Books read Feb 13

Not Done Yet by David Tienter 
Story of a man in his 70's who's on the road now that his wife has passed away. He's just looking for simple things in life til his time has come.
He is camping in SD which is one state we've never traveled to and I'm eager to learn a bit more about which the book is providing me with descriptions that make me want to go visit.
Story also follows a man who has joined a biker group and he hopes to be imitated when he comes across the old man at the camp site. He also goes to rob him but the old man has other plans.
As he gets away from the campground other bikers find him but not for long. It reminds him of his war days in Vietnam where he was upon similar circumstances of death.
Matt meets up with the cop Frank Johnson and he becomes his friend and he hopes to get Matt out of town, alive. The biker group will be on him soon. Frank and his wife are happy the bikers are dead-they go back a long way.
The bikers also keep a female in the basement for their sexual pleasure and she is blindfolded and handcuffed. The bikers have killed an older man driving a Jeep thinking it was the one who murdered their biker friends.
Now Matt knows he has to make it right again, the justice, his way. So many more deaths and I loved hearing of the Indians in paradise who nursed him back to health with help from the sheriff. Loved the gift he leaves them with....
I hate violence and even more the degree in the book but without it, the story wouldn't be the same. I can't seem to get enough of the story. I don't want it to end.
I received this book from Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.

Fried Rice Recipes: 20 Delicious and Unique Asian Fried Rice Dishes You Can Cook at Home
Was talking to my husband the other day and he mentioned he'd love to learn how to make spanish fried rice so when this book became available I grabbed it in hopes it'd have a recipe, or similar we could try.
Some pictures but no nutritional information. Very very very detailed instructions in how to make all the different parts of one recipe and then how to combine them all together. Look appealing.
Saw a few I'd like to try because of the discussion of the dish itself and how they express not only the meaning but the flavors that will enhance the product.

GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER (Very Funny, Rhyming Bedtime Story/Picture Book About Attitude, for Early Readers, Emphasizing the "Oooh" Sound, 25 Whimsical Illustrations, Ages 2-8)
An illustrated colorful children's book about just getting along with one another. Three animals are just sitting and one doesn't really have enough room so the others push over and that leaves one of them with hardly any room.
This continues and they end up moving to other areas and then other animals are without a lot of room. The hot air balloon is the answer til they notice a nest and new birds and now they don't have enough room...
The birds have the solution all along and they share it with the animals and others.
Authors other works are highlighted at the end.

Quick & Easy: A Week of Meals in a Day! Delicious Recipes for Beginners - 20 Quick Easy Recipes You Can Make in a Day! (Quick & Easy, Quick & Easy Recipes, ... Recipes, Beginner Cookbook Book 1)
Illustrated and pictures with recipes of healthy foods to prepare ahead of time.
Each recipe not only comes with a photo but tells you what equipment you will need, ingredients,   servings and portions and storage and servings tips.
Ingredients have some of the healthiest but the nutritional information is not included. You should be able to use 'light' products to make it more healthier.
Very detailed instructions on how to put the dish together.
Energy balls will be one I will be making. Other gift from the author is at the end of the book.

Public Secrets by Nora Roberts
Emma Parker, as a child she was told from her mom of her father, the rockstar and they lived in London.
Jane drinks, heavily and threatens to kill the child and herself after telling the TV reporters why they were abandoned by the rockstar. 
was taken by her father as a child and lives with her father Brian and his pregnant girlfriend Bev. Her mom always hit her but she's happy to have money now to do what she wants.
The rockstar band travels to America and the females join them as they tour around making it big.
Story also follows Jane, a new apartment, lots of clothes, drugs, men and she thinks she sold her daughter for too low a price.
The unthinkable happens: they attempted to give the boy a shot and then kidnap him but something went wrong and Emma alerted others of the events, she fell down the stairs and broke her arm. She's never been able to talk about that night but is still holding all the secrets inside.
Bev leaves her husband and Emma and takes up with other band members but realizes it was she who had failed them.
I felt the book was way too long but it does cover a lifetime of some in the book.
Story follows Emma as she's now an adult along with members of the band.  Surprised they were able to track down all the information about her toddler brothers death.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).





S by John Updike
This book is a compilation of letters from Sarah Worth as she writes to many others who live back home. She has left Charles and has moved to the west.
She goes on and on and on about some things like she's very lonely and hasn't talked to anyone in months. So explicit instructions on how to clean, leave which doors unlocked when the maid comes, etc
She has left to go follow a religious cult of sorts and devote her life to the organization. She writes to many telling them her side of what happened. Liked the details of the co-op and the jobs she has while there, so descriptive.
At times she is teaching the yoga phrases and monosyllables as if they are a new language.
Lots of discussion of the Budha practices, nudity, sex scenes and how it all plays a part in where she is located.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner
Alicia Wice has a full plate-taking care of her ailing aging parents, married and have a teen daughter and working.
She reads a magazine article and she discovers she is addicted to painkillers, pops them like breath mints. Then others find out and intervene.
The rest is how she goes to rehab and I learn so much about the problem. Life on the outside after rehab is a bit frightening as she is so close to using again...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Life is a Wheel, Love Death etc and a bike ride acorss America by Bruce Weber
Wanted to read this book for the travel, all new exciting places to explore and learn about, never mind the other things that come with the story.
Enjoyed learning new things about the road-signal at end of a tunnel and all the other interesting things he saw along the way. So many people along the way made the trip very worthwhile.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Cape Cod Noir  by David Ulin
Beach vacation scenes and this series is about many other contributions from various writers in different districts.
Vacation never ends for the islanders when the summer season is over.
Many stories are about men who have been released from prison and how they live their lives on the cape.
 I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Valentine's Day Poems and Stories by Caroline Feller Bauer
This holiday is just upon us and it will put me in the mood for the holiday, baking heart shaped cookies, etc.
Love the stories and especially the poems about conversation hearts and red hot hearts and hugging sandwich.
Directions for a clay heart pendant is included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Lavenders Blue, A book of nursery rhymes by Kathleen Lines and Harold Jones
Cute nursery rhymes that I recall myself. Some my mother taught us with how to demonstrate some of them.
Audio book for children and adults alike. Love the a for apple pie then b bit it, etc all the way through the whole alphabet. House that Jack built is another really good one. Fun games to play also and you are told how to do them.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan
Snow Crystal, VT. This love story is about Shawn O'Neil-the 2nd book in the O'neil brothers series, but a good standalone. He is a surgeon and he summered in VT.
His grandfather is ill and he is summoned home to VT.  Alise the head chef at the restaurant is also in VT hoping to open the Boathouse restaurant and very close to his twin, jackson. They have shared a night together and neither wants any ties.
Story not only follows their past life and present reuniting but others in the family. He agrees to finish the deck for the restaurant and his grandfather doesn't want him to stick around.
Love bantering among the guys when they are together, always teasing one another, so natural.  We learn what happened at his fathers funeral that has turned his grandfather from him.
Hot steamy sex scenes add to the story lines. Love learning about the area and the hiking overnight. Tragedies occur and breaks them up but it's just a misunderstanding, or is it?  Will track down other books in this series as I love the area, the family, etc
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
1973 Thanksgiving weekend, about how the family is falling apart.
Benjamin Hood - His mistress Janie Williams. He's had affairs before, he strives to have things he can't have.
Story also follows Wendy Williams who's in high school and she's waiting to meet up with Mikey who she's watched touch himself and she wants some of it.
Her father finds them in the basement and they walk home and he doesn't care if she wants to have sex, he just wants her to have a better guy.
Eleanor Hood has read a lot of sex manuals, she wants more but her husband Ben doesn't seem to care about it at all, with her.
Gets confusing at times with introduction to others and their problems at holiday parties. Reminds me of a Peyton Place.... as there is talk of the key swingers exchange at a party-you go home with someone else  for the night. Tragedy and death and dark places...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Coast of Summer
Excited to learn that in this book about sailing the coast of New England that the author also stops at the island my mom and dad lived in the RI area.
Liked hearing of the landmarks one sees from the water as we know them from the landside. Island hopping at its best.
What adventures!  Love the tour of all the islands and what makes each special for fresh seafood, people met along the way, seashelling or just day tripping.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Jokes, Giggles and Guffaws by Helen Hoke
Love alphabet puzzles the best. So silly some of the jokes.
So many are just common sense ones but so funny anyways.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Robert B. Parkers, The Bridge
Enjoy the author's other works and realize he has passed on but his stories continue with others helping to finish writing them.
This one is a western and about a deputy and a friend who track down the culprits of who blew up the bridge and killed the sheriff and 2 other deputies.
Love the clues and especially the details of the land. Surprised with the extravaganza that comes to town and how Everett spends time with a woman who it turns out never existed.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).