day a gift arrives; a heart pendant accompanied by a Valentine's Day box of candy hearts. With it comes a chilling message ("Your heart belongs to me") and an even more frightening video. Suddenly, Ryan's healthy, throbbing heart has become the target of a madwoman. A thriller ripped from the pages of our nightmares. I haven't read any Dean Koontz because I don't like reading scary books. Listening on the other hand seems like it might be fun...we'll see!

From Goodreads: Kay Scarpetta's return to her old Richmond stomping grounds is even more depressing than she expected. The medical examiner's department is in disarray; Kay's former lab is in the final stages of demolition; incompetence is everywhere, and personal conflicts abound. Fortunately, a murder case arises that strains even Dr. Scarpetta's forensics skills. A taut crime scene investigation thriller. I've heard a few peopel rave about these Kay Scarpetta books - figured I'd try this one since it turned up on the bargain shelf!

Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham

From Goodreads: Roxanne: glamorous, self-confident, with a secret lover -- a married man
Maggie: capable and high-achieving, until she finds the one thing she can't cope with -- motherhood
Candice: honest, decent, or so she believes -- until a ghost from her past turns up
At the first of every month, when the office has reached its pinnacle of hysteria, Maggie, Roxanne, and Candice meet at London's swankiest bar for an evening of cocktails and gossip. Here, they chat about what's new at The Londoner, the glossy fashion magazine where they all work, and everything else that's going on in their lives. Or almost everything. Beneath the girl talk and the laughter, each of the three has a secret. And when a chance encounter at the cocktail bar sets in motion an extraordinary chain of events, each one will find their biggest secret revealed.

I just read 40 Love another Madeleine Wickham book and remembered that I had never gotten around to posting this one last year. I had to give it a super quick reread which tells us something right off the bat - it doesn't stick with you! But it was a cute book and I enjoyed just as much the second time around - which is about three stars worth! It has a Sex in the City feel for me with the girls meeting at a favorite bar and hashing out all their troubles over cocktails. They each have their own unique problem so the book alternates between the three story lines. It was quick moving and interesting - a fun "read in an afternoon" book. I preferred this book over the other.