Finished THE ORPHAN'S TALE

A very readable book about a close friendship between two women, leaving me feeling both sad and happy.  The combination of the Third Reich, circus, good people behaving badly because they almost have to, and good people behaving heroically.  A wonderful tale of the circus in extraordinary circumstances and the power of women.

I have now gone back to Roughing It by Mark Twain and have already. within about five pages, had several good belly laughs.

Finished THE COPPER ROOM

The only bad thing I can think of to say about Henry Melton's books is that they are badly edited--highly unusual for children's books.  I don't know if they are self-published or not, but that would explain it.  These books deserve better editing and distribution.

This one is even more inventive than the past ones, if that is possible.  Again difficulties of time travel and possible ramifications are explored with a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I have now started The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff, another WWII novel of women struggling to survive within the Third Reich.  This one adds another point of interest for me, though.  Much of the action takes place in a traveling circus--  Could a book be tailored more for me?

Finished THE BROKEN LAND

This was the third book in a four book series.  It is sad to finish a good book.  But, it is nice to know there is more to the story.  This one was exciting and spiritual, as are all the books by these authors.  We have now seen our heroes grow to man and woman-hood and become strong leaders for their people.  But, though the beginning of bringing the peoples to peace has been accomplished, there is still a very long way to go.

I have now started another of Henry Melton's sci fi for YA novels.  This one is again about time travel, but only in one direction.  Once a person makes a mistake, how can they ever get home again?

Finished THE CINDERELLA MURDER...

Loved it, as usual with Mary Higgins Clark.  When I read the first in the Under Suspicion series, I didn't know it would be a series.  Hurray.  I love the characters, especially Laurie's co-workers, her on screen interviewer, Alex, but mostly her father the retired policeman and her son, the very smart and observant ten-year-old.

I have just started The Broken Land, the third of four books in The People of the Longhouse series by Kathleen O'Neal and W. Michael Gear.  This one started with a preface that explained the many different versions of the story about the beginnings of the Confederation of the Iroquois about 2 - 300 years before the arrival of the Mayflower.  They have amalgamated the legend into a retelling....  After being captured and enslaved as a child, Odion, now called Sky Messenger as an adult, cannot abide the taking of child slaves, which gets him in trouble with his people.

Finished THE WITCH WITH NO NAME and with it the Entire Hollows series.

I am in mourning.  The is the second much loved series I have finished this year--Sookie Stackhouse and now the Hollows.  It was a great book and a satisfying end to the series...but I really wish there was more.  Edge of your seat thriller and this one makes its own case against bigotry.

I have now started reading The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke.  This is the second "Under Suspicion" novel which centers on a TV producer who is doing a series of reality programs that dig up old cold cases that have left a number of people living for a long time "under suspicion" of murder.  She does interviews with all parties and brings them together to reenact the scenes that happened, in this case, twenty years ago.

Finished MISS SEATON SINGS

How to explain the character of Miss Seaton or the series of misadventures, mistakes, and accidents that have her totally unaware of what is going on and all the criminals (and law officers) around her sure she knows everything that is going on--criminals trying to kill her and officers trying to protect her?  And how the havoc that follows her around somehow manages to solve crimes, some of which she doesn't even know about.  These books are not really mysteries--they are comedy of errors which somehow manage to come out okay, leaving the reader laughing, giggling, and wondering how they got here.

I am now heading back to the Hollows and to Rachel Morgan in The Witch With No Name  which says it is the 13th and last book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison.  Again, I am saddened to come to the end of a beloved series.  Ivy has a powerful undead vampire wanting to kill her--powerful enough so that both she and Rachel may have to give up their freedom and stay with Trent in order to keep her alive.

Finished PRINCE LESTAT

Another really complicated Lestat adventure in which we meet many very old vampires, some of whom we've never met before.  There is a voice encouraging the older vampires to go out and kill the younger ones.  It talks in their heads.  Many ignore it, difficult as it is, but others follow its directions, not really knowing why.  The younger vampires loved by many of our much beloved vampires are in serious danger.  When no one knows who or what the voice is, how can the problem be solved?  What a treat to find another rich Anne Rice environment and community to explore...

I have now started a Miss Seeton Mystery, Miss Seeton Sings, by Heron Carvic.  Our heroine has been hired by the police to keep an appointment with a Swiss bank, in which she is to explore, in a subtle way, whether they know they are shipping England pound notes they have collected, about half of which are forged.  She has never been out of the country before and has never been on a plane...