139) JUDGE AND JURY—James Patterson & Andrew Gross—FBI agent goes after the really bad mobster and in the process is removed from the case. Taking matters in hand, for reasons developed in the book he becomes Judge and Jury, pursuing the mobster to “the end of the earth”. In my opinion, not one of Patterson’s best efforts.

Tomb of the Golden Bird, by Elizabeth Peters. This most recent in the Amelia Peabody mystery series continues to charm readers with an intriguing blend of mystery, archaeology, romance, humor and that certain dignified panache that only Amelia can give! The 18th in the series about the Emerson family and entourage centers around the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.

I was recently asked to do a couple "Lunch and Learn" talks about the Amelia books, which gave me a chance to revisit my old friends in the series. If you like a good mystery, with wit and humor--and especially if you have any interest in archaeology (though you'll still like them if you don't) give the series a try. They can each be read on their own, but for full enjoyment start with the first, "Crocodile on the Sandbank."

I just finished Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman. It is a teen book, recommended both by Carrie and my daughter. It is a great story of an almost-twelve year old Jewish girl's struggle with faith. Justine's parents aren't Orthodox, and don't really even go to Synagogue, but her Grandmother Bubbe, who survived the Holocaust, keeps kosher and doesn't miss a Sabbath. Justine feels like an extra in her family, and so decides to become Catholic for Lent, like her best friend. When she attends Mass with her friend's family the same morning that Bubbe has a stroke, Justine feels that she caused it, which increases her guilt. How she struggles to find her place in her family and her faith is a touching, funny book that I recommend to teens and anyone who wants a good read.

Well, it is getting to be that time of year. Although not quite Thanksgiving, the holiday decorations are showing up in all the stores and the lighted reindeer and wreaths are appearing in the downtown area. It is also the time that we start to see a lot of little Christmas books, some by our favorite authors, and some by the not-so-famous.

I finished Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews (see my last post) and it was a fun read--I would recommend it for a light Christmas read whether or not you have read the other books about those characters. But, I just finished this morning a truly laugh-out-loud Christmas story. It is The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry. It is only 118 pages, with many vintage photos, and is a super-quick, feel-good read! Set in 1960, Doug is a shepherd in this year's Christmas pageant, an improvement over the Wise Man role from last year that got he and his fellow Wise guys in big trouble. The girl he likes, Judy, is Mary, but playing Joseph is Kyle, the smart, funny, athletic guy that everyone wants to be. And, the family dog, Frank, is getting old and may not make it until Christmas. Throw in a surprise ending involving bat guano....funny enough to make me read parts aloud to my middle schoolers, and funny enough to make them laugh (and they weren't just being polite!). This book is joining The True Story of Christmas by Anne Fine and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson as my Christmas must-reads!

THE SECOND HORSEMAN—Kyle Mills—Great story, Great storytelling! A quite mischievous, albeit extraordinarily talented, crook, by very devious means, is 'hired' to steal $200 million to be given to a Ukrainian crime organization in exchange for a dozen nuclear warheads to be used for.......? The frightening potential reality of the plot is tempered by the often humorous exchanges among the characters, as well as plot developments themselves. I've got to read more Kyle Mills!

POINT OF ENTRY:A Novel—Peter Schechter—A strong, frighteningly believable story of a nuclear threat against the U.S. involving Syria and elements of Colombia. The fly-leaf is correct when it says it 'requires us to ponder the promise and limitatins of intelligence, military action and diplomacy in facing down the threats of the 21^st Century'. The author's background in international political and communications consulting provides those fine details that make the book so incredibly readable and believable with a solution that is 'thinking out of the box'.

*136) THE BOOKMAN'S WAKE—John Dunning—Is there or is there not a rare volume from Grayson publishing, and why are various people connected with the Publisher dying? Ex-policeman, and Bookman, Cliff Janeway, engaged to return a possible felon, becomes involved with these questions and is compelled to find the answers. Besides a great mystery read, suspenseful and all, Dunning discusses publishing, binding, and the detail of making fine books..this worth the read for that information alone.

I have been reading some really fun books by Mary Kay Andrews. They are humorous books with a lot of Southern atmosphere.

Set in Savannah, Weezie is an antiques picker and her friend BeBe (pronounced Bay Bay) owns a restaurant. In Savanah Blues, Weezie got the carriage house in her divorce settlement and is living there while her ex-husband and his new fiance, Caroline, live in the townhouse that she saved from ruin and renovated. When Caroline is found murdered at the site of a huge estate sale, Weezie is suspect number one. Helped by BeBe, her fabulous new chef Daniel, and her uncle, a former priest turned lawyer, Weezie must find out who killed Caroline, save antiques gone missing from the estate sale, and get her alcoholic mother into treatment.

In Savanah Breeze, BeBe is forced to move into a rundown motel when a swindler, Reddy, takes everything else she owns. Harry is living at the Breeze Inn, making renovations to help get the money to get his fishing boat out of hock. Together they get the place spiffed up and running, when there is a Reddy sighting in Florida. Along with Weezie and BeBe's grandfather, they drive to Florida to see if they can do what the law can't--out-swindle a swindler.

I am currently reading the new Christmas installment of this series, Blue Christmas. Weezie is pulling out all the stops to win the annual Christmas window display competition, but something weird is going on. Her dog, Jethro, went missing and turned up inside her truck cab, but the blue Christmas tree pin accidentally left on her shawl is now missing. Then, someone comes into her kitchen and removes the bacon wrapped shrimp while she is in the shower, and Jethro doesn't even bark. She has just found out that someone has been sleeping in the bed in her display window...so I can't wait to finish it!

My children are in middle school, and as part of their language arts classes, they have to read 1000 pages per quarter (for an A) and then write a "stop and write" about each book they read. Carrie and I felt challenged to see how many pages we read per school quarter, also. She does booktalks for the books she reads, so I will try to be better at blogging all the books I read!

Since the beginning of the new quarter, I have read several books. The Rabbit Factory by Marshall Karp was a great read. It is a little intimidating at 632 pages, but don't let that stop you. It is about a couple of LAPD detectives who get called to the scene when Rambo Rabbit is found strangled in the employee area below Familyland. Is it the work of a serial killer or does it have something to do with the fact that Rambo's alternative identity is a convicted pedophile? Written mostly in the first person by Detective Lomax, we also meet his family, his new girlfriend, and get involved in a multi-jurisdictional case which involves shutting down a huge Disney-esque corporation.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT--Paul Garrison--This book is not in the Shenandoah Library, but others by the same author are; specifically, RED SKY AT MORNING and FIRE AND ICE. Garrison writes of the sea and its power and size, his characters combating those elements as part of their story. For those with interest in the sea and high seas adventures, give Garrison's books a try. This one involves a family running from and going to, each for their own reasons. It's fun, it's fast. It was billed as a 'novel of suspense', but I'd add adventure to that. Uncle, father and daughter all singly finding their way across the Pacific to Blind Man island.

SHARPE'S FURY—Bernard Cornwell—Military daring do in 1811 as England helps Spain resist Napoleon. Internal plots for and against the alliance create situations in which our hero, Sharpe, and his riflemen figure in (or execute) the solutions. This the lead-up to and backdrop of the major battle scene which is reported in long detail (which sometimes seems musket-ball by musket-ball and bayonet strike by bayonet strike.