Belong To Me

Belong To Me
by Marisa de los Santos

In Belong To Me, Marisa de los Santos writes of the public and private lives of three strong and unforgettable women, including Cornelia Brown from her book Love Walked In. A wonderful story about friends, family, neighbors, and especially love, this is one of the better books I've read in quite a while. The author's first book, Love Walked In, is also well worth reading.

- Lynn

Venetian Betrayal

Venetian Betrayal
by Steve Berry

Cotton Malone, a retired justice department agent turned Danish bookseller, is lured back into another intriguing situation. This time, he and his cohorts are on the hunt for Alexander the Great's tomb. The search leads through Venice to Asia. Double crosses, tactical warfare and antiquities - what a combination!

- Rochelle

Ballykissangel

Ballykissangel
BBC DVD

I can't help it. I love the BBC TV series Ballykissangel. From Father Peter Clifford to bar owner Assumpta Fitzgerald, the characters are lovable in a small town quirky way. Of course there's the budding romance plot, the humorous characters making a mess of things and the typical small town big shot. At the center of it all is Fitzgeralds, the local pub.

Filmed in Avoca in County Wicklow, the setting is gorgeous. This would make the perfect St. Patrick's Day film fest.

- Holly

Dark Tort

Dark Tort
by Diane Mott Davidson

Diane Mott Davidson "cooks up" another murder mystery with Colorado caterer, Goldy Schultz. Goldy is the owner of Goldilocks Catering and has been recently hired to cater for the local law firm of Harahan & Jule, a.k.a. H & J. Just as Goldy enters H & J one evening to start preparing her Chicky Bread for the next morning's breakfast, she stumbles over the dead body of Dusty Routt. Dusty was a paralegal in training and niece to Richard Chenault, owner of H & J.

At Dusty's mother's request, Goldy decides to try and find the murderer, in between catering jobs. Soon, she is knee deep in clues and interesting suspects.

I liked this mystery because it kept me guessing right up to the end. Goldy's recipes are in the back of the book, in case you get hungry. I highly recommend the Chicken Piccata Supreme!

- Ann

Chosen by a Horse

Chosen by a Horse: a memoir

by Susan Richards

This is a poignant memoir about a special bond between the author, Susan Richards, and a rescue horse she agrees to care for.

While caring for the horse, Ms. Richards has to deal with the memories of her past . . . a past of abuse and without love. Because of the love and trust this special horse has shown her, Ms. Richards finds it possible to heal her personal wounds and learn to love again.

-Rosie

Blue Heaven

Blue Heaven
by C. J. Box

An intense stand-alone thriller by C. J. Box, author of the game-warden Joe Pickett series, Blue Heaven takes place in a small north Idaho town where two young children accidentally witness a murder and are seen by one of the perpetrators. It is a story of LA cops-gone-bad, a good cop trying to solve an 8-year-old robbery, and an old rancher who, in trying to protect the children, must figure out who is worthy of trust. This is a page-turning cat and mouse hunt to the very end.

- Linda B.

A Crooked Path

A Crooked Path
by Annette Smith

Manny Ortega's father abandons his family when Manny is a young boy. By the time Manny is 15, he feels the need to provide for his family, so he goes to Texas for work. Now in his 30s, Manny works for a cranky old rancher who is also seriously ill. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Manny becomes the sole caregiver of Mr. Green and a deep bond is formed between them.

Issues of racism and a visit from Mr. Green's daughter threaten to sever the relationship. Can this relationship be restored before it is too late and Manny loses yet another father?

- Dixie

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
by Laurie Viera Rigler

Twenty-first century Jane Austen addict Courtney Stone, broken-hearted due to a cheating fiance, suddenly and inexplicably finds herself inhabiting the body of young Englishwoman Jane Mansfield (no, the joke is not lost on Courtney) in the early 19th century. Courtney at first fights against her situation but then comes to realize that she is calmly becoming this other woman while still wishing to find a way back to her own world. This book is a unique combination of historical fiction, comedy, romance, and the bending of space and time as both young women struggle toward their individual destinies.

- Linda B.

The Wednesday Letters

The Wednesday Letters
by Jason F. Wright

Jack and Laurel Cooper die in each other's arms. When their adult children arrive to make the funeral arrangements, they find boxes of letters that their father had written to their mother every Wednesday during their lives together. These letters reveal the secrets of a marriage and show the power of love and forgiveness. This was a gentle, thoughtful read.

- Pat

Where My Heart Belongs

Where My Heart Belongs
by Tracie Peterson

This is a modern-day prodigal story involving two sisters in a small Kansas town. Amy hates her small town life and leaves home. Kathy stays and her future plans change dramatically. When Amy reappears, the sisters have a long road to reconciliation.

A good vacation read!

- Dixie

Backyard Giants

Backyard Giants
by Susan Warren

Backyard Giants is a fun story of a year in the life of competitive pumpkin growers. Competitive pumpkin growing - who knew there was such a thing?

After reading this delightful book you will have a good idea of the determination and devotion (some would say obsession) it takes to grow a world-record 1500 lb. pumpkin. Backyard Giants is funny, insightful, and full of useful horticultural information.

The author follows several growers as they try to beat the odds and grow a pumpkin the size of a small cow. You learn about pumpkin patch preparation, pollination, and pruning. You feel the amazement when the pumpkins grow 40 to 50 pounds a day, and the agony when, after a season of tender loving care, a pumpkin splits and is disqualified from competition.

- Kathy S.

Strawberry Fields

Strawberry Fields
by Marina Lewycka

This is a tale of migrant workers who pick strawberries in the heart of England. All are seeking a better life - legally or illegally. Told in the voice of each migrant, this is hilarious picaresque journey around England. At the heart of the story is Andriy and Irina - Ukranians who fall in love in spite of themselves.

Lewycka is a masterful storyteller. With sympathy she portrays the exploitation of the migrants, as well as their neverending hope for a better future.

- Holly

Death of a Perfect Wife

Death of a Perfect Wife
by M. C. Beaton

Constable Hamish Macbeth of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands is back again solving yet another murder in this usually sleepy village.
Enter Trixie Thomas and her husband Paul from England. They open a bed and breakfast in Lochdubh and residents soon notice that Trixie is very much different in beliefs than themselves. A "perfect wife", Trixie subjugates her husband and convinces the local women of Lochdubh to follow her example. Obeying Trixie, the wives begin serving health food instead of the usual "harmful" but hearty meals, and campaign against smoking, much to the dismay of their husbands. It is no wonder when Trixie is murdered and the town is finally relieved of her domineering presence.
Prepare to be entertained as Hamish Macbeth eliminates suspects along the way and eventually solves the murder!

- Ann

Her Royal Spyness

Her Royal Spyness
by Rhys Bowen.

Bowen’s new series lives up to her previous “Constable Evans” and “Molly Murphy” series. It seems like a mixture of P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum.

Lady Victoria Georgina Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch, is 34th in line for the throne of England. As a poor relation, she finds herself looking for ways to live the LIFE without any funds. A summons from the Queen leads to spying on her cousin David and that American tart he’s interested in.

This series is another lighthearted mystery romp - this time through the world of English aristocracy in the late 1920s.

- Rochelle

Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler: a Memoir

Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler: a Memoir

by Wade Rouse

Because I've worked in public service my entire adult life, including a stint in the alumni office at UCONN, this book caught my eye. It's the true story of the author's work as public relations liaison at a private prep school and his interactions with staff, students and, especially, their families. Rouse's descriptions of the "Pink Barbies" and "Mean Mommies" (including what their little dogs are wearing) are absolutely hilarious. At times laugh-out-loud funny and at other times quite sad, it is the story of how the ultra-rich live and, quite often, rule over others. Though it is hard to understand why Wade Rouse allowed himself to be treated the way he was by these people, he does paint quite a vivid picture of how the other half lives. This book is available through CLEVNET.

- Linda B.