Recent Reads

The following titles were listed in the lastest issue of our newsletter, Kansas Talking Book UPDATE. Each includes an expended review.

Laced – Carol Higgins Clark – (RC 64493 INPROCESS) - Private Investigator Regan and Police Captain Jack Reilly honeymoon in their family’s ancestral homeland of Ireland. While staying in the former Hennessy Castle, turned bed and breakfast, the honeymoon is interrupted when the guest are awakened by the sound of a smoke alarm intended as a distraction to allow for the theft of a legendary lace tablecloth. Regan and Jack soon find the theft involves the elusive international jewel thieves Jane and Jack Doe and that there may be some truth to the ghost stories of May Reilly, the maker of the tablecloth who never received payment from the Hennessy’s, that haunts the castle still.

The Old Willis Place – Mary Downing Hahn – (RC 62695) – A young adult ghost story set in an old abandoned house that is said to be haunted. Although written for children, it is generally a good story of people who need to resolve issues in their life so that they can move forward.

Quickie – James Patterson – (In Process at NLS; Audio Books Music & More) – New York Police Officer, Lauren Stillwell, believes that her husband is having an affair. She decides to beat him at is own game by giving in to a co-workers advances. Her world soon spirals into chaos when her brief affair results in the murder of her co-worker and she realizes that the evidence points to her husband. She finds herself struggling between duty to her career and the need to protect herself and her husband. Patterson leads the reader on a complicated tale in which everything you see may not be as it seems.


The House – Danielle Steel – (RC 61324) – An elderly eccentric client leaves part of his fortune to his thirty-something, workaholic, tax attorney, Sarah Anderson, directing her to take time to enjoy her life and spend the money on something that matters to her rather than investing it as he had done. As Sarah works to settle his estate, she becomes intrigued with the story behind the clients spacious house (of which he used only used a few rooms in the servant’s quarters). She soon decides to purchase and renovate the long neglected home, only to find that the house has family ties. The renovation works to restore love to a house that had been neglected due to heartache and loneliness. (mild sexual content)

The Choice – Nicholas Sparks – (In process at NLS; Audio Books, Music & More) – Nicholas Sparks, like Luanne Rice, is an author for which I have a love hate relationship. I love their books, but you can’t count on them to always have a happy ending. The Choice is a heartbreaker from the beginning. Travis Parker’s reflection on once again bringing flowers to his wife at the hospital where she has worked for 10 years, in hopes that she might talk to him this time, alludes to a relationship that is in serious trouble. We all have to make difficult choices in life. Often we make promises to loved ones that later our heart questions? As Travis remembers the good and bad times of their life together and the mistakes that were made, he must decide when love is worth fighting for and when it’s time to let go.

The World is Flat: A brief history of the 21st Century – Thomas L. Friedman (RC 60317) – A look at events that have caused drastic changes in world order, business, work and social environments.

Nerd Gone Wild: A Nerd Romance – Vicki Lewis Thompson (RC 62379) – A wildly funny romance. Prior to her death, Madeline Jarrett hires a “body guard” to protect her grand-daughter from money hungry suitors. As a cover the body guard must pose as a pocket-protector wearing accountant. Set in a small town in Alaska, this book will keep you entertained. (Explicit sexual content)

Summer at Willow Lake (RC 63766), Dockside (RC 65271) Lakeshore Chronicles Series - Book 1 and Book 3 - Susan Wiggs – Good pleasant reads set in a small northeast community. Each of the books follows the development of a relationship that often gets off to a rocky start. Some implied sexual reference.

Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky – (In Process with NLS; Audio Books, Music & More) – Different from her detective novels. Set outside of Lawrence, I thought it would be an enjoyable read, but mid-way through I found myself somewhat offended by central characters portrayed as narrow minded, fanatic, highly judgmental and vengeful “neighbors. There is a long waiting list for this on the Audio Books Music and More site. If you read it there or when it is available on cassette I would love to know what others think about it. (Language and sexual content)

When Joy Came to Stay and On Every Side (2nd and 3rd story in the Kingsbury Collection) – Karen Kingsbury – (RC 61115) – My favorite would have to be the second – When Joy Came to Stay – that parallels the lives of a young woman who is troubled by an earlier decision and the daughter she gave up for adoption.