Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (59)

Lara Lington is a modern young lady in London with lots of issues. She has just broken up with her boyfriend Josh and still harbors hopes for getting back together with him. When her great aunt Sadie passes away, she comes to realize that Sadie's ghost is haunting her and has become a constant companion, requesting the return of a special necklace. Lara's rich uncle who has a coffee shop empire is also lurking in the picture. This is an entertaining light read. My favorite book by this authors remains "Confessions of a Shopaholic". Recently with Marta I watched the movie made from that book; enjoying, entertaining, light, a real chick flick. The book, as usual, was better.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (58)

This book is written for middle school students. I became interesting in it when I heard about it on a couple of podcasts and I became aware of the great success of this series. When the latest volume was available, bookstores opened early so that fans could purchase the book at the earliest possible moment.
Greg Heffley, the wimp, is a middle school student with a baby brother and a big brother. Greg always gets in trouble or has something embarrassing happen. You just have to like him because he's such a character. The story is told in the form of a diary with graphic overtones; almost every page has an amusing sketch to add to the fun. I loved it! I admire the author and wish I had his skill with writing, knowing the minds of middle school students, and sketching.

Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica (c)

This was MP3 format. The book gave me insight into a waiter's work. There is stress from all sides; the chef, the manager, the customers, everyone surrounding the waiter causes stress. Many times customers are rude and don't tip appropriately. I will think about waiters much more when dining out.

Hit Parade by Lawrence Block (b)

This book was in MP3 format read by the author. It was well done. I'm just beginning to try audio books and I'm a little dissatisfied with the format. It is easy for me to get distracted while listening to a book and lose my place. Reading an actual book seems much more satisfactory. A bonus for this audio book was listening to the author's voice.
Keller is a professional hit man who kills for money without qualm or conscience. He is also smart and a caring friend, an interesting combination in a human being. There is a lot of humor in this author's writing. I usually shy away from what I consider gruesome topics like murder, but this author is always an enjoyable read.
I'm thinking that after listening to the book, perhaps I will read the actual book soon just to see how that experience compares.

Winterkill by C.J. Box (57)

A very good book! Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden who comes upon a dangerous and mystifying situation in the middle of a winter blizzard. He displays courage and intelligence as he deals with the disappearance of his foster daughter and the deviousness of people around him. C. J. Box is a good author and I will be looking for more of his books.

The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff(56)

Pell is a young girl living in England a couple of centuries ago. She is supposed to marry a neighbor boy whom she dislikes so she takes off along with her horse and her mute brother, intending to escape from the fate of an unhappy marriage. This book details her adventures as she goes from village to village, looking for work and trying to live her life. This book reminded me a little of "Pillars of the Earth" except that it was set at a later time. It was enjoyable but not compelling.