Last Words - Mariah Stewart

From Library Journal:

A serial killer with a penchant for swaddling his victims in plastic wrap is at work in peaceful St. Dennis. Police Chief Gabriel Beck agrees to call in the FBI for help, but attractive special agent Mia Shields isn't quite what he expected. Then the killings increase, and the two realize they must now use Mia as bait. The romance between Beck and Mia develops nicely, right along with the investigation, and while it doesn't get in the way of the mystery, it is important to the story. Second in Stewart's trilogy about the Shields family, this graphic woman-in-jeopardy tale is typical of her suspense novels and sure to keep her fans entertained. The final chapter in the series, Last Breath, will be out in August 2007. Stewart (Last Look) lives in the Philadelphia area.

So this Shields family is in quite a few Stewart book, but I found Mia less likeable than most of the other Shields folks. The book had a good storyline. The idea was good, it just never really came to that point of "good" for me. It was ok. I liked Beck, I liked most of the side characters. I found Mia to be a bit whiney. I think that Stewart had a good idea but I think maybe the battle with alcohol and depression was just a little ambitious for this book. There was a bit too much going on for her to be able to give that the attention that it needed. I read Mariah Stewart a long time ago, and I remembered liking her. I think (hope) that she has maybe evolved since this book, because I kept reaching out for something that wasn't quite there. I wanted to see Mia and Beck's relationship emerge, and it just didn't. In fact there were several times that I wondered if he even liked her. It was just o.k. for me.



New Format

So I want to work harder on this part of my blogging world. I try very hard to write something everyday in my personal blog, so I would like to get more serious about this blog too.
I've looked around and found a format that I'll be using. It's for school children, but I think that I really like how it's set up.
*Random Tid Bit ~ Whenever I'm researching something, I go straight to the Juvenile Non Fiction section. In a children's book you get basically the same information, only they get right to the point. If I need to expand on that, then I head to the Adult Non Fiction.
So in this case, I feel the same way (although I'll tweek it a little). I hope that works out!

Challenge!

So I've been looking around to find a few more challenges to get me out of my little box of things I read.

I've found a few that I'll be trying.

First is the Lost! Reading Challenge

I'm signing up under the WALT! Level. Kind of Scary...I know!

NEXT:
Because I neglected to do this with Tonya when I was gonna!!!

Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge

I have signed up at the Lorelei level. That means 10 different books from three different categories.

Whew, I'm exhausted already!



The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

From Barnes and Noble:

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

Well folks, I can check this one off. Boy did it take me forever. There were parts of this book that I found cute, and I liked the little hobbit, but this was no life changer for me. I've heard so much about this book that are just glowing reviews and hints at it being just life changing and wonderful. I didn't see it. I was determined to finish. I was annoyed to have to keep reading. I did not enjoy the rambling through the forest, the talk about all these creatures nor the fighting. I enjoyed the little ramblings going on in Bilbo's head. He vaguely reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. The best thing about this book, to me, is that I can now write it down as one of those things that I've done. UGG, glad to be done...unfortunately that means I have to read Lord of the Rings now...

**Favorite Quote from The Hobbit:
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold (as the hobbits do), it would be a merrier world."
Followed closely by:
"Please don't cook me, kind sirs!"

Here To Stay - Catherine Anderson

From Barnes and Noble:

Mandy Pajeck had a tough childhood. Now 28, she feels responsible for the accident that took her younger brother's sight. But his complete reliance on her care is making them both miserable. When she meets handsome Zach Harrigan and his mini guide horse, she thinks she's found the ticket to her brother's happiness-and maybe her own.

So I enjoyed this. It was an interesting read and it's been a while since I've read Catherine Anderson. It was different from what I remember reading by her before, but it could just be because it's been a while. This was nifty for me because I know the world's first guide pony and his owner. **Side note, he's a very cool man with his roots firmly in Christianity**
Anywho it was very interesting to sort of get a gist of how these ponies get trained. I liked Zack and Mandy and I came to like Luke. I like the Harrigan/Coulter family and have enjoyed thir books in the past. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it!

Harvest Moon - Robyn Carr

 

From Barnes and Noble:

Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock's sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she's retreated to her sister Jillian's house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate.
Puttering in Jill's garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly's starting to feel a little too unmotivated…until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter—a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief's rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She's the reason they moved from L.A., but Courtney's finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.
Kelly's never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can't be any worse than a histrionic chef…right?

As you know, I do like the Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr. This book I was glad to see most of the character's we already know plus some new ones. This book she went with a more serious slant. She did a fantastic job of tackling Kelly's stress, Courtney's abuse and issues that she's facing with losing her mother plus regular ol' teenage angst. She tackled Lief's ex wife and step mother issues. Right now I am trying to stick with easy peasy happy go lucky stuff and this was a little deeper than what I've been looking for, but it was good none the less. I like the way the story weaves and comes back around. It is a nice addition to Virgin River!

Completely Smitten by Susan Mallery

From Barnes and Noble:

Haley Foster had lived her entire life in a box. Guided by her preacher father and the residents of her tiny hometown as to what to do, what to wear and even who to marry, she'd lost herself along the way. But no more. Now she was going to live on her own terms and do all the things good preachers' daughters didn't do. Starting with Kevin Harmon.

The injured U.S. Marshal needed a ride from Kansas to his home in Texas. Haley had a car. She figured she owed him a favor. And he knew a lot more about being bad than she did. A few days, just the two of them, in her tiny convertible and intimate hotel rooms…It would be fun, it would be passionate, it would be an experience.
At least, that was her plan. He just didn't know it yet.

I just love Susan Mallery. I haven't met a book I didn't like, in my eyes she can do no wrong. She tells completely sweet stories about people that I like and they have one big bump and then smooth along. I love reading books that are fun and can make me laugh. I love when I like the people in them. I love when they grow and learn become better people by the end. I love when the hero takes up for and saves the heroine. Really, I do just love her. I also have this thing with guys in uniform (obviously). So I generally like stuff with police, fire, military, something uniformish in one of the characters.
I just loved Haley. She was great. She was naive, yet somehow not completely dumb. She views thing in a refreshing way. She shouldn't have made a strong female character role that I would like, but somehow she did.
I liked Kevin. He didn't come in and take over. He saw what she needed and let her do what she needed to. He took over when he deemed it necessary, but mostly he let her work her own stuff out. That's pretty important.
Loved it, not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it a whole bunch!