Kathy's (kmartin802's) Summer Reading

Today was the last day of school for the 2014-2015 school year with students. Tomorrow will be a work day to celebrate the year, pack things away for the summer, and finish up last minute details. Then I look forward to digging into my summer reading stack.

Since I have 87 days of summer vacation, my goal is to read 87 books.

Here is my first 2015 thread.

CONGRATULATIONS for wrapping up another school year! I can only tell you that retirement is great, and I don't miss teaching or baby sitting or whatever it was that I was doing that last year.
Enjoy your summer reading!

1. Minutes to Kill by Melinda Leigh (334 p.) -- Excellent romantic suspense. Hannah tries to rescue a girl being abducted but fails. She is injured and goes home to Scarlet Falls to recover. The kidnappers - sociopaths and killers - follow her. She involves Brody, police detective, who is investigating some brutal murders and dealing with an alcoholic partner. They fall in love while trying to keep Hannah alive and solve the murder cases. This one talks about trafficking of young girls for sex.

2. Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry (494 p.) -- Loved it. Emily is taken to visit her father who is a member of a motorcycle club. She goes very reluctantly being raised to believe that her father abandoned her and her mother when he found out her mother was pregnant. She's only seen him once a year since she was 10. She learns that she has more family and that the story her mother told her was a lie. There is a big family secret that everyone knows but her and everyone has promised not to tell. She is guarded by a boy named Oz who has grown up around the motorcycle club and whose one goal is to become a full member. Both Emily and Oz have both grown up feeling that they weren't properly loved by the ones who should have loved them the most. Great romance and fascinating look at the culture of motorcycle clubs.

3. Hell or High Water by Julie Ann Walker (382 p.) -- Romantic Suspense/Thriller. CIA agent Olivia contacts old flame and former SEAL Leo when an operation to uncover a mole goes wrong. Leo has left the SEALs and he and his friends have formed a salvage company and are searching for an old Spanish ship that went down filled with treasure. While they are working on their relationship, they also have to battle terrorists who would also like to find the missing chemical weapons.

4. Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George (358 p.) -- Dacia and Lou are cousins and from a couple of the best families in 1897 New York. They learn, when they go to meet their mothers' family in Romania, that the are also the heirs of a different family tradition. Their family consists of shape-shifters who are guards for the Dracula family. In this current generation, they are helping Mihai Dracula overthrow the king of Romania so that he can rule the country and eventually Europe. Since he also wants to marry Dacia - who learns she can shift into a wolf, the girls are opposed to this. They team up with their preferred love interests Lord Johnny Harcastle and Theo Arkady - members of a secret society - to defeat Mihai and their own evil grandmother.

5. Gone for You by Jayne Frost (174 p.) -- Rock star meets struggling college student and insta-love happens. Lots of spicy sex but not a lot of emotional tension. He doesn't think he can do any more than one-night-stands with his schedule until he meets her. She is dealing with parental disapproval regarding her desire to be an artist.

6. Paperweight by Meg Haston (304 p.) -- Excellent story about a young woman in rehab with an eating disorder who is also dealing with grief because of the death of her brother (which she is certain she caused) and abandonment by her mother (who sounds like a real selfish jerk). She is determined to starve herself to death by the one year anniversary of her brother's death as a tribute to him. I liked the way her therapist worked with her and how she gradually began to make friends with the other girls who shared her house.

7. Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh (484 p.) -- Arrows Aden and Zaira are the romantic leads in this one. They are also facing a new hidden enemy who wants chaos for their economic gain. Lots of cameos from characters from other stories. The conflict is that Zaira believes that she is a monster who is likely insane and is not able to or deserving of love. This one also had a lot about Aden wanting to make the Arrows into a family and especially finding a new way to raise the children without torture and brutality.

Hi! I'm a teacher too and I have been out of school since May 31. I was in a daze the first 2-3 days but after that I took all the books out of my 3 bookshelves, cleaned the shelves, re-arranged them, found books that I never even knew that I had. It was fun deciding which ones I was going to select to read this summer poolside. Hope your summer and your reading are relaxing and enjoyable!

8. Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls by Elizabeth Varadan (181 p.) -- Young Victorian Imogene decides to become a detective and has a chance to be one when someone steals her mother's pearls. Sherlock Holmes is called in on the case and Imogene gets to see how a real detective works. She investigates her household and has the help of lower-class Rusty who runs errands for Sherlock Holmes. Nice middle grade mystery with sufficient red herrings to keep them reading.

9. Your Next Breath by Iris Johansen (352 p.) -- 4th Catherine Ling adventure has her needing to track down an old enemy before he kills everyone she loves. Lots of appearances from others in the series including Eve Duncan and Joe, Jane, Richard Cameron, and Caleb. This was a lot about relationships.

10. Battlesaurus: Rampage at Waterloo by Brian Falkner (357 p.) -- Alternate Battle of Waterloo with dinosaurs. This time the french win because of their dinosaurs. Young Willem knows the secrets of commanding the saurs and has to find a way to get to England to share the secrets with the British. Naturally the French want to stop him.

Hi Kathy. Congratulations on completing another year of teaching. And, hats off to you for making a difference.

11. Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson (310 p.) -- Great story. In this alternate history, the American Revolution never happened because the British control the colonies with magic. Verity Newton comes to New York to be governess to the ruling Duke's grandchildren and finds herself in the revolution. A group who is trying to invent non-magical sources of power wants to throw out the British. The children's guardian - the young eccentric Lord Lyndon - is also secretly working for revolution too. There is love and betrayal and secrets in this fascinating story.

12. The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg (224 p.) -- Ceony Twill is practicing for her examination to become a magician when an old enemy escapes from prison. She needs to use all her skills to protect the ones she loves. She is able to use most kinds of magic but it might not be enough against a villain who uses one she doesn't have. She also has to deal with an examiner who had a grudge against her love and mentor Emery and who wants to sabotage her exams.

13. Embassy Row #1: All Fall Down by Ally Carter (310 p.) -- Start of a new series. Grace was traumatized by the death of her mother which she witnessed. She was hospitalized, medicated and counseled but is still determined to track down the scar faced man she remembers from the event. Now with her Grandfather at the Embassy in Adria, she sees him and with the help of some other embassy kids tracks him down. While she learns what really happened when her mother died, there are still lots of questions unanswered at the end of this one.

14. Demon Hunting in Dixie by Lexi George (349 p.) -- Southern urban fantasy the combines funny with sexy. Addy Corwin encounters a demon and then the demon hunter to saves her life. Brand is a 10,000 year old warrior who meets Addy and falls in love. They have to work together to stave off the demon who wants to take over the town. They also have to deal with a town full of Southern eccentrics including Addy's mother who is a stereotypical Southern Steel Magnolia.

15. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey (357 p.) -- Start of a new fantasy series. Young runaway Echo is taken in by the bird-like Avicen when she runs away from her abusive parents. Ten years later, she has become a thief who lives in a library. She is asked by her mentor to track down the Firebird that might be the solution to ending the war between the Avicen and the scaled Drakharin. The Dragon Prince of the Drakharin also wants the firebird and he too wants to end the war. Those factions on both sides who want war don't want the firebird found which means that Echo, Caius and their friends Ivy and Dorian have lots of enemies to evade. Entertaining story.

16. Bronze Gods by A. A. Aguirre (384 p.) -- Steampunk mystery in a fantasy world. Mikani and Ritsuko are inspectors for the CID who have to track down a murderer killing magically gifted young women. I loved the changing relationship between the main characters as they are starting to see each other as something other than work partners. I also loved the world building.

17. Nightborn by Lou Anders (354 p.) -- Karn needs to find his friend Thianna and a second horn that can control dragons. Desstra, a Dark Elf, also needs to find the horn. She pretends to be his friend to that he will lead her to the horn but foils herself by actually becoming his friend. The kids have all sorts of adventures but friendship is the underlying theme.

18. Silver Mirrors by A. A. Aguirre (325 p.) -- Mikani and Ritsuko leave the city to track down the source of the chaos that is making the elementals go crazy. They are also still searching for the person who backed the villain in the first book. They travel with Saskia on her ship and need to fight craggers (pirates), mad elementals, and scheming scions of the ruling Houses. They are also still trying to redefine their relationship now that they are something more than partners.

19. The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent (308 p.) -- Set in an alternate London that has plopped itself down in faerie, this is the story of three young people who need to overset the existing order. Vespa Nyx wants to work in her father's museum and cataloging and preserving magical creatures which she believes are just animals. Syrus Black is a Tinker who knows that magical creatures are the ones who preserve the world and that Vespa's people are putting the world in danger by killing the magical creatures to power their lifestyle. Hal Lumin is from Nyx's society but he can do magic and knows that the magical creatures must be freed. When Vespa learns that she has the ability to use magic, many want to use her for their own ends but Vespa unites with Hal and Syrus to free the magical creatures and preserve their world.

20. Lost (Shipwreck Island) by S. A. Bodeen (137 p.) -- Sarah, her father, new stepmother and 2 new stepbrothers discover a new person on the island where they are shipwrecked who tells a fantastic and, to the parents, unbelievable story about how she got there. But when Sarah's father and Nacho, the youngest stepbrother, disappear, Sarah and Marcus go looking for them and discover more strange things on the island. Middle grade fiction which ends on a major cliffhanger.

21. Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar by Lexi George (320 p.) -- 3rd Demon Hunting book lacked the humor of the first two but had a great romance. Beck runs Beck's Bar which is a haven for kith. She is demonoid. Connal Dalvahni is captain of the demon hunters. Beck's long-lost twin surfaces and it turns out he has been a servant to demons all his life. The demons want new bodies and want to start a war. Beck and Connal have to find a way to stop them.

22. Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin (352 p.) -- First Raine Benares. She's a seeker and moderate sorcerer. She's also the semi-honest member of a family of thieves. When she becomes possessed of a magic amulet she becomes the prize the many are seeking. She has to protect her friends and find a way to get rid of the amulet without letting the villains get it. She's a great character.

23. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart (207 p.) -- Gentle Gothic Romance tells the story of Gilly Ramsey who inherits a house from her godmother, interacts with the local witch, and falls in love. There are lovely descriptions of the English countryside and some magical elements that could possibly be explained by natural means. The romance is gentle between this lonely young woman and a widowed author.

24. Pirate's Alley by Suzanne Johnson (352 p.) -- 4th Sentinels of New Orleans has DJ in deep trouble. The Counsel is busy trying to double-cross each other and all of them want DJ out of the way. DJ doesn't know who she can trust but she is rapidly finding out who she can't. When her boss asks her to do something morally wrong for political gain, DJ finally draws the line but is left still looking for the right thing to do.

Hello, new to this group, but also a fellow teacher off for the summer. Happy reading!

25. Among Others by Jo Walton (483 p.) -- Unique book that is told as the diary of a 15-year-old girl's diary in which she tells the story of her life and talks about the books she's reading. The story is filled with magical thinking and lots of talk about books that are science fiction classics. Mori talks about the death of her twin and her own serious injuries in their attempt to stop them mother from doing a magical spell that would give her immense power. She also talks about getting to know the father who abandoned the family when she was a baby. She talks about finding friends when she discovers a science fiction book club at the local library.

26. The Veil by Chloe Neill (336 p.) -- Start of new urban fantasy set in New Orleans. The Veil separating paranormals from Earth broke, Earth was invaded, humans prevailed, human magic users sealed the Veil, Containment came in and imprisoned all paranormals who were still on this side and all human magic users too. Claire runs a store in New Orleans and has recently discovered that she is a magic user which she needs to keep hidden. Unfortunately, if she doesn't learn to control her magic, she will turn into a mindless Wraith. Liam Quinn hunts Wraiths but agrees to help her find a way to control her magic. Claire also learns that all paranormals aren't evil and that someone is making Wraiths and wants to reopen the Veil. Claire, Liam and assorted friends have to find a way to keep the Veil closed and it would be nice if they could convince Containment that not all magic users were evil too.

27. Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne (384 p.) -- Second volume in the Midnight Thief series has Kyra dealing with her own heritage, political intrigue in Forge, impending war, and her own romance. She has to determine her own loyalties and is being pulled in lots of directions.

28. School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough (328 p.) -- Evan Quick has always wanted to become a Mask and fight evil. It isn't until a trip to an amusement park and a class field trip to the Mask Museum happen that his wish comes true. He finds himself at a school for sidekicks on the moon Deimos and starts to learn all about Masks and their enemies - Hoods. He makes friends, gains an unlikely mentor, and learns all sorts of secrets. Great story about an ordinary kid doing extraordinary things.

29. Wolf Trouble by Paige Tyler (352 p.) -- 2nd paranormal romance in the Dallas SWAT team. The Brass want to add a female for better PR so Gage finds a female werewolf Khaki Blake to join the team. Xander takes one look at her and knows that she is The One for him but he is her supervisor. Khaki is also being harassed by the psycho ex that she thought she left behind in Washington but he followed her. Good romance.

30. Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Marty Wingate (267 p.) -- Pru has taken a short term job in Scotland while Christopher returns to work in London. She is busy planning their wedding which they want to have in Scotland when her short term job is through. All the decisions regarding a wedding - venue, minister, dress, cake - have to be made while Pru is also trying to find out who murdered her rival on the job. Pru was seen arguing with him and makes a really good suspect but there are lots of other shady characters hanging around the garden. I loved the way her investigation not only gave her clues about the murder but helped her get things she needs for her wedding. The bridal designer and her weird wedding dresses provided some laugh out loud humor too.

31. Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre (378 p.) -- 2nd book in the Immortal Games trilogy has Edie trying to find a loophole to save Kian's death after he bargained his life away to the Harbinger in exchange for Edie's protection. Edie and Kian are caught up in the games played between the Winter King and the Sun God and Edie finds some interesting allies to help her survive the fight. I like the way Edie is determined to keep the ones she loves safe.

32. The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison (480 p.) -- Big story in series. Trent and Rachel become lovers which no one wants. The demons and the elves both hate the idea. Then there's this problem with spells going wrong, wild magic flowing, an ancient elven goddess being captured by Free Vampires so that they can kill Master Vampires. And the pieces of the ancient goddess are clinging to Rachel which could make her as insane as Newt. Luckily, Rachel can count on her friends to help her wake the Master Vampires, free the goddess and deal with angry elves and demons.

33. Seconds Away by Harlan Coben (338 p.) -- 2nd Mickey Bolitar mystery his lots of plot threads going. Mickey, Ema and Spoon begin investigating when their friend Rachel's mother is killed and Rachel is wounded. Mickey is also still investigating the mysterious Abeona group and the mystery of his father's death. He is also trying out for the high school basketball team despite being hated by the team star who is Rachel's former boyfriend and the son of the Chief of Police. I like the relationships Mickey has with his new friends Spoon and Ema.

34. Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson (278 p.) -- First Gaslight mystery has midwife Sarah Brandt meeting Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy during the course of the murder investigation of a young socialite named Alicia VanDamm. Sarah grew up in the same social class as Alicia and knows her older sister. This story is set in a time when the police are corrupt and the rich untouchable.

35. Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell (304 p.) -- Fantasy based on Cinderella except Mechanica is an inventor who wants to gain fame and fortune at the Exposition and doesn't feel any need for the Prince to fall in love with her. She wants to make her own happily ever after. Well written. Great world building with a combination of invention and magic. Great story about friendship too.

36. No Mercy by Lori Armstrong (307 p.) -- Army sniper Mercy Gunderson is back home on the family's South Dakota ranch after an injury that can end her career. She is dealing with her father's death, her sister's new relationship, pressure to sell the family ranch, and some murders - including that of her nephew - to solve. She is also beginning a relationship with the sheriff who took her father's place. Mercy is angry, cold, lonely and is drinking a lot to deal with her issues.

37. Merciless by Lori Armstong (328 p.) -- 3rd Mercy Gunderson thriller has Mercy new to the FBI, living with Mason Dawson, and dealing with murder of women on the reservation. She has family issues with her housekeeper/foster mother's family and has to deal with Mason's 11-year-old son coming to live with them. When Mason is put in a medically induced coma after a bull riding accident, Mercy and Lex (Mason's son) get closer and the killer who targets Mercy threatens him. Mercy goes hunting and becomes again the person she was when she was an elite sniper for the Army.

38. Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong (464 p.) -- 3rd Cainsville book has Olivia finding some answers about her past; finding out what the fae want with her, Gabriel, and Ricky; dealing with her visions; dealing with the death of her stalking ex-fiance and Gabriel being arrested for his murder. I all three main characters but my favorite has to be Gabriel who is so heart-breaking.

39. Reawakened by Colleen Houck (400 p.) -- Young rich girl comes upon reincarnated mummy in Metropolitan Museum of Art. He needs her life essence to survive which she supplies. Then he takes her to Egypt to find his canopic jars, reincarnate his brothers, and defeat the god Seth who wants to spread chaos on Earth. He and his brothers are reincarnated to do this every year but, without his powers from him canopic jars, this time will be much harder. Also they are falling in love which isn't a good thing when he will be dying at the end. I thought this one was overly melodramatic, overly descriptive, and too long.

40. Fairest by Marissa Meyer (220 p.) -- This side book in the Lunar Chronicles series focuses on the evil Queen Levana and tells how she went from an abused, neglected child to the evil, ruthless, sociopath we see. Heavily scarred due to her older sister's cruelty and jealous of anyone who looks like they are loved, she coerces a man to marry her and plots to kill her niece so that the throne will be hers. She believes that she knows the right course for Luna and will use any means to follow that course.

41. Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey (390 p.) -- Early days on Pern; second Thread fall. We see a variety of people getting ready. Lord Holder Chalkin doesn't believe that Thread will really fall. Therefore, he doesn't prepare, doesn't inform his Holders, refuses to let anyone leave his Holding. The other Lord Holders need to decide unanimously to impeach him which takes some maneuvering. We follow a young artist who does sketches of Chalkin's atrocities and the dragon riders in the Weyr. We follow a young girl who has to run away from home to impress her dragon. We see the teachers who have to develop a whole new curriculum based on what is happening on Pern rather than old Earth history. They also develop the teaching songs to make the history memorable.

42. Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter (298 p.) -- Kat and her gang have to steal a famous emerald twice. The first time they get the emerald they are conned into giving it to con woman who has plans to sell it to fund her retirement. The second time the gang of kids have to find a way to con a woman who invented all the cons. Fortunately, Kat is up to the challenge.

43. Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones (292 p.) -- Middle grade fantasy. Orphaned Aidan comes looking for his grandmother's friend when he is chased by otherworldly creatures. The friend is dead and his grandson has inherited. Though Andrew is brimming with magic he doesn't remember what his grandfather taught him about using it. Both Aidan and Andrew have to harness their magic or the evil O. Brown will take over everything. Lots of quirky characters.

44. Talker 25 by Joshua McCune (424 p.) -- Amazing dystopian with dragons. Melissa Callahan lost her mother to a dragon attack; her father is in the military studying them. When she visits the reservation on a dare, a dragon talks to her. Then dragons attack the military base where she lives and she's rescued by a member of the insurgency who introduces her to other rebels, tells her that her mother was a rebel, and introduces her to a baby dragon. Melissa and the baby are captured by the military, taken to Antarctica, and Melissa is forced to wear a crown which controls her telepathy and lets the one with the control panel torture her if she doesn't help them capture and control dragons. This was gritty and graphic and disturbing. It was also compellingly readable.

45. A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton (287 p.) -- 2nd in series. Ari has to find a way to rescue her father and a friend from the goddess Athena. She also has to gain control of powers she hates and fears or she has no chance to defeat Athena. She is also dealing with her first boyfriend, Sebastian, who is a vampire warlock. Things are strange in this future New Orleans which is owned by nine magical families.

>34 kmartin802: Love the Victoria Thompson series.

46. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris (410 p.) -- 1st Sebastian St. Cyr mystery - Sebastian is accused of murdering an actress and must clear his name. He goes to old girlfriend, Kat Boleyn, also an actress, for help. He has a bunch of suspects including Rachel's lovers, spymaster, and politicians pushing their agendas as the Regency is being formed. Among the suspects are his father and his nephew. Engaging and engrossing.

47. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey (284 p.) -- 1st in new dystopia/magic series - Joyeaux Charmand, Hunter, is sent to Apex city to join the other Hunters in protecting the city from Othersiders - creatures out of world mythology. Joy has had extensive secret training in physical fighting skills, use of her magic, and politics as well. She is surprised to find that Hunters are like rock stars with their own vid channels and rating scheme. Her skills have her quickly rising through the ranks and threatening perenniel #1 Hunter Ace. Joy makes friends and enemies and gets wrapped up in a political plot to take down her uncle who is the Prefect of the Police. Loved her hounds and the friendship she has with them.

48. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter (320 p.) -- Jane Yellowrock, shifter, is hired by vampire council of New Orleans to hunt down and kill a rogue vampire who is killing and eating civilians and other vampires. Jane is also keeping what she is secret from both humans and vampires but would like to know if the vampires recognize what she is. Some chapters are told from Jane's point of view while others are told from the Beast that Jane can turn into who is a separate entity inside her. Jane is a kickass character who is smart, tough, smart-mouthed and competent.

49. Legend by Marie Lu (305 p.) -- Day and June are from two different levels of society. June is from a military caste and Day from the slums. June starts hunting Day when she is told that he killed her brother. After getting to know him, she starts to question what she has been told about the goals of the military and even of her government the Republic.

50. Broken Play by Samantha Kane (235 p.) -- Sex as a team sport doesn't appeal to me much. When Marian decides that she wants both Beau and Cass, I couldn't feel it. Beau and Cass are football players for a team that sucks. They're most famous for the video that hit YouTube of them in a threesome. Marian thinks that's cool and wants to be the girl in the middle. But she's afraid of what she needs because of what happened with the college boyfriend. If you are into kinky, this is the romance for you.

51. Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training by Jonathan Bernstein (320 p.) -- Middle Grade book about an adopted middle child who is overlooked both at home and at school. On her 13th birthday she receives a mysterious bag that leads her to her birth father and a new career as a spy. This one was a fun story about an observant girl, mysterious gadgets, new friends, a new appreciation for her family, and evil villains.

52. Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine (303 p.) -- Conclusion to the Weather Warden series has Joanne, David and friends trying to find a way to get their powers back and find a way to convince Mother Earth to go back to sleep before all human life on Earth has been wiped out. The story was fast paced and filled with action.

53. Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers (384 p.) -- Great contemporary story about falling in love, growing up, and figuring out what to believe. West Beck is at loose ends the summer before her senior year. Her best friend is away being a camp counselor; her boyfriend is working on the farm full time. When a new family comes to town with twins her age, the fill in the missing places. She and Silas work together detailing cars and hang out together watching bad TV and talking books and poetry. Silas's twin Lauren has a mental illness that worries the family and makes them all feel helpless. Lauren has good days and really bad days. West and Silas fall in love but their relationship is threatened when Lauren dies because no one knows if it was an accident or suicide. Excellent story.

54. Here I Stay by Barbara Michaels (340 p.) -- Dated gothic about a woman who moves into an old house with her younger brother, turns it into a B&B, and tries to deny that there is a spirit there who may or may not want good things for them. Andrea is driven, focused, narrow-minded, and perhaps to obsessively focused on her younger brother. Jim is dealing with almost dying (Andrea pulled him back), losing his leg, and obsessing over the spirit of a young woman who fell or was pushed from the tower window. Love interest that Andrea almost successfully ignores is reporter Martin Greenspan who tries to get Andrea to see that Jim is having problems.

55. Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (304 p.) -- Jane Austen with magic! Jane is the plain older sister of Melody. However, Jane is a skilled glamourist who can weave magic into art. The men is the story are Mr. Dunkirk, Captain Henry Livingston, and Mr. Vincent. Also important is Mr. Dunkirk's younger sister Beth. There is a whole lot of courting going on with Melody first throwing her cap at Mr. Dunkirk and then at Captain Livingston. Jane admires Mr. Dunkirk but also has lots in common with Mr. Vincent as they are both skilled glamourists. Jane has to use her magic to set things right when Captain Livingston, already engaged to his cousin, courts both Melody and Beth secretly. He has big gambling debts and plans to marry the girl with the most money.

56. Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett (360 p.) -- Arcadia Bell has been in hiding for seven years since her parents were accused of murder and fled the country. She has been working on learning her magic while owning a bar. Now her parents are back and she has two weeks to prove them innocent or be punished in their stead. She meets Lon Butler who is an Earthbound with an extensive library of grimoires and he offers to help her find the demon who was the witness to the killings. They fall in love. Cady learns new things about herself and her parents.

57. Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (368 p.) -- Three sophomores in high school who have different problems band together to survive a life that seems too hard for them. Jeremy is an art geek loner who is just coming back to school after he was targeted by bullies who painted sexual slurs on his locker. He might be homosexual and he lives with his dad and his dad's husband. Mira is starting a new school after missing most of the previous year due to a suicide attempt and depression. Sebby is also gay and an orphan living in a foster home where his foster mother has too much to do to pay attention to him. He is cute and funny but hiding a deep loneliness. He has no human connection except Mira. This was heart-breaking but mostly hopeful.

58. Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas (464 p.) -- Fascinating take on fairy tales. Our heroine finds herself with her memory wiped working in the Godmother's fortress as a Seamstress. She meets the Shoemaker and decides to escape. She has a magical thimble that assists her. After escaping, she is recaptured and new finds herself, memory wiped again, recreating Cinderella but she refuses to marry the prince and is helped by Shoe who knows her despite her having forgotten him. Their goal is to defeat the Godmother and stop Story from choosing all their paths. Great characters and a new way to look at fairy tales.

59. Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett (324 p.) -- 2nd Arcadia Bell; Lon and Cady are pressured to find the one who is kidnapping kids from Earthbound families. This crime recreates an unsolved one from 30 years before. Jupe is a potential target. Jupe has also come into his knack early. He has the gift of persuasion which scares Lon and Cady because it would be so easy to abuse. Cady is also learning more about her Moonchild powers and her identity is in danger of being blown by the leader of the Hellfire Club.

60. Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales (342 p.) -- Arden tells the story of her junior year with some flashbacks and some parts in her present. It was a tumultuous year. Her mom leaves the family and moves to New York City. Arden is caught with pot in her locker - left there by her best friend Lindsey. She is working really hard to be the perfect girlfriend to Chris even though she doesn't come first in his priorities. When she discovers a blog called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, she becomes enthralled by the story that Peter is telling. She wants to be the one who can fix his life. When she gets a chance, she and Lindsey go to NYC, meet Peter, have a big argument, and Arden learns that not everything is a one-sided as Peter said. It was an interesting story about growing up and what love means.

61. Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong (384 p.) -- Anthology of 23 stories; many of the stories are horror. I liked the ones set in the Cainsville world the best - Gabriel's Gargoyles and Devil May Care. Almost all of the stories had unexpected twists at the end.

62. Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty (268 p.) -- Contemporary mystery with characters who have the same names and some of the traits of characters from A. C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Mori is a math genius, has an eidetic memory, and is dealing with the loss of her mother and her father's descent into alcoholism and abusing her and her younger brothers. Sherlock is also bright, observant, and dealing with his mother's serious illness. They challenge each other to solve the mystery of the death of man in the park. This mystery almost immediately hits close to home with Mori when she learns that he was an acquaintance of her mother's. Mori wants to learn more about her mother. The plot thickens when others are also murdered. There is a romance between Lock and Mori that may or may not have a happy ending.

63. Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron (282 p.) -- Maggie is back at home after some years in New York. She's been dumped by her boyfriend of six years who retained possession of the art gallery they started together. She is working as a tour guide for a neighboring plantation, painting souvenirs, and helping her parents run their plantation turned B&B when one of their guests is murdered. Since the local police chief has a grudge against Maggie's family, it is up to Maggie to solve the murder and restore their B&B's reputation. New detective Bo is related to the police chief but doesn't have his prejudices. He and Maggie would be dating if it wouldn't cause his cousin to fire him. Nice cozy mystery with tasty sounding recipes.

64. No Virgin Island by C. Michele Dorsey (264 p.) -- Sabrina Salter fled New England for St. John in the Virgin Islands after being acquitted of her husband's murder and facing the unrelenting scrutiny of the press. She and her friend Henry, who also fled an intolerable situation, have started a business as leasing agents for vacation homes. When Sabrina comes upon the body of one recent tenant, she is swept back up into the chaos she fled. She has to figure out who killed Carter Johnson and why before the police manage to convict her of the crime. She is assisted by Neil who left his law career in LA to be a bar owner on St. John. This was a complex and tricky mystery with all sorts of crimes being committed including murder, kidnapping and adultery.

65. Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson (336 p.) -- **** Interesting story about a girl who can walk through dreams. Dea and her mother have been on the run all her life; running from monsters. Now she meets a boy named Connor and wants to stop running. When walking through his dreams she learns that he was witness to the murder of his mother and younger brother when he was six and accused of the crime himself. He has had nightmares ever since. When Dea walks in his dreams more than once she attracts the monsters her mother has been running from. Turns out Dea and her mother have fled from the world of dreams and now the king wants them back.

66. Heart of Brass by Kate Cross (371 p.) -- Steampunk. Arden Grey is a talented inventor who goes to work for a spy organization after her husband Luke disappears. Seven years pass before he is sent to assassinate her. He had been captured by a rival organization and had his memory rearranged. Now that his is freed, he and Arden have to rebuild their marriage, stay alive since the Company wants both of them dead, and solve the mystery that Scotland Yard needs Arden's help for. Great steampunk setting, great romance.

67. The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (264 p.) -- Call, conflicted because he has the soul of the Enemy of Death, has to find the copper gauntlet that his father has stolen before his father gives it to the Enemy of Death's minions. He travels with his friends Aaron and Tamara and his chaos wolf Havoc. Their friendship is tested in a number of ways, not least of all because he is keeping the state of his soul from them. Exciting, great characters, fast moving plot.

68. The Fall by James Preller (197 p.) -- This is the story of a teen suicide told by a boy who could have been her friend but joined in with the bullies due to fear of retaliation and peer pressure. The writing is lyrical but still middle grade as Sam tells of the year after Morgan's death. Some days he recounts a time they spent together. Other times he writes a poem. Other times he talks about himself. Gradually over the year he manages to forgive himself and decide on a new course for the future.

69. Dragon's Kin by Anne McCaffrey (298 p.) -- Pern story suitable for middle graders. Kindan raises a new watchwher for his hold after his father, brothers and the current watchwher are killed in a mining disaster. He is aided by the lord's blind daughter Nuella. Between them they learn all sorts of things about the watchwhers that had been forgotten but will be needed when thread falls again.

70. Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko (288 p.) -- Middle grade historical fiction. Lizzie is a doctor's daughter when bubonic plague comes to San Francisco in 1900. Her Chinese servant Jing is caught in Chinatown having snuck his son Noah into his room at Lizzie's. They become friends as she helps keep him hidden and sneaks him food. This has a lot about the way the Chinese were treated and how medicine was practiced. But mostly this tells the story of a girl who has ambitions that run counter to society's wishes and the determination to see them through.

71. Dark Waters by Chris Goff (320 p.) -- Exciting thriller wherein Raisa Jordan, newly assigned to Israel, has to prevent a terrorist attack. Told in multiple viewpoints - Raisa's, Ganani who works for Israeli Intelligence, Haddid who is a reluctant Palestinian terrorist, and others. This was as complex and twisted as the politics of the Middle East with everyone having their own agendas. Along the way Raisa learns some secrets about her past and family that are unsolved at the end.

72. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson (432 p.) -- Historical fiction with a touch of magic. 16-year-old Leah Westfall can sense and find gold. This makes her someone her evil uncle Hiram wants to control. So he kills her parents and announces he has plans for her. Lee decides to disguise herself as a boy and run away from Georgia to California to take part in the new gold rush. This story tells about her journey and provides great historical details about the overland journey to California. Lee meets both good and bad people, deals with accidents and injuries, and makes friends along the way.

73. The Heat of the Moment by Katie Rose (250 p.) -- Gavin King is traded to the Sonics when the Dodgers don't want to take a chance that his knee injury will heal. Jessica is the Sonics' physical therapist. Gavin is dumped by his swimsuit model girlfriend and Jessica is still getting over her failed relationship with another baseball player. They are attracted to each other but cautious. This was a great romance. I liked seeing characters from earlier books in the series too.

74. Connect the Stars by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague (352 p.) -- Great middle grade story in which a group of misfits learns to work together, learn to deal with their quirks and play to their strengths while at a desert survival camp. Audrey has isolated herself from others because she can tell if people are lying and hates all kinds of lies. Aaron is great with facts because of his eidetic memory but doesn't understand feelings at all. Kate is empathetic but is overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her grandmother. Louis's senses are over-sensitive and he is afraid of everything. They bond to survive and to beat the bullies - Daphne and Randolph - when the camp director doesn't help.

One more!

75. Bengal's Quest by Lora Leigh (352 p.) -- Cat and Gideon; both are Bengal Breeds. He cured her from a genetic defect in the lab by injecting her with Bengal DNA. He raised her and then left her when she was 12. She loved him until he told her when he helped her escape that she was only an experiment to him. They meet thirteen years later and enter mating heat. But she can't trust him and he can't tell her that all he did was designed to save her life.

76. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (256 p.) -- Middle grade story about a boy and his imaginary cat. Crenshaw shows up when Jackson is feeling stress. His family has hit hard times. There isn't enough to eat and they are in danger of losing their apartment. Jackson worries about what will happen to his family if they have to live in their minivan again.

77. Breaking a Legend by Sarah Robinson (250 p.) -- Romance between MMA fighter Rory Kavanagh who after an injury is depending on alcohol and pills to mask the pain and loss in his life and Clare Ivers who is on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Each brings out the others' strengths and they bond over a shared love of animals. Ace, Rory's rescue dog, is an important character here as are Rory's parents, brothers, and cousin.

And congrats!

78. What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler (336 p.) -- Ripped from the headlines, a rape at a party videotaped and shared to social media polarizes a small town as the rapists are members of a basketball team heading to State. Kate was at the party but was taken home early by her boyfriend because she was drunk. The boyfriend said he went back to the party after taking her home to get his truck and say goodbye. Some people said the victim was asking for it. The principal and the basketball coach are both standing up for the players. No one at the party is saying what they saw and it looks like the video has been taken down from social media. Kate wants the truth and, when she sees the video, she has to go to the police with what she knows no matter what the consequences will be. The story was excellent and lyrical and compelling.

79. Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey (452 p.) -- Alternating between year 507 and year 58, Lorana needs to find a cure for a disease dragons are catching which is killing them just as they are most needed because Threadfall is beginning. Wind Blossom in 58 is concerned that with the loss of the technology brought by the colonists knowledge will be lost too and that mutations in the dragons could kill them. Wind Blossom has to find a cure and leave it in such a way that Lorana can find and understand it almost 500 years in the future.

80. This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee (384 p.) -- Re-imagining of Frankenstein. Main character Alasdair Finch resurrected his brother Oliver after his accidental death by making him a clockwork man. He kept him hidden for two years and then FRANKENSTEIN was published exposing their story to the world. It was written by their friend Mary who didn't realize the consequences. This is a time when people with clockwork parts are treated badly and those who do the operations are criminals. It was an excellent story.

81. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank (277 p.) -- Cute cozy mystery with some humorous parts. Rose has visions. She sees her death but when she comes home finds that her controlling and unpleasant mother was killed instead. Her new handsome next door neighbor Joe helps her out but she quickly finds herself and the house targets for break-ins and other crimes. This is also partially a story of a young woman blooming now that she isn't being repressed by her mother. I liked Rose enough to buy the next 6 books in the series.

82. Red Line by Brian Thiem (362 p.) -- Well-plotted police procedural starring Sergeant Matt Sinclair, newly reinstated to homicide after an arrest for drunk driving and rehab. His first case is the murder of a young man from a wealthy suburb of Oakland who is dumped at a bus stop in front of a hospital. The second case also features a body dumped at the same bus stop. These two crimes resemble a crime that Matt investigated 2 years earlier when two young girls who had been drugged and raped were left at the same bus stop but one of the girls was killed after wandering into traffic. This book is great for showing the stress of police work and the amount of work done to gather evidence. Great story.

83. Siren's Call by Jayne Castle (324 p.) -- Ella has a powerful and dangerous talent as a Siren. She can sing men to their deaths. Rafe Coppersmith ran into trouble and lost his original paranormal talent. New he is suffering from hallucinations. Rafe needs Ella to find a way to deal with the dinosaurs with siren talents that are on Rainshadow. On the way, she helps him deal with his developing new talent and he convinces her that he is a man who is not afraid of her siren talents.

84. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (352 p.) -- Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist and adventurer, finds herself in danger after burying her last remaining relative. She is taken to London by a man who said he knew her mother and sheltered with Stoker, a naturalist and recluse with a secret past. When the man who has taken her to London is murdered, Veronica and Stoker have to find the killer and find out why Veronica is being targeted. Veronica is a wonderful character. I liked the growing relationship with Stoker. Lots of humorous dialogue among the tense parts of this mystery.

85. Lady of Magick by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (448 p.) -- Wonderful fantasy filled with detailed world building, political intrigue, and magic. Sophie Marshall just wants to be a student of magic but being the long-lost daughter of the King of Britain and the only female at her college make it difficult. She and her husband Gray travel to Alba where he will be a guest lecturer and she will be a student in a magical school that has a number of women as students but the political intrigue follows them. This was exciting and filled with action. It is going on my Keeper shelf.

86. Screwball by Linda Morris (188 p.) -- Secret baby trope. Willow and Paul had a one-night stand in St. Petersburg. They meet again when she comes to Plainview to do a profile of the Thrashers minor league baseball team. He is the team president though he is battling his cheapskate father to actually run things. She doesn't tell him right away that he's a father which makes him think she's lying when she finally does tell him. Paul has to make lots of changes in his priorities before they can have their happy ending.

**87. Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (463 p.) -- Fascinating world building in this first book of a three book series. Liv Warren can track someone down if she has some of their blood. She has signed a contract with the head of a criminal organization to find his missing son. If she fails she will be bound to him forever, forced to do what he asks and follow his every command. When an old friend comes and asks Liv to find the man who killed her husband, she has no choice. They signed an oath when they were kids to help each other out. But the investigation uncovers an old boyfriend and a plot that could put the two rival criminal enterprises at war. All Liv wants is to get herself and her boyfriend out from under the magically binding contracts that keep them at odds and away from each other.

88. Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn (362 p.) -- Kitty, Ben and Cormac travel to London to attend a conference of paranormals. She stays with Ned who is the vampire master of the city and meets Caleb who is the werewolf alpha of Britain. She also has another run-in with Dr. Flemming and Roman who is still fomenting a war.

Congratulations on surpassing the 75 goal!

89. Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews (352 p.) -- Kate and Curran have to find their missing friend Eduardo and battle an ifrit who is turning the humans who possess its earring into metal clad giants filled with magic. Kate has a power word bounce back on her and suffers a series of ministrokes that would have killed her without her magical connection to Atlanta. Also, Kate is dealing with problems with Roland who is paying too close attention to her life. Great dialogue in this one.

90. Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima (304 p.) -- 3rd in a series and a little confusing w/o having read the earlier books. Elen has all sorts of magical powers that she is just learning to control and is coveted by the leader of the Guardians who wants to use her. Cormack was a former man trapped in wolf form until Elen did something to him in an earlier book. Elen and Cormack had been companions for about 300 years but now they have to form a new relationship as man and woman. When Elen is kidnapped, Cormack is determined to find and rescue her and kill the man who took her.

91. Primal Force by D. D. Ayres (336 p.) -- Jori is out of prison after being wrongly convicted of drug dealing and training service dogs for wounded Veterans. Law is a Veteran who lost his leg and hid K-9 companion in Afghanistan. He is trying to go back to his job as an Arkansas State Trooper but needs a service dog to deal with his PTSD. Samantha is a golden retriever-poodle cross who is his dog. I liked the chapters told from his point of view. This had some steamy romantic parts and some very exciting action parts too where Samantha proves herself to be quite a hero.

92. A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston (336 p.) -- Fantasy about a young woman who takes the place of her beloved sister when Lo-Melkhiin comes looking for a wife - wife #300. He is possessed by a demon and kills his wives mostly very quickly. Our unnamed heroine survives partially because her sister at home has created a shrine and made her one of the smallgods. I loved the lyrical writing and the world building in this wonderful fantasy.

93. Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lewis (336 p.) -- Excellent science fiction retelling of H. C. Andersen's The Wild Swans. Liddi is heir to the largest technology company in the galaxy. She has 8 older brothers who are all technological geniuses. When they are trapped in the conduits that let people travel between worlds, Liddi has to find a way to save them. However, the evil person who trapped them has stolen Liddi's voice in a culture that no longer has a written language. Liddi travels to a legendary planet where she meets a boy, falls in love, and has to learn how to use her strengths and talents to save her brothers and the worlds.

WOW! 93 books read. Congratulations.

94. The White Rose by Amy Ewing (320 p.) -- 2nd in Jewel trilogy. Violet, Ash, and Raven escape from the Jewel and are harried across the country until they reach sanctuary with the White Rose. Along the way they meet a variety of people who are working with the Black Key to overthrow the royals. Violet learns more about her powers and why she has them. Ash wonders about his role in the revolution given his lack of powers. Cliffhanger ending.

95. Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent (439 p.) -- The only way for Kori Daniels to save her own life and her sister Kenley's life is to convince Ian Holt to join the Towers Syndicate. Ian is pretending to entertain offers because he needs to get to Kenley and kill her in order to save his twin brother's life. Despite the odds, the two fall in love and together find a way to free both Kori and Kenley from the syndicate and save the brother too. This was a very gritty urban fantasy because our heroine had been tortured and abused and was still suffering the trauma while she was supposed to be seducing Ian. Excellent world building and a nicely twisty plot with everyone keeping secrets.

96. Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent (431 p.) -- 3rd in trilogy and satisfying conclusion. Sera Brant wants to find the criminal who murdered her parents and sister and comes to the Tower Syndicate because she is the illegitimate daughter of Jake Towers. Her Aunt Julia and Jake's wife Lynn would both like her dead because it turns out she inherited the syndicate. Kris Daniels shows up to rescue his sister Kenley who has been captured again by the syndicate and ends up kidnapping Sera to save her life. After a lot of arguing, the two team up to rescue Kenley, bring down the syndicate, and find out who murdered Sera's family. The two also fall in love.

97. Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith (400 p.) -- Fantasy about a young woman who can walk in dreams and inhabit other sleepers' bodies. She is from the underclass, works for the Ministry both out of patriotism and for her citizenship papers. She falls in love with her partner who is an aristocrat. She knows nothing can come of their love because of their different classes. Their country is under threat from a neighboring kingdom and the Nightmare from the world of dreams is waking up. This was an excellent, intricate fantasy about a young woman overcoming her insecurities and developing her strengths. It is also a love story.

98. The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison (462 p.) -- Satisfying conclusion to the Hollows series. Rachel again has to save the world in order to protect the ones she loves. In fact, she has to remake the world despite the attempts of Landon, Cormel, and other to stop her. She and Trent affirm their relationship despite Rachel's doubts. All the main characters not only survive but flourish.

99. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch (479 p.) -- Middle book in trilogy. Meira is back home in Winter but the country is still under the thumb of Cordell which helped her regain her country. Cordell wants the chasm of magic. When it is discovered, it has three locks. So Meira, Theron, and company set off to visit other kingdoms to find the keys. Meira also wants allies against Cordell. Theron wants other countries to sign a peace treaty to end war. They have opposing views about magic too. Theron wants it available to everyone; Meira wants to end all magic use. While Meira is away, Cordell decides it is time to take over Winter and she stumbles into a revolution in another kingdom too. Seems like her old enemy isn't dead but is spreading his poison over all the kingdoms.

100. Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal (334 p.) -- 2nd in the Glamourist Histories find Jane and Vincent in France just as Napoleon has escaped from Elba with plans to conquer again. Jane discovers a way to seal their invisibility glamour in glass, discovers she is pregnant and not allowed to do glamour, but still has to rescue Vincent when he is captured by the French who want him to share his glamour for invisibility. I liked the setting and like the way the marriage between Jane and Vincent is growing.

101. Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix (304 p.) -- Regency romp with magic. Lady Truthful is to be presented to Society but, before she goes to London, the family treasure - the Newington Emerald - is stolen. When she gets to London, she is determined to find it. Abetted by her great-aunt, an excellent sorcerer, she disguises herself as her French cousin Henri and begins to search. She arouses the suspicions of Charles Harnett who thinks Henri is a spy. However, since the emerald is a powerful magic device, he and Truthful need to work together to find it. They have many misunderstandings along the way but ultimately fall in love. Fun story.

102. Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton (566 p.) -- Anita is called in to help with an FBI investigation into zombie porn. These zombies are different because the necromancer has found a way to trap their souls in their rotting bodies. Both Anita and Jean-Claude are also seeing increases in their powers. Anita raises another old zombie that is so life-like another animator can't tell he's a zombie. She also has trouble getting him back into his grave. There is the usual sexual and political stuff too but fewer graphic sex scenes than some of the books.

103. Dead Investigation by Charlie Price (356 p.) -- High school senior Murray can hear the dead. He lives in the machine shed of a cemetery and is friends with the caretaker Janochek and his 14-year-old daughter Pearl. He fears his ability because he thinks others will think he is crazy. Deputy Roman Gates knows about Murray because he helped him solve a previous case. Gates is currently investigating the disappearance of a number of homeless people. So when Murray finally tells him that he is hearing voices from just outside the cemetery, Gates investigates and uncovers a conspiracy. Lots of danger as Murray, Jonachek and Pearl are kidnapped by the bad guys.

104. A Sliver of Stardust by Marissa Burt (384 p.) -- Middle grade fantasy. Wren and Simon, both 11 and academic rivals, are recruited into a magical organization which is recovering still from a civil war. Wren has unusual magic which echoes that of the leader of the losing side of the war who is trying to make a return. I liked that the magic was based on nursery rhymes. I liked that Wren had to learn to deal with envy, jealousy, her own temper, and her fears in this story.

105. Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett (366 p.) -- Cady and Lon's relationship is growing. She loves his son Jupe. But... there's a new drug in town that amps up Earthbound Skills, Cady's own powers are growing exponentially, her mother didn't die in the demon world and now wants to take over Cady's life, and Lon's in-laws including his ex-wife are showing up for Christmas.

106. Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett (385 p.) -- Conclusion to Arcadia Bell series has Cady and Lon searching for Cady's past to find a way to reverse the spell her mother used to create her to stop her mother from stealing Cady's soul and body. Jupe also gets involved as he researches Cady's past with the help of a young magician girl. Great conclusion to great series.

107. Losers Take All by David Klass (312 p.) -- Jack Logan doesn't want to play football for his high school despite the fact that his father and brothers were stars. He is heavily recruited by the new principal/head football coach. But when all seniors are required to be on a sports team, Jack and some of his misfit friends decide to start a C class soccer team and plan to have fun but lose ever game. After a video of the football coach berating the team for losing their first game goes viral, things start to escalate both in terms of national attention focused on the team to harassment of the team members. Jack finds a girlfriend and a sport that he is good at in this entertaining and thought-provoking story.

108. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly (496 p.) -- Jo Montfort's privileged life changes when her father dies and she decides to investigate his murder. Nice, rich young women in 1890 didn't do things like that. They married the man chosen for them and concerned themselves with domestic matters. But Jo wants to be a newspaper reporter and she needs to know who murdered her father. She teams up with brash reporter Eddie Gallagher and falls in love with him despite their different social classes. What she learns changes her world and her life.

109. Nine Lives by Wendy Corsi Staub (288 p.) -- Bella Jordon has lost everything - her beloved husband, her job and her home. Forced to travel across county with her son Max to live with a mother-in-law she dislikes, Bella is sidetracked into the town of Lily Dale. Filled with psychics and mediums, Bella finds herself running the guesthouse of a medium who had died the week before. Visions tell her that Leona was murdered. Bella gets sucked into the town because her son finds a friend, a cat has kittens, and she is curious to find out if the mediums can contact her husband. She also wants to solve the mystery. Great story about a grieving woman and child who find a home in an unexpected place.

110. Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep (368 p.) -- New urban fantasy series stars Lila who has Sight and Transference magic and who is trying to live under the radar in a magical city and not be noticed by the ruling magical Families. She blames the Sinclair Family for the death of her mother. But when Devon Sinclair is attacked in her presence, she feels that she has to save him. Next thing she knows, she's living in the Sinclair mansion as Devon's bodyguard and coming to like him. As she rescues him from additional kidnapping attempts, she tries to find out who wants him and why.

111. Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones (307 p.) -- 2nd Charley Davidson is fast-paced and funny. She is looking for Cookie's missing friend, trying to find out the identity of the dead guy in Cookie's car trunk, finding Reyes' body before it dies, and becoming the target of a guy who wants to make her dad hurt. Charley has the greatest point of view and her romance with Reyes is hot.

112. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett (294 p.) -- Bex and Jack are both artists. Bex wants to be a medical illustrator and spends the summer drawing cadavers. Jack is painting golden graffiti all over San Francisco. They meet and fall in love. Both have family issues. Bex's mother is still very bitter about her divorce and is turning her kids against her ex-husband. Jack has a twin sister who has schizophrenia and is hospitalized at the hospital where Bex's mother works. Jack's father is the mayor and is covering up his daughter's illness. The romance was both sweet and awkward and I liked how both kids stood up to their parents for their relationship.

113. Blood Cross by Faith Hunter (321 p.) -- Jane is still in New Orleans trying to track down the vampire who is making rogue vampires. She learns a lot about vampire politics and averts a vampire war. When Molly's children are kidnapped to be used in a magical rite, Jane has to find them before it is too late. Jane also goes through a couple of Cherokee rituals that help her learn more about herself and her past.

114. Young Widows Club by Alexandra Coutts (296 p.) -- Tamsen drops out of school at 17, is married, and widowed 6 weeks later when her musician husband dies in his sleep. This is the story of how she goes on; how she remakes her life; how she deals with her grief; how she has the support of many people on the island where she lives.

115. Finding Fortune by Delia Ray (280 p.) -- 12-year-old Ren runs away to the ghost town of Fortune because she doesn't want her mom to be friends with a man while her father is away serving in Afghanistan. There she encounters an old school turned into a boarding house with a variety of quirky characters including the owner who is hunting for a treasure her brother left in the school before he went off to the Korean War. The owner is also trying to turn part of the school into a museum about the town and the shell button industry that made the town famous. This is an engaging story about dealing with changes in your life.

116. Dark Turns by Cate Holahan (336 p.) -- Nia Washington is a ballet dancer taking a break to get over a broken heart and a hurt foot by accepting a position at a posh boarding school. Soon after she arrives, she stumbles over a body in the lake. As she tries to solve the case, she meets another RA named Peter Andersen who becomes her rebound love interest. She also deals with a number of students including Aubrey who is manipulative and conniving and maybe even a murderer. This one was fast-paced, thrilling, and had lots of info about dance too.

117. The Reluctant Duchess by Sharon Cullen (336 p.) -- Nice historical mystery/romance. Lady Sara Emerson comes to the fiance of her late cousin Meredith when she starts getting letters about her murder. The Duke of Rossmoyne still feels guilt at his fiance's death despite the fact that their relationship was faltering. Now, helping Sara find out who is sending the letters, gives him a chance to get to know a woman who was completely over-shadowed by her more vibrant cousin. Sara suffers from social anxiety so, despite falling in love with Ross, she doesn't think they would suit because she feels unable to fill the role of his duchess. Ross has to do a lot of convincing before they can live happily ever after.

118. The August 5 by Jenna Helland (320 p.) -- Rather pedestrian fantasy with cardboard characters. Tamsin's father is a revolutionary who is imprisoned awaiting execution. Tommy's father has just overseen a coup and is now in control of the government. Tommy dislikes what his father and brother are doing but is a wishy-washy do-gooder too influenced by his Cottager nanny. Tamsin wants to continue the revolution. Generally pedestrian writing sucked all the excitement from even potentially exciting scenes.