The Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith

"He was free to show off, in a very mild way, which was one of the few pleasures remaining to him."

Right away I loved these characters.  Young Robin, who has big dreams she doesn't admit to anyone.  Tough Spike who may be hiding a sweet side.  Then you add in the intriguing could-it-really-be-murder high profile case...brilliant!  JK Rowling, under her pseudonym, is free to use fantastic descriptive language fit for adults.  I loved every single page of this one.

Whether you prefer books with high mystery (even I didn't figure this one out) or books that deal with human relationships-this has what you are looking for.

Highly recommended.
5 smiles and a wink

First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond

"I was going to miss the apartment...like an ex-con misses his jail cell, which is to say: Not.  At.  All."

This book begins with a dedication to James' first love.  Don't skip that part.

Right off the bat there are similarities between this book and a few others that have become popular lately.  I was hoping to ignore that, or be taken on a different ride, but the similarities do show themselves.  This is a good one for a hopeless romantic.  The story line is intertwined with great descriptions of young love.  It pulls on your heartstrings for sure.

I was disappointed in the choices made by a few characters.  This led me to be a little frustrated that the adults in the novel didn't handle the disappointing choices harshly enough, in my opinion.

Not the best, but nowhere near the worst.  If you love YA romance and you're looking for another fast read, this is the one.

3 smiles.

Inferno by Dan Brown

"Madness is an ostrich who sticks her head in the sand while a pack of hyenas closes in around her."

"Would you kill half the population today in order to save our species from extinction?"

I continue to adore Dan Brown.  His language and places he brings us to visit are remarkable.  This particular journey takes us to Italy, where Robert Langdon awakes without his memories.  The story is typical for Brown in that it is high energy and intensity.  You will leave thinking about the moral implications of this one for awhile.

This one is highly recommended for all adult readers!

5 smiles and a wink.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

See...this is why I started keeping a book blog in the first place.  Because I started reading this one and realized I'd already read it!  Did that stop me?  Nope.  In fact, I think I enjoyed it more the second time.

Dan Brown's detail is amazing.  He has a knack for making me crave visiting the places he is writing about, in this case Washington, D.C.  I end up with google images open before me searching for places or artwork that he explains.  It's not necessary because the man paints it with words, but it's fun to see if it appears like I pictured.

Robert Langdon is fun, as always, and keeps me laughing when I least expect to laugh with his own brand of sly humor.

5 huge smiles, even the second time reading it.  Oh and a wink because even I didn't remember one of the big twists.

Private Down Under by James Patterson and Michael White

The private series heads to Australia with a new P.I.

Craig Gisto is likable with his shredded past. His crew is fun.  As characters, I enjoyed them and I'd read something about them again.

The story itself was good.  Short and clipped, but good.  The whole book sort of felt like a trial run.  Like Patterson was testing out the Australian crew.  If that's the case, I'm hoping he brings them back.

3 smiles for the short mystery that will keep your attention

Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

I admit I've never read the first two books.  I did see the movies (although I'm aware the doesn't count).  So I feel like I can truly say...you don't need to have all the background to really enjoy the magic that is Helen Fielding's writing.

This book is LAUGH OUT LOUD hilarious.  Bridget is funny, relatable, and always worried about the things you worry about daily.  Her life is imperfect yet somehow beautiful.  She's Bridget Jones...still glorious even at 50.

I loved it and I highly recommend it.
5 smiles, great quick read.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

"Good and evil were always changing places with each other."

I'm a huge fan of Frank L. Baum's Oz.  That being said, I obviously have no problems with writers taking his land and spinning new tales from it.  I am also a huge fan of Gregory Maguire's Wicked series.  So when I was given Dorothy Must Die as a gift, I was excited!

This book takes a look at a Dystopian futuristic Oz where everything has changed.  Including our former heroine, Dorothy, who has become a creepy dictator.  The idea is quite enchanting.

I'm not one for reading the back cover, normally.  However this one is in bright red letters and very hard to miss.  So I had an idea of what to expect.  I was wrong.  Not the good kind of wrong like when you think your friend is talking about you behind your back.  The bad kind of wrong like when you thought your friend remembered your birthday.

This book is basically one giant setup to the series.  The "mission" outlined on the back cover doesn't come into play until the LAST CHAPTER of the book.  Here you are the entire book wondering when the Tin Man and his crew are going to come into play.  Then the last chapter finally comes and you think "oh, there it is."

Amy is interesting, but I'm not sure I was in love with her the way you want to be with a protagonist.  Possibly it's because she's taking a stand against DOROTHY.  I mean you'd really have to work hard (which this author does) to make us hate Dorothy.  The woman's a legend.

I like the idea, but maybe I should've skipped the first book and jumped straight to the second.  This one is all set up.

2 smiles just for the intriguing concept