#73 Playing for Pizza

#73
Playing for Pizza
John Grisham
2007
258
Fiction
5 out of 5
TBR
Down on his luck doesn't begin to explain what Rick Dockery is going through. Being the 3rd string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Rick blows a 17 point lead causing them to lose the super bowl game. Needing a quick exit out of town, he accepts an offer by the Parma Panthers of Parma, Italy. This leads to quite a culture shock to say the least, not to mention the trauma of opera and very small Italian cars – and no cheerleaders. Rick was brought in to lead the Panthers to their first ever Italian Super Bowl not an easy thing to do when your front line is made up of restaurant owners, farmers, civil servants and a judge. Great fun quick read with a wonderful tour of Italy and the descriptions of the food just makes your mouth water. I really enjoy the non legal thrillers that Grisham adds to his repertoire.

Amazon Review: You Gotta Love Football http://tinyurl.com/38ujn2

#72 The Missing Girl

#72
The Missing Girl
Norma Fox Mazer
2007
284
YA - Fiction
3 out of 5
Harper Teen Review

The five Herbert sisters live their lives totally unaware of what is going on around them. They are each living out their own personal dramas totally self absorbed, that is until “the man” decides to treat them as his own personal flock of birds and follows their every move with disturbing fascination.

Told in a back and forth style you slowly see the predator mind calculate his next move and his justifications and the young girls are totally unaware of what is going on around them until it’s too late and the inevitable takes place.

This book starts very slow and doesn’t build steam until the very end which unfortunately is too late. The five sisters ranging in age from 17 to 11 all seem to have the same voice and it’s hard to keep them and their ages straight. Billed as a YA psychological thriller, I unfortunately wouldn’t call it either. It doesn’t go in depth enough and I was more bored than thrilled.

If I had my say, I wouldn’t include the very last chapter Funny and Sad and Scary, Too. It just seemed unnecessary.

HarperTeen Review Book Available February 5th, 2008

#71 Uncommon Grounds

#71
Uncommon Grounds
Sandra Balzo
2007
251
Mystery
5/5
TBR


First in the Maggie Thorsen Mystery series. If you enjoy the Cleo Coyle Coffeehouse series or Janet Evanovich you’ll enjoy this one too.

Maggy Thorsen needs to jumpstart her life since her dentist husband left with his hygienist and when she and her two good friends decide to open up a coffee bar thing seem to be moving in the right direction. That is until opening day when she finds one of their trio dead on the floor in front of the espresso machine.

Determined to find out what happened Maggy can’t help herself but to jump right on in and investigate on her own. Little did she know of what was going on in her own small town. People and situations aren’t what they seem, the story moves rapidly and you are quickly flipping the pages wondering what Maggy could possibly get herself into next.

You’ll love Maggy’s sense of humor, but then again, how could you not when she explains her four basic food groups – Fat, Salt, Alcohol and Aerosol – the spray cheese kind.

Amazon Review: Can’t wait for book #2

http://tinyurl.com/23pj8c

#73 Playing for Pizza

#73
Playing for Pizza
John Grisham
2007
258
Fiction
5
TBR
Down on his luck doesn't begin to explain what Rick Dockery is going through. Being the 3rd string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Rick blows a 17 point lead causing them to lose the super bowl game. Needing a quick exit out of town, he accepts an offer by the Parma Panthers of Parma, Italy. This leads to quite a culture shock to say the least, not to mention the trauma of opera and very small Italian cars – and no cheerleaders. Rick was brought in to lead the Panthers to their first ever Italian Super Bowl not an easy thing to do when your front line is made up of restaurant owners, farmers, civil servants and a judge. Great fun quick read with a wonderful tour of Italy and the descriptions of the food just makes your mouth water. I really enjoy the non legal thrillers that Grisham adds to his repertoire. Amazon Review: You Gotta Love Football http://tinyurl.com/38ujn2

#70
Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death
Rita Cosby
2007
256
Biography
2 / 5
TBR

This is the relatively controversial book by Cosby into the life and death of Anna Nicole Smith. Since most of it is already know and the first three quarters of the book reveals nothing that wasn’t already covered on the news reports I’ll skip the usual synopsis.

The last quarter seems to be the points of contention and to me seemed to come out of nowhere. When Cosby was frozen out of being an insider she appears to turn on those that had trusted it and she went for the sensationalism. Don’t know how much of this part of the book is true and how accurate the timeline is, but there sure was a lot of questionable slandering. Anna Nicole was used by everyone in her life, including Rita Cosby.

Amazon Review: A very sad commentary http://tinyurl.com/38ys5o

#69 Take the Bait

#69
Take the Bait
S.W. Hubbard
2003
325
Mystery
4
TBR
First in the Frank Bennett Series. This one made me think a bit. Frank Bennett is the new Police Chief of Trout Run, New York located in the picturesque Adirondacks. When perfect Janelle Harvey disappears Frank is called into action but always has the nagging fear that this case will turn out like the last one that caused him to “retire” early from his previous job. In this tight knit remote village, everyone knows everyone yet no one is willing to tell all that they know. What secrets are the town people keeping, who knows what and who is willing to tell what they know. As Frank delves deeper the multiple storylines come together in a conclusion that was right there in front of you but still had me guessing. I will definitely continue with this series. Amazon Review: This one made me think a bit. http://tinyurl.com/24e4wy

#68 Shattered Dreams

#68
Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
Irene Spencer
2007
385
Non-Fiction: Autobiographical
4.5
Library
I wanted to be so mad at Irene Spencer when I read this book but I just couldn’t, she had no other choice. Being raised in polygamy she knew that continuing to live within the Principal was the only way to raise to goddess status and being one of 7 wives was the only way to be pulled through the veil into heaven. So begins this autobiography that goes deep into the thoughts and life of a woman who desperately wanted to please God and to do the best she could by marrying her brother in law at age 16 and becoming his second of many wives. Her deplorable living conditions in the US, Mexico and Nicaragua. Her lack of food, money, housing and decent medical care. The mental anguish of sharing a husband and the guilt of not being a good Mormon wife. This dramatic story delves into her life and how far religion can be stretched and abused to control a persons mind and body.Amazo Review: Quite an Eye Opener http://tinyurl.com/2a6y6wn

#67 Caught Stealing

#67
Caught Stealing
Charlie Huston
2004
240
Fiction - Thriller
5
TBR
If you love Greg Illes or Brian Freeman this is a must buy author.No good deed goes unpunished or so goes the life of Hank Thompson. Being asked by his neighbor to watch his cat doesn’t seem like a problem that is until Hank finds out Russ’ secret and now has two Russians, two reform school runaways, a police detective and a whole cast of strange people out to kill him. If only he hadn’t been caught stealing third base in high school Hank would have had the life he had always dreamed of, now he has half of New York after him and a cat to take care of. Thrilling, violent, creepy - an all out great read. This is book one in the Hank Thompson Series. http://tinyurl.com/3ar872