5 comments about Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3).

1. This is the third book in her new series, The Five Hundred Kingdoms. I am a long time fan of her other books, especially the Valdemar books. This series is a fun and interesting twist to the fairy tales we grew up with. In "Fortune's Fool", Lackey manages to combine Russian, European and Japanese fairy tales without it seemly silly to do so. If you haven't read the previous books in the series, you won't feel lost, as they are all written with the ability to stand alone....but if you enjoyed the characters in the earlier books, they make cameo appearances (or are referred to).
   
   I enjoy this book (and the series) because they are light-hearted fun reads. Now...if you are looking for dark and depressing fantasy...keep shopping. But...if you liked fairy tales as a kid, you will enjoy this book.



2. I usually love reading Ms. Lackey's books, but this one is deadly dull. It jumps around from subject to subject...there is gratuitous sex and violence. The premise of the story is good, but she let the story fall through the cracks. I was very disappointed since I have enjoyed the other FIVE HUNDRED KINGDOM books. I haven't been able to finish reading this book...it has taken me DAYS to get as far as I have. Usually I would devour a book like this in one sitting. Please, Ms. Lackey, go back to the fun and adventure and excitement of your first book in the series.



3. This series has been a long line of "meh, whatever" for me. This book was different, though not in a positive way. I'm spending the time to leave this long review mainly to vent the irritation it left me with, so be warned before you read it.
   
   I began to have a feeling of unease, after the detailed description of the main characters (who are, of course, perfect, awe-inspiring examples of what everyone else should aspire to be) and their families, who are, of course, royalty, and have circumvented what normally would be unfortunate situations for anyone else, to be in a position to meddle in other kingdom's affairs (for their, and our own good, of course). When the male romantic interest, whose family pretends to hate him, for some asinine reason which has to do with how clever they all are, strolls through the kingdom making everything perfect for absolutely everybody, I was struck by the desire to punch him in his handsome, smug, self-satisfied face.
   
   The book continues in this vein. Everyone is so clever and smug and oh-so-perfect that the characters are never in actual danger, ever. Katya goes to save the bacon of the island kingdom which might as well be called Japan, accomplishes that in half a day, then goes sunbathing for a boyfriend, or so it feels like. It get so irritating that, half-way through the book, I wish the villain would just incinerate Katya, and the wolf would just eat what-ever-his name is, the male who doesn't ever seem necessary for more than cheap laughs.
   
   The world Lackey builds is also somewhat lacking. It sounds interesting, but until the Tradition can become more interesting than a cookie cutter her characters can put aside or use for 'happy endings,' it will never live up to the world she's trying to build with the characters.
   
   I wasn't as disappointed with this story as much as I could have been, because one, I was more irritated with it than disappointed, and two, the rest of the series has been so bland it lowered my expectations for this one. However, I was disappointed by it, because I have enjoyed much of what I've read of Lackey's books. This series is subpar, and this book in particular moreso than others.



4. I read the first book in this series because the concept seemed promising, skipped the second because of the mostly bad reviews, and got this one as a gift so I read it. Although the story concept is interesting and the characters mildly so, this book is as lacking in maturity as the first. But then again, this series is written for young adults, and as I scan the other reviws it appears that everyone has lost track of that fact! It's like an adult buying a pair of GAP Kids jeans and being disappointed that they're too small. If you are a 13 or 14 yr old girl these books are exactly what you are looking for in fantasy romance. If you're over 30 and disappointed, it's your own fault for not paying attention to the fact that they are not written for you. I've read a lot of ML's books and have enjoyed most, but will not continue with this series- I'm not a member of the target audience and so will probably not care for them. All the other readers who have given bad reviews are really not qualified to do so unless they are teenage girls, and I doubt any of them would dislike these stories.



5. I gave it the full five starts because it is despite some of its faults a good read. No its not as good as The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1) The first book in the series. But it is still very sweet, its is slow at first as they try and lay the foundation an because they are are having to do this is two different locations it takes awhile. There are some areas were the author unnecessarily repeats herself, and you stop and flip through the pages to make sure you didn't loose you place. But it is still a good story,still an easy read without the other books though you will not get all of the alliterations.

No comments about Hostage to Murder: A Lindsay Gordon Mystery (Lindsay Gordon Mystery Series).

5 comments about Salty: A Novel.

1. More fun than a frozen margarita on the beach! Salty is hilarious, raunchy, and continuously entertaining! I read it all in one sitting, and couldn't put it down. Take a fun trip to Thailand with an aging rock star, oh and be careful of pirates and FBI agents along the way. Seriously, what could be more fun than that?



2. Could not put book down. Aging rock star implants himself in your heart. Evil kidnapper evolves into sensitive caring man thanks to powers of love. Sexy, spicy and constantly drawing you in. Read it on plane trip to Hawaii, and read it again on trip home to JFK, NYC. This guy Smith really knows how to write a tantalizing story!



3. Great setting, great on the details, and a great read. You'll be happy with the love angles and triangles, the premise and the plot. For some reason I'm reminded of "Sick Puppy" by Hiaasen, in the very best way.
   
   Light and satisfying. Enjoy!



4. I hadn't enjoyed a book this much in a really long time. It may sound trite, but I couldn't put it down. It was hilarious and as soon as I finished it I went online to see what other books by this author were available. Like others have mentioned, it reminded me of a Carl Hiaasen novel and maybe a little of Maarten Troost thrown in.



5. I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. It was just an OK read. I hated the main character so that made it hard for me to really enjoy it.

3 comments about Snatched (Bloodwater Mysteries).

1. Pete Hautman has long been one of my favorite authors. I have since discovered Mary Logue and have become a fan of her exquisite Claire Watkins mysteries. Each author writes compelling fiction filled with sympathetic and sometimes off-beat characters. I was pleased to hear they had teamed up to write a new mystery series for younger readers.
   
   As a former middle/high school teacher, I have consumed a great deal of juvenile and YA fiction. Frequently works written for a younger audience are dumbed down or "cuted up" which turns off already reluctant readers. In this case, however, Hautman and Logue write with respect for their audience and provide characters we can relate to, a fun adventure, and lots of laughs as Roni and Brian sort through clues while navigating relations with teachers and parents.
   
   This work will certainly delight younger readers, but I also recommended it for adults. It would make an entertaining read-aloud selection for any Language Arts or Reading teacher as well as for any parent who wants to laugh and puzzle along with their child.
   
   Bloodwater #1: Snatched provides us with a full-blooded male and female protagonist and with enough twists to satisfy the seasoned fan of the mystery genre. Despite a satisfying conclusion, this first installment leaves readers awaiting the next with anticipation.



2. Alicia has been kidnapped. Can Brian and Roni find her kidnapper and save the day? That's the plot in a nutshell, but the complete mystery would fill a large, very complicated nutshell.
   
   Brian and Roni go to the same high school, but the only things they seem to have in common are frequent visits to the principal's office. Brian's a science nerd, and Roni is an ambitious reporter for the school paper. Alicia is a fellow high school student who has disappeared. This first in a series dubbed THE BLOODWATER MYSTERIES has Brian and Roni teaming up to solve the crime.
   
   For mystery fans this book has it all. There is the big old family house connected to a possible curse. Part of the adventure takes the crime-solving duo to Wolf Spider Island to deal with colorful characters like Driftwood Doug and a butterfly collector named Mr. Nestor. Add in a wacky police department, suspicious high school thugs who key cars, and a trip to Nun's Island to search for a missing boat, and you have just a few of the adventures in this fast-paced book.
   
   Pete Hautman, author of Godless and Mr. Was, combines talents with fellow Minnesota author Mary Logue, to create this new series. Fans of complicated whodunit tales will not be disappointed.
   
   Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"



3. My grandmother just bought me this book two days ago and already im done with it. I missed most of my favorite t.v shows because I lost track of time reading this great book.
   
   The characters make the story more realistic but if you want to find out about it you should buy the book. But I really didnt suspect that weird twisted ending I suspected more of a thriller. It was more like a confession!!
   
   D.A

5 comments about Two Little Girls in Blue: A Novel.

1. The Book was good, the plotline a little familiar but not boring, the way the pieces of the mystery were strand together were a little unrealistic but it kept the book exciting;however, the ending of the book just fell flat. The whole book was like 'going up a roller coaster' but the end made it just stop. Overall it was a really good book to pass time, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery!



2. This book keeps you holding your breath until the last chapter. Truly an amazing read. It is about twin telepathy and a mother's search for her missing children. When Margaret and Steve Frawley come home to Connecticut from a black-tie dinner in New York, their three-year-old twins, Kathy and Kelly, are gone. The police found the babysitter unconscious, and a ransom note from the "Pied Piper" demands eight million dollars. After paying the ransom they go to retrieve the twins but only Kelly is in the car. The dead driver's suicide note says he inadvertently killed Kathy. At the memorial, Kelly tugs Margaret's arm and says: "Mommy, Kathy is very scared of that lady. She wants to come home right now." Only Margaret believes that the twins are communicating and that Kathy is still alive. This book is one you won't want to put down. It is a great thriller,a suspenseful story, and an all around good book.



3. This book was so good!! Not enough words could describe it. It is written in such detail that you absolutely do not want to put the book down!! Highly recommend this book to anyone that loves suspenseful, edge of your seat page turner!! S.L. Chessor author of Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers and My Tongue Fell Out. Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers: A Poetry CollectionMy Tongue Fell Out



4. Recommended by a "friend", whom I am seriously reconsidering her idea of friendship now! This was beyond terrible-not only her background material but also her characterizations. It was worse than a Lifetime Movie, seriously. It scares me that this author would want to be taken seriously! I'm not beyond "reaching" for a storyline, however this was pathetic! I read it, and was sorry for it--if I had to read ONE more TIME that Kathy could "go into" pneumonia--I felt like I was reading "Kathy grows up in the 'hood' ". The next book should be titled "Two Little Girls Get Suga" ! It boggles my mind where this dialect came from!



5. Sorry, but this is probably one of the Clark's worst novels. The characters were weak and flat, and frankly there wasn't a mystery--just lots of suspense, and I'm afraid that you can't keep a book going on that.

5 comments about Killjoy.

1. When it comes to compelling novels of relentless suspense, Julie Garwood is in a class by herself. She is a dominating force in the craft of creating living, breathing characters in gripping situations. This offering takes us into the life of Avery Delaney, abandoned by her mother 3 days after her birth and raised by her Aunt Carrie and Grandmother Lola.
   Now an adult, Avery works as a crime analyst for the FBI and possesses an uncanny talent for scrutinizing and deciphering clues. She must utilize her deductive gifts to find her Aunt Carrie, who has disappeared as well as stay one step ahead of a killer named Monk.
   
   Although Garwood will never win the Nobel, the Booker, or any of the other prizes bestowed for writing prowess, she definitely takes home the gold in the category of "Fun light reading, no in-depth analysis required".



2. Julie Garwood writes good suspenseful books like Killjoy. I read it in four days, I could not put it down. The characters and the situations they found themselves in are really well written. And I agree with one of the other reviewer's about having Noah Clayborne as the main character in a novel, I would definately buy that one as well.



3. Two words will make you run for this book: John Paul. The deadly loner from the swamp is baaack (pant, swoon). This time he's on the trail of Monk, the hitman from Mercy, who got away. Monk tried to kill John Paul's sister, so John Paul is still patiently and systematically flushing him out. Whether he will bring Monk to justice legally or illegally remains to be seen... John Paul discovers Monk is playing killing games with three women. One has a niece, Avery, an FBI typist who is an excellent strategist and thinker. When Avery sets out to track her missing aunt down she tangles with the enigmatic, tough, opinionated Jean Paul. He has his own guerrilla agenda and doesn't want to deviate from it, even when they discover there's a more sinister reason for Monk's deadly hit than was apparent at first. Watching these two go head to head is sensual dynamite. And yes, Noah's back again, teasing us with his cheeky grin and flippant insults. Settle back for testosterone overload and enjoy... (Worth it just to hear John Paul grumble about Theo, his brother-in-law, and how Theo's likely to shoot himself in the foot if he has to get his gun out.)



4. Killjoy is a pretty good book. What gives is 4 stars is the lack of tension between the 2 until the middle of the book. Great mystery and once the tension was there, it was good. Avery was tough and a true match for John Paul. It was fast paced and a very enjoyable read.



5. What a disappointment! I loved Garwood's first contemporary novel, "Heartbreaker", and was excited to see more from the characters in "Mercy", but "Killjoy" lived up to its name. My complaint is simply that there is WAY TOO MUCH action/violence and not enough relationship development. Garwood went overboard with the suspense, and this loyal reader got left in the dust. I never connected with the characters, so I had a hard time rooting for them. I've had this problem with about 1/2 of Garwood's contemporaries ("Slow Burn" is another dud). I really wish she'd go back to writing her historicals for a while.

2 comments about Incident at Big Sky: The True Story of Sheriff Johnny France and the Capture of the Mountain Men.

1. Beneath some of Montana's grandest mountain peaks lurked a preditor. Caught in the crosshairs of Don Nichols twisted logic was Kari Swenson. The idea of a mountain bride, stolen from a remote wooded trail. Most amazing is how the Nichols' not only managed to elude the persistance of Johnny France, but stayed one step ahead certain death in the Montana winter of 1984 with just the packs on thier backs. You wont be able to put this one down!



2. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOK!! My husband had a copy of this book stolen from him. So, replacing it was in order. He is also a personal friend of Johnny France, and used to live in Ennis Montana. We will be seeing Johnny this summer and will have him sign the copy for us.
   Again, THANK YOU. The ship time was extremly fast too. HAPPY CUSTOMER IN CODY, WYOMING!!!

No comments about Face of a Killer.

5 comments about A Window to the World.

1. Susan Meissner's newest book has followed suit with the first-Excellent. She makes it so easy to connect with the characters. Even if you haven't had the exact experience as Megan had when she was little, we all have things in our past that changed our lives forever and affect who we are today. Written with such compassion, emotion, and down to earth reality, it's an easy read that you won't want to put down. I've lost a lot of sleep staying up to read yet another great book by Susan Meissner.



2. POWERFUL. I can sum this book in a single word.
   
   Megan Diamond was a shy little girl, who was working on becoming invisible. No one really noticed her until the day a new girl transferred into Megan's grade one classroom and smiled at her. That smile changed her life.
   
   Jen Lovett was everything Megan wasn't. Outgoing, reckless and confident, but when the two girls met, there was an instant connection.
   
   When Jen is abducted off her bike right in front of her, Megan's whole life changes.
   This story is about the aftermath of tragedy and how people cope with pain in their lives.
   
   Oddly enough, this book isn't at all depressing, and I should know. I `m incredibly affected by what I read, and I try to avoid depressing books(or what I call Oprah books). I absorb mood and tension through the pages and I just don't have time to spend three days in bed, depressed, after reading a book. So, after reading the back cover of `A Window to the World', I wondered if I'd spend three or five days locked in my room with kleenex.
   
   When I finished the last page, all I could think was, WOW. The book was beautiful. I think the reason it worked so well for me, was that it dealt with pain as a part of life, just like happiness is only one part. It wasn't a mellow-dramatic recounting of a tragedy, designed to manipulate emotions, it was a clear, overhead view of how pain and tragedy fit into life. It's seamless. The threads of happiness and joy blend with the threads of sorrow to make something that is stronger than either could be alone.
   
   I was talking to a friend of mine a few days ago. She just finished her last round of chemo and radiation for breast cancer. We sat there and we talked about how her life has changed in the year since discovering she had cancer. It did change her life, no doubt about that. I hesitated before asking her what I really wanted to know, but finally I just blurted it out. `If you could change this past year, and make it so that none of this had ever happened, would you do it?' That sounds like a silly question to some, the obvious answer being yes, of course, who wants cancer, but she thought about it carefully for a moment before she answered.
   `We spend our entire lives trying to avoid pain, but pain, and how we deal with it, is what makes us who we are. If nothing bad ever happened, there would be no reason to thank God for our blessings, or cling to him in our weakness. So no, I wouldn't change a thing.'
   
   That's the same thing I took away from this book. Pain is a part of the world we live in and of who we are, as much as happiness and love are.
   
   I highly recommend this book, and applaud Susan Meissner for writing so eloquently what is almost impossible to put into words.



3. A Window to the World by Susan Meissner tells the story of a young girl, Megan Diamond, who begins as a shy, insecure, friendless youngster until she discovers a friend, Jen Lovett, who possesses her exact opposite characteristics. However, tragedy strikes, and Megan finds herself wondering how she should cope. Although she is a Christian, her faith is challenged and then strengthened as she learns to release the pain of the tragic event and to focus her life, not on the past, but on God.
   
   The novel is written in a simple style, making it easy to read. Yet, although the book can be read in a short time, the characters are effectively described so that they appear to be real, not merely flat and two-dimensional. They act, and react, in very realistic ways.
   
   The main character Megan only comes out of her shell after she meets Jen Lovett. Megan is timid, quiet, and attends Sunday school regularly, whereas Jen is vocal, confident and often questions God and how He works. Nevertheless, when Jen is kidnapped, Megan becomes lost in a swirl of fear, confusion, and a faint hope that Jen will return. She once again withdraws into her shell, opening up only to Jen's brother and an elderly woman, Adele. As she grows older, Megan finally stops behaving as if the kidnapping occurred only moments ago, as opposed to years ago, and moves on, allowing God to lead her life instead of being dominated by the memories of Jen. As time passes, she finally recognizes all of the blessings that she received because of the tragedy; blessings she would never have experienced without Jen's disappearance.
   
   I enjoyed A Window to the World, not only for its plot, but also because it was easy for me to identify with the characters. At times, one can be as uncertain as Megan and begin to doubt the actions of God. All people can understand the trials of being an indirect victim of a tragedy and feeling at a loss as to how to cope. But this novel also gives a sense of hope, a sense that God is in complete control of every situation, but that He requires our trust and faith. I would recommend this novel to Christian readers, especially those who may struggle with allowing God to take control of troubles in life. -- Naomi Sloan, Christian Book Previews.com



4. Women's fiction isn't my usual read but this book kept me just as riveted as the suspense novels I love so well.
   
   I would say Ms. Meissner's strong suit is story and characters. So many books are well written but the story is ho-hum. Not this book--I HAD to know what happened to these characters. Through her pen, Susan made them live and breathe.
   
   Read this with a warning: Tears will be shed, (yes, that means yours.)
   
   A Window to the World is an emotional story of love, loss and hope. An ideal book for best-friends or sisters to read together.



5. This was a powerful book. It is a beautiful illustration of survival and the hurt and pain of those left behind. Events in our past are with us and we have to learn how to move on and learn from the past and not let it cripple us and destroy the beauty of the present and the future.

5 comments about Hit the Road.

1. Caroline Cooney is a master at rapid paced action that takes your breath away.
   
   When I bought HIT THE ROAD, I thought this one looks kind of tame and will be just a light read about a girl helping her grandmother -- NOT! There was nothing light or tame about this exciting adventure. The heroine's downhill race into danger and risk is thrilling. Just when you think things will get better, the danger increases. Caroline Cooney doesn't hold back with consequences, turning a simple drive into a perilous journey.
   
   I couldn't stop flipping pages, eager to find out what happened next, surprised by a few plot turns, and completely satisfied when justice finally prevailed at the end.
   
   It's no wonder that Caroline B. Cooney is one of my favorite authors. Next book I plan to buy of hers: CODE ORANGE.
   
   Linda Joy Singleton



2. This story by Caroline B. Cooney was delightful. I could not put this book down and read it in a day. The book is written using relatable context and has a similie so adorable, that I can't get out of my mind:
   
   "Nannie was wearing a mauve silk suit and looked rather like a tulip."
   
   I simply loved this book and hope there will be more adventures with Brit and "the girls"!



3. This is a very good book that I have read!! It is very good for teenagers!!!!!



4. Hit the Road by Caroline B. Cooney is another terrific YA title by a prolific author. 16 year old Brit's parents have gone on vacation, leaving her under the care of her grandmother, Nannie. But Nannie has no intention of babysitting her teenage granddaughter or being babysat as well. Nannie and her two lifelong friend are determined to make it to their 65th college reunion, and if that means non-licensed Brit doing the driving and kidnapping a friend as well, so be it. Cooney has a real talent for getting inside teenagers' minds. Brit is selfish and rebellious, all without being unsympathetic. The idea of spending time with Nannie isn't what she wants to spend her free time. But as she spends time with her grandmother, she finds that they are in similar places in their lives. Both are on the verge of independence. Brit is about to break free from her parents' authority, while Nannie is just coming under it. Both struggle with the restraints place upon them, and Cooney manages to make the reality of growing old come alive even for a teen audience. This wonderfully written book is enjoyable to read and has a good message a well about doing what's right, even when it hurts.



5. I wouldn't say that this was one of the funniest, or even best books that I have ever read, but it did keep me entertained until the very last page. This book had many unexpected, but clever turns that helped the story better progress. I would recommend this book for someone who isn't looking for something amazing, but for a book that is defiantly worth $6.50. (Which is what I paid for it.)