5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, J, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.12 REVIEW – The Pawn by Steven James

The Pawn
by Steven James

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 427
Rating: 5/5
Read: May 7 – May 20, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 12
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Patrick Bowers specializes in tracking down the killers who elude the FBI’s best forensic investigators. As an environmental criminologist, Bowers employs twenty-first-century geospatial technology to analyze the time and space in which a crime takes place. Using an array of factors, Bowers can pinpoint, with surprising accuracy, the important clues that lead to solving the toughest of cases.

Bowers’s impressive skills have made him one of the Bureau’s top agents. Until now. Called to the mountains of North Carolina to consult on a gruesome murder, Bowers finds himself caught in a deadly duel with a serial killer who seems to transcend Pat’s analytical powers. Forced to track the killer’s horrific string of murders one by one, Bowers finds his techniques and instincts put to the ultimate – and perhaps final – test.


Review: Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I am still beating myself up for not picking this book up sooner. It’s only been sitting on my shelves for a good two years, and the only reason I picked it up when I did is because I am involved in a multi-book trade with a friend and this was one of her selections! *Kicking myself* Seriously, this was that fun of a book!

There was just something about this book that sucked me in nearly immediately. I can honestly say that I was hooked from the very first page (and with my scatterbrained pregnant mind the way it is right now, that was such a nice change). It was a very fast-paced interesting read. The bad guy that Patrick was charged with chasing was interesting and original, in my opinion. Not just your run-of-the-mill bad guy (or guys?!)

And the reader gets to see a personal side of Patrick’s character as well. I thoroughly enjoyed that. His reactions to his wife’s death a while back and how he has reacted to the teenage step-daughter he is left in charge of, well it just made his character that much more real life. And I think that’s part of what really drew me into Patrick’s character.

Overall, I can’t gush enough about this book. I think it will be the start of a great new series for me to explore! Book two is The Rook, and luckily, my library has a copy of it – as well as the other books in this series. Hopefully I can get to them soon (although I’m not holding my breath on that, what with a newborn baby coming any day now!)

Bottom line? – Read this book!!

Baby Book Addict, Miscellaneous Ramblings

Getting Closer….

…. to my due date!

Friday the 18th was my last day at work. I will still be working from home until I go back to work. It’s not a lot of work, luckily, because I will be super busy once little G makes his arrival.

Tomorrow marks 38 weeks. I’m anxious. I’m ready. I hate having my doctor asking me every week if I’ve felt any contractions – because I have to keep saying no. I want to get this show on the road already!

The nursery is almost complete. Nathan painted the two shelves to hang on the walls yesterday. Today I hope he will hang them. Then we will set the monitor system up on one of the shelves. And that’s it – we’re done! (Except for the baby, haha!)

I feel the nesting instinct starting to kick in. I’m not completely there yet, but I’m starting to get a little bit frazzled about the state of my house, the nursery not being entirely done, etc. My mom said that when it hits in full force to let her know because it’s close to being time.

I’m determined to make the most of these last two weeks (or until G decides it’s time). My life will change forever (in a good way, of course!). We want to see two more movies before he comes (Battleship & Dark Shadows) and I want to finish the book that I’m reading (and would love to sneak in just one more). Yesterday Nathan had an early tee time and I was able to sleep in until 8:30 – sadly, that is sleeping in for me. The days that I am going to be able to do that are definitely numbered.

But I’m ready. I’m excited. I’m anxious. I’m nervous.

I’m ready to be a mom!

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012

2012.11 REVIEW – Under Cover of Daylight by James W. Hall

Under Cover of Daylight
by James W. Hall

Copyright: 1987
Pages: 368
Rating: 3/5
Read: April 24 – May 4, 2012
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: As a young child, Thorn survived the hit-and-run accident that killed both his parents. Years later, he settled the score his way – but never defeated the guilt. Now in Florida’s torrid, drug-ridden Keys, violence once again strikes too close to home. This time, Thorn finds himself with a passionate and angry woman at his side … and dope-dealing hit men at his back. This time, Thorn can leave vengeance to luck – or once again, against his conscience, become an avenging killer.


Review: I have to be completely honest in this review: this was not my favorite book. I will say that it was not necessarily a bad book. It just wasn’t one for me.

It started out quite interesting. But then something happened around the middle of the book and I just kind of found it to be boring after that.

As I said earlier, there’s nothing particularly bad about this book. It just didn’t appeal to me. I want to say that part of my problem with it is that as the reader I knew too much to early; there was no surprise/twist ending, and that’s what I love most about reading. I think the only reason that I kept reading it is because it actually read rather quickly when I sat down with the book.

But just because it wasn’t a book for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a book for someone else, so while I wouldn’t give it a glowing, raving review, I wouldn’t discourage others from trying it either.

Baby Book Addict, Miscellaneous Ramblings

Where has the time gone?

I can’t believe that tomorrow I will be 35 weeks pregnant! It seems like just yesterday I was peeing on a stick and looking at a positive test. It’s quite unreal to be honest.

Tomorrow I have another doctors appointment. After this I will be going weekly. That’s how I can tell things are really coming to a close with this pregnancy.

I am finally starting to have a million different questions for my doctor. And it feels as if I don’t have enough time to get them all answered sometimes. But I’m sure I will. And I will be fine. I’m just a worry wart.

Tomorrow I plan on packing my ready bag. I have no clue what I will need to pack for G, that’s one of my questions. Other than the obvious clothes :). But I’m not breastfeeding and my hospital pushes it so hard I wonder if I need to take my own formula and bottles. I hate feeling clueless!

I’m not “nesting” yet. My mom says that I will. And to let her know when I do because that will be an indication that I’m close.

I technically have a due date of June 4th but I have a sneaking suspicion that he will be a May baby. Although this might just be wishful thinking on my part because I’m so over this whole pregnancy thing.

I hope they measure me tomorrow. I’m curious to get an idea of how big this little booger is.

I will post tomorrow or the next day about my appointment. I’m off to cook supper and then maybe read a little bit.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Lucas Davenport, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Review Book, S, SERIES

2012.10 REVIEW – Stolen Prey by John Sandford

Stolen Prey
by John Sandford

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 402
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 16– April 24, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012
Yearly Count: 10
Format: Print
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

Blurb: Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the Minnesota town of Wayzata, an entire family has been killed – husband, wife, two kids, dogs. One the wall, in blood: “Were coming.” No apostrophe.

There’s something about the scene that tugs at Lucas’s cop instincts – it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he’s seen from Mexican drug gangs. But this is a seriously upscale town, the husband ran a modest software company, the wife dabbled in local politics. None of it seems to fit.

Until it does. And that’s when everybody starts coming to town: the DEA, the Mexican federales, and some independent operators who are decidedly less welcome.

Where it all leads … will take Lucas into the darkest nightmare of his life.


Review: I received this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. It has a publication date of May 15, 2012.

I honestly haven’t read very many of the Lucas Davenport books (even though I have quite a few of them accumulated on my shelves), but I was really excited to see this one offered on LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. And then I was thrilled when I saw that I had managed to snag a copy. But at the same time, I was a little apprehensive. It’s the 22nd book in a series. A series in which I’ve read maybe two previous books.

But it worked out fine. This book can read as a standalone. I had very little idea as to who the characters he mentioned really were (his wife and daughter, namely), but that didn’t take away from the book whatsoever.

The plotline revolved around Mexican drug dealers, money laundering, murderers, bank fraud. Oh yeah, and murder. It all made it seem very current to today’s world. It was made very interesting when someone ended up being not who they appeared to be.

Overall, I found this book to be very fast paced and enjoyable. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

Baby Book Addict, Miscellaneous Ramblings

Catching Up Quickly

So I’ve been MIA again. This is getting to be a habit. Bad, I know. And I’m sorry. But I just can’t seem to get anything together these days.

This post is going to be long and rambling. I apologize in advance.

I’m not reading. Well, I am and I’m not. I’ve got two books going right now, 100 pages into one of them and 50 pages into the other. But I just can’t seem to concentrate.

Talk about not being able to concentrate. I work as a bookkeeper. I was trying to count out my money for my deposit last week. Had to do it four times before I got the amount I had in my hand, only to realize that I was $36.32 short for some reason. Maybe it’s because I can’t think straight enough right now to even be able to count money out of the drawer. Wow. Pregnancy brain is in full force, and it’s kind of scary.

Last Saturday (the 14th) was my baby shower. While it wasn’t exactly what I wanted (the tornado had to go and ruin that), it was still a very nice time. I got a TON of stuff off of our list that we needed. I’m one lucky gal to have so many friends and family! My godmother even came down from St. Louis (2.5 hours away) JUST for the baby shower. What a lovely lady! Oh and my bestest friend Laine came down from Springfield (3 hours away) for it as well. See how blessed I am?

Best thing we got from the shower (besides the truck load of amazingly adorable clothes), the video monitor we had on our list! At $300 I was sweating getting it … well, not really, I knew my grandmother would fork out that money for it. I’m definitely looking forward to getting everything all set up for it (now we just need this little boy here to spy on with it!)

Worst thing we got from the shower …. and I don’t really mean “worst” in a bad way. It’s just something that is not my taste at all. AT ALL. One of my father-in-law’s aunts from Michigan actually sent down a framed drawing of a woman and child. Frame is gorgeous. Picture, not so much. What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing? It’s definitely not going to be hung up in my house. It won’t match anything I have in the entire house. And of course, both his parents thought it was such a gorgeous gift. Call me rude, but if they like it that much they can have the darned thing. I just don’t know what to do. The lady who sent it (who I’ve never even met and probably never will) will never know that the thing isn’t hanging in my house anywhere (right now it’s currently residing in a closet), but his parents will. It will be a difficult conversation to have to have when they finally realize that we never hung it up. Nathan says he will take care of it. I hope he handles it better than he handled the conversation about the yard work his parents did for us.

We still have to get a few more things off of our list that we didn’t receive at the shower. It’s all little stuff – diaper pail, mirrors for our car seats to see him in, window shades, etc . Oh, and we have only one pack of diapers, no baby wipes, no formula. Yeah, we’ve still got a lot of stuff we have to get – but that’s okay, I’m excited to spend some of the Christmas money I held back for just this occasion!! I think that will be on the agenda for this weekend. It will be an expensive trip to Babies-R-Us, but we need to finish getting as much as we can. Because I still have to put 95% of this stuff in its proper place! Ahh.

I’ve gone in search of a pediatrician (finally, right?). I had two recommendations. One was a glowing one from a friend from high school with a 16 month old baby boy. Too bad her doctor is not accepting new patients right now. So I’m going to have to go with my second recommendation, which was from a co-worker of my father-in-law. I’m not sure how this will work out, I guess we will see. I would feel more comfortable being able to go to my friend’s pediatrician, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes. Actually I was surprised how the other location handled it, they told me all I do is give the hospital the name of the doctor from their practice that I want as my pediatrician and that’s it, I’m established. I figured it would be more to it than that. See how little I know?

Now that I’m in the home stretch little things are starting to pop up in my head, making me realize the enormity of this entire thing. It’s not as if it’s something new, something that I haven’t known about before. It’s just that some things I had never even considered before. But I suppose I will handle it to the best of my ability when these things arise.

And surprisingly enough, I am oddly calm about the actual labor/delivery. I don’t know why. Childbirth has always been my biggest fear. And my pain tolerance, well let’s just say that I am the biggest baby on the planet. But the last few months I’ve been just unconcerned about it. Even as I sat and watched the epidural video and then the childbirth video they showed in our childbirth class, I was just completely 100% calm. Now that might all change when the first contraction hits me, but right now it’s like the least of my worries, I guess.

Can you tell that I have baby on the brain? 24/7? It’s such a strange feeling. I never thought I would want to have children. And here I am having one. Eek!

I did have a nightmare the other night. Some of you might not consider this a nightmare, but I did. My family has always been big travelers. I went everywhere with my parents when I was a kid. I’ve traveled all over. Had a passport from the time I was 6 or 7. My first airplane ride was when I was 3 months old. My family has just always been that way. My husband’s family never traveled all that much. I think he only got to go to the beach one time as a kid, most of his vacations were spent visiting relatives. So I’m already trying to figure out where I can go after I have the baby, lol. I just can’t stay home. I haven’t flown once in this entire pregnancy because in the first trimester I was miserable with morning/noon/night sickness and then after that I was worried about the security with the x-ray machines and the new body scanners, and I’m not having a pat-down, and now I’ve hit the point where I don’t want to be that far from home. It’s killing me, to say the least. I have the travel bug. Bad. So I’m dreaming the other night that my husband and I decide we’re going to take a cruise to the Caribbean and do some snorkeling. Without the baby. We were going to leave him with  my parents for the week. And by this point in my dream, G was already 10 months old, it’s not like I was leaving a 3 week old baby (although my parents technically did that with me for a wedding they had to attend out of town). Well his parents flew off the handle at us and told us how terrible parents we were, and that I was an un-fit mother because I was going to go on a child-free vacation with my husband, blah blah blah. You can imagine how this made me feel. In the dream it was a huge blow-up fight and it got really ugly. So after I woke up the next morning, I got to worrying that his parents will really feel that way about things. I don’t know that they will, I have no clue how they will react when we first go somewhere without the baby (and it will happen, sooner rather than later). I haven’t really talked to him about it yet, because I don’t want him to tell me that I’m overreacting again, like he’s been telling me about 90% of the other stuff I’ve worried about throughout this pregnancy. But it’s still in the back of my head. However, I doubt this will change anything in my life. Heck I can’t wait to get G his own little passport so he can hopefully go on some good trips with us!  I’m going to be one of those crazy parents who drag their kids everywhere. Having a child won’t slow me down at all. I won’t let it.  But we will also need some husband/wife time AWAY from the baby every once in a while.

My next doctor’s appointment is April 30th. After that I’m on to the weekly appointments. It’s getting super close and I’m sooooo excited. While I haven’t really had all that bad of a pregnancy (just the normal symptoms that 99% of women have), I’m still not a fan of pregnancy in general. I don’t understand women who LOVE being pregnant. I know I sure don’t feel that way. I’m just ready to get this little boy out of me so that I can have my body back to myself to put in it what I want to (no, I’m not breastfeeding, and please don’t attack me for that – I’m already hearing enough of it from doctors/nurses/strangers).

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’m going to be a busy little bee around my house getting things even more prepared for the baby. I hope to be able to post pictures soon, but our nursery still has a way to go before it’s ready for the big reveal. Have a great weekend, y’all!!

 

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, SERIES

2012.9 REVIEW – Split Second by David Baldacci

Split Second
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 481
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 28– April. 4, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 9
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Michelle Maxwell has just wrecked her promising career at the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her sight for the briefest moment and the man whose safety was her responsibility vanished into thin air. Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. Eight years earlier, the hard-charging Secret SErvice agent allowed his attention to be diverted for a split second. And the candidate he was protecting was gunned down before his eyes. Now Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge.

Drawn into a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, the two discredited agents uncover a shocking truth: that the separate acts of violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making – and are a long way from over…


Review: This was a very good, fast-paced book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed all the characters. I think it will be interesting to see how this series progresses with Sean & Michelle partnering up for a private detective agency. I also wonder if there will be a romantic relationship between the two also, since there is a very obvious mutual attraction. I’m also curious to see if Joan will make a return in the future, she could definitely throw an interesting wrench in the proverbial mix!! Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series in the future. Highly recommended!!

Baby Book Addict, Miscellaneous Ramblings

Sometimes I wish I had my MD!

So remember when I posted a few days back about how the other doctor had diagnosed me with gestational diabetes? Yeah, I’ve been testing my sugar four times a day since Tuesday. And recording the levels.

There’s no way in hell I’m gestational diabetic!!

Sure I haven’t gone crazy with any sugar since that day. And I’ve cut out the sodas completely (oh how I miss you coca-cola!!). But come on!

Now I am familiar with diabetes in general. My dad has had Type 2 for at least 10 years. I’m very familiar with the ups and downs, what could make me go high or low, etc.

But when you’re consistently waking up in the morning with a 65-75 blood sugar level and then not going above 130 an hour after eating…. Yeah, I’m just not buying into the diagnosis for me.

And I’ve eaten pizza, pasta, bread, McDonalds. Its not like I’ve been absolutely perfect. And I’m still getting what I consider normal levels.

Now that’s not to say that I couldn’t be borderline. I very well may be if I don’t watch what I eat carefully. But I think that to have me test 4 times a day is overkill and I will be discussing this with my doctor when I go back on the 16th.

Because my poor little fingers can’t take all this abuse!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Lincoln Rhyme, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.8 REVIEW – The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver

The Empty Chair
by Jeffery Deaver

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 479
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 18– Mar. 28, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 8
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Lincoln Rhyme faces his ultimate opponent: a kidnapper and murderer dubbed the Insect Boy. But Rhyme is in for a surprise when he learns that catching a criminal is one thing … keeping him is another. Now Rhyme finds himself hunting a ruthless killer in the heart of a southern swampland – and going head-to-head with his protegé, Amelia Sachs, in a rivalry that tests the limits of both their expertise and their love.


Review: This is the third in the Lincoln Rhyme series. It’s been a while since I read a Deaver book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I completely understood why Amelia felt that way she did toward Garrett (aka – Insect Boy). There were definitely some twists and turns that I never saw coming until they were halfway past me! That’s exactly how I like my books to be. I would highly recommend this read, and while it’s not necessarily required to read the first two in the series before you read this one, it will definitely help you understand the characters better if you do.

Miscellaneous Ramblings

Oops, I’ve been a little MIA

And I really hadn’t even noticed that I hadn’t posted. I guess I’ve been getting busier trying to get the nursery ready. It’s just been a whirlwind around our house trying to get it all ready. Plus I’m getting ready for my shower in the next couple of weeks. And somewhere in there I’m reading 🙂

I live in Kentucky. UK is the national champions in basketball. Enough said 🙂

Let’s see …. my brother-in-law got engaged on March 31st, his fiancée’s birthday. They haven’t known each other all that long, but they seem to be very happy, so good for them. I think they’re planning a long engagement, but who knows what they’ll decide. They’ve just gotten engaged, they can just enjoy being engaged and start planning slowly.

We went to St. Louis this past weekend. I got some really cute shoes and earrings to go with my dress for the shower. We also saw Wrath of the Titans in 3D. And I realized that I poop out so easily these days. Luckily my husband was really understanding and didn’t care that we were moving at a snail’s pace at times.

I am officially part-time at work now. So I will only be working 3 days a week. That’s kind of a relief for me. I wasn’t planning on going down to part-time until May 1st, but the boss (aka – my dad) told me that it was time now. I might just get used to this, it will be hard to go back to full-time after the baby/maternity leave!

And my wonderfully bad news. I had a doctor’s appointment on the 2nd. My doctor ended up failing me on the glucose test after all. The main doctor in the office signed off on my passing, but I see the other doctor and she over-ruled him. She gave me the choice if I wanted to test or not. I took one look at the numbers that my blood sugar was at during the test (75, 174, 140 – where 140 is the highest you are supposed to be) and realized that with my complete lack of self-control, it would be best if I tested. It’s not been fun. It’s been incredibly frustrating. The first time I had to test I bawled my eyes out for a good 20 minutes panicking that I couldn’t do it. But so far I’ve been under my target every time. I have to test four times a day: once in the morning before breakfast and then one hour after each meal. My poor fingers are going to be so sore and bruised before this is all over with. But it makes me realize that I have to take care of myself better in the future because I do not want diabetes in my later years and unfortunately I have a family history of diabetes.

This Sunday is Easter and it’s the family meal that I always host. Counting my husband and I, there will be 13-14 people here. We have a big house, but not that big of a dining room/living room/ kitchen it seems when we get everyone together! I know everyone in my family will be here, but Nathan’s family is kind of up in the air right now. His brother’s fiancée has to work (she is manager at Golden Corral, and apparently Easter is their busiest day of the year) and if his dad is given the opportunity to work a double shift he will take it (can’t blame him for the triple pay), his brother will only come if someone picks him up and drives him down because he works midnights and has to work the night before and won’t be in any way okay to drive, I can’t imagine his mother would come without his father but you never know. And then we also had to invite his mother’s mom because she doesn’t have anyone to spend Easter with this year because no one is going to her house, but she didn’t want to commit to coming to our place. So I don’t know how many people will really be here. All I know is that it will be full house around here … guess I need to get off my lazy butt and get this house in tip-top shape for company 🙂

I’ve got one book review to write, on Jeffery Deaver’s The Empty Chair. I think I’m going to try to get that written up and posted as soon as I finish up with this post. And currently I’m reading Split Second by David Baldacci. I’m halfway through it and really enjoying it so far.

Until next time … have a good week 🙂