Great YA Book

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks attends the same elite boarding school - Alabaster Academy - as her popular older sister Zada and her secret society member father, leaving her with big shoes to fill on campus. Freshman year goes by without Frankie being noticed much, but returning for sophomore year is a different story after a summer of filling out. Frankie begins dating the co-president of the secret society - The Royal Order of the Bassett Hounds, and ties to infiltrate the male only group by outsmarting them and out pranking them.

Frankie is a great modern-feminist role model. She is smart and beautiful but also cunning, brave, and witty. I really like Lockhart's books and will continue reading her work.

The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffrey Deaver

The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffrey Deaver

Deputy Brynn McKenzie is off duty when she gets a call asking her to check out a lake front house bordering a large state park in Wisconsin to follow up on a strange 911 call. Upon arriving at the house, Brynn stumbles across two bodies of a city couple and another woman claiming to be their friend, injured and hiding. From there, The Bodies Left Behind quickly turns into a fast paced cat and mouse chase. Who will prevail? The two men hired to kill, or the two women running for their lives?

I really enjoyed this book by Deaver. My first by him but certainly not my last.

Two for October - Slow month so far!!

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

The newest in Cornwell's Scarpetta series finds Kay Scarpetta and Benton Weselley, now married, splitting their time between their home base of Boston, Massachusetts and New York City. When little person, Oscar, is brought into Bellevue's Criminal Psychiatric Ward in NY, he asks specifically for Scarpetta. Oscar is being accused of murdering his girlfriend.

In this latest, Scarpetta is fighting a vicious online gossip site bent on destroying her reputation, trying to help solve a case while also bound by patient/doctor confidentiality, and is also faced with a forced reunion with Marino.

I thought the book was good, but a little too long. I didn't really care about the victim(s) so much until closer to the end of the book. However, I am still looking forward to the next in the series to find out where the characters go from there.

You Can Adopt by Susan Coughman

This is a GREAT book on adoption. It covers all of the nuts and bolts. The checklists are beyond helpful. So far, this is the best adoption book I have read.

Two New Books

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsela



Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

The Overlook by Michael Connelly

The Overlook by Michael Connelly

A Harry Bosch Novel

Harry gets called out to a murder scene on the Overlook in the Hollywood Hills. He begins working the homocide case as he would any other, but things quickly turn chaotic when the case gets taken over by the FBI and then turns into a Homeland Security nightmare when it is discovered that a large batch of cessium is missing and possibly in the hands of a well-known and wanted terrorist.

I always enjoy a Harry Bosch novel.

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1 by Heather Brewer

Vladimir Tod is a typical 8th grade boy in that he is shy around girls especially the one he likes and gets bullied by some bigger boys. Vlad also struggles to keep a big secret from everyone except his best friend Henry: he is a vampire. Vlad's life suddenly gets even more complicated when his teacher goes missing and a mysterious, and highly suspicious, Mr. Otis takes over the class. To make matters worse, Vlad fears the girl he likes may in fact like Henry instead of him. To top it off, Vlad is in search for the truth about his parents mysterious deaths.

This is the first in the series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. I can't wait to read the next book and bring this first one in to share with my students.

Cold Truth by Mariah Stewart

Cold Truth by Mariah Stewart

Det. Cassie Reilly is assigned to a case involving serial murders in the small ocean side town in New Jersey. Cassie is searching for an elusive serial killer who as left a trail of victims throughout many states, countries, and decades. She is joined by FBI Agents Rick Cisco and Mitch __ and Regan Landry who helped her famous late father pen bestselling true crime books. Can they put a stop to the killings before he sets his sights on Cassie herself?

This is the first Mariah Stewart book I have read, though I have a few on my shelf to be read. I really enjoyed it and am anxious to get to the next Truth book.