Nice read. Set in 1928 in France. Sometimes I felt a little lost because of the names of French towns and some French words, but overall I enjoyed this little book. It is based on a real life tragic event that occurred in 1328 but does not dwell on it. It does deal with love, lost and remembrance.

Garden of Spells - Sarah Addison Allen

Reminded me much of Alice Hoffman's book with the strong mystical women as the central characters. This didn't have as much depth and meaning as Hoffman, but still a pretty good story. Not too much of a love story to be romance, not enough suspense to be a thriller, but a nice blend to make an enjoyable and quick read.

This book tell us about the 30 year career of a jewel thief from the Cleveland, Ohio area. It was interesting to read about places that I have heard of and even been to ( Headland Beach, in Mentor), but it soon became boring and I had to force myself to keep reading. I got the feeling that the thief was rather impressed with himself for all of the jobs that he pulled.. I am sorry that this book was on my toppling bookpile!!

Manhunt - James L. Swanson

Very informative book about the assassination of President Lincoln and the chase after the assassins - primarily John Wilkes Booth (though there were other assassins of other government officials and many co-conspirators). So much of the history that I did not remember, retain or maybe never learned from my primary school days. The book was well written in that it kept my attention and was at times suspenseful, yet there were times it also felt repetitious. Though, it has inspired me to want to read more about Lincoln and his presidency.

It is amazing to see how far we've come in medicine and science to now deal with injuries and crimes after reading the crude methods of the 1800's!

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens

Great page-turner suspense, especially from a debut author. Could feel the terror of the main character, especially as it was written in the format of therapy sessions. Felt the ending was weak - at least the answer to the question "why", but maybe it just wasn't written so it was convincing to the reader. It didn't take away from the thriller that the book is and I look forward to reading her next book "Never Knowing"!

The Dead Path - Stephen M. Irwin

Very creepy and Stephen Kingish.
Nicholas returns to his boyhood village and tries to uncover the reason for many children's disappearances and the secret of the old woods. Oh yea, he also sees ghosts.
What makes this book so good is the descriptive passages. The author really puts the reader right in the thick of things, or the thick of the woods!!!!! For example "...how vines curled up trunks like possessive serpents, rose straight like zippers, or clung with their own green claws like headless jade dragons." Oh and wait until you read about the spiders!!!!! yuck!!!!
I could not read this book before going to bed. yes, it was that creepy!!!!

Sister by Rosamund Lupton. A debut novel that was a good read. A story about two sisters, younger one is missing and the older one is trying to find out what happened to her. It is told in a letter form from the older sister to the younger sister. As the reader, you are the receiver of the letters. It was rather good with a small twist at the end. Enjoyable and I would read this author again.

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.

Who are we if we do not have memories? Just finished a book, "Before I go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson about a woman who only remembers today. Every morning when she wakes up, she has no memories. She must begin every day learning who she is, who her husband is, and knows nothing about her life before that morning and she must trust and believe what her husband tells her. So again, who are we without our memories? A good book, a little slow is some spots, but definitely wanted to find out what would happen next.