No comments about ROCK & ROLL MYSTERY/ (Choose Your Own Adventure, No 69).

2 comments about Baby, It's Cold (Robin Miller Mysteries).

1. There is never a dull moment in any of Jaye Maiman's books, including this one. Fast-paced, accurate, blunt...too many adjectives to list here. I can't wait for the next adventure that Robin Miller has.



2. I waited for what seemed like forever for this book to come out. I was, as usual, very pleased with the plot and the writing skills of Jaye Maiman. With each page, I found myself saying.... "just one more page". The characters in her series continue to develop and grow together and sometimes apart. I have to say that I sometimes am displeased at Robin Miller's reluctance to make a committment to anyone, but, hey... that's her character. In book 4 of the series, I was shocked that she and K.T. actually broke up.... I was extremely pleased to see that K.T. was back (though not completely) in book 5. I can't wait to read book 6 and see what happens next!

No comments about Scapegoat: The Truth About the Lindbergh Kidnapping.

1 comments about The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Sweetwater Fiction: Originals).

1. 
   I really enjoyed reading Ms.Doenges' book.
   I thought it a gritty, gutsy,honest and strong novel, but there was a gentleness, too, a patience that wrapped itself around me as I read it. A feeling behind it that said "All things will unfold in time."
   Robin,unlike so many teenagers,works her way patiently to satisfy her desires and thus remains true to herself always;and strong, perhaps the most stable character in the book.
   The Most Beautiful Girl in the World sparkles with wit, each character a precious jewel.

2 comments about Powerpuff Girls Chapter Book #09: Frighty Night (Powerpuff Girls, Chaper Book).

1. "Frighty Night," by E.S. Mooney, is #9 in this series of Powerpuff Girls stories. The book series is based on the popular TV show "The Powerpuff Girls," created by Craig McCracken.

   Just in case you don't know about the Girls, the book includes a transcription of the dialogue from the show's opening credits. The Girls are a trio of superheroes who also attend Pokey Oaks Kindergarten in the City of Townsville. In this book, the Girls investigate a supposedly haunted amusement park.

   "Frighty Night" does a pretty good job of capturing the spirit of the show; most of the dialogue in the book actually reads like it could come from a television episode. The colorful illustrations look just like the visual style of the show. But overall, I thought the book couldn't fully reproduce the manic, zany energy of the series. I think that some characters are just harder to "translate" from one medium to another. Still, "Frighty Night" is good fun for Powerpuff fans.




2. I read a lot of Powerpuff books and I really enjoyed this one. It's mysterious and reminds me a lot of a Scooby Doo episode-- you know, with the deserted park, and the monsters and all... the Mayor was even captured as well! We don't see that too often in most books... And the illustrations were great and the story was well written.

No comments about Rage/Betrayal of the Mountain Man.

No comments about The Six Million Dollar Man, No. 2.

5 comments about Counterfeit Lady.

1. I read this book years ago. It had a great plot but it got a bit silly in parts. Read it if you don't have anything better on hand. It was okay.



2. I have mixed feelings about Counterfeit Lady -- the first installment in the James River trilogy. On one hand, this novel is very emotionally moving with lots of twists and turns coupled with beautiful descriptions of late eighteenth century Virginia. On the other hand, the hero got on my nerves and Jude Deveraux throws political correctness out the window big time here. But more on that later. The year is 1794. Plantation owner Clayton Armstrong is madly in love with an English young woman called Bianca Maleson. Tired of her excuses for not marrying him, he hires men to kidnap her and arranges a marriage by proxy during the long voyage to America. Imagine his surprise when instead of getting plump, blue-eyed blond Bianca he gets a petite, beautiful and exotic Frenchwoman named Nicole Courtalain. Clayton is outraged when he learns that she was forced to marry him during the voyage and he agrees with Nicole to have the marriage annulled as soon as possible. It appears that his men kidnapped the wrong woman. A refugee from her homeland during the French Revolution and daughter of aristocrats, Nicole was Bianca's personal maid before she was kidnapped and brought to America. Her attraction and feelings for Clayton grow deep in a matter of days and she hopes that he will soon see her as more than just a second choice. But Clayton's feelings for Bianca run deep, for she reminds him of an old unrequited love. However, he may be in for a very rude awakening. There are many twists throughout the novel.
   
   As said earlier, I have mixed feelings about this first installment of the series. The story is riveting and moved me to the core. I felt Nicole's sorrow of having endured the pain of losing her family during the Revolution and then trying to pick up the pieces in England. I also felt her pain when her love for Clayton wasn't reciprocated. Clayton irritated me big time. As other reviewers had stated, he was too stupid to live at times. How could he "love" a spiteful, hateful creature like Bianca? He makes Nicole miserable whenever she witnesses his blind, undying devotion to Bianca. I wanted to strangle him at times. He reminded me of Gavin Montgomery from The Velvet Promise, for he also fancied himself in love with another woman. I know that is the whole point of the novel and that this is the central plot and intrigue, but I must say that it is my least favorite. Anyway, one thing I loved about this novel was the backdrop of late eighteenth century south. I pictured the beautiful plantations, the clean air, the high-waist dresses and parasols, and all of the other wonderful descriptions Deveraux provided for us. This is a beautiful time period and I look forward to reading more novels set during this period. One thing I found unnecessary and no doubt offensive to many readers was the emphasis on Bianca's weight. For a while I thought, "Okay, she's fat, I get it. Now let's move on." I thought Bianca was a horrible, spoiled, self-centered, unredeemable villainess and I hated her. Her hefty figure was the least of my problems with her. I appreciate any author's attempt at realism (because making fun of a fat person, regardless of his or her personality, is an unfortunate common thing), and Deveraux does have a wonderful sense of humor, but not when it's gratuitous, and I thought it was definitely gratuitous here, not to mention excessive. And so, I give Counterfeit Lady three stars. I both loved and hated this novel as I read it. Novels that move me while reading it is definitely a good thing, but I nevertheless cannot overlook the faults in this effort enough to give it a higher star rating.



3. Nicole Courtalain is the daughter of a French aristocrat who is forced to flee France to escape the French Revolution. She is all alone. Her family, as far as she knows, has all been killed. An English gentleman and his daughter, Bianca, take in Nicole to serve as Bianca's maid. Bianca is a spoiled, self-centered girl who is engaged to an American, Clayton Armstrong. Despite Clay's pleas for Bianca to travel to America so they can be married, Bianca offers excuse after excuse to delay her travel plans. He finally hires men to kidnap her but the kidnapping plans go awry. Instead of Bianca, Nicole is taken. She is put on a ship sailing for America and also forced to marry Clay by proxy. Once Clay discovers the mistake, he, of course, initiates plans to have the marriage annulled. There are some twists to the plot that will delay the annulment plans, but by that time, Nicole is more than willing to put the marriage behind her and forget about Clay.
   
   This was such an excruciating book to get through. Clay and Nicole go through such a difficult time that I was hard-pressed to rush through the book and get to the end. Bianca is a memorable villain. She is clever, manipulative and conniving and there is no end to the lengths she will go to in order to keep Clay and Nicole apart. The story is beautifully woven but I didn't like the ending. Because of the intensity of the story, I would've preferred a gradual winding down to the end. Instead, the ending was abrupt, a lot like watching a movie at the height of its climactic intensity and then suddenly the electricity goes out.



4. Maybe it's just me but doesn't the main character lack any heroic qualities whatsoever. I never fell for this guy. He was weak and kinda sick in the head. This weird fixation (Bianca) on the image of his past weird fixation (brother's wife) really seemed on the verge of insanity. The only one who I was endeared to was Nicole. She stayed strong and in most cases wore the pants in this book.
   
   I truly felt sorry for the spoiled, Bianca. Nobody deserves to be treated so nasty but most especially it should not be made out to be a good thing to call people some pretty aweful names. In the beginning of the book she was just a spoiled, pampered brat but after being ridiculed and verbally abused. Even the children were allowed to treat her badly.
   
   I just didn't care much for this book. I can honestly say it was not a bad read but I felt I was disagreeing with the author the entire time.



5. The premise for this book is what caught my attention but the story itself disappointed, especially as a huge J. Deveraux fan. I liked Nicole's character and the contrasting view of the very bloody French revolution with 18th century revolutionary America and, because of it, I think this story could have been something so much more... but the character development and the relationship development was uneven AND voluminous... sometimes less is more.

2 comments about Turnabout (Five Star First Edition Mystery Series).

1. Think about this: if you had the chance to be young again would you take it; even if you lost all your memories eventually? That's what the 50 people in the book The Turnabout had to ask themselves only they didn't have a choice. What is it that attracts us to the young years so much? Would it be worth your memories to go back to your youth?
   I personally would not want to lose my memories. I'm only 15 and I know that I wouldn't give them up to re-attempt my life as bad as it may seem sometimes. I feel memories are one if not the most important thing to keep in this world. One of my leading fears is the dreadful fear of developing Alzheimer's and losing everything I've worked to have. In the end really all we have left are memories; this thought always seems to kill me too.
   But you might be thinking if all we have left in the end is memories and that's depressing why not just go back to where you're living all those memories? I don't exactly know why I feel I'd rather not but I still wouldn't. It's still a matter of knowing I had something in my life. Would you want to just forget the love that you and your wife shared, or lose the memories of raising your children, or all the lives you might have touched in your life somehow? I wouldn't give these memories for anything. These things are the reason I live. And if I had them I wouldn't want to risk losing them (or the memories of them) and risk not being able to do it again.
   The Turnabout was a very thought provoking book as you can see. Many questions were brought to my head. You'll have to read and decide for yourself what you believe because what you believe is one of the most important things to decide in the world or else your not really living I feel.



2. I am a big fan of Boston based detective fiction and have read all of Healy's books. I found Turnabout not up to his usual standard, but still worth reading.

3 comments about Deadly Pursuit.

1. I have read the library copy of this book at least 10 times and am thrilled to have the chance to own my own copy. Mr. Cox captured the terror that gripped this small community so dramatically. I was in ninth grade when the kidnapping occurred and lived in a small town about 35 minutes away. No one will ever forget the way this horror captivated every person in the area. My uncle was the helicopter pilot flying forest fire patrol that was forced to fly FBI agents across the mountainside searching for the kidnapper and his victim. I quarantee that once you start to read this book, you will not put it down until you have finished it. And, oh yes, you will leave the porch light on all night for awhile. For anyone interested in true stories, this is a MUST read!



2. When I picked up this book and began to read it, memories flooded back. This was written with such clarity, accuracy, empathy, truthfulness, heart-felt knowledge of the subject he was writing about. It was written in such a manner as to put you right there in the midst of the actions, from beginning to end. It made you feel the pain and anguish of all the terror that the people involved felt. No one can truthfully understand terror unless it has been experienced. Robert Cox with the written word and Ken Pieffer with his pictures in the newspaper made this book all the more read worthy. If anyone wants to be truly frightened read this book; then make sure that you check all of your windows and doors at night if you are alone.I live about 12 miles straight across the mountain from where this happened, and I remember how scared everyone was during this ordeal. this book brought it all flooding back.



3. This is a very good book. These events actually happened before I was born, but I was raised in Shade Gap and knew a lot of the people these things happened to. My grandfather's sister was attacked by the mountain man (or Bicycle Pete as he was called in the area). I LOVE this book and would definately recommend it to anyone who is interested in local history.