THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

Rick wrote: "A Tale of Two Cities. It took 100 pages to really get into it. Slow moving and verbose"

AMEN!!! I had to read it in an Honors English class during my senior year of high school. HATED THAT NOVEL. I was so relieved to finish reading it.

Restless by Michelle Bellon

Funny, romantic, sexy…a love story.
You grow up. You get married. You have a family. At least, that’s what Malea Winters believes she’s supposed to do. So why is it that every time she comes close to finding that happily ever after, she runs?
When she meets Garrett Taylor, she warns him that she’s not the marrying type because history has shown that long-term relationships are not her forte. She has a tendency to leave when things get too serious; the direct result of being raised by an emotionally detached mother and a stepdad with philandering ways. So she swore off men and surrounded herself with her best friends; three quirky, funny women who are facing challenges of their own.
But Garrett is everything she’s ever looked for; charming, successful, fun, and sexy. Despite her better judgment, his persistence pays off and she finds herself falling for him.
Learning how to love and be loved will be the hardest lesson she’s ever faced. The question is, will her relationships survive that lesson?

About the author:
Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her four children and fiancé, Seth. She loves coffee and has an addiction to chapstick. She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards.

http://goo.gl/qb7brZ Restless (Kindle ed.)
https://goo.gl/S8dRO5 Michelle Bellon's Facebook Page
https://goo.gl/GgznIM Michelle Bellon's Facebook Author Page
http://goo.gl/Hur94K Michelle Bellon's Website

Finished NYPD Red 4 - James Patterson and now will read 15th Affair - James Patterson

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities. Interesting though quite slow moving

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities. Interesting though quite slow moving

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities. Interesting though quite slow moving

I finished Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. In this true story the author adopts "Homer" - a blind black kitten - when he's two weeks old, fearing his 'disability' might hamper the kittie's life. Instead, Homer is a brave, funny superhero who enchants everyone he meets. An entertaining heartwarming story. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished 15th Affair - James Patterson. Now I am going to read Play Dead - Angela Marsons for review on Netgalley.

Barbara wrote: "I finished Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. In this charming cozy mystery set in..."

I absolutely adore this series! AMcS's books are filled with grace, charm, and wit and one of the highlights of my life was getting to meet this fabulous author at a lecture/book signing, shake his hand, pose for a photo with him, chat for a few minutes, and have him sign my copy of ! So happy to "meet" other fans of Mma Ramotswe and the rest of the Botswana gang!

Rick wrote: "I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities. Interesting though quite slow moving"

I have never read a word of Dickens, I'm ashamed to say. Maybe I should give him a try. Which book do you recommend as my first read?

I am currently re-reading , or more accurately, listening to the audiobook. I read this for the first time in 1987 and though dated, it is still one of my favorite "end of the world," good versus evil novels. I think The Stand is still my favorite in this genre but Swan Song runs a close second. If you like The Stand, give Swan Song a try.

Finished Play Dead - Angela Marsons this morning. Now I am going to read/listen to Captivated by You - Sylvia Day.

Kath wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I finished Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. In this charming coz..."

Kath, I'm a big fan of Mma Ramotswe :) Nice that you got to meet the author...I'm sure he's a charming guy!

I finished Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by crime writer Val McDermid.

I thought the book was an excellent overview of the subject with lots of interesting and relevant examples. 5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

by Heather Gudenkauf
OMG I So loved this book! It was well writen and I was shock who the killer was. I am So going be reading more from her.

Now I will be reading these

by Iris Johansen

And

by Karen White

I finished Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.

Maya Burkett's sister was murdered and her husband was mugged and killed. She also has PTSD from a special ops mission that went wrong. So when Maya sees (supposedly dead) hubby on a nanny cam....what's she supposed to think?
A page turner. 3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished reading a new thriller called Lunar Options that made me sit up straight and hold my Kindle tighter. Bought it because I caught it on sale at Amazon for a couple bucks and it sounded interesting. The power of the story caught me off guard. I've been telling everyone about it. It was just released about a month ago, but hasn't found it's audience yet. I like to trumpet great new writers.

Dave wrote: "I just finished reading a new thriller called Lunar Options that made me sit up straight and hold my Kindle tighter. Bought it because I caught it on sale at Amazon for a couple buc..."

Looks interesting.

I finished Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan.
Betty Jean, a middle-aged African American woman, has lots going on in her family. Her husband has Alzheimer's; her drug addict daughter drops off her two young boys and skedaddles; she has a son who's a snobby chiropractor and a son who's in prison; she has two difficult sisters; .....and so on. But Betty Jean handles it all (she's my hero). Good book. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Merchants in the Temple: Inside Pope Francis's Secret Battle Against Corruption in the Vatican by Gianluigi Nuzzi.

An exposé of the entrenched, morally suspect and financially unscrupulous culture of the Vatican - and Pope Francis's attempts to fix the problem.
Interesting book, but overly detailed and a bit confusing. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Some books I just read
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
OMG this book was soooooo good i started it monday morning and by Monday Night I was finish with it. I felt so sorry for Alison.

Most Likely to Die by Lisa Jackson Beverly Barton Wendy Corsi Staub
Another great book written by bunch of ladies. I was so shock who really the killer was. it was a twist I tell you that.

The Murder House by James Patterson
Another book only took me a day to read since i read it doctor office Very good mystery. But I felt like The Police was run by idiots though

If I Run by Terri Blackstock
First book i ever read from her it was okay of a book not my fav


Now What I am reading Next
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Check this out at the library the other day. I be reading it next

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison
Library calls said they have it in went to check it out will be reading either before or after Nightingle

Now these are the books i bought that i be reading sometime this weekend or next week
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter*WALMART*
And She Was by Alison Gaylin*EBAY*
Revenge by Lisa Jackson *WALMART*

Nice selection of books Shannon :)

I finished Play Dead by Angela Marsons.

While touring a 'body farm' DI Kim Stone discovers a body that doesn't belong there. And it's just the first! A good twisty story with interesting characters and some big surprises. Recommended to mystery fans. 3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz.

Evan Smoak was trained to be a world class assassin in the black ops "Orphan Program". Evan eventually left the program to help people in trouble...but someone has him in their sights. A well-written, exciting thriller. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M. by Suzanne Corkin.

This non-fiction book tells the story of Henry Molaison, who had parts of his brain removed when he was 27 years old - to control severe epilepsy. Afterwards Henry could no longer form ANY new memories. The author, a neuroscientist, studied/tested Henry for 46 years...becoming a friend as well as researcher. Interesting book, but very technical. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Book of Joe: About a Dog and His Man by Vincent Price.

Vincent Price (the actor) tells wonderful stories about his beloved dog Joe, as well as other animals he's known and loved. Well-written and funny with charming illustrations. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just read Kate Lucky's first book, "A Grand Murder". It had a few editing problems, but it was a good story and even made me laugh out loud.

I also read "House of the Hanging Jade" by Amy Reade. Very engaging and I couldn't put it down.

I finished Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith. Moscow police investigator Arkady Renko is sent to "The Zone" - the area around the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe - to investigate a death. The strength of the story lies in the vivid description of The Zone and its residents.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A few days ago, I began reading "After the War Is Over" by Jennifer Robson. For some time now, I have had an interest in learning about how people lived both during the First World War and in its immediate aftermath.

This particular novel is set in Britain during 1919 and 1920 and follows the lives of a number of people who experienced profound changes in their lives during the War.

I finished Headhunters by Jo Nesbø.

This isn't one of Nesbo's "Harry Hole" novels.

In this book, arrogant corporate headhunter/art thief Roger Brown encounters a client with a problematic agenda (to put it mildly). Darkly humorous thriller...but just okay for me. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert.

This book is about humans doing so much damage to Earth that they're causing the sixth mass extinction (adding to the previous five). The planet will inevitably recover (unless we blow it to smithereens somehow). However people might just be gone for good. I liked the book. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm reading Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson because I read a blog somewhere that said if you like Downton Abbey then you should read this book, lol. It's set during WWI. I like it!

I'm reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. (I know, I know, everyone read it years ago.) The whole time travel thing was off-putting to a mystery writer like me who likes tidy conclusions, but I'm into the whole Scottish Highlands thing right now because I have a character in my latest book who is from the Highlands and it's fun to read something with the accent built in.

I have been searching for a book to satisfy my interest in the founding of the state of Israel as described in Uris' Exodus.

I have recently read Meyer Levin's The Settlers and Yosef Gotlieb's Rise, but neither address all of the various threads that led to statehood. If anyone has any suggestions for a good book about this historical time period, I would appreciate it.

Patricia wrote: "I have been searching for a book to satisfy my interest in the founding of the state of Israel as described in Uris' Exodus.

... If anyone has any suggestions for a good book about this historical time period, I would appreciate it."

++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Patricia,

Here are some books that I hope will be helpful to you in furthering your knowledge and understanding of that era.

1) 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War by Benny Morris



2) A Senseless, Squalid War: Voices from Palestine 1945–1948 by Norman Rose



3) The End of the British Mandate for Palestine, 1948: The Diary of Sir Henry Gurney by Motti Golani



4) O Jerusalem by Larry Collins




Best Wishes.


KOMET

I finished Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

The story is about a slightly demented environmentalist who enacts revenge on a litterer and tries to stop an unspoiled Florida island from becoming a golf resort. Crazy situations abound. Good fun light reading. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished This Is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society by Kathleen McAuliffe,

This non-fiction book talks about how parasites and pathogens can affect the behavior of the animals they infect...including humans! It goes on to discuss how our avoidance of these nasty little creatures may have led to the development of culture, religion, behavior, whether you're a liberal or conservative...and so on (ha ha ha). Interesting book. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News that Matters to Cats by Georgia Dunn.

This is a very cute illustrated book about three cat journalists who report news of interest to cats from their home. Clever and fun. Highly recommended, especially to cat lovers. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Set in South Korea, this short novel revolves around a woman who becomes a vegetarian. By and by this dramatically affects her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister (the three narrators of the story). Kind of an odd book but it won some big awards. 3.5 stars for me.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Live and Let Growl by Laurien Berenson.

Melanie Travis (and her poodle Faith) accompany Aunt Peg to a dog show in Kentucky, where Aunt Peg will judge. While they're there an old friend, Miss Ellie, has a fatal 'accident.' The cozy's not that much of a mystery but I enjoyed it and learned a lot about dog shows and Thoroughbred racehorses. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Following welfare reform in the mid-1990s many unskilled workers had to enter the work force, usually at minimum wage jobs. In 1998 political activist and writer Barbara Ehrenreich 'went undercover' to live and work like the working poor. She then wrote this book, which is an interesting (if not quite authentic) look at the plight of the economically disadvantaged. And it's still very relevant today. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Last night, I finished reading Marked for Death: The First War in the Air by James Hamilton-Paterson.

This is a fantastic book. It sheds considerable light on the evolution of aviation from its inception through the First World War. Topics such as 'Why Biplanes?', 'Armed to the Teeth', 'Combat and Other Missions', 'The Making of a Flying Man', 'How they lived', 'Parachutes and Fatalism', and 'Home Defence' give the reader a full perspective on the science, prevailing attitudes, mysteries, joys and hazards of flying.

Reading The Reaper - Steven Dunne.

I finished Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb.

In this 38th book in the series Lt. Eve Dallas investigates when the bodies of 12 teenage girls are discovered in a building being renovated by her billionaire husband Roarke. I'm in the minority but I didn't especially like this book. 2.5 stars for me.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short,

In this entertaining memoir the gifted comedian talks about his life, career, family, and friends. Funny and touching. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation
by Melissa Rivers.

Melissa Rivers tells funny and touching stories about her mom Joan Rivers, who had a long career as a comic, host of a talk show, and host of Fashion Police. Joan was also a loving mother and grandmother. An enjoyable book. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just read A Tale of Two Cities. Utterly brilliant if a bit confusing at times. I them watched the 1935 Ronald Colman film version which was very well done.

I finished The Merry Wives of Maggody by Joan Hess.

In this 16th book in the series Mrs. Jim Bob (the mayor's wife) organizes a golf tournament to benefit 'golf widows.' Murder ensues and Chief of Police Arly Hanks investigates. I'm a big fan of this series....which is usually hilarious. This book was a disappointment though. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Last Monday (July 18th), I began reading "Love and War in London: The Mass Observation Wartime Diary of Olivia Cockett" by Olivia Cockett. It is a fascinating story about a remarkable woman who provides an interesting view of the home front in Great Britain between 1939 and 1942. (Cockett worked for New Scotland Yard.)

I have had a longstanding interest in the Second World War. So, when I came across this book written by someone who wrote about their everyday experiences during the war itself, my curiosity prompted me to read this book.

The Mass Observation (MO) Program began in Britain in the late 1930s in which members of the general public were invited to record their experiences and thoughts in diary form and share their diaries (via regular installments sent by post) with MO. These diaries are now part of the MO archives in Sussex, England.

While it is important to know about the Second World War in terms of its battles, the political & military leaders, weaponry, strategy, and tactics - it's also important to know about life on the various home fronts.

KOMET wrote: "Last Monday (July 18th), I began reading "Love and War in London: The Mass Observation Wartime Diary of Olivia Cockett" by Olivia Cockett. It is a fascinating story a..."

Looks like an interesting book.