Seminole County Public Library discussion

From May 31, 2014 through August 1, 2014, you can submit up to 5 reviews here in order to be entered into the Goodreads Reviews Mega Book Buck Drawing. Simply type your review into the comment field below and hit the "post" button.

The winner will receive 10 book bucks, redeemable at the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the Central Branch in Casselberry or the Friends of the Library book carts at the East, North, Northwest and West Branches.

Chasing Paris
this book has mystery and romance. it starts out with the death of a family member and evolves into a past and present love story. the past love story is a mystery. when 2 of the characters try to figure out the mystery, they end up falling in love. it was entertaining and is a free at the kindle store.

Insurgent
this is book 2 in the divergent series. i liked it but felt like there was too much arguing between the 2 main characters. book 1 they fall in love slowly and we fall in love with them. book 2 they argue too much and seem to be on opposite sides of everything. minus their drama, i enjoyed the book and all the action that comes with this series!!!

[book:Bad Monkey|16071701

Andrew Yancy-late of the Monroe County sheriff's office-has a human arm in his freezer. There's a logical explanation for that. Yancy thinks if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig .
But first Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events and characters, including his just-ex lover, the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, Yancy's new true love, and the bad monkey.
Based in the Florida Key's this book will keep you riveted to unravel the truth.

The Light Between Oceans

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

This book will move you to accept the righteousness of a wrong decision for the greater good. It will demonstrate the grief of loss and a mother's love.

A Duty To The Dead

Dedicated to helping the many wounded during the Great War, Bess Crawford receives a desperate request from a dying lieutenant while serving as a nurse aboard a hospital ship. "Tell my brother Jonathan that I lied," the young man says. "I did it for Mother's sake. But it has to be set right."

Back home in England, Bess receives an unexpected response from the dead soldier's family, for neither Jonathan Graham‚ his mother‚ nor his younger brother admit to understanding what the message means.

But the Grahams are harboring a grim secret, and Bess must, somehow, get to the bottom of it. It is her sacred duty to the dead, no matter how painful, or dangerous, that obligation might be.

Terminal City

Well-known for illuminating the dark histories in many of New York’s forgotten corners—and
the city’s most popular landmarks.

From the world’s largest Tiffany clock decorating the 42nd Street entrance to its spectacular main concourse, Grand Central has been a symbol of beauty and innovation in New York City for more than one hundred years. But the terminal is hiding more than just an underground train system. When the body of a young woman is found in the Waldorf Astoria, Assistant DA Alex Cooper and Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace find themselves hunting for an elusive killer whose only signature is carving a carefully drawn symbol into his victims’ bodies, a symbol that bears a striking resemblance to train tracks.

When a second body bearing the same bloody symbol is discovered in a deserted alleyway right next to the terminal building, all attention shifts to the iconic transportation hub, where the potential for a bigger attack weighs heavily on everyone’s minds. With the President of the United States set to arrive for a United Nations meeting at the week’s end, Alex and Mike must find a killer who appears to be cutting a deadly path straight to the heart of the city.

An Impartial Witness

In the early summer of 1917, Bess Crawford is charged with escorting a convoy of severely wounded soldiers from France to England. Among them is a young pilot, burned beyond recognition, who carries a photograph of his wife pinned to his tunic. But later, in a crowded railway station, Bess sees the same woman bidding a heart-wrenching farewell to a departing officer, clearly not her husband.

Back on duty in France, Bess is shocked to discover the wife’s photograph in a newspaper accompanying a plea from Scotland Yard for information about her murder, which took place on the very day Bess witnessed that anguished farewell. Granted leave to speak with the authorities, Bess very quickly finds herself entangled in a case of secrets and deadly betrayal in which another life hangs in the balance, and her search for the truth could expose her to far graver dangers than those she faces on the battlefield

Invisible
Everyone thinks Emmy Dockery is crazy. Obsessed with finding the link between hundreds of unsolved cases, Emmy has taken leave from her job as an FBI researcher. Now all she has are the newspaper clippings that wallpaper her bedroom, and her recurring nightmares of an all-consuming fire.
Not even Emmy's ex-boyfriend, field agent Harrison "Books" Bookman, will believe her that hundreds of kidnappings, rapes, and murders are all connected. That is, until Emmy finds a piece of evidence he can't afford to ignore. More murders are reported by the day--and they're all inexplicable. No motives, no murder weapons, no suspects.
A fast paced thriller.

A Bitter Truth

When battlefield nurse Bess Crawford returns from France for a well-earned Christmas leave, she finds a bruised and shivering woman huddled in the doorway of her London residence. The woman has nowhere to turn, and, propelled by a firm sense of duty, Bess takes her in. Once inside Bess’s flat the woman reveals that a quarrel with her husband erupted into violence, yet she wants to go home—if Bess will come with her to Sussex.

What Bess finds at Vixen Hill is a house of mourning. The woman’s family has gathered for a memorial service for the elder son who has died of war wounds. Her husband, home on compassionate leave, is tense, tormented by jealousy and his own guilty conscience. Then, when a troubled house guest is found dead, Bess herself becomes a prime suspect in the case. This murder will lead her to a dangerous quest in war-torn France, an unexpected ally, and a startling revelation that puts her in jeopardy before a vicious killer can be exposed

An Unmarked Grave

In the spring of 1918, the Spanish flu epidemic spreads, killing millions of soldiers and civilians across the globe.

However, war and disease are not the only killers to strike. Bess discovers, concealed among the dead waiting for burial, the body of an officer who has been murdered. This soldier's death touches her deeply. Not only did the man serve in her father's former regiment, he was also a family friend.

Before she can report the terrible news, Bess falls ill, the latest victim of the flu. By the time she recovers, the murdered officer has been buried, and the only other person who saw the body has hanged himself. Or did he?

Working her father's connections in the military, Bess begins to piece together what little evidence she can find to unmask the elusive killer and see justice served. But she must be as vigilant as she is tenacious. With a determined killer on her heels, each move Bess makes could be her last.

Allegiant

the book was definitely slower than the 1st 2 but it picked up in the end. there isnt much i can say about this book without spoiling book 2. the book picks up where it left off in book 2. i liked the way it goes from tris to tobias' points of view.

A Question of Honor

World War I nurse and amateur sleuth Bess Crawford investigates an old murder that occurred during her childhood in India, and begins a search for the truth that will transform her and leave her pondering a troubling question: How can facts lie?

In 1908, when a young Bess Crawford lived in India, an unforgettable incident darkened the otherwise happy time. Her father's regiment discovered it had a murderer in its ranks, an officer who killed five people yet was never brought to trial.

A decade later, tending to the wounded on the battlefields of France during World War I, Bess learns from a dying man that the alleged murderer, Lieutenant Wade, is alive and serving at the Front. According to reliable reports, he'd died years before, so how did Wade escape India? What drove a good man to murder in cold blood? Bess uses her leave to investigate. But when she stumbles on the horrific truth, she is shaken to her very core. The facts reveal a reality that could have been her own fate

Big Girl Panties

Holly didn't expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn't expect to be so big. After her husband's death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Then she meets Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer so hot that he makes her sweat in all the right (and so embarrassingly wrong!) places. Charmed by her witty wisecracks and sharp insights, he offers to help her get back in shape.

Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym, slimming down into a bona fide looker with killer curves—and a new kind of hunger. Before either of them can stop it, their training sessions lead to even more steamy workouts away from the gym.

But can Logan commit to a woman who doesn't fit his ideal? Now that Holly's turning other men's heads, does she even need Logan anymore? Are they a couple built to last . . . or destined to fizzle?

The Broken

He took her life, but left her alive.
Three years ago, reporter Kate Johnson was the first victim-and only survivor-of the Broadcast Butcher. Scarred both physically and psychologically by the brutal serial killer, Kate lives life on the run, knowing that one day, he will find her and finish what he started.

Agent Hayden Reed spends his life chasing monsters. The only way to stay sane is to detach, but the second the Broadcast Butcher case crosses his desk, Hayden knows this is the case that might just cost him his soul. To catch this vicious murderer before he strikes again, Hayden must find Kate and earn her trust.

Fresh Off the Boat

In true fashion of Eddie's writing...WTF?! This book was hard to read; I needed to consult Urban Dictionary numerous times. I wasn't sure if I was reading a book about a boy coming of age, an immigrant trying to fit in someplace, or a handbook on how to act when pumped too full of testosterone! The book taught me that if you are intelligent not only can you get away with doing drugs, being disrespectful, and initiating violence, but you can also become a successful restaurant owner and published author!

The Giver

i was not expecting this book to be about the future. i think the old man on the cover throws me off. its about the future where everyone is the same. they see the same, they dress the same and they eat the same food. they discuss their feelings and dreams every day. they are assigned jobs at age 12, spouses if they put in a request and children again if they put in a request. the children are not their biological children. they are only allowed 2 children 1 boy 1 girl. they are lied to but only to keep everyone the same.

everything is fine until a 12 year old is chosen to be the new receiver of memories. he sees things that he can't live with and makes decisions that will affect him and someone else's life (without giving too much away).

it will be interesting to see how they make this into a book. i will have to read book 2 just incase they dont have enough to make a full movie out of this 1 book.

Missing You

Surfing an online dating site, NYPD detective Kat Donovan feels her whole world explode. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé, the man who shattered her heart—and whom she hasn’t seen in eighteen years.

But when Kat reaches out to the man in the profile, an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light. As Kat begins to investigate, her feelings are challenged about everyone she’s ever loved—even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained.

With lives on the line, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

With Every Letter

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met—even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence—he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

On Distant Shores

Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie's cozy life gets more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they've made?

Power Play

Natalie Black, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James, has returned to Washington, her job in jeopardy. Her fiancé, George McCallum, Viscount Lockenby, has died in a car accident, and mysterious rumors begin that she’s responsible begin to surface: she broke off the engagement and, heartbroken, he killed himself. Then someone tries to force her off the M-2 outside London. Again, rumors claim it was a sympathy ploy. When she returns to the United States, she’s nearly killed when a car tries to mow her down while she’s out for a run. No one believes her except FBI Special Agent Davis Sullivan.

Meanwhile someone is following Sherlock. A stalker? Then someone tries to shoot her from the back of a motorcycle, but the assailant gets away. Sherlock next gets a call from an Atlanta mental hospital warning her that Blessed Backman has escaped. This is not good news. Blessed is a talented psychopath out for revenge against the agents, primarily Sherlock, whom his dying mother begged him to kill since she and Savich brought down her cult.

How to find out who’s trying to kill the ambassador to the U.K.? How can they get their hands on Blessed Backman before he succeeds and kills Sherlock?

The Sweet Spot

When pro baseball player Chase Walker first meets Amanda at her restaurant, it’s love at first sight. While Amanda can’t help noticing the superstar with the Greek-god-build, he doesn’t have a chance of getting to first—or any other—base with her. A successful entrepreneur who’s built her business from scratch, Amanda doesn’t need a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. And a curvy girl who likes to cook and eat isn’t interested in being around the catty, stick-thin herd of females chasing Chase and his teammates.

But Chase isn’t about to strike out. A man who isn’t interested in playing the field, he’s a monogamist who wants an independent woman like Amanda. His hopes rally when she discovers that squeaky-clean Chase has a few sexy and very secret pre-game rituals that turn the smart, headstrong businesswoman on—and into his number one fan.

Then a tabloid discovers the truth and turns their spanking good fun into a late- night punchline

Top Secret Twenty-One

Being from Jersey I love this series.

Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under.

To top things off, Ranger—resident security expert and Stephanie’s greatest temptation—has been the target of an assassination plot. He’s dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he’ll have to enlist Stephanie’s help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past.

Death threats, highly trained assassins, highly untrained assassins, and Stark Street being overrun by a pack of feral Chihuahuas are all in a day’s work for Stephanie Plum. The real challenge is dealing with her Grandma Mazur’s wild bucket list. A boob job and getting revenge on Joe Morelli’s Grandma Bella can barely hold a candle to what’s number one.

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent

World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow—including one of Maggie’s dearest friends—Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it’s the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war—and indelibly shape Maggie’s fate.

Happiness Sold Separately

Although I rate this book relatively high (I would give it a 4 out of 5), I didn't "like" the lack of a happy ending. This book is about a failing marriage sprinkled with infertility. Although I didn't "like" the characters, I felt as if I knew them. They could be the couple sitting next to you at dinner, she could be the woman walking down the grocery aisle, he could be the man on the treadmill next to you in the gym. I didn't "like" it, but I couldn't put it down. This book made me realize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side - it was a good lesson on appreciating what you have. The realistic way the author developed the story line was refreshing; there wasn't a tidy little story line that wraps up in the end with everyone finding true love. I read this book by chance, but will be researching other books by Lolly Winston.

The Fault in Our Stars

Definitely my favorite read of the summer so far! This book made me laugh and cry-often simultaneously! I didn't believe the hype surrounding this book/movie, and that alone was the driving force behind me reading it. I wanted desperately not to agree with the greater majority, but low and behold, I was hooked. I don't know why, but I became attached to the characters and the budding romance between them. There is something about new love that pulls at my heart strings. Couple this with illness/death and you have a recipe for soaking wet tissues and a broken heart when closing the book. I hardly ever reread books, but this is one I will pick up again in the future. Additionally, I will make it a point to check out the movie to compare the two.

Why Can't I Be You

This book is an easy/quick read. It starts off with the main character being mistaken for someone else; she decides to go with it. The book wasn't very realistic, but it did appeal to that little inner piece of me that would love a new adventure. Who wouldn't love to be someone else for a little bit with a built in group of supportive friends? I wasn't sure how the author would tie up the storyline in the end (which was part of the reason I kept reading)...it was sufficient. I wouldn't read this book again, but it gave me a break from real life and was a quick read. I would recommend it for a vacation read with the disclaimer not to expect too much!

This is Where I Leave You

I was not excited when my book club chose this book to read, but I was pleasantly surprised! This book is about four siblings, their mother, and their long time neighbor sitting traditional Shiva when their father passes. The siblings each represent a storyline reflecting a different theme in life. I wasn't impressed with the actual writing, but my laughter and tears clouded over the choppiness (written like the author wanted it turned into a movie). The book covers infidelity, infertility, cancer, pregnancy, alternate life styles, addiction, relationships, but the seriousness was never oppressing. It was a jerky roller coaster with the plot bringing you down, but the one-liners swooping you out of the valley. I have never thought a movie was better than the book, but in this case I think the movie will be better.

Home to Seaview Key

Falling for a handsome stranger on the very morning they meet is hardly what recently divorced Abby Miller planned for her return to Seaview Key. Hoping to mend an old friendship and to give back to the community she loves, Abby's definitely not looking for love.

For ex-soldier Seth Landry, Seaview Key seems like the perfect place to heal a broken heart …eventually. And when he rescues a beautiful woman on the beach, his nightmares about the past are eclipsed by daydreams about the future.

Neither Abby nor Seth is looking for forever, but powerful love has its own timetable. And taking a chance on the future will test their courage in ways neither of them could possibly have anticipated.

Scott Hudson is the freshman in the title, and the book is about his first year in high school - sounds boring, right? It's not. He decides to write a survival manual for his baby sister that include great tips for growing up, like: Rules for Halloween - 1) Share your candy, 2) I get first choice. Funny, light reading for young adults by an award-winning author. (Posted late, 8/2 - don't put this in the drawing.)

Okay, I thought when it said add book/author, that it would ADD it to the review - not! The review above is about Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar.

Ship Breaker - Paolo Bacigalupi

Futuristic novel where much of civilization is in ruins. Nailer, who is small for his age, works recovering metal from shipwrecks, because he can squeeze in small places. He discovers a rich girl (rich people are called swank) on a ship that was recently wrecked, and rescues her. Escapades ensue while trying to get her back to her people safely. This is the first YA novel by this author, and it was a National Book Award finalist - look for more. This could even be the beginning of a series. (Late posting, 8/2 - don't enter into contest.)

The Book of Rock Stars - Kathleen Krull

Ms. Krull always writes a good book, and this one is no exception. Each specific bio is kind of boring, but taken all together it is stunning how many of our brilliant rock stars got famous young and then died young, mostly of drug addiction or overdoses. (Late entry 8/2 - don't enter in contest.)

The Silkworm

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

Dying to Read

Cate Kinkaid sees her job as an assistant private investigator with Belmont Investigations as a stop-gap until she gets a real job. She just needs to find out whether Willow Bishop lives at a certain address, then write a report. But one quick stop turns into one huge mystery when Cate stumbles onto a dead body and a host of suspects, including the elusive Willow. As Cate follows the clues and questions the suspects—the Whodunit book club, a greedy niece, a sleazy boyfriend—she becomes enamored of her PI job, not to mention the helpful Mitch Berenski. Things turns nasty with two attempts on her life in the same day, but Cate, despite her misgivings, triumphs.

The Goodreads Reviews Mega Book Buck drawing was held today, Monday 8/4/14. We wrote down numbers from 2-34 (and added a 25b and 26b for the two reviews that were accidentally entered on the 2013 Summer Reading Reviews board) and drew one of the numbers at random. These numbers corresponded to the message numbers on this discussion board (though we excluded the numbers for any reviews that went past 5 for a single person and any reviews entered after 7/31/14).

Message #32 by Kelly for her review of Why Can’t I Be You by Allie Larkin was the winning entry.

Congratulations, Kelly!

Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing and participated in Summer Reading for 2014! :)

congrats Kelly!!!!

Thank you! I'm so excited to go shopping!

Dolled Up to Die

When Cate Kinkaid receives a frantic call about a triple homicide, she drives to the scene against her better judgment--aren't triple homicides more up the police department's alley?--only to find that the victims are not quite who she expects. Now she has a new rule to add to everything she's learned in her short stint as an assistant private investigator: always find out if the victims have human DNA. Because these three do not.
But who would shoot this nice lady's dolls? What possible reason could the shooter have? And then there's the startling discovery of another victim, who definitely does have human DNA.