Jane lives in a California beachside home on the Pacific Ocean with her father and beloved dog. Her grandmother invites her to visit Elvie, the Scottish estate of her early childhood. Jane meets up with Sinclair, her close cousin. Jane discovers that Sinclair is no longer the man she once dreamed of marrying. Even though he is charming she can no longer trust him.

Engross yourself in this detailed account of persistence and bravery which took place during the dark days of the Holocaust. Eva and Martin Deutschkron met, fell in love, endured many hardships together, and eventually sailed to the United States. They opened a tailoring business in Madison, Wisconsin but they were forever scarred by the deaths of numerous family members.

Here is a non-fiction young adult book covering the mythology of vampires, descriptions of vampires, vampires in movies, and a glossary of vampire terms. The concept of vampires is closely related to cultural views about death. Some people feel that dead spirits hang around in a netherworld. Discover other interesting theories about vampires.

This is a collection of alternative history short stories. In one of the stories, Theodore Roosevelt is sent to England by President Grover Cleveland to assist investigators in the hunt for Jack the Ripper. The actual “vampire” story in this collection is called, The Roosevelt Dispatches. Roosevelt is in Cuba leading his Rough Riders on a campaign. They encounter a creature that is impervious to bullets and it ingests the blood of its prey.

The book takes place at various lighthouses around Scotland in the late 60's and 70's, during the Vietnam war. You may wonder how the war played into lighthouse keeping but the writer was 20 and concerned about the war and Watergate. It was interesting to read how another country was so taken with both issues. Peter applies to be a summer intern on a whim and is amazed when he is given the chance to work at the lighthouse during his summer break. During the interview, he is asked if he can cook an with a straight face, says yes. His cooking special is a grilled cheese sandwich and going out to eat. Food is very important to the people working on the lighthouse and much of their day revolves around preparing it, he was fortunate to work with an excellent cook and learned to take great notes but the day he was scheduled to make hagis required all his resources. The routine of the keepers is very strict and did vary from lighthouse to lighthouse. While sharing meals and the middle of the night shift change, stories and histories were shared. He writes much of the book in the Scottish dialect so the flavor of the county comes through. An interesting book about a lost profession.

Groucho takes a lighter look at sex and how to get some. He starts with an idea and wanders away in typical Marx fashion. It seems autobiographical in parts with much humor and Marx comments thrown in to keep it very enjoyable. If you enjoy the Marx Brothers movies, this would be a fun book to read.

Dr. David Henry, an orthopedic surgeon, delivers his own son when his wife Norah goes into labor in the middle of a blizzard in 1964 and the obstetrician cannot make it to the hospital. David and Caroline, the nurse on duty, keep a secret from Norah for many years. This engrossing story keeps you wondering if the secret will ever be revealed. This is a well-crafted story you won’t want to miss.

Ms. Wall recalls how she fell in love and married a Syrian man, moved to the Middle East, gave birth to a son and daughter, then fled for safety to the United States with her two children. You won’t be able to put this book down due to the heart-breaking suspense.

Twin brothers, Logan and Noah Miller, recount their efforts to make a film based on the life of their father who died in jail. Their film, Touching Home, starred Ed Harris as their alcoholic homeless father. The Miller brothers had no money and few connections in Hollywood. They are to be applauded for their sheer determination to fulfill a promise to their father against all odds.

A memoir in the sense that Sultana (a code name) is the Princess who told her story. It was written and published by someone else to protect the Princess and her children.

Sultana is member of the Saudi royal family, so she is privileged compared to most women living in Saudi Arabia—but as with any other woman, she has no right to go anywhere without a man to escort her, she can be killed by her male family members for small infractions, she can’t vote or control her own life. This description of the world behind the veil is interesting but sometimes shocking. The contrast between the riches—multiple palaces (rich men usually have 4 wives, each with their own richly furnished main palace plus vacation palaces), unlimited money to spend on clothing and jewels, and how the servants and lower classes live is immense.

Since it was published in 1992, one hopes that conditions for Saudi women have improved.

Readers who enjoy an exotic setting and are politically & socially active might want to read this, though there are some descriptions of abuse of women and children that are hard to read.

Flavia de Luce is eleven years old, one of three motherless sisters, living in 1950s England. When she finds a stranger dying in the manor’s cucumber patch Flavia decides to investigate in order to save her philatelist father, who has been arrested. Her ability to dissemble and keen interest in chemistry allow her to roam the countryside on her bicycle to search for clues and then interpret what she finds.

This book is somewhere between Harriet the Spy and Sherlock Holmes. It is full of period details, delicious humor, and definitely a book to recommend.

Author Alan Bradley is 70 years old, and this debut novel won him the 2007 Dagger Award. He did not plan to write with the main character being a young girl, but Flavia entered his detective story and took it over. Fortunately he plans a series of books about her.

The reader, Jayne Entwhistle, does a great job of portraying Flavia’s enthusiasm and moods, as well as those of the other characters. Such glee at the thought of getting back at her snooty older sister! The soft voice while plotting devious interrogations!

This is my favorite audiobook for 2009.

Marion was born in Australia, but lived mostly on cruise ships with her traveling mother after her parents split up. Her father was a captain on a freighter, and later worked at the shipyards along the Canadian west coast. When she was five, her mother gave her up to be raised by her aunt and uncle in Canada.

Marion was 14 in 1960. Turquoise was the fashionable color, and the writer uses the vivid color to tie together the time she spent at the beach (turquoise bathing suit), the unused living room (turquoise carpet and pillows), holiday meals (using the special turquoise plastic dishes) and other events. Family photos start each chapter. Readers who were teens in the 1960s will recognize many of the cultural references.

I read this heartbreaking true story, about the author who suffers from OCD, in one sitting! She gives us hints of how she became who she is and also offers us a glimpse at the people in her life who provided a net for her. Particularly, there was a heroin addicted friend. The parallels between the 2 were interesting. I like to count and sort to soothe myself. But this and similar behaviors were taken to a whole new level of paralysis. Finally, Emily is medicated @ the end of the book and experiencing relief. The brain is so interesting! She ends the book with a corker, however. It seems that she can't get past one of her quirks. You learn about it on page 1. Her last words in the book are, 7480 stars. That made me cry. You'll have to read the book to see what I mean.

I have a deep respect for Jimmy Carter and this book cemented that for me. It was so interesting to learn about Carter's childhood and young adulthood. He came from poverty and was raised by parents who respected their black neighbors and laborers. I listened to the audio performed by one of my favorite readers, Tom Stechschulte. The stories were funny, poignant, and lesson bearing. I was pleased to find that Carter is a terrific writer. Can't wait to read more by him.

This book was predictable--you knew the ending pretty quickly. But it was fun to see how the author was going to get there. The characters were one note, but likable just the same. Great beach/summer read. And the bonus is that there are marvelous recipes in the appendix.