Summer Reading Week 8

Welcome to the results of Week 8 of Summer Reading 2012.  We have 365 people signed up.  This week 45 people read 169 books (4 submitted entries for the first time this week.)  So far, 151 people have read 1040 books!

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The Tehran Initiative By Rosenberg, Joel C. 2011-10 - Tyndale House Publishers 9781414319353 Check Our Catalog With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran's nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike. 350 pp. (Espionage/Thriller) …More

Miss Julia to the Rescue By Ross, Ann B. 2012-04 - Viking Books 9780670023387 Check Our Catalog Can Miss Julia spring J. D. Pickens from a sheriff's clutches and investigate a cult-plus keep up appearances as a proper Southern lady? …More

The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga By Rutherford, Edward 2005-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345472359 Check Our Catalog From the internationally bestselling author of London and Sarum -- a magnificent epic about love and war, family life and political intrigue in Ireland over the course of seventeen centuries. Like the novels of James Michener, The Princes of Ireland brilliantly interweaves engrossing fiction and well-researched fact to capture the essence of a place. Edward Rutherfurd has introduced millions of readers to the human dramas that are the lifeblood of history. From his first bestseller, Sarum, to the #1 bestseller London, he has captivated audiences with gripping narratives that follow the fortunes of several fictional families down through the ages. The Princes of Ireland, a sweeping panorama steeped in the tragedy and glory that is Ireland, epitomizes the power and richness of Rutherfurd's storytelling magic. The saga begins in pre-Christian Ireland with a clever refashioning of the legend of Cuchulainn, and culminates in the dramatic founding of the Free Irish State in 1922. Through the interlocking stories of a wonderfully imagined cast of characters -- monks and noblemen, soldiers and rebels, craftswomen and writers -- Rutherfurd vividly conveys the personal passions and shared dreams that shaped the character of the country. He takes readers inside all the major events in Irish history: the reign of the fierce and mighty kings of Tara; the mission of Saint Patrick; the Viking invasion and the founding of Dublin; the trickery of Henry II, which gave England its foothold on the island in 1167; the plantations of the Tudors and the savagery of Cromwell; the flight of the "Wild Geese"; the failed rebellion of 1798; the Great Famine and the Easter Rebellion. With Rutherfurd'swell-crafted storytelling, readers witness the rise of the Fenians in the late nineteenth century, the splendours of the Irish cultural renaissance, and the bloody battles for Irish independence, as though experiencing their momentous impact firsthand. Tens of millions of North Americans claim Irish descent. Generations of people have been enchanted by Irish literature, and visitors flock to Dublin and its environs year after year. The Princes of Ireland will appeal to all of them -- and to anyone who relishes epic entertainment spun by a master. "From the Hardcover edition. …More

School for Sorcery By Sabin, E. Rose 2002-09 - Tor Books 9780765302892 Check Our Catalog At The Lesley Simonton School for the Magically Gifted, the final exam could be a real killer. To save her classmates from banishment to a terrifying world, Tria will have to make a journey unlike any she has ever known--into the heart of Evil. A very good read.  Some similarities to Harry Potter, but no where near enough to make it a copy or knock off.  It stands on its own power. …More

Rachel's Secret By Sanders, Shelly Author Greer, Shelly 2012-04 - Second Story Press 9781926920375 Check Our Catalog …More

The Case of the Missing Books By Sansom, Ian 2007-01 - HarperCollins Publishers 9780060822507 Check Our Catalog Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he had in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming--but where are the books? The rolling library's 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it's up to Israel to discover who would steal them . . . and why. And perhaps, after that, he will tackle other bizarre and perplexing local mysteries--like, where does one go to find a proper cappuccino and a decent newspaper? …More

The Book Stops Here By Sansom, Ian 2008-08 - Harper Paperbacks 9780061452000 Check Our Catalog Israel Armstrong, one of literature's most unlikely detectives, returns for more adventure in this hilarious third novel in the Mobile Library series. The hunt for a missing book mobile leads him on a twisting trail through the countryside in pursuit of a convoy of dreadlocked New Age travelers. …More

The God Project By Saul, John 1983-05 - Bantam 9780553262582 Check Our Catalog Something is happening to the children of Eastbury, Massachusetts. Something that causes healthy babies to turn cold in their cribs. Something that strikes at the heart of every parent's darkest fears. Something is taking the children one by one. Now, an entire town waits on the edge of panic for the next nightmare. there must be a reason for the terror. they all know it. But no one ever suspected... …More

A Living Nightmare By Shan, Darren 2002-06 - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 9780316605106 Check Our Catalog Soon to be a major motion picture based on the three books in the Cirque Du Freak series, these books feature new cover images. Darren Shan is an ordinary schoolboy who enjoys hanging out with his three best friends. Then one day they stumble across an invitation to visit the Cirque Du Freak, a mysterious freak show. As if by destiny, Darren wins a ticket, and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires. I like how this book put a different spin on Freak-Show classics, such as the bearded lady, or wolfman. …More

Valley of Dreams By Snelling, Lauraine 2011-11 - Bethany House Publishers 9780764209215 Check Our Catalog As one woman tries to find the hidden valley of her father's dreams in the 1906 Black Hills, she also discovers courage, faith--and romance. …More

A Taint in the Blood: A Kate Shugak Novel By Stabenow, Dana 2005-08 - St. Martin's Press 9780312985653 Check Our Catalog "Award-winning crime writer Dana Stabenow is at the top of her game in her latest spell-binding novel featuring Kate Shugak who's taken on her toughest case yet..." A MOTHER'S CRIME... Thirty-one years ago in Anchorage, Alaska, Victoria Pilz Bannister Muravieff was convicted of murdering her seventeen-year-old son William. The prosecution convinced the jury that she set fire to her home while both of her sons were trapped inside. William died and the other, Oliver, narrowly escaped. Victoria was sentenced to life in prison, and though she pled not guilty at the trial, she never again denied her guilt. A DAUGHTER'S DEVOTION... Now Victoria has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and her daughter Charlotte, who's always believed in her mother's innocence, wants her free. Kate Shugak is the only P.I. Charlotte can find who's willing to take such a long-shot case. A FAMILY'S DARK PAST... Kate figures it can't be bad to do a favor for the Bannister family, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Alaska's short history. As she begins her investigation, Victoria refuses to cooperate. But it seems she isn't the only one who wants to leave the past in the past as Kate finds herself caught in a web of deception, secrets, and danger... "Kate Shugak is the answer if you are looking for something unique in the crowded field of crime fiction." --Michael Connelly, author of "The Narrows" …More

Though Not Dead By Stabenow, Dana 2011-02 - Minotaur Books 9780312559113 Check Our Catalog Kate Shugak and the rest of the Park rats are stunned by the death of Old Sam, Kate's 87-year-old uncle and foster father. In his will, he leaves almost everything to Kate, including a homestead deep in gold mining country that no one knew he had and a letter that reads simply, "Find my father." …More

Angel's Advocate By Stanton, Mary 2009-06 - Berkley 9780425228753 Check Our Catalog Money's been tight ever since Bree Winston Beaufort inherited Savannah's haunted law firm, Beaufort & Company. She takes a case representing a spoiled girl who has stolen Girl Scout cookie money. But soon enough she finds that her client's departed millionaire father needs help, too. Original. …More

Rogue By Steel, Danielle 2008-06 - Delacorte Press 9780385340250 Check Our Catalog An unforgettable story of two people pursuing happiness from opposite directions, this latest novel by #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author Danielle Steel is a journey of choices and the amazing opportunities that come together--just when life seems to have been successfully rearranged at last. …More

Low Down and Dirty By Stringer, Vickie M. 2012-03 - Atria Books 9781451660869 Check Our Catalog In yet another fast-paced and spiraling edition in the bestselling series featuring Dirty Red, Stringer writes about a woman who will do anything to save her life and the people who go so low in attempts to stop her. …More

Cherished By Tate, Kim Cash 2011-08 - Thomas Nelson Publishers 9781595548559 Check Our Catalog How can she believe God cherishes her when she can't forgive herself? Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared would be a forever kind of love. But choices she'll forever regret upended her hope . . . and turned her dreams to dust. When those dreams come knocking once more, she's forced to deal with the pain of the past. Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control-first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band that left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One who can save her. And He did. But that's just the beginning, because now she must leave behind the only life she's ever known. Two women with shame-filled pasts form an unlikely friendship. What does God's forgiveness look like for them? Will they ever believe that He loves them . . . and can still offer them a life where they are cherished? …More

A Fraction of the Whole By Toltz, Steve 2008-02 - Spiegel & Grau 9780385521727 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title An uproarious indictment of the ridiculousness of the modern world and its mores, this novel also tells the moving, memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings. …More

Baking with the Cake Boss: 100 of Buddy's Best Recipes and Decorating Secrets By Valastro, Buddy 2011-11 - Free Press 9781439183526 Check Our Catalog The star of TLC's smash hit shares everything a home cook needs to know about baking as he takes readers through the same progressive training he had in his apprenticeship. "Baking with the Cake Boss" offers readers the same on-the-job education earned by everyone who comes to work at Buddy's home away from home, Carlo's Bake Shop. 272 pp. 125,000 print. Love the Cake Boss, will be buying this book. …More

Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia By Valastro, Buddy 2010-11 - Free Press 9781439183519 Check Our Catalog In this heartfelt memoir, masterbaker Valastro, who's star of the #1 hit TLC show "Cake Boss," tells his inspiring story--and recounts his family's warm memories from a lifetime of living, loving, and cake making. Love love love the Cake Boss.  I will be buying this book. …More

Cruisin' on Desperation By G'Orge-Walker, Pat 2007-12 - Thorndike Press 9781410402691 Check Our Catalog The members of the Oh-Lawd-Why-Am-I-Still-Single church group have gathered again to complain about the slim pickings in their little town. Lyon Lipps is a con artist who has seduced every member of their group . . . and it's time to get a little payback. …More

The Devil's Feather By Walters, Minette 2006-08 - Alfred A. Knopf 9780307264626 Check Our Catalog When five woman are brutally murdered in Sierra Leone, Reuters correspondent Connie Burns suspects a British mercenary who seems to be using the chaos of war to act out sadistic, misogynist fantasies. Connie's suspicions fall on deaf ears, but she's determined to expose the man and his secret. The consequences are devastating. She meets him again in Baghdad but is taken hostage shortly afterward. Terrified and traumatized by the experience, Connie escapes to England, determined to protect herself by withholding information abouther abduction. In a remote rented house- where the dark, hidden history ofher landlady's family seems to mirror her own fears- she waits, knowing it's only a matter of time before her nightmares become real... With it's sinuous plot, it's vividly drawn characters, and its breathless, unrelenting suspense, The Devil's Feather keeps us riveted from first to last. …More

The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide By Ward, J. R. 2008-10 - New American Library 9780451225009 Check Our Catalog "New York Times"-bestselling author Ward delivers a behind-the-scenes look at her to die for ("Publishers Weekly") Black Dagger Brotherhood series--and a new short story starring Zsadist and Bella. …More

Dark Lover By Ward, J. R. 2011-10 - New American Library 9780451235954 Check Our Catalog In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies-the lessers-more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed, leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate, Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams. …More