Book #57 Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, Book 3)

Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, Book 3) by Richelle Mead

4 out of 5

Product Description
Some days, a girl just can't catch a break......especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there's her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It's not just that they can't have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth's obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina's under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused-especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge-rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again...

This series of books develops quite nicely. It isn't the same story over and over. Yes, the characters continue, but there is a twist to each tale. I really enjoy Mead's writing and can't wait for the next one in this series.

Book #56 Curse of the Spellmans: A Novel (Izzy Spellman Mysteries)

Curse of the Spellmans: A Novel (Izzy Spellman Mysteries) by Lisa Lutz

4 out of 5

Product Description

THEY'RE BAAAAACK.

Their first caper, The Spellman Files, was a New York Times bestseller and earned comparisons to the books of Carl Hiaasen and Janet Evanovich. Now the Spellmans, a highly functioning yet supremely dysfunctional family of private investigators, return in a sidesplittingly funny story of suspicion, surveillance, and surprise.

When Izzy Spellman, PI, is arrested for the fourth time in three months, she writes it off as a job hazard. She's been (obsessively) keeping surveillance on a suspicious next door neighbor (suspect's name: John Brown), convinced he's up to no good -- even if her parents (the management at Spellman Investigations) are not.

When the (displeased) management refuses to bail Izzy out, it is Morty, Izzy's octogenarian lawyer, who comes to her rescue. But before he can build a defense, he has to know the facts. Over weak coffee and diner sandwiches, Izzy unveils the whole truth and nothing but the truth -- as only she, a thirty-year-old licensed professional, can.

When not compiling Suspicious Behavior Reports on all her family members, staking out her neighbor, or trying to keep her sister, Rae, from stalking her "best friend," Inspector Henry Stone, Izzy has been busy attempting to apprehend the copycat vandal whose attacks on Mrs. Chandler's holiday lawn tableaux perfectly and eerily match a series of crimes from 1991­-92, when Izzy and her best friend, Petra, happened to be at their most rebellious and delinquent. As Curse of the Spellmans unfolds, it's clear that Morty may be on retainer, but Izzy is still very much on the case...er, cases -- her own and that of every other Spellman family member.

(Re)meet the Spellmans, a family in which eavesdropping is a mandatory skill, locks are meant to be picked, past missteps are never forgotten, and blackmail is the preferred form of negotiation -- all in the name of unconditional love.

I really enjoyed this one although it did take me awhile to get into the story. I can't wait for the next installment.

Book #55 Succubus on Top (Georgina Kincaid, Book 2)

Succubus on Top (Georgina Kincaid, Book 2) by Richelle Mead

4 out of 5

Product Description
Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth Mortensen, the shy, sexy, incredibly gifted Seattle writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Georgina is a succubus - a demon who draws her power from other men's pleasure. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks are terrific, and yes, Georgina did choose to join the ranks of hell centuries ago. But it seems completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get hot and heavy with the one mortal who knows and accepts her for who she is...It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behaviour, and Georgina suspects that something far more demonic than double espressos is at work. She could use help finding out, but Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, is preoccupied with corrupting an ultra-conservative talk radio star - and giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one - and fast because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line...

This is an excellent continuation of Georgina's story and is really a page turner. I need to read the next one right away since this one left me hanging.

Book #54 The Darwin Awards Next Evolution

The Darwin Awards Next Evolution by Wendy Northcutt

4 out of 5

Evolution takes a giant step forward with the fifth edition of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon.

The human race’s most popular humor series returns with a new collection of macabre mishaps and misadventures. Honoring those who improve our gene pool by inadvertently removing themselves from it, The Darwin Awards Next Evolution shows how uncommon common sense still is.

This is the perfect book to read in short spurts. I loved all of the stories.

Book #53 The Late Lamented Molly Marx

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx: A Novel by Sally Koslow

5 out of 5

Product Description
A smart, entertaining, and heartfelt novel about a woman coming to terms with decisions she can never reverse

Molly Marx led an enviable life—until she was found dead along the bank of the Hudson River. A young wife and mother, Molly now finds herself in The Duration, where, with the help of a refreshingly unorthodox guide, she can observe the friends and family she left behind: her plastic surgeon husband who even in mourning can’t control his wandering eye, the handsome colleague she found irresistible, a fiercely competitive twin sister, her controlling mother-in-law, a loyal but confused friend, and—most important—her purest love, a three-year-old daughter. As Molly watches them try to untangle the events leading to her mysterious end, she relives her past and learns the fates of those she cherished most (and least).

Exploring marriage, fidelity, friendship, family, and mortality, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a playful yet tender love story about a flawed but charming woman, forced—better late than never—to take responsibility for the choices in her complicated life.

I can't gush enough about this book! This is going to be the perfect book for this summer. The only issue I had with the story was that you aren't specifically told "whodunit"! I think it is an easy guess though.

lagging

I have two reviews to post and I know I have two awards from other that I need to take care of...gah! I hate being behind.

Update on Little Sam

Book #52 Orange County: A Personal History

Orange County: A Personal History by Gustavo Arellano

5 out of 5

Product DescriptionThe story began in 1918, when Gustavo Arellano's great-grandfather and grandfather arrived in the United States, only to be met with flying potatoes. They ran, and hid, and then went to work in Orange County's citrus groves, where, eventually, thousands of fellow Mexican villagers joined them. Gustavo was born sixty years later, the son of a tomato canner who dropped out of school in the ninth grade and an illegal immigrant who snuck into this country in the trunk of a Chevy. Meanwhile, Orange County changed radically, from a bucolic paradise of orange groves to the land where good Republicans go to die, American Christianity blossoms, and way too many bad television shows are green-lit.
Part personal narrative, part cultural history, Orange County is the outrageous and true story of the man behind the wildly popular and controversial column ¡Ask a Mexican! and the locale that spawned him. It is a tale of growing up in an immigrant enclave in a crime-ridden neighborhood, but also in a promised land, a place that has nourished America's soul and Gustavo's family, both in this country and back in Mexico, for a century.
Nationally bestselling author, syndicated columnist, and the spiciest voice of the Mexican-American community, Gustavo Arellano delivers the hilarious and poignant follow-up to ¡Ask a Mexican!, his critically acclaimed debut. Orange County not only weaves Gustavo's family story with the history of Orange County and the modern Mexican-immigrant experience but also offers sharp, caliente insights into a wide range of political, cultural, and social issues.

This is a great story combining the history of Orange County with a memoir of the author. Arellano is pretty well know in "the OC" for his weekly column "Ask a Mexican" and this book reflects his wit and wisdom as well. I really enjoyed it.

Book #51 Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely)

Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely) by Melissa Marr

4 out of 5

Product Description
Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.
Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.
In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

This one didn't have the fast pace of the first two, but it did pick up after the first 100 pages. There must be a fourth book in the works, since this one left a lot of unanswered questions. I thought this one was a great read.

This took a full bag of treats....

WHAT KIND OF READER ARE YOU?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Book #50 Kin (The Good Neighbors)

Kin (The Good Neighbors, Book 1) by Holly Black

4 out of 5

Product Description
Rue Silver's mother has disappeared . . . and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother -- instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her -- and must also defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world.

I really enjoy Holly Black's writing style and this one didn't disappoint. This is the first graphic novel I have read and it was nice for a change. It did take me longer to read than I would have thought since I was looking at the detail in the pictures. I guess a picture is worth a thousand words. This was a good choice for my first book of this type. I can't wait for the next one.

Book #49 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford

5 out of 5

Product Description:

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongingsof Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

This is an excellent debut with elegant writing about a romance that takes place over 40 years. I highly recommend this one and will look for more from this author.

Book #48 Good Man Hunting

Good Man Hunting by Lisa Landolt

4 out of 5

Product Description
Sandra Greene knows men don't go for women like her: the invisible ones, the plain ones scrambling to make a living without benefit of the right connections, college degree, and fashionable clothes. But her life is changed forever when, at an old friend's wedding, she meets the wealthy socialites of the Hunt Club. They proudly claim they made that wedding possible, and they make Sandra an offer no woman can refuse.
Sandra is guaranteed to marry any man she wants—no matter how good-looking, rich, powerful, or successful. All she has to do is play their matchmaking "game." Seduced by the promise of makeovers, money, and matrimony, she quickly joins the Hunt Club and can't wait to go after the husband of her dreams—a sexy Hollywood actor.
At first it all seems too wonderful to be true as she changes her life and is about to get her guy—until the FBI steps in asking questions. Just how far will these women go to get what they want? That's when Sandra begins to realize that matchmaking is really murder...possibly in more ways than one!

This started out as typical Chick Lit and then switched gears and became a page turner. The plot is a little far-fetch, but totally enjoyable. The twist at the end is worth the read.

Update on Blue

Well, Blue is definitely getting better. He can stand and walk without help, although he is a little wobbley. A few more days and he should be back to normal.

Blue and sudden illness

Blue is my 13 year old Australian Shepherd. He is such a love! Yesterday morning he was struggling to stay upright, his eyes were racing back and forth and his head was tilted to the right. I was lucky that my vet could get him right in within hours. He was perfectly fine last night, in fact, he was running around the house and playing with Schatze, the new dachshund in our lives. He was even fine that morning when he went outside around 5:30 am to do his business with no problem. Around 7 am when I was getting ready to take him on his walk to the beach, he couldn't stand upright. He looked drunk!

The vet thinks he has Idiopathic Vestibular Disease or an ear infection. He is now on antibiotics and Bonine for the dizziness. He is a little better today. His eyes are no longer racing about and he can hold his head up without falling right over.

I had never heard of this illness before and it was quite scary to experience it. At first I thought he was having a stroke, but now know that dogs don't really have strokes like humans. I was glad to find out that this is probably a temporary problem and usually clears up by itself in a week or so.

Book #47 Wicked Game

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

4 out of 5

Product Description
Late-night radio you can sink your teeth into....
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.
Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station--and the link it provides to their original Life Times--the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death.
To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around--next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher--and the perils graver--than any con game Ciara's ever played....

Great story about Vampires and a Radio station, WVMP (of course!). This looks like it will be a nice series. There are a few threads hanging from this one that need tying up. Ciara, a con artist trying to go good, by helping vampires stay sane. If you liked Carrie Vaughn's Kitty series, you will enjoy this one as well.

Book #46 Handle with Care

Handle with Care: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

5 out of 5

Product Description
Things break all the time.Day breaks, waves break, voices break.Promises break.Hearts break.
Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health.
Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?
Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Handle with Care brings us into the heart of a family bound by an incredible burden, a desperate will to keep their ties from breaking, and, ultimately, a powerful capacity for love. Written with the grace and wisdom she's become famous for, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult offers us an unforgettable novel about the fragility of life and the lengths we will go to protect it.

WOW. For me that pretty much sums up the book. It is amazing how Picoult can tell four stories that intertwine so emotionally to give us the whole picture. The ending caught me completely off guard.

Book #45 Dogtown: A Sanctuary for Rescued Dogs

Dogtown: A Sanctuary for Rescued Dogs by Bob Somerville

5 out of 5

Product Description

This inspiring new book gives readers an inside look at the dogs who are rescued and rehabilitated by Best Friends Animal Society at Dogtown, part of the largest no-kill animal haven in the United States. This sanctuary hosts hundreds of dogs from around the world (including 22 pit bulls who were rescued from their painful lives with Michael Vick), as well as cats, horses, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, and various other animals - between 1,500-2,000 animals in all. Dogtown is the subject of a television series on the National Geographic Channel; new episodes will begin September 5, 2008. Like the TV show, Dogtown depicts the engrossing stories of the dogs that are rescued and rehabilitated at the facility by its top-notch staff of veterinarians and trainers. Readers will learn about the relationships that flourish between the dogs and the trainers, and see how happy endings are possible for these dogs.

About the Author

Best Friends Animal Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt charity that was started by Michael Mountain and a group of friends, who sought to create a no-kill haven for rescued animals. The pilot program expanded and Best Friends was established in the early 1980s. They have great success in rescuing and rehabilitating animals and finding homes for them. The sanctuary is located at Angel Canyon in Southern Utah, a 3,700 acre ranch at the heart of the famous Golden Circle of national parks, close to Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon s North Rim, Bryce Canyon, and Lake Powell. A wide range of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits, goats, and farm animals are cared for at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. The organization reaches across the nation, helping groups, individual people, and entire communities to set up spay/neuter, shelter, foster, and adoption programs in their own neighborhoods, cities and states.

This is a lovey book about rescue dogs and has sections that cover the rehabilitation of MIchael Vick's pit bulls and the rescue of dogs from New Orleans after Katrina. The pictures are gorgeous and the work this rescue group does is amazing

book #44 The Smart One

The Smart One by Ellen Meister

4 out of 5

Product Description
Bev is the Smart One, who finally leaves her artistic ambitions in chalk dust (and her humor-impaired husband in the arms—and legs—of his nubile protégée) to become a schoolteacher. Clare is the Pretty One, who married well and seems to be living a designer version of the suburban dream. Joey is the Wild One, struggling to stay clean and sober now that she's used up her fifteen minutes of fame as a one-hit-wonder rock star.
They love each other but mix like oil, water, and hundred-proof gin . . . a combination that threatens to combust over family tensions, suspected infidelities, a devastating accident, a stunning confession, and the sudden reappearance of their handsome, now all-grown-up former neighbor, Kenny Waxman, who's back in town making his mark as a TV comedy writer.
It seems they'll never understand where their differences begin and their own destructive tendencies end. Then it happens: the sisters discover a decades-old body stuffed inside an industrial drum and begin a bold, heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious journey that will either bring them together . . . or tear them apart for good.

This was an excellent mystery Chick Lit story that will keep you turning the pages and laughing. I really enjoyed it.

Bunny Dog

Book #43 A History of the Golden Bear

A History of the Golden Bear by Robert Carvounas

3 out of 5

Product Description:

Just mention the name "Golden Bear" to a Huntington Beach local and the utterance is usually met with a knowing smile and regretful tilt of the head. Almost everybody— young and old— still remembers the once great landmark. This book is not intended to be— nor could any one text ever be— a recounting of all the great memories from countless individuals over three generations. Instead, it is meant to provide the historical context for those memories. It is the story of the people behind the Golden Bear. From Harry Bakre— whose talent and vision gave birth to the Golden Bear when Huntington Beach itself was still in it's infancy— to Del Kauffman, George Nikas, and the Babiracki Trio who presided over the Huntington Beach landmark when it was a legendary live music venue. It contains their personal stories and recounts some of their interactions with legendary performers— and also with their community. It is a story about Huntington Beach businessmen who created a legacy that still reverberates to this day. It is a story of success, a story of triumph, and ultimately a story of defeat and great loss. The world lost the Golden Bear when it was demolished in the summer of 1986.

This is a very BRIEF history of the Golden Bear. It leaves out many details about the local music scene and the influence the Gold Bear had on local musicians.

Book #42 Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Rachel Fershleiser (Editor), Larry Smith (Editor)

4 out of 5

Product Description:
Deceptively simple and surprisingly addictive, Not Quite What I Was Planning is a thousand glimpses of humanity—six words at a time. One Life. Six Words. What's Yours? When Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too. The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving. From small sagas of bittersweet romance ("Found true love, married someone else") to proud achievements and stinging regrets ("After Harvard, had baby with crackhead"), these terse true tales relate the diversity of human experience in tasty bite-sized pieces. From authors Jonathan Lethem and Richard Ford to comedians Stephen Colbert and Amy Sedaris, to ordinary folks around the world, everyone has a six-word story to tell.

This was an extremely addicting read! There I did it, a review in six words. I also wrote my own six word memoir: Never did date the lead singer.

Book #41 Witch High

Witch High by Denise Little (Editor)

4 out of 5

Product Descriptionmove over, hogwarts...High school is different for everyone. For some, it’s a time to shine, and for others, a time to survive. Then there are the students who attend those special schools for the gifted. But what if there was a school that catered to those rarest of students—those who can do magic?These fourteen tales explore the challenges that students of the magical arts may face in a high school of their very own. If you think chemistry is tough, try alchemy. If you ever fell victim to a school bully, how would you deal with a bully gifted with powerful magic? And if you needed more time to study, what spell could give you all the time you desired?These are just a few of the magical adventures that will await you when you enter Salem Township Public High School #4— otherwise known as Witch High...

These little short stories were good on the most part. I was exposed to quite a few new authors I really enjoyed. I think I would actually enjoy having some of those domestic witch genes to make cleaning easier.

library loot

Book #40 The Wishing Year

The Wishing Year: A House, a Man, My Soul A Memoir of Fulfilled Desire by Noelle Oxenhandler

3 out of 5

Product DescriptionOne New Year’s Day, Noelle Oxenhandler took stock of her life and found that she was alone after a long marriage, seemingly doomed to perpetual house rental and separated from the spiritual community that once had sustained her. With little left to lose, she launched a year’s experiment in desire, forcing herself to take the plunge and try the path of Putting It Out There. It wasn’t easy. A skeptic at heart, and a practicing Buddhist as well, Oxenhandler had grown up with a strong aversion to mixing spiritual and earthly matters. Still, she suspended her doubts and went for it all: a new love, a healed soul, and the 2RBD/1.5 BA of her dreams. Thus began her initiation into the art of wishing brazenly.In this charming, compelling, and ultimately joyful book, Oxenhandler records a journey that is at once comic and poignant, light and dark, earthy and spiritual. Along the way she wonders: Does wishing have power? Is there danger in wishing? Are some wishes more worthy than others? And what about the ancient link between suffering and desire? To answer her questions, she delves into the history of wishing, from the rain dance and deer song of primeval magic to modern beliefs about mind over matter, prosperity consciousness, and the law of attraction.As the months go by, Oxenhandler is humbled to discover the courage it takes to make a wish and thus open oneself to the unknown. She is surprised when her experiment expands to include other people and other places in ways she never imagined. But most of all, she is amazed to find that there is, indeed, both power and danger in the act of wishing. For soon her wishes begin to come true–in ways that meet, subvert, and overflow her expectations. And what started as a year’s dare turns into a way of life.A delightfully candid memoir, unfettered, poetic, and ripe with discovery, Oxenhandler’s journey into the art and soul of wishing will inspire even the most skeptical reader to search the skies for the next shooting star.

This book is based on using the theories behind The Secret. I thought it was a bit whiney in tone and that the author didn't need the "secret". She just needed some hard work and determination in finding out which goals were important to her and then apply that hard work to obtain them. Overall, it was an OK read.

Book #39 Fade

Fade (Wake, Book 2) by Lisa McMann

5 out of 5

Product Description
SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.
For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.
Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.
Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

This is an excellent continuation of the Janie's story. It will have you on the edge of your seat the entire read. I hope I don't have to wait long to find out what happens to Janie and her abilities.

Book #38 A la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers

A la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers by Hillary Carlip

4 out of 5

Product Description:

A comic original in the tradition of Tracey Ullman and Lily Tomlin—with Cindy Sherman’s eye— Hillary Carlip creates america’s most unforgettable grocery shoppers.

Carlip takes grocery lists and then examines the stories and people behind them. This is a very artistic and humorous book. I really enjoyed it. I think this might be a keeper for me.

Book #37 Witch Heart

Witch Heart by Anya Bast

4 out of 5

Product DescriptionThird in the Elemental Witch series from the national bestselling authorClaire, a demon’s handmaiden, is rescued from enslavement by a handsome playboy. Now they’re both in danger of being captured by warlocks who are determined to harness Claire’s powers for evil.

I finished this on 2/25/09 and haven't had a chance to post my review yet. I loved this story and can't wait for the next one in the series. Each one stands alone, but they are best read in order to get all the details straight about these witches.