Book Reviews

I've always been a reader. As a little girl I was so addicted to multiple series, the usual suspects: Baby Sitter’s Club, Baby Sitter’s Little Sister, Sweet Valley Kids/Twins/etc., Pee Wee Scouts, Boxcar Children, Fear Street, Goosebumps, some series about ice skaters or gymnasts or both?, Nancy Drew… the list goes on. And on. In college and especially grad school, reading was devoted to studying only. If I read for leisure it was over the summer or on vacations!
Once I graduated I wanted to start reading again. And then I got engaged and it was reading for wedding planning only. Then we got married and I started reading again… then I began gaining weight and decided to focus on weight loss, nutrition and little else. Then I realized, I can read while walking! I can listen to books while doing strength training! I was so excited, and started reading again “on the regular” in December 2008. Now I’m even in a book club! I’m really enjoying getting back into this hobby. I’ll use this spot on my blog to post books I read, reviews, etc.

December 2008: Jennifer Weiner’s Certain Girls Review
December 2008: Jane Green’s Second Chances (audio) Short Review
December 2008: Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games Short Review FAVORITE!

2009
Book 1: January 2009: Meg Cabot’s Avalon High Review (audio)
Book 2: January 2009: Meg Cabot’s Queen of Babble Review
Book 3: January 2009: Danielle Steel’s Second Chance Review
Book 4: February 2009: Kate White’s A Body to Die For Review
Book 5: March 2009: Meg Cabot’s How to Be Popular Review
Book 6: March 2009: Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why Review
Book 7: March 2009: Kate White’s Lethally Blond Review
Book 8: June 2009: Kate White’s Over Her Dead Body Review
Book 9: June 2009: Karin Slaughter’s Triptych Review FAVORITE!
Book 10: July 2009: Pam Lewis's Speak Softly She Can Hear Review
Book 11: July 2009: Karin Slaughter’s A Faint Cold Fear Review
Book 12: July 2009: Karin Slaughter’s Indelible Review
Book 13: July 2009: Karin Slaughter’s Blindsighted Review FAVORITE! (series)
Book 14: August 2009: Audrey Niffengger’s Time Traveler’s Wife Review book club FAVORITE! 
Book 15: August 2009: Karin Slaughter’s Beyond Reach Review
Book 16: September 2009: Caprice Crane’s Stupid and Contagious Review
Book 17: September 2009: Nicholas Sparks’ At First Sight Review (audio)
Book 18: September 2009: Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook Review (audio)
Book 19: September 2009: Joshilyn Jackson’s The Girl Who Stopped Swimming Review book club FAVORITE!
Book 20: October 2009: Suzanne Collins’ Catching Fire Review
Book 21: October 2009: Nicholas Sparks’ The Wedding Review (audio)
Book 22: October 2009: James Patterson’s Sail Review (audio)
Book 23: October 2009: Karin Slaughter’s Faithless Review
Book 24: November 2009: Sue Miller’s While I Was Gone Review book club
Book 25: November 2009: Meg Cabot’s Big Boned Review
Book 26: November 2009: Janice Kaplan’s Looks to Die For Review (audio) FAVORITE!
Book 27: December 2009: Jill Smolinski's The Next Thing on My List Review book club
Book 28: December 2009: Janice Kaplan's A Job To Kill For Review

2010
Book #1: January 2010: Candice Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle Review
Book #2: January 2010: Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic and Baby Review
Book #3: February 2010: Mary Jane Clark's Dancing in the Dark Review (audio)
Book #4: February 2010: Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? Review
Book #5: March 2010: James Patterson's Honeymoon Review (audio) FAVORITE!
Book #6: March 2010: Kate Morgenroth's They Did it With Love Review book club FAVORITE!
Book #7: March 2010: Walter Mosely's The Wave Review (audio)
Book #8: April 2010: Stephenie Meyer's The Host Review FAVORITE!
Book #9: April 2010: Mary Alice Monroe's The Book Club Review book club
Book #10: April 2010: Mary Higgins Clark The Two Little Girls in Blue Review (audio)
Book #11: May 2010: Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song Review
Book #12: May 2010: Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl Review
Book #13: May 2010: Leslie Meier's Mother's Day Murder Review
Book #14: May 2010: Nicholas Sparks' Dear John Review
Book #15: May 2010: Joanne Fluke's The Fudge Cupcake Murder Review
Book #16: May 2010: Nora Robert's Naked in Death (audio) Review 
Book #17: May 2010: Leslie Meier's Turkey Day Murder Review
Book #18: May 2010: Dean Koontz's Intensity Review
Book #19: June 2010: Emily Giffin's The Heart of the Matter Review book club
Book #20: June 2010: Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper (audio) Review
Book #21: June 2010: Leslie Meier's Star Spangled Murder Review
Book #22: July 2010: Mary Higgin's Clark I've Heard That Song Before (audio) Review FAVORITE! 
Book #23: July 2010: Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse (re-read) Review FAVORITE! (series)
Book #24: July 2010: James Patterson's Double Cross (audio) Review
Book #25: July 2010: Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth Review
Book #26: August 2010: James Patterson's You've Been Warned (audio) Review
Book #27: August 2010: Carrie Ryan's The Dead-Tossed Waves Review
Book #28: August 2010: Nancy Werlin's Impossible Review
Book #29: September 2010: Kathryn Stockett's The Help Review FAVORITE!
Book #30: September 2010: Elizabeth Brundage's The Doctor's Wife Review FAVORITE!
Book #31: September 2010: James Patterson's The 5th Horseman (audio) Review
Book #32: September 2010: Jane Green's The Beach House Review
Book #33: September 2010: James Patterson's Beach House (audio) Review
Book #34: October 2010: James Patterson's 4th of July (audio) Review
Book #35: October 2010: Karin Slaughter's Fractured Review
Book #36: October 2010: Karin Slaughter's Undone Review
Book #37: October 2010: Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects Review book club FAVORITE!
Book #38: November 2010: Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (audio) Review
Book #39: November 2010: Sue Grafton's M is for Malice (audio) Review
Book #40: November 2010: Jame's Patterson's The 8th Confession (audio) Review
Book #41: December 2010: Susanna Sonnenberg's Her Last Death Review
Book #42: December 2010: Suzanne Collin's Mockingjay Review
Book #43: December 2010: Joanne Fluke's Key Lime Pie Murder Review
Book #44: December 2010: Michelle Huneven's Blame Review book club

2011
Book #1: January 2011: Joanne Fluke's Cream Puff Murder Review
Book #2 January 2011: James Patterson's Beach Road (audio) Review
Book #3 January 2011: Emma Donohue's Room Review book club FAVORITE!
Book #4 February 2011: Nora Roberts' The Search (audio) Review
Book #5 February 2011: Gillian Flynn's Dark Places Review
Book #6 February 2011: Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell Review
Book #7 March 2011: J.K. Rowling's Harry Pottery and the Sorcerer's Stone Review
Book #8 March 2011: Nora Roberts' The Tribute (audio) Review
Book #9 March 2011: Mary Higgins Clark's Daddy's Little Girl Review
Book #10 March 2011: Jennifer Weiner's The Guy Not Taken (audio) Review
Book #11 March 2011: Emily Listfield's Best Intentions Review book club FAVORITE!
Book #12 April 2011: James Patterson's The Postcard Killers (audio) Review
Book #13 April 2011: Nicci French's Losing You Review
Book #14 April 2011: Elizabeth Berg's Say When Review
Book #15 April 2011: Lauren Oliver's Before I fall Review book club
Book #16 April 2011: Dean Koontz's The Good Guy (audio) Review
Book #17 May 2011: Hallie Ephron's Never Tell a Lie Review
Book #18 May 2011: Laura Lippman's Another Thing to Fall (audio) Review
Book #19 May 2011: Anita Shreve's Testimony (audio) Review FAVORITE!
Book #20 May 2011 Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed (re-read) Review FAVORITE!
Book #21 May 2011: Jennifer Weiner's Fly Away Home Review
Book #22 June 2011: Sophie Kinsella's Mini Shopaholic Review
Book #23 June 2011: Karin Alvtegen's Missing Review
Book #24 June 2011: Joanna Philbin's The Daughters (audio) Review
Book #25 June 2011: Sheryl J. Anderson's Killer Heels Review
Book #26 July 2011: Chevy Steven's Still Missing Review book club FAVORITE
Book #27 July 2011: Dean Koontz's The Husband Review (audio) 
Book #28 July 2011: Emily Listfield's The Last Good Night Review
Book #29 July 2011: Jane Green's Dune Road Review
Book #30 August 2011: James Patterson & Maxine Pateru's Swimsuit Review (audio)
Book #31 August 2011: James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet's Sundays at Tiffany's Review (audio)
Book #32 August 2011: Sarah Gruen's Water for Elephants Review (book club)
Book #33 September 2011: James Patterson's Cross Country (audio) Review
Book #34 December 2011: Susan Rebecca White's A Soft Place to Land Review (book club)

2012
Book #1 February 2012: Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Review
Book #2 April 2012: Heather Gudenkauf's These Things Hidden Review  FAVORITE
Book #3 May 2012: E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey Review
Book #4 May 2012: Lauren Grodstein's A Friend of the Family Review
Book #5 May 2012: Jennifer McMahon's Don't Breathe A Word Review
Book #6 June 2012: Kate White's So Pretty It Hurts Review
Book #7 June 2012: Emily Giffin's Something Blue re-read Review FAVORITE
Book #8 July 2012: Emily Giffin's Baby Proof re-read
Book #10 August 2012: Karin Slaughter's Broken
Book #11 September 2012: Laura Lippman's The Most Dangerous Things
Book #12 September 2012: Nancy Thayer's Beachcombers
Book #13 October 2012: Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number

2013
Book #1: January 2013: Joan Meek's New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding Review
Book #2: January 2013: Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam's On Becoming Baby Wise Review
Book #3: February 2013: Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block Review
Book #4: February 2013: Rachel Schurig's Three Girls and a Baby Review
Book #5: March 2013: Rachel Schurig's Three Girls and a Wedding Review
Book #6: March 2013: Rachel Schurig's Three Girls and a Leading Man Review
Book #7: Mach 2013: Rachel Schurig's The Truth About Ever After Review
Book #8: March 2013: Tracy Brogan's Crazy Little Thing Review FAVORITE
Book #9: March 2013: Elisabeth Naughton's Wait For Me coming soon
Book #10: March 2013: Leslie Meier's Bake Sale Murder coming soon
Book #11: June 2013: Kate White's Hush Review
Book #12: June 2013: Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain Review FAVORITE
Book #13: July 2013: Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl Review

Books that sound good: 
  • Sophie Hannah's The Wrong Mother coming soon
  • Marian Keyes The Brightest Star in the Sky coming soon
  • Linda Castillo's Sworn to Silence coming soon
  • Cathy Lamb's Such a Pretty Face coming soon
  • P.C. and  Kristin Cast's Marked (Teresa rec)
  • Emily Listfield's Waiting to Surface 
  • Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever 
  • Susan Rebecca White's Who Loves You Best
  • Jane Green's Promises to Keep and Swapping Lives 
  • Pam Lewis's A Perfect Family
  • Katrina Kittle's The Kindness of Strangers
  • Randy Susan Meyers' The Murderers Daughters
  • Heather Gudenkauf's These Things Hidden and The Weight of Silence
  • Linda Castillo's Pray for Silence
  • Carrie Ryan's The Dark and Hollow Places (Mom rec)
  • Meg Cabot's She Went All the Way
  • Joshilyn Jackson's Backseat Saints
  • Kate Morgenroth's Through the Heart
  • Cody McFadyen's Abandoned  (Stacy Rec)
  • Dan Chaon's You Remind Me  (Stacy Rec)
  • Cammie McGovern's Eye Contact
  • Robert Goolrick's A Reliable Wife (Mom Rec)
  • Laura Lippman's I'd Know You Anywhere (Mom Rec)
  • Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists (Mom Rec)
  • Johanna Edwards' The Next Big Thing, Your Big Break and How to be Cool (Runi rec)
  • Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle
  • Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep
  • Rosamund Lupton's Sister (mom rec)
  • Allyson Richman's The Lost Wife (hungry meets healthy rec)