Summer Reading, Week 11 (last post)

Welcome to the results of Week 11, the final week of Summer Reading 2012.  We have 370 people signed up.  This week 27 people read 96 books.  Over the entire summer, 156 people read 1339 books.  Way to go Muskegon!

A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism By Powers, John 2008-04 - Snow Lion Publications 9781559392969 Check Our Catalog Lucid and economical, the Concise Introduction delivers a brisk, fast-moving survey. For many years, Powers' nearly six hundred-page Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism has served as the field's most authoritative and comprehensive introductory text on Tibet's distinctive Buddhist tradition. Now Powers has responded to requests to provide an introductory text in compact form. This slimmed-down reference explains the core Buddhist doctrines and the practices of meditation and tantra in an engaging manner. A survey of the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism and a succinct history of the Tibetan cultural region complete this work. According to the publisher's note, John Powers wrote a nearly 600 page Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, which has served as teh authoritative study in the field of Buddhist tradition.  How fortunate that he was convinced to write a concise introduction, consisting of fewer than 150 pages for those who want a clear, but short, overview of Tibetan Buddhism.  Powers accomplishes his goal.  Still, I found the theology very complicated and confusing.  There are no accompanying photos or drawings in the book, which I feel would have been helpful.  I did find, however, the section on symbols and the lexicon of Buddhist terms very informative.  Recommended. …More

Nine for the Devil: A John, the Lord Chamberlain Mystery By Reed, Mary Author Mayer, Eric 2012-03 - Poisoned Pen Press 9781590589946 Check Our Catalog The year is 548 and Empress Theodora is dead of disease. Or so everyone in Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire, believes. Everyone except Emperor Justinian, who orders John, his Lord Chamberlain, to find her murderer or suffer the consequences. …More

Heartbreaker By Robards, Karen 1998-01 - Dell Publishing Company 9780440215967 Check Our Catalog Nothing in anchorwoman Lynn Nelson's high-profile TV career prepared her for saddle sores, frayed tempers, or her teenage daughter Rory's raging hormones as they vacation in Utah's mountain wilderness. The object of Rory's passion is their guide, drop-dead-gorgeous Jess Feldman, a man the divorced Lynn instinctively distrusts, even as she shields herself from his blazing baby blues. But in a terrifying moment when both Lynn and Rory fall off a cliff of sheared rock, Jess becomes their only hope. Risking his life to save them, he guides them through the impenetrable forest thousands of feet below, unwittingly plunging them into a danger more menacing than any of them could have imagined. Exhausted and injured, all they have is each other--a terrified child, and a man and a woman who rediscover passion in each other's arms--as they race against time for their lives.... …More

The Night Ferry By Robotham, Michael 2008-07 - Vintage Books USA 9780307275851 Check Our Catalog A young policewoman breaks all the rules to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of the best friend she betrayed, in this stunning follow-up thriller from the author of "Suspect" and "Lost." …More

The Ties That Bind By Rose, Emilie 2012-05 - Harlequin 9780373731701 Check Our Catalog …More

Fifteen Digits By Santora, Nick 2012-04 - Mulholland Books 9780316176316 Check Our Catalog A gritty thriller set in the world of powerful New York law firms, Santora, a writer on "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," and more unveils the story of five blue-collar outsiders captured in a lucrative ring of insider trading. …More

Song of My Heart By Sawyer, Kim Vogel 2012-02 - Bethany House Publishers 9780764207860 Check Our Catalog After the sheriff uncovers a connection between the crime he's investigating and the woman he's courting, can their love survive the scrutiny--and the truth? …More

His Insignificant Other By Siplin, Karen V. 2006-09 - Dafina Books 9780758213945 Check Our Catalog When Casey Beck's first love shows up again--on Casey's doorstep, no less--it's the beginning of a search for the truth about love, trust, sex, friendship, and jealousy that leads Casey to finally listen to the one person who's had the answers all along: herself. …More

Criminal By Slaughter, Karin 2012-07 - Delacorte Press 9780345528506 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Slaughter's new novel is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and murder that encompasses 40 years, two chillingly similar murder cases, and a good man's deepest secrets. "Karin Slaughter is one of the best crime novelists in America."--"The Washington Post." …More

The Lotus Eaters By Soli, Tatjana 2010-12 - St. Martin's Griffin 9780312674441 Check Our Catalog In the final days of a falling Saigon, "The Lotus Eaters" unfolds the story of three remarkable photographers brought together under the impossible umbrella of war: Helen Adams, a once-naive ingenue whose ambition conflicts with her desire over the course of the fighting; Linh, the mysterious Vietnamese man who loves her, but is torn between conflicting loyalties to his homeland and his heart; and Sam Darrow, a man addicted to the narcotic of violence, to his intoxicating affair with Helen and to the ever-increasing danger of his job. All three become transformed by the conflict they have risked everything to record. In this much-heralded debut, Tatjana Soli creates a searing portrait of three souls trapped by their impossible passions, contrasting the wrenching horror of combat and the treachery of obsession with the redemptive power of love. Enjoyed this well-written saga in Vietnam.  My husband, who served in the military there, is now reading it also.  A very good read. …More

Johnny Angel By Steel, Danielle 2004-06 - Dell Publishing Company 9780440236788 Check Our Catalog In her fifty-eighth bestselling novel, Danielle Steel tells the breathtaking story of a mother's love and a son's gift, of the tragedy that nearly destroyed a family...and the miracle that saved them. Johnny Angel With a word or a smile, seventeen-year-old Johnny Peterson could light up a room, fill his mother's heart with pride, and inspire the best in those around him. A star athlete and class valedictorian, tall, lanky Johnny had a future filled with promise--until he stepped into a car on prom night, dazzling in his rented tux, and in an instant, it was all taken away. In the months that follow, Johnny's family and high school sweetheart, Becky, struggle to put together the pieces of their shattered lives. No one is more devastated than Johnny's mother, Alice, whose oldest son owned her heart from the day he was born. But amid the heartache, something miraculous is about to happen to the Peterson family, something that will alter the course of each of their lives. When a sudden illness sends Alice to the hospital, a glorious vision comes to her in her dreams. There, standing before her, is Johnny himself, with that familiar twinkle in his eye, gently urging his bewildered mother to be strong for her splintered family. For Alice, seeing her marvelous lost boy is a miracle she can't quite believe but is more than willing to embrace. In the weeks to come, Johnny will appear in the most unlikely places, visible only to the two people who need him most: his nine-year-old brother, locked in a silent world, whose special needs Johnny always seemed to understand...and his mother, who has always nurtured her family, but who now needs a guardian angel of her own. Through aseason of hope and healing, Johnny will walk by his mother's side, leaving miracles in his wake, leading his parents, his girlfriend, his sister, and his brother out of their grief. But as Alice is about to discover, Johnny has returned not just to help those he loves, but to uncover a purpose even he cannot comprehend--one that will change them all forever. An unforgettable story of loving and letting go, of mixed blessings and second chances, Johnny Angel is a celebration of life, hope, and forgiveness. It will make you laugh and cry...and hold your loved ones just a little bit closer. "From the Hardcover edition. …More

Ransom By Steel, Danielle 2005-01 - Dell Publishing Company 9780440240761 Check Our Catalog A violent crime brings together four lives in Danielle Steel's sixtieth bestselling novel, the story of a mother's courage, a family's terror, and a triumph of human strength and dignity in the face of overwhelming odds. Outside the gates of a California prison, Peter Morgan is released after four long years and vows to redeem himself in the eyes of the young daughters he left behind. Simultaneously, Carl Waters, a convicted murderer, is set on the path of freedom with him. That night, three hundred miles south in San Francisco, police detective Ted Lee comes home to a silent house; for twenty-nine years, he has been living for his job--and slowly falling out of love with his wife. Across town, in an exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood, a mother tries to shield her three children from the panic rising within her. Four months after her husband's death, Fernanda Barnes faces a mountain of debt she cannot repay, a world destroyed, and a marriage lost. Within weeks, the lives of these four people will collide in ways none of them could have foreseen. For Fernanda, whose life had once been graced by beautiful homes, security, success, and stunning wealth, the death of her brilliant, brooding husband was already too much to bear. She simply couldn't imagine a greater loss, until a devastating crime rocks her family to its core--and brings Detective Ted Lee into her life. A man of unshakable integrity, Lee will soon become the one person who tries to save Fernanda's family from a terrifying fate. Fernanda must draw on a strength she never knew she had. Racing against time in the underbelly of the criminal world, buffeted by the dark side of power, and unmoored by loss andbetrayal, no one can predict where this tragedy will take them. Danielle Steel brilliantly explores the collision of a shocking crime with the ordinary lives of its victims in a novel that mesmerizes from start to finish. Ransom is at once a riveting evocation of life's inexplicable turns of fate and a testament to the human will to survive. "From the Hardcover edition. …More

The Art of Racing in the Rain By Stein, Garth 2008-05 - Harper 9780061537936 Check Our Catalog Meet Enzo, the unforgettable canine narrator of this bittersweet and transformative story of family, love, loyalty, and hope. Enzo is a philosopher with a nearly human soul, and he's gained a wealth of knowledge from hours spent in front of the TV. Have a box of kleenex by your side!  This story ends as a huge tear jerker, engendered by sadness and joys.  Told from the perspective of Enzo, the dog, the story flows well, with various twists and turns.  Although this story is filled with various emotions-joy, sorrow, shock, anger, anxiety-which kept my interest, I was a bit bored by the preponderance of race car information.  Highly recommended. …More

Home for the Summer By Stewart, Mariah 2012-05 - Ballantine Books 9780345531223 Check Our Catalog From the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Hometown Girl" comes the new captivating and heartwarming novel in the Chesapeake Diaries series. Original. …More

The Help By Stockett, Kathryn 2011-04 - Berkley Publishing Group 9780425232200 Check Our Catalog In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. With the civil rights movement exploding all around them, three women start a movement of their own, forever changing a town and the way women--black and white, mothers and daughters--view one another. …More

The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide By Ward, J. R. 2008-10 - New American Library 9780451225009 Check Our Catalog "New York Times"-bestselling author Ward delivers a behind-the-scenes look at her to die for ("Publishers Weekly") Black Dagger Brotherhood series--and a new short story starring Zsadist and Bella. …More

Lover Avenged By Ward, J. R. 2009-11 - Signet Book 9780451228574 Check Our Catalog The brothers are back in the latest installment in Ward's sizzling "New York Times"-bestselling series. As the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male's loyalty to the Brotherhood will be tested and his dangerous mixed blood revealed. …More

Lover Mine: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood By Ward, J. R. 2010-11 - Signet Book 9780451231550 Check Our Catalog "New York Times"-bestselling author Ward delivers the eighth book in her sexy Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Darius, a fallen Brother, has returned to the fold with a new identity, and a very different destiny. Now John Matthew, plunged into the heart of a war, must face off against evil incarnate--and rescue his one true love. …More

Every Storm By Wick, Lori 2004-07 - Harvest House Publishers 9780736909761 Check Our Catalog New from Lori Wick, this stand-alonestory shows how unexpected changes can set the perfect course for love. "1945, WWII--"When Lieutenant Donovan Riggs experiences trouble with his PT boat, the sailors of "Every Storm "make an unscheduled stop...and a surprising discovery. Lorraine Archer is an American teacher living and working in Australia. While on a flight with her sister, her daydreams are disrupted by the sounds of the plane going down. Lorri ends up alone on a deserted island in the Pacific. And just when she loses all hope of being found...Donovan and his crew arrive. Neither Donovan nor Lorri suspect that their encounter is the beginning of something very certain...a future not left to chance, but to faith. …More

Fayette--A Time to Love By Winters, Donna 2003-06 - Bigwater Publishing 9780923048891 Check Our Catalog …More

Driftwood Cottage By Woods, Sherryl 2011-03 - Mira Books 9780778329473 Check Our Catalog Presenting the first book in a new trilogy, "New York Times"-bestselling author Woods again brings her signature heartwarming style to the community of Chesapeake Shores. Original. …More

Harbor Lights By Woods, Sherryl 2009-05 - Mira Books 9780778326410 Check Our Catalog Struggling as a newly single father, former army medic Kevin O'Brien moves home to Chesapeake Shores. Kevin wants a safe haven for himself and his son, but suddenly faces a risk he doesn't anticipate--Main Street bookseller Shanna Carlyle. Original. …More

The Inn at Eagle Point By Woods, Sherryl 2009-03 - Mira Books 9780778326267 Check Our Catalog New York Times-bestselling author of the Sweet Magnolia series welcomes readers to Chesapeake Shores, a Maryland town built by the father of Abby O'Brien Winters, who returns after years away to renovate the charming Inn at Eagle Point with her younger sister. Original. …More

Moonlight Cove By Woods, Sherryl 2011-07 - Center Point Large Print 9781611730784 Check Our Catalog Jess O'Brien has overcome a lot, and her friends persuade her to join a dating service--but she gets no takers! Which is fine with her childhood friend, psychologist Will Lincoln, who's already chosen the perfect man for Jess--himself. …More