Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham

** spoiler alert ** Heather Graham is quickly moving up my go-to list of authors. This was a great read. It was fast paced and kept you guessing who did it and how. This is the second book of the trilogy, but it is totally not necessary to read the first one first. The main characters in the trilogy are brothers, but that is the tie that binds them. In fact, when my hubby tried to read this one immediately after the first one, he had a hard time getting into it because he was trying to connect them. Now he is ...more Heather Graham is quickly moving up my go-to list of authors. This was a great read. It was fast paced and kept you guessing who did it and how. This is the second book of the trilogy, but it is totally not necessary to read the first one first. The main characters in the trilogy are brothers, but that is the tie that binds them. In fact, when my hubby tried to read this one immediately after the first one, he had a hard time getting into it because he was trying to connect them. Now he is rereading it with the fact that the characters are the connection, and nothing else, and is loving it as well.

I suspected the killer, but dismissed him/her. Then it turns out I was right, except there were two of them. Totally took me by surprise (which I love in a book). There is one part I still don't get- one of the killers lead the investigation to the dump site. I think some other character should have given the clue. But I still loved the book.

This is an awesome book I would whole-heartedly recommend.

Out of this World by JD Robb (and others) Review

I've read and enjoyed all four authors featured in this book, so what's not to like when you can enjoy them all together? If you are new to any of these authors, this is a great way to sample them without having to purchase books by all of them to see if you like them.

My only problem with this book was the last story- by Laurell K. Hamilton. This story takes place in between two books that I have not read yet. I am almost there in the series, but not quite. So I knew the characters and most of what was going on, but I was still a little lost on some parts. For the most part, I knew what was happening the whole time, though. So it was still an enjoyable story.

Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr Review

This was a touching book by Carr that dealt with not only the struggles of being a single mother, but also with having to learn to trust and 'date' after an abusive relationship. This book shows the light on these issues very well throughout the book, without completely shoving them down your throat. There were some parts of the book where I felt the issues were more of a focus instead of the story, but those weren't very long and the book got back on track quickly.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein Review

Not a PMS book, you'll cry. Or maybe it is a PMS book, so you can blame the crying on that. This book- not about running races, but about driving races (one can hope)- has the reader laughing, crying and everything in between. Told from the dog's perspective, some of the scenes are hilarious and Garth Stein captured them wonderfully. After reading a part of the book, one could go back and think about if it would really seem like that to a dog; and I'm pretty sure that would be exactly how a dog would see it.

Indigo Blue by Catherine Anderson Review

This was a great quick read. It had romance and suspense that kept readers intrigued. It is a historical piece that gives one perspective on some of the trials that the varies genders and races had to endure during the late 1800s in the US. I highly recommend it, even if you haven't read the first two books. This book is a great stand alone book.

The Dark Storm by Kris Greene Review

I enjoyed this book. Towards the end I was worried that it was going to just leave you hanging with a 'to be continued', but it delivered in the end. This good vs. evil paranormal sci-fi-ish book left you wondering who was playing who and who was really in the right or the wrong. This is the first book of a series, that I would definitely read the follow-up books to. In this book- the battle was won, but there is still a war to fight. It left the reader ready for the next one without disappointing you by not being a complete book in and of itself.

Reading and Running- two ways to de-stress

Running and reading sound like they should be nothing alike, but in fact, they both serve the same purpose. Both of these activities take you out of yourself and transport you into a different place. Now you may be saying- huh? Running stays on the ground and in the now- so WTF?! Well, it is simple. Running relaxes you and gives you something to do besides worry about what ever is stressing you out. When you are running, you are out enjoying the fresh air and getting your vitamin D. Also the steady fall of your feet somewhat self-hypnotize you into relaxing.

Reading takes you into a whole nother world. You get so caught up in the story, that you don't worry about your own world. Your whole mind is engaged in the characters and the plot. While reading, you have to worry about whether or not the evil villain is going to slaughter and maim the good guys- or whatever the story line is- and you let go of whatever problems you have going on in your life at the time- for a short while. Some people find this escape in movies, but I find that watching a movie doesn't capture my mind as fully as a book does, and I start thinking about other things besides the movie.

So for me reading and running are two of the best ways of relaxing and de-stressing myself.

So (I like the word 'so' alot), this blog will have much about reading- including reviews and recommendations, and running. Enjoy!