Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule

Subtitle: A woman's fury, a mother's sacrifice -- Had I read more of the cover and comments I would not have picked this up. This is a true crime story and really not something I like to delve into. It was very well written and this is Rule's specialty. This is about a woman who seems to have things together but is prone to temper tantrums and always having her own way. When her marriage started to fall apart things got really bad. She started a small house fire when her husband first asked for a divorce and started to poison him when he asked a second time. In the end she completely lost it and burned her second home down killing two of her children. She was a sick and twisted woman and is in prison for the rest of her life. If you like to read about these things then you will probably enjoy it. It was not a terrible book, but it was not the subject matter I enjoy reading about.

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

This was very different from all of his lawyer type books. I have never really been able to get into his books and was not sure about this one. Someone we met along the way said this was a good read and Terry actually ended up reading it before me and enjoyed it. The story is about a washed up NFL quarterback who is at the end of the line and ends up playing ball in Parma, Italy. It was an easy and enjoyable read. Rick Dockery, the quarterback, gets some of his love for the game back and is doing pretty good and in a very different place personally in the end. It was a fun story.

The Letter of the Law by Tim Green

I picked this up at a book exchange from one of the marinas. It was a very good choice. It takes place in Texas with an up and coming lawyer. She wants it all and gets pulled into a case that ends up haunting her. Green did a great job developing the characters and pulling you through the whole story. He took you right to the end and I was not sure what was going to happen. There really was no predictability. Green made you feel for the characters that were good and really revile the ones that were bad. I am looking forward to finding more of his books.

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

All I can say is that you knew you were reading Hiaasen when you picked this up. The stories are always different, but the sick, twisted things that he weaves leave you laughing and scratching your head. This book was about a music star wannabe, Cherry Pye, and all the troubles that went along with it. The strange body guard, a crazed photographer, twisted parents - it just goes on and on. An old character shows up, Skink, and he always has something good up his sleeve. Terry and I both read this one and we loved the whole thing, until the end. Truthfully the end sucked! It was a huge let down from the whole story. But, if you have not read any Hiaasen yet you really must. He is funny and sick and twisted and you will end up laughing and wondering where on earth he comes up with this stuff.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

I am still not sure what I think of this book. Once I was about half way through I wanted to see what was going to happen. There really did not seem to be any story line. It takes place after the war in the mid-50's. Penelope is one that runs in higher circles and wound up running with Charlotte. They went to all these different parties, name dropped and seemed to just have a good time. There were underlying issues with everyone through out the book, but nothing was really stand out. I guess there is really not much I can say. I am glad I made it through the book, but I am not sure what the whole point of it was.

Sister's Choice by Emilie Richards

A very moving book, but a little predictable. Two sisters who have lead very different lives and are not sure how to trust each other. The younger sister, Jamie, was pretty much brought up by her older sister, Kendra. Jamie was the wild one while Kendra was the responsible one. Jamie decides to be a surrogate for her sister. There are a lot of bridges being mended through this process and issues that have long been dormant that come out and need to be resolved. There are some sub-stories that make the story very rich and enjoyable. Some questions that come up for me are how much do you do for your sister? Why do you feel you need to do things? Are you looking for acceptance or praise? How do you know when enough is enough without losing yourself? Richards did a beautiful job developing the characters and story line and I don't feel that anything was really lacking. It was one of those books where you could put it down, but you really did not want to and a little sad when it was over because you want to know what happens in these folks lives. It left me with a good feeling and a need to watch out for more of her books.