Talking God

By Tony Hillerman

While Joe Leaphorn tries to identify a body found murdered in the desert, Jim Chee is arresting an attention hound for desecrating whites' graves.  The man, Henry Hightower, is a Smithsonian curator who wants thousands of Native American bones returned to their tribes.  Somehow, the dead man and Hightower are connected, and Leaphorn and Chee attack the case from their own angles to solve the crimes.

Hightower claimed to have a Navajo grandmother, yet he secretly recorded chants and didn't even know how to dress like a "regular Indian", preferring to copy the Hollywood version.  He also never needed to prove his heritage, which was strange, especially since he was blond.  I never believed the altruistic side of Hightower, which made the story unbelievable. Plus, they threw in this weird story arc about Chilean leftists that was only partially explained.  But I always like when Leaphorn & Chee are working together. Not Hillerman's best, but good.

Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of The Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family

By Miep Gies and Alison Leslie Gold

For more than two years, Miep Gies and her husband Henk helped to hide the Frank family and four others from the Nazis.  Gies worked downstairs with others who were in on the secret, while her husband worked for the Dutch Resistance.  We have Miep to thank for Anne's book, since she gathered her journals after soldiers discovered the annex and sent the hidden away to Auschwitz.

While the story has its problems, it was very interesting.  There are many stories about the suffering of the Jewish people, but I hadn't read a book about general suffering of citizens conquered by the Nazis.  It started out slowly, and I sometimes wished for more details. For example, towards the end, their Jewish landlady returned from hiding.  In the next chapter, there's one line about a minor disagreement and the Gies family found a new apartment.  Really?  They took care of her belongings and home for two years, and that's all the explanation we get as to why they moved? I have heard that a DVD with interviews of Miep is more detailed, and I wanted to hear more about the people in the annex.  How could they not have more to say about people they spoke with and worried over everyday?

At Home: A Short History of Private Life

By Bill Bryson

Bryson takes the reader on a tour of his own English home, with a history of how each area came to be, including inside and outside areas.  While he gets off subject sometimes, including sections on rats, bats, and archaeology, he eventually gets back to why we have dining rooms, indoor plumbing, and gardens.

Very well written -- I even learned something about rats and the plague that I hadn't heard before.  The topic that sticks most in my mind was how so many unique structures were destroyed mainly due to the passage of death taxes.  Also, how Stonehenge was almost torn down by the landowner, then later almost torn down and reassembled in the United States.

Shutter Island

By Dennis Lehane

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, along with his new partner, Chuck Aule, are sent to a mental institution on Shutter Island to investigate how patient managed to disappear.  Surrounded by water, guards, and barbed wire, Rachel Solando escaped from her locked cell.  Along the way, Teddy stumbles upon hints of experimental surgeries, and the supposed killer of Teddy's wife.

No spoilers here, but this is one of my favorite movies, and now one of my favorite books.  Despite knowing what was going to happen, I couldn't stop reading this book.  The movie ending is actually sadder than the book's ending, but I loved how the emotions played out.  Man, this is a good story.

The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights

By Daniel Coleman

Information and research about how certain parts of the brain affect personality and how emotional intelligence might be more important than IQ.  For example, a person might be brilliant, but lack any sorts of communication skills, so they would be almost a hindrance in a work setting.

Interesting book, but pretty deep concerning brain functions.  I especially liked the part about creativity, persistence, and motivation --- the examples included why the founder of Google was more successful than other internet counterparts due to his intelligence combined with his personality traits.

Love Is A Verb: Stories of What Happens When Love Comes Alive

By Gary Chapman

Short vignettes about how to treat others with love.  If you like Chicken Soup stories, you will like this book.  Unfortunately, I don't like Chicken Soup stories. Nuff said.

Desires of the Dead: A Body Finder Novel

By Kimberly Derting

Violet can sense the echoes of those who have been murdered, and the matching imprint that clings to their killers.  Few people are aware of her gift, but the FBI becomes interested in her after she locates the body of a missing boy.  She must decide how much she wants to use her gift, and how much danger she is willing to put herself through while still trying to be a normal teen.

This is the second Body Finder novel, and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first one.  Mostly because I found it hard to believe that anyone would want to be friends with her.  Then again, her friends were pretty annoying too.  I enjoyed everything but the personal stuff about Violet... I hope the next one focuses more on the mystery and less on her boyfriend problems.

The Christmas Shoes

By Donna Van Liere

Dual stories of a happy family losing their mother, and a young family falling apart.  Eight year old Nathan's mother, Maggie, is slowly dying from cancer, and the whole family tries to enjoy their last Christmas together.  Meanwhile, Robert has become a workaholic, paying the bills but not paying much attention to his wife and two daughters. Nathan and Robert accidentally meet on Christmas Eve, and learn that small things can change lives.

This is a simple story, and slightly melodramatic, but it is a nice remembrance people should always be important.  I can't say I loved the story, but I did love the sentiment.

Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For An Enlightened Yuletide Season

By James Finn Garner

Garner tackles the need to correct traditions for modern times.  As usual, he pokes fun at the sanity of those who create a "offensive in-offending" holiday season.  Some stories were a bit heavy handed, but others shone. 

The book begins on a high note, with a correction of Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Santa meets a family that doesn't know how to enjoy anything -- no Santa, no presents, no treats, and the children try to "liberate" Santa's reindeer.  I laughed out loud at the last line, " Happy Christmas to all, but get over yourselves!"  The Christmas Carol parody drags a bit, but having Frosty the Persun of Snow march on Washington, and Rudolph forming a reindeer union were clever.

Love As A Way Of Life: Seven Keys to Transforming Every Aspect of Your Life

By Gary Chapman

Chapman carries his thoughts about love and kindness into relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers on the street.  His belief is that love conquers all -- your get what you give.

I'd like to think that love always wins, but I know that forgiveness must be worked in to the solution.  Some people will never react the way you want them to, but if you refuse to let anger and hurt take over your life, your life will be better.  Some say this is all common sense, and it is, but that doesn't mean that we all try to be kind to others.  We need to be reminded that not everyone is out to get you, or hurt you.  It's our reactions to others that make or break relationships... nothing new about that.  Most people that hurt our feelings are oblivious, and the pain is ours alone.  Once we learn to forgive & love others, life falls into place.

A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael

By Ellis Peters

A prequel for the Brother Cadfael series, these short stories explain a bit about how Cadfael went from a Crusader to a monk, along with solving a few mysteries and murders along the way.

I like the historical aspect of the Cadfael series.  They are an easy way to learn more about post-Crusade Britain and the feudal system.  Cadfael is also known for his herbal remedies, which is a good reason to always have him wandering where monks are usually scarce.

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

By Leonard Mlidinow

The author researches how our unconscious mind/thoughts shade how we feel about the world around us.  Even when we believe we are being open-minded and neutral, our mind is always processing and influencing our relationships and life choices.

This may sound like a deep and slightly confusing subject, and it is --- people don't like to think of themselves as being unconsciously prejudiced against anything.  We float through life believing that we are intelligent human beings, fully capable of making rational choices.  That's what makes this book interesting.  It proves that we are influenced by how people look and what we are told, even when we try to be impartial.

Ageless Face, Ageless Mind

By Nicholas Perricone, M.D.

Dr. Perricone explains how we treat our bodies corresponds with how we look and how we feel.  His discovery of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) and stem cell topical treatments are combined with healthy eating to keep a person young & active.

I was disappointed with this book.  Eating habits are given a little space, but his products are pushed hard.  The examples he gives of clients that he has miraculously saved ate an unspecified healthy diet, stopped smoking, exercised, and put his special stem cell cream on their face.  Thanks for nothing...

Set Sail For Murder

By Carolyn Hart

Former newspaper reporter Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins, aka Henrie O, is asked to join an old friend on a Baltic cruise.  Jimmy, who once wanted to marry Henrie O.,  is positive that someone is trying to kill his wife.  He wants Henrie O. to use her reporter's curiosity to find out who is behind the "accidents" that keep happening to his wife.

Thank goodness Hart is good with characters, because her plot lines take a while to build up steam.  Henrie O. is believably clever.  Even though I figured out who the murderer must be, I had no idea how she was going to prove it to anyone else.  It helped that they were on a cruise as well.  I like the light descriptions of wanderings through the Baltic landscape.

Coyote Waits

By Tony Hillerman

Officer Jim Chee waits to have a cup of coffee with Delbert Nez, unaware that the other officer has been killed.  Chee arrives on the scene in time to pull Nez from his burning patrol car, then find an old drunk walking in the road with a bottle and the murder weapon.  Feeling guilty about not helping his fellow officer, Chee investigates the case, trying to find out why the old man would kill Nez.

Lt. Joe Leaphorn is also helping the suspect's family, who thinks the old man is innocent.  But if he didn't kill him, who did?

The only reason I would give for NOT liking this book is that Chee has such bad intuition about romance.  I know he lives out in the middle of nowhere, but why crush on someone that works in the defender's office?  They will always be on opposite sides!  It distracted me from the mystery, because I kept thinking "Here we go again -- another hopeless mess like his last girlfriend."  I guess that's why he's also stupid enough not to provide backup to another officer.