what am i reading now?

I'll give you one guess.

The other day I was feel nostalgic for books that I have read multiple times and loved every second of reading them.  I'm trying to slog through the books that have been sitting on my tbr shelf, but I'm just not feeling it.  I did pick up a book by a new (to me) author and so far am loving it, but everything else just isn't exciting so far.

Yesterday I decided that I was going to reread The Hunger Games.  Then I picked up this new book (Heartsick by Chelsea Cain) and got into that so I put it off.

Then today Ms. Lauren over at Busy Bee Lauren wrote this post about rereading The Hunger Games together so I thought it must be meant to be.  If you want to join in the reading happiness you can participate in the tweeting madness that will occur starting tonight.  I'm @knowitnotsomuch and Lauren is tweeting specifically about the book here @TheLaurenGames Of course, you can follow me on twitter, but I'll warn you that my previous attempts to keep up with that junk have been grossly unsuccessful.  For this group reading thing it's best if you follow Lauren.

Maybe I'll post about each chapter as I go along, but I'm not making any promises 'cause I pretty much suck at bloggie follow through.  *sigh*

So get your books out and your favorite HG bookmark & let's get to reading!

the affair

Quite simply this Jack Reacher story is about both beginnings and endings.

It's 1997 and Reacher is sent out to Carter Crossing, Mississippi to investigate undercover.  A woman has been found, throat cut and suspicion has fallen on the local base.  Only, it can't.  The Army can't afford to have the spot light on this base and they can't afford for an investigation to prove what they already have an inkling about.  So Garber sends Reacher in to find out what's really going on and how best to protect the Army.

Of course, Reacher isn't going to assist in some kind of cover up.  He's too good for that and maybe that's why Garber sends him.  But this story, even though it takes place almost 15 years ago, shows a much more decisive Reacher. 

Here and there you'll find little Easter egg facts inserted for those who have read the series in its entirety.  Neagley makes an appearance and the story certainly does set up the events that will happen in the first Reacher novel, The Killing Floor.

This book doesn't disappoint and in fact, I'm slightly sad that certain characters never show up in the series, but then that's not surprising considering Lee Child's style.  The book answers a lot of questions about Reacher and why he really mustered out.  I let the book lead me along the whole way and kept changing my mind at every single turn.

He's still my favorite book hero.

shock wave

Virgil is sent out to a small Minnesota river town after to find out who is trying to stop megastore Pyemart from moving in.  So far two bombs and two people have been killed and Virgil is tasked with stopping the bomber from killing any more innocent people.

I just really enjoy Virgil Flowers.  Almost more than Lucas Davenport.  He's hilarious.  Easy going and smart, but not afraid to throw a punch when it's needed.  The difference between Lucas and Virgil is that while Lucas does step outsides the lines of the law quite often, Virgil doesn't so much but he still feels like he's not so straight laced.  He also tends to be more down to earth and uses the community to help him find answers.

Pyemart is basically a WalMart and the small town of Butternut just can't sustain a huge superstore like that and support its local mom and pop businesses.  Then there's the possible pollution into the river that runs through the town and brings trout fisherman from all over.  So there's plenty of people who don't want PyeMart to move in and plenty who believe that the city council was bribed.  Plenty of mad people in this town, which means plenty of suspects for Virgil to wade through when the bombing start.

Great series, great book.  You don't necessarily have to read these in order, but there are references to characters from previous books.  Either way, this is one not to miss.

hell's corner

Hell's Corner refers to the jurisdiction that is Lafayette Square of President's Park.  The park is patrolled by Park Police, Pennsylvania Avenue is DC Metro's responsibility and the sidewalks fall under the protection of the Secret Service.  Suffice it to say, crimes that happen in that area are more susceptible to bureaucratic red tape.

Such is the case in David Baldacci's Hell's Corner.  John Carr is a wanted man.  After his escapades in the previous novel he knows that sooner or later they will come for him.  And they do.  Only it's not for the reasons he suspected.  The President tells him that the drug market is no longer in the hands of Mexican cartels, but the Russians.  And since John was active during the Cold War the President needs John's expertise to find the proof.

He literally has no choice but to accept this mission.  Contemplating the ramifications of his predicament he strolls through Lafayette Park only to witness the detonation of a bomb right next to the White House.  In the meantime, the Camel Club is trying to figure out why John (Oliver to them) is working for the same people who ruined his life years ago and they're determined to do whatever it takes to help him, even if it means one of them will die.




Out of all the Camel Club books I've got to say that this one is my least favorite.  I felt like Oliver (John) was a defeated man throughout the entire book.  He was still a bad ass, kicking butt and not even worrying about taking names, but he was so over it he barely had any fight left in him.


Throughout the book, I felt as if I was missing a book in between.  When did Annabelle get so weepy and hysterical?  She seemed to cry for everyone in the story.  The book took awhile to get going too.  The Camel Club was sort of way far back, tucked away while John/Oliver went about his business with his new 'partner.


Don't get me wrong, still a good book.  I just like a fiery John Carr, not this sad, old man who already seems to have one foot in the grave.

chasing fire

In Chasing Fire, Nora Roberts introduces us to the Zulies.  A group of extreme fire fighters from Missoula, Montana who parachute into wildfires to wage the war from the inside.  It's nuts & crazy!  Rowan Tripp is the daughter of famed Zulie jumper Lucas 'Iron Man' Tripp and though it seems like those are some big shoes to fill she's got no problem with it.  When someone seems to be taking revenge for tragedies that happened a season before Rowan finds herself questioning the loyalty of the people around her.  Could one of the men or women she calls family be a killer?

This one started out kind of slow.  It wasn't until the last third of the book that I got into it.  It was a little predictable (I knew who the killer was right away), but it was entertaining nonetheless.  Once again Nora Roberts has taught me all about a subject I knew nothing about!  Her descriptions of being in the fire, the heat, the smoke, the sounds were detailed but not over the top.

I love the characters....all of them.  This is one of those books that I could read a series of just to get to stay with the characters for awhile.

If you're a Nora Roberts fan you'll enjoy this one.  If you've never read one of her books this is a good one to start with.

buried prey

When a house demolition unearths the bodies of two dead little girls the past comes back to haunt Lucas.  This time he's determined to find the killer and he has the ability and the experience to do it his way.


Buried Prey is being touted as Sandford's best Lucas novel and they may be right.  He shows us what Lucas was like back in 1985 when he was still in uniform and itching to get out of the patrol car and into investigation.  Back then two sisters go missing and everyone is scrambling to find them before it's too late.  But it's always too late and though the public and most of the police force thinks they got their man Lucas isn't so sure.  When the bodies are ultimately discovered in the present time all of his doubts are verified.  So now he's going to find out who really took those girls.


Sandford does something that I don't think he's ever done in all of the previous 20 books in the series.  You'll know it when it happens and while it was slightly shocking you'll realize he foreshadowed the whole thing pretty obviously.  Lucas is still one of the greatest characters in suspense novels in my opinion, but I don't know how much longer he can keep going.  He's edging closer to 50 so I'm wondering if at some point he'll just pass the torch onto Virgil.  I hope not.  I hope he keeps writing for Lucas.

to watch or not to watch

I've made it through five seasons of True Blood.  During the first season I started reading the books.  I'd always thought about reading them, but remember, I'm a book cover kind of girl and let's face it, those covers are awful.  So I started reading them and found a Sookie that was a million times better than the TV Sookie.  She's stronger, more independent, less pathetic.

The downside was that it made the TV show less appealing at the same time more interesting.  TV Sookie and Bill make me want to barf.  They both drive me crazy and I'm not sure if it's the actors (that I don't like anyway) or something else.  On the other hand the books really don't have much to do with other characters besides Sookie, Bill, Eric, Pam & Sam.  Tara, Lafayette, Andy, and everyone else has either made a quick & quiet appearance or doesn't exist at all.  So that makes the show more fun because let's face it Lafayette & Tara are awesome.

*******If you haven't watched the show and want to or haven't caught up you should stop reading & start watching*********

This last season was painfully boring.  I thought the Lilith story line might be a little interesting, but it was awful.  The Authority is a joke.  Everyone was really so easy to take out eventually.  And Russell & Rev. Weirdo are just obnoxious beyond all reason.  I don't like Pam & Eric apart.  I don't like Sookie & Tara at odds.  Even though I despise this Sookie, I love Tara and it's just weird to have them not speaking.

Granted, I understand Tara's anger, but these two (Sookie & Lafayette) are the two people who loved her the most.  Though the decision was mostly selfish on their parts, Tara was meant to be a vamp.  She kicked ass as a human so as a vampire she's perfect.

And Tara & Pam?!  I can't love that anymore than I do.  I LOVE PAM.  She and Eric are my favorites both in the books & on the show.  When he released her I died.  That was not what I wanted.  I need Eric & Pam together always.  Having Eric come through in the end was nothing less than expected.  He is the hero.  He is perfect, no?

And Lafayette.  My heart broke for him when Jesus died.  I loved him having someone.  When shit goes down it's always Lafayette that gets screwed.  And that was major.  But he's pulled through and he makes me laugh every single episode. 

The fairies started out completely ridiculous.  I mean really...but it's starting to get a bit interesting and Andy's involvement is priceless.  I like that Terry, Holly, Andy & Arlene are getting a bit more screen time.  They are hilarious.

Jessica, Jason & Hoyt.  That killed me.  Hoyt's leaving and his going away present was so so so sad.  And now Jason's got this weird thing going on and so he's pushing Jessica away, probably the best character on the show who didn't ever show up in the book.

So will I watch next season.  Yeah, probably.  I must find out what happens to Eric.  I suppose as long as he's on the show I'll have to watch.  We all know how I feel about that guy.  It better not be so slow next season.  I'll be sad.