Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis

by Carol2 Comments
Two men - Huston and DeMarco. Huston is a writer, a family man, a celebrity, and from all indications, has gone off the deep end and killed his wife children. DeMarco is a semi-stereotypical cop, a loner, a wounded man, but a good guy. The two were maybe friends by now DeMarco's job is to find Huston, who is on the run, or not. It's a decent set-up. Huston's thoughts are rambling, he doesn't let us know what happened. DeMarco thinks Huston is probably innocent, but the majority of the book is about finding Huston, other suspects barely enter the picture until late. I struggled through this one. I didn't get a chance to care about Huston because you never really know him, you just know the him that is shattered by the murders of his family. DeMarco I could almost like, but it's not just his dark moods and drinking and stalking his ex, he's not really a good cop....
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Holiday with a Twist by Shannon Stacey

by Carol3 Comments
Holiday with a Twist is just a sweet, feel-good Christmas romance. It's light and fun and a perfect seasonal read for me. Leigh keeping her breakup and quitting her job a secret from her family is silly, but in all honesty I like when the "issue" between the two main characters in a romance isn't a big deal that takes a lot to overcome. Croy and Leigh were friends forever, even if they haven't talked to each other in years, and I like how they settle back in to the friendship. They're a good couple. They know each other well, good and bad, and still fall in love. This is a novella, so the attraction is almost instant and the relationship evolve quickly, but I bought it. Holiday with a Twist is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you're looking for with an HEA/HFN. It's a promise! Love that! I don't have to worry if it'll work...
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Mistletoe Mysteries collected by Charlotte MacLeod

by Carol2 Comments
I don't know why, but I am more likely to pick up short story collections in December than any other time of year. It's even better when they're mysteries. This collection, like most, has high points and low points. I have read several of the authors before and discovered a couple I'd like to read more of. A couple of my favorites: (okay, more than a couple. There were a lot of good stories here.) "The Haunted Crescent" by Peter Lovesey has a great twist at the end that I didn't see coming. "Dutch Treat" by Aaron Elkins was fun. I tend to like when art and murder go hand in hand. "The Touch of Koyada" by Edward Hoch was another good one. I love how some writers can just pack so much into so few pages. I think I'll read more of his Simon Ark stories. Of course, Pronzini's "Here Comes Santa Claus" was enjoyable. I like his Nameless Detective. A few misses: Dorothy Salisbury Davis'...
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On Our Way to Oyster Bay by Monica Kulling

by Carol3 Comments
Good points: Excellent introduction to Mother Jones and her cause. To be honest, I had never heard of her before and found her fascinating. Told from a kid's point of view, allowing children to relate Takes others' problems, like child labor, and reminds us that Americans have dealt with the same issues Very good artwork, detailed and added to the story Includes factual information for parents/adults at the end Gives a call to action encouraging children that they can make a difference in the world Negative points: I can't see this one being any kids favorite. It's good and historical, just not engrossing. May need some explanations, depending. Some kids may not be familiar with the sewing machinery terms, some may not even be familiar with what a strike is. It's disappointing that the kids don't actually get to meet President Roosevelt. Overall: A good one to borrow from the library. A must-buy for an elementary school classroom library.  ...
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IQ by Joe Ide

by Carol4 Comments
Isaiah Quintabe - IQ - is Sherlock, if Sherlock was a young black man (at least I think he's black) in modern-day LA who actually cares about the people in his community. He's brilliant, uncorruptible, and determined. He understands people and their feelings and motives. He does his research and plans ahead as well as he can. He finds people and things, deals with cases the police can't or won't. Problem is, he will only take what people can afford in payment, so sometimes it's money, but more often it's muffins or a chicken. Isaiah's side-kick, Dodson, is an interesting guy. He's cocky and more likely to play the angles than Isaiah. Not exactly a Watson, but help nonetheless.He's take the case of a rapper in order to make some money. I though the mystery was well-done. There were several suspects and the hit man was a nasty piece of work. I didn't guess who the would-be killer was, but the...
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Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings

by Carol2 Comments
Newspaper Hats is a touching story. Georgie's grandfather is losing his memory and sometimes doesn't even remember her. She and her father go to visit him in the nursing home and Georgie asks her grandpa if he remembers her. Grandpa looks at the photos in his room and tells her some of the things he does remember. Finally she picks up a photo of Grandpa, Georgie and her dad where Georgie is wearing a paper hat. Grandpa does remember how to make paper hats and it provides a connecting point for the family. It's a gentle story that I think would be nice to read with kids who are dealing with a similar situation as Georgie, where someone in their family can't remember as well as they used to, whether it be to due to Alzheimer's or something else. It can be tough for adults to see someone losing their memory, but it's difficult for kids to and they have less...
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