Rainbow Boys (Rainbow Trilogy, #1) by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Alston Brown, three guys in high school are the main characters with best friends Nelson (openly gay) and Kyle semi-out) and Jason with a girlfriend of 2 years and thinking about guys. This was written in 2003 and I was a high school librarian then and am so sorry I never read this book. Teens will understand the trials and tribulations of these 3 boys who also have family and friend issues to contend with and college on the horizon. Each chapter is narrator is narrated by Kyle, Jason and Nelson because they are all so different. Also this is at a time when there is homophobia in the school and at home, many tense, difficult things happen to these boys as they struggle to open a Gay/Straight Alliance in their school. A must listen to!!!

View all my reviews

First Degree (Andy Carpenter, #2) by David Rosenfelt

First Degree by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series! Just the right amount of humor (hysterical) and suspense and dogs (Ilove dogs!) from author David Rosenfelt as he lays the story line for the reader---Andy Carpenter is in love with Laurie Collins (who used to be a police officer & now has her own PI business) and has a possible client tell him that he committed a murder. Since Andy can't share this with anyone, when a slimy low life drug dealer is arrested for the murder, decapitation, and burning of bad cop Alex Dorsey's body, Andy decides to represent him (since he knows he did not do it---once again can't tell anyone, even Laurie who will be his PI on this case). When Laurie is arrested for this murder with all kinds of evidence, Andy gathers his team to help Laurie. There was suspense, lots of info being withheld by authorities and plain old good detective/lawyer plot and I love how Rosenfelt wove the story; I already have the 3rd book on hold at the library!

View all my reviews

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book deserves all the awards: National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2021), Michael L. Printz Award Nominee (2022), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2021), Teen category, Walter Dean Myers Honor Award. Awesomely narrated by Emily Woo Zeller; this story takes place in 1954 Chinatown where high school student Lily Hu lives with her family, with an annoying, an overbearing best friend, and the Red Scare has taken her doctor father's Naturalization Papers because of a patient her saw. When Lily begins to realize she has feelings for Kath Miller as a result of sneaking out to the GAY bar to see a female impersonator, the reader follows Kath and Lily's friendship turn to relationship and how their world blows up. Thoroughly researched this a must read for YA readers on the history of the Red Scare, life in Chinatown, and the growth of lesbian movement.

View all my reviews

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this stand alone book by Lisa Scottoline! Alernately told by Dr. Noah Alderman who is on trial for murdering his step daughter beginning with Day 10 of his trial (and then working backward in time with his wife, Maggie, being contacted by the daughter taken away from her when she was an infant. There was mystery, angst, and lying as well as just not mentioning a lot. I loved their romance and life with Caleb, Noah's son who has a speaking disability. Recommended!

View all my reviews

Mercy (Atlee Pine, #4) by David Baldacci

Mercy by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in one day and loved reading Mercy's chapters as well as Atlee's but they are very very upsetting, what she had to endure, after Ito Vincenzo, takes her, bludgeons Atlee and goes to the Atkins family and tells them she needs a good home (but he tells Mercy at 6 years old that her family did not want her anymore). After Len and Wanda have her for a few days and realize they are too old to take care of a 6 yr old, they give Mercy to their son because he can't have children. Unfortunately his wife Desiree is pure evil and Mercy is abused and suffers horrors (that thankfully only make her stronger and determined to survive). Once again, I hated the handler, Jack, who we found out in the last book is Mercy and Atlee's father, and he is still lying, and trying to recover from a gun shot wound all the while, a crazy guy is out for revenge--first with Mercy, but then with Atlee and Carol. OMG, a great, great book and an ode to the power of love and sisters!

View all my reviews

Daylight (Atlee Pine, #3) by David Baldacci

Daylight by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As this series continues, I have the utmost respect for Atlee Pine and Carol Blum. Who I do not really like is Jack, the very rich guy who was Atlee and Mercy's mom's handler as she worked undercover. The more she uncovers, the more she realizes Jack has been withholding/lying to her all along, and why? In this book, she inadvertently runs right into another Army CID guy, John Puller who is investigating the same family/guy?!? As they agree to work together, pretty soon they all realize there are those in the government who do not want them to learn anything. People are transferred, cops won't speak to them, they are rebuffed at all angles. But with this book, we are getting closer to answers for Atlee, but at a significant cost to her and Puller and Carol Blum. I could not put this book down!!!

View all my reviews

A Minute to Midnight (Atlee Pine, #2) by David Baldacci

A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this 2nd book in the Atlee Pine series; Atlee gets a little too forceful as she captures a criminal. She and her boss admit it might be time to try to solve the mystery of Mercy's disappearance. Carol Blum, her very qualified assistant, is also by her side again (I really do love the way she can help Atlee get information from those she interviews. Returning to her hometown, Atlee begins to get some answers, and when murders start happening; is this related to Pine's investigation? With the awesome twists and turns I could not put this book down but also really liked Atlee's personality, her inner workings, and her determination. Looking forward to Book #3!

View all my reviews

The Ursulina (Shelby Lake, #2) by Brian Freeman

The Ursulina by Brian Freeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated once again by January LaVoy (loved The Deep Deep Snow); Rebecca Colder is a detective in a town that seems to be VERY backward and hates most of the women ---men want the jobs in the mine and hate the women who take those jobs from them. The same happens with Rebecca, as the only woman on the police force but I did not like her allowing the officers to annoy her, grope her, and demean her (she had people who would believe her). Also, as the story unfolded with Rebecca's marriage to Ricky torpedoing--how could everyone see what a loser he was and Rebecca did not? I am not a fan of UNRELIABLE NARRATORS and I was becoming convinced Rebecca was unreliable in almost every facet of her life. Why would she not tell Brian who was an Ursulina hunter that she saw it when she was 10 yrs old? Why would she take Ricky's awful abuse and not let the law/Daryl put him in jail. Why would she not admit while questioning with Daryl she was in full blown labor?!? Don't get me wrong I loved the book; just not a fan of Rebecca and now I am back to listening to The Deep Deep Cold AGAIN and love Shelby's POV!

View all my reviews

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of the Albright College Book Club, February read, and highly recommended by Deb Tarrant (she read & discussed in her other book club). Woody Wilson Nickel is a teen during the Dust Bowl who has lost everything---his family and his home and with no food or money he has been traveling on trains like a hobo but when he sets his sight on the two giraffes right after the 1938 hurricane; he finds a purpose and mightily follows the rig as the giraffes are being taken to the San Diego Zoo. When Old Man (Riley Jones) takes on Woody to finish the trip as the giraffes driver---the adventures (many good and many bad) abound for the next 12 days. The giraffes (Boy and Girl) are beautiful, friendly, and take to Woody right away (Woody falls in love with these magnificent animals) which helps many times over during the trip from New York to California. I also enjoyed the chapters interspersed with Woody at 105 feverishly writing his story so it is not forgotten. Rutledge does a magnificent job with how these giraffes are able to grab people (and us) to truly become mesmerized by these animals, and enjoy their beauty as they travel in their rig to a safe home in the zoo where they will be taken care of and live a safe, long life but boy do they have to endure quite a few things as they travel! A wonderful book!

View all my reviews

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Frankie Corzo; Petra uses English and Spanish, her grandmother's folktales, the great folktales of the world, and her ingenuity and bravery to thwart the evil collective she has woken up to. All that Petra was told would happen as her family and special chosen others journey in a sleep state to a new planet are gone when she wakes up to a whole new world. There is a lot going on in this dystopian sci fi journey but listening to it as Petra's life as Zeta 1 unfolds was gripping & suspenseful with the beauty, honesty and reality in Petra's dreams and family stories. I loved many of the characters, Petra's guts, and her dogged determination to find a world where she might bring/tell her storytelling and folktales.

View all my reviews

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I saw this book recommended/reviewed by a few of my friends and oh did I enjoy this juicy, humorous mystery taking place at a retirement community. Four friends meet weekly to discuss cold cases (one of the friends TOOK the files upon her retirement) until there is a real murder in their community, then another, and another. What I loved was how the seniors were able to "make things happen" with real law enforcement. The way these seniors live, finagle, and maneuver was a delight; the plot twists were believable and had me turning the pages.

View all my reviews