Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Dec 2

#35: Every Now and Then (Karen Kingsbury)

by kennithfreeman

Monday was a travel day for me, so I had plenty of time to read during flights and layovers. Still, I didn’t quite get the novel finished before heading back to my apartment. I was hooked by the story line that I had lived with all day and decided to stay up a little later and finish reading this final book in Kingsbury’s 9/11 series.

In Every Now and Then, we are introduced to Alex, a young K-9 police officer living in Los Angeles. Alex struggles with personal grief due to the loss of his father 7 years prior during the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now, Alex lives his life with one goal: to rid the city of evil in order to bring honor to his father’s memory. In the process, he has managed to cut everyone else out of his life.

In typical Kingsbury fashion, the novel weaves authentic emotion into a riveting story of loss, frustration, and redemption alongside powerful Scriptural truths of hope, healing, and restoration. I have been deeply touched by the three books in the 9/11 series, but Every Now and Then spoke to my heart in a very special way. This is one of those times that this reader encountered the perfect book at just the right moment in my life’s journey.

Christian fiction Series

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Nov 25

#34: The Black Ice (Michael Connelly)

by kennithfreeman

With a little extra time on my hands in the Geriatric Ward, I was able to finish the second book in the Harry Bosch Universe. The Black Ice took me back to the streets of Los Angeles and began with the apparent suicide of a police officer in a seedy Hollywood hotel. Although Bosch is not “officially” assigned to the case, something about the scene does not set well with him, so he begins to look at things off the record.

Black Ice is the latest drug of choice on the street and is the source of a major rivalry between makers in Mexicali and Honolulu. Bosch discovers that the officer was involved in a major drug ring that takes him south of the border and the workings of the powerful drug cartel.

The Black Ice certainly held my attention and was an entertaining read. A part of My Library Shelf, I found the novel very similar to the first volume in the series. I will continue reading the Connelly books on my shelf, but I’m hoping that the plot lines find some individuality in order to maintain my interest.

What’s up next? I’m returning to Karen Kingsbury’s 9/11 series and reading the final volume in the set – Remember Tuesday Morning.

fiction My Library Shelf

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Nov 14

#33: The House Girl (Tara Conklin)

by kennithfreeman

I just finished reading The House Girl this morning and absolutely loved it! I am anxious to read another of Conklin’s novels housed on My Library Shelf to see if the credit goes to the story line or Conklin’s writing. I have a feeling Conklin is going to ultimately get the credit.

In last week’s update, I explained my initial understanding of the novel. Shortly after posting the update, things turned around and I found myself enthralled in a gripping tale set in the Antebellum South and modern day New York City. The story centers around Josephine, a slave girl on a tobacco plantation in Virginia. She has been treated well for the most part by her mistress, Lu Ann Bell. As part of their relationship, Lu Ann and Josephine have both dabbled in painting together. Both women are tormented. Both find comfort in expressing their feelings in the visual arts. Only one of them is a master artist.

In the 20th century, Lu Ann Bell is regarded as an important figure in the art world. Credit for the outstanding paintings found on the plantation have been attributed to Lu Ann. Enter Lina, a NYC lawyer who has found herself involved in a slave retribution case when she first hears the story of Josephine. She begins a journey to find out if Josephine or Lu Ann should be recognized as the gifted artist. If she believes it if Josephine, then she must figure out a way to track down the slave’s descendants in order to have a plaintiff for her case.

The House Girl is an insightful look into the life of the slave in the American south while also exploring our continuing pursuit of freedom from those things that hold us captive – whether it be the past, our job, or our beliefs. Conklin’s novel is not to be missed and has quickly found itself ranked among the best books I have read in 2020.

fiction historical My Library Shelf

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Nov 1

#32: Cometh the Hour (Jeffrey Archer)

by kennithfreeman

This week, I read the sixth volume of The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. Set in the 1970s, the novel opens with Emma finally being vindicated in her libel case filed by Lady Virginia. Giles and Seb both find love — one relationship looks very promising while the other is shrouded in questions of espionage and deception. Harry Clifton’s efforts to have a Russian author freed from prison finally have success, but at what cost?

Cometh the Hour is a fast-moving read that keeps the reader engaged. While this volume has many scenes in the English court system, the writing is more interesting than the long political battle that stymied in an earlier novel of the saga. I’m looking forward to reading the final book in The Clifton Chronicles later this month. First, I plan to spend the week reading The House Girl by Tara Conklin as part of My Library Shelf.

fiction historical Series

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Oct 24

#31: The Black Echo (Michael Connelly)

by kennithfreeman

I get asked on a fairly regular basis why I do the My Library Shelf project. The idea was birthed after reading The Shelf: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose. The premise is fairly simple. Select a shelf — ideally with at least one classic novel and no more than 5 works by a single author — and read with a sense of adventure. The project is always much easier and more exciting at larger libraries. Unger Library has been a little more challenging. Few classics are mixed in with the contemporary works and there are LOTS of shelves dominated by mass market authors. That has meant that I have to be a little more flexible with the “rules” of the project, but I still get to enjoy the adventure of reading books with which I would not otherwise engage. Sometimes, I find a really enjoyable book like The Black Echo.

The Black Echo is the first of Michael Connelly’s novels featuring Detective Harry Bosch. (The Bosch novels seem to be quite popular. There are currently 21 books in the series as well as a television series based on the character available on Prime Video.) Bosch is a Vietnam vet who has joined the LAPD as a rough-around-the-edges, no-nonsense homicide detective. In the opening novel, Bosch is called to investigate an apparent overdose victim found in a water drainage system above the Hollywood Hills. What should have been an easy case becomes much more personal when Bosch recognizes the victim as a fellow serviceman from his past. Now the case has become personal.

The Black Echo is full of intrigue and excitement. The twists and turns continue until the novel’s closing passage — with an ending that this reader did not see coming at all. I especially enjoyed the southern California setting and the attention to geographic details. I was able to travel the familiar roads with the detective as things were described with stunning clarity. Connelly is a gifted story teller and I am looking forward to returning to more of his works as I continue to make my way through My Library Shelf.

What’s ahead? For now, I am returning to The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. My plan is to include the final two books in the saga in the rest of my 2020 reading.

fiction My Library Shelf mystery thriller

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Oct 13

#30: Out of Control (Mary Connealy)

by kennithfreeman

The first of three books in The Kincaid Brides series, Out of Control focuses on the relationship between Rafe, the oldest of the Kincaid brothers, and Julia, a daughter of an abusive father who finds herself in need of rescue in the wild West. A departure from my normal reading fare, I read Out of Control as part of My Library Shelf and have to admit that the novel ended much better than I had originally anticipated.

Julia is fascinated with caverns she has discovered in Colorado and the fossils they contain. While on one of her explorations, she is attacked by a man and stranded in the cavern to die. Rafe hears her cries for help, comes to her rescue, and thus begins their adventure. As his relationship with Julia begins to flourish, Rafe finds himself seeking balance as he also tries to reconcile with his younger brothers Ethan and Seth, both emotionally and physically scarred from a childhood tragedy that continues to haunt them as adults.

The novel begins very slowly and plods along in an unexciting manner. However, when I finally reached the middle of the novel and the death of Julia’s abusive father (trust me, it is not a spoiler…….the reader can see it coming from the earliest pages of the novel), it seems as though Connealy’s writing improves tremendously and the story telling pulls the surviving readers into an adventure that is both satisfying and hopeful.

I have another novel in the series to read because of its inclusion on my library shelf. I’m not sure that I will read the final book in the series though. There are too many good books to read to waste my time on lackluster ones.

fiction historical My Library Shelf romance

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Oct 6

#29: Mightier than the Sword (Jeffrey Archer)

by kennithfreeman

As the weekend came to a close, I finished the fifth installment of the Clifton Chronicles and thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience. Mightier than the Sword is set in the 1970s against the backdrop of political turbulence across the globe. This time, the novel does not focus on one character primarily; instead, all four are heavily featured as the Chronicles race to its conclusion.

Harry Clifton decided to use his platform to call for the release of a fellow author who is imprisoned in a Soviet jail for the publication of his controversial biography of Joseph Stalin. Emma struggles to maintain control of Barrington Shipping while fighting a libel case against her nemesis, Lady Virginia. Seb continues his meteoric rise through the British banking system, yet questions if there are more important things in life than just business success. After facing political scandal, Giles finds himself once again in a heated campaign against Major Fisher that just might cost him his position in Parliament as well as his hopes of serving his country as a foreign minister.

Mightier than the Sword is a gripping novel and a great example of Archer’s ability to masterfully weave a story.

fiction historical Series

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Sep 13

#28: The 20th Victim (James Patterson)

by kennithfreeman

I’m happy to say that I have a review of my latest read sooner than I anticipated. The last third of the latest installment of the Women’s Murder Club flew and made for an enjoyable Sunday of reading.

Lindsey, Claire, Cindy, and Yuki are back at it. This time the central story is about a well-trained assassin taking out drug dealers around the country and using a video game to hide behind. Like Patterson’s other books in the series, this novel does not just tell one story. Yuki is charging a teen driver as an accessory to murder for the death of a cop; she knows the teen is innocent, but too afraid to identify the real gunman. Claire is fighting another kind of battle in the form of lung cancer. All the while, Lindsey’s husband, Joe, is reconnecting with a friend from his past that is convinced his father’s recent deadly cardiac event was not a naturally occurring event. Together, the men search for the truth about the man’s death and possible murder.

The 20th Victim was not an earth-shaking read. It was exactly what I have come to expect from the series — a fun read when I need to escape from the pressures of life and just want to have a little excitement with some of my literary friends. Now I’ll just have to wait for the release of the 21st book in the series in order to have my next visit.

fiction Series thriller

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Sep 3

#27: Beyond Tuesday Morning (Karen Kingsbury)

by kennithfreeman

This week, I returned to the story of Jaime and Sierra as they continued to deal with the loss of beloved husband and father, Jake, in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Three years have passed since the attacks. Jaime copes with her grief by volunteering at St. Paul’s, a small chapel near the site in Manhattan’s Financial District. Is she really dealing with her grief or simply going through the motions while memorializing the life she has lost?

While riding the Staten Island ferry, Jaime is accosted by a trio of criminals. That’s when she first meets Clay, an attractive police office from Los Angeles who is in town for training with the NYPD. Jaime’s world is turned upside down as she begins to realize that Clay’s presence in her life has reawakened feelings she has not experienced since before Jake’s death. Can anything really come of this new found friendship since Clay will return to the west coast in just a matter of weeks? Is this just infatuation or could Jaime really be falling in love with a man other than Jake? Beyond Tuesday Morning is a beautiful story of hope, healing, and “choosing life” as we search for God’s perfect plan for our life.

Christian fiction

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Aug 28

#26: Here Comes Trouble (Donna Kauffman)

by kennithfreeman

Another week, another novel. I was not feeling incredibly well last weekend and decided I needed an easy read this week. So I grabbed another fluff read that I picked up on a recent trip to Half Price Books last month. Here Comes Trouble looked like an interesting, easy read — and with a price of $3 on the clearance rack, I couldn’t go wrong.

Here Comes Trouble is set in Vermont where Kirby has opened a small inn near the new ski resort. Unluckily, her establishment is suffering due to the unusually high temperatures and absence of snow. She seems destined to lose her business and all hope of finding success in life.

That’s when Brett rides into town on his Harley, clad in leather jacket and chaps. The mysterious stranger becomes the lone guest at the inn and he single-handedly turns Kirby’s world upside down. A recently retired professional poker player, Brett is running from his past in Vegas and desperately searching a future that will make him happy. An unlikely relationship ensues despite the fears and hesitations of each. Will this simply be a fling or will it turn into something more?

Kauffman’s storytelling is rich. By the time I reached the final 100 pages, however, I was ready for the story to come to an end. The novelty of the relationship had lost its impact and the plot was becoming predictable. Still, Here Comes Trouble was an enjoyable read in a busy week when I didn’t want to stretch my reading muscles too much.

fiction romance

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