Finished second book from my toppling bookpile - Puppet by Joy Fielding.
Not one of my favorite books by this author. Seemed to be more of a love type story than suspense. Ex-Husband issues, mother issues, oh yea, and a murder. It was a quick and easy read, maybe a good one for the beach or a rainy day. Oh well, on to the next one. Always a good book waiting in the wings.

Tighter by Adele Griffin - based on Turn of the Screw

Young adult book written in 2011 based on James' 1898 "Turn of the Screw". Griffin subscribes to the theory that the Governess/Au Pair was "off". Her story loosely follows James' and provides a unique twist that the reader may not see coming (I didn't!). Griffin also throws in a love story to pique the YA interest. All in all it was a good and quick read that hopefully inspires young adults to read the original classic literature from which it was based.

Turn of the Screw - Henry James

Since college I don't read nearly as much classical literature as I'd like and so it was a challenge reading Turn of the Screw again. James' vague writing leaves vast room for interpretation which can be liberating, as well as frustrating for a reader.

Turn is a ghost story, but one never knows who/what is the real evil. It will be interesting to compare the 2011 Tighter by Adele Griffin to it's 1898 inspiration.

Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay (Third in the Series)

Third in the Dexter series which is always ghoulishly amusing. This one was not my favorite as it took more of a supernatural turn, but I still enjoyed the macabre humor and Dexter's third person descriptions. His analysis of his behaviors to determine if they are "human" enough; something maybe we should all take some time to do.

Quote I liked:
"...life itself is unfair, and there is no complaint department, so we might as well accept things the way they happen, clean up the mess, and move on."

First book from my toppling bookpile - Nights of Rain & Stars - Maeve Binchy

Not my favorite book but a nice read. 4 strangers come together on a beautiful Greek island, each one running away from their troubles. We get to hear their troubles, their hopes and their dreams and meet some interesting characters in the small Greek village.

Getting away from troubles only helps if you then reflect on those problems and find new ways to deal with them.