Lying in Wait and Other True Cases

Lying in Wait and Other True Cases by Ann Rule

Summary: Ann Rule presents another collection of fascinating and disturbing true-crime stories—drawn from her real-life personal files—in this seventeenth volume in the #1 New York Times bestselling Crime Files series. MOVING IN FOR THE KILL In this all-new collection of investigative accounts from her private archives, “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews) exposes the most frightening aspect of the murderous mind: the waiting game. Trusted family members or strangers, these cold-blooded killers select their unsuspecting prey, wait for the perfect moment to strike, then turn normality into homicidal mayhem in a matter of moments. Ann Rule will have you seeing the people and places around you with heightened caution as you read these shattering cases, including: • New mothers murdered, their infants kidnapped, in an atrocious baby-selling scheme • The man who kept his criminal past hidden from his wife—and his wife from his mistress—until he coldly disposed of one of them • The beautiful daughter of a State Department official ran away from the privileged world she knew and hitched a ride with a man she didn’t . . . with fatal consequences • For months, a vicious, rage-filled serial rapist eluded police and terrorized Seattle’s women—when would he strike next, and how far would his violence escalate? • A criminal known for his Houdini-like escapes is serving time for murder in a botched robbery—now the convict is being served dinner in a civilian’s home, where he has one more trick up his sleeve • A long-lost relative who came home to visit, leaving a bloody trail through Washington and Oregon; no one realized how dangerous he and his ladylove were—until it was far too late. . . . With her ability to translate the most complex cases into storytelling “as dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at night” (The New York Times), Rule expertly analyzes the thoughts and deeds of the sociopath, in this seventeenth essential Crime Files volume. Angie's Comments:  Another true crime book from Ann Rule. This book, her 17th in the Ann Rule’s Crime Files, may not be the best book she has written, but it still features gripping tales of true crime. In the first case, I can’t believe how anyone could live with that mother! As always, the stories are a cautionary tale of trusting the wrong people. If you have enjoyed Ann Rule’s books in the past or like true crime, I would recommend this one.  Request this item

It's Not About the Shark

It's Not About the Shark: How to Solve Unsolvable Problems by David Niven

Summary: It’s Not About the Shark opens the door to the groundbreaking science of solutions by turning problems—and how we solve them—upside down. When we have a problem, most of us zero in, take it apart, and focus until we have it solved. David Niven shows us that focusing on the problem is exactly the wrong way to find an answer. Putting problems at the center of our thoughts shuts down our creative abilities, depletes stamina, and feeds insecurities. It’s Not About the Shark shows us how to transform our daily lives, our work lives, and our family lives with a simple, but rock-solid principle: If you start by thinking about your problems, you’ll never make it to a solution.  If you start by thinking about a solution, you’ll never worry about your problems again. Through real-life examples and psychology research, David Niven shows us why: *Focusing on the problem first makes us 17 times less likely to find an answer *Being afraid of a problem is natural: we’re biologically primed to be afraid *Finding a problem creates power – which keeps you from finding a solution *Working harder actually hides answers *Absolute confidence makes you less likely to find the answer *Looking away from a problem helps to see a solution *Listening only to yourself is one of the best ways to find an answer Combining hard facts, good sense, and a strong dose of encouragement, David Niven provides fresh and positive ways to think about problem solving. Angie's Comments:  Great book if you want to look at problems in a different way. Each chapter emphasizes a true example of solving problems by thinking about the problem differently. It opened up my mind! This is a great book if you are facing problems, whether it is getting your children to do chores or how to solve a problem at work. It is a quick read that is easy to understand.  Request this item

And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake

And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake by Elizabeth Boyle

Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Boyle’s popular Rhymes with Love series, comes And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake, a fast-paced, sensual historical romance. Miss Daphne Dale isn’t looking for love, but when she reads an advertisement looking for a “sensible lady,” she can’t resist. The tender dialogue with the mysterious “Mr. Dishforth” is a welcome respite from the time she must spend with Lord Henry Seldon, an infuriating rogue she can’t stop thinking about. Which one will capture her heart? RITA Award–winning author Elizabeth Boyle offers up another magical story filled with sensuality, passion, and wit. A sexy page turner, And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake is a lively and clever romance that you won’t want to put down. Angie's Comments:  A cute, lighthearted romance. The Dales and Seldons have feuded for generations, so Daphne Dale really can’t abide Lord Henry Seldon. The characters have great conversations. In the end, the book is about being brave enough to let others know who you are. This book reminds me of Julie Quinn’s novels, so if you like her, you might like this. Request this item

Five

Five by Ursula Archer

Summary: A woman’s corpse is discovered in a meadow. A strange combination of letters and numbers has been tattooed on the soles of her feet. Detective inspector Beatrice Kaspary from the local murder squad quickly identifies the digits as map coordinates. These lead to a series of gruesome discoveries as she and her colleague Florin Wenninger embark on a bloody trail – a modern-day scavenger hunt using GPS navigation devices to locate hidden caches. The "owner" of these unofficial, unpublished geocaches is a highly calculating and elusive fiend who leaves his victims’ body-parts sealed in plastic bags, complete with riddles that culminate in a five-stage plot. Kaspary herself becomes an unwilling pawn in the perpetrator’s game of cat and mouse as she risks all to uncover the motives behind the murderer’s actions. Five is definitely not a book for the faint-hearted, but it delivers great suspense, unexpected plot twists, and multi-dimensional characters. Angie's Comments:  A dark mystery with an ending that surprised me. The murderer definitely has a motive, and it is not madness. The author includes Beatrice’s home life in the novel, showing how she does or does not balance her work and home lives. I enjoyed Beatrice as a character, and the hard work that the detectives put into solving the murders. I also took the opportunity of inputting the map coordinates in Google Earth to have a look at the locations described by Archer. That added some fun in the reading. If you like dark mysteries, this one is fantastic! Request this item

An Unforgettable Lady

An Unforgettable Lady by J.R. Ward writing as Jessica Bird

Summary: Grace Hall is a society beauty-but her fortune has made her the target of a madman killing off Manhattan's most influential women. Her new live-in bodyguard is uncompromising, hard-hearted John Smith. Moving into Grace's penthouse is the last thing he wants, but saying no isn't an option. As he lays down the rules for his new client, angry sparks ignite between them-as does an incendiary desire. As the warm nights grow hot, and the killer closes in, Grace and Smith face a crucial choice: follow the rules or follow their hearts. Angie's Comments:  A contemporary romance that has murder, mothers, bodyguards, and other surprises. If you like having a little bit more to your romance, this might be a good book for you. It isn’t the most suspenseful, but there is a lot going on with the characters. Grace has to deal with her parents and the foundation she works for. John has to realize that he can fit into Grace’s life.  Request this item

Sex on Earth

Sex on Earth: A Celebration of Animal Reproduction by Jules Howard

Summary: One thousand million years ago, a huge revolution occurred on Earth-sex happened for the first time. From that moment on, the world became ever more colorful and bizarre, ringing with elaborate songs and dances, epic battles, and rallying cries as the desires of males and females collided, generation after generation, in an unbroken chain of sex going back to the dawn of complex life on Earth. Animal life rings, bleeds, and howls with sex. It's everywhere. Right now warring hordes are locking horns, preening feathers, rampaging lustfully across the savanna, questioning the fidelity of the ones they love. A million females choose; a billion penises ejaculate (or snap off); a trillion sperm battle, block, and tackle. Sex made planet Earth, well, sexy. Writing in a brilliantly engaging style, biologist Jules Howard leads readers on a guided tour of the how and why of sex on Earth, in all its diversity. From sperm wars to cuckoldry, hermaphrodites, virgin births, “exploding” penises, and mallards' “booby-trapped” vaginas, Sex on Earth explores and celebrates the wonders and peculiarities of animal reproduction. Angie's Comments:  Jules Howard covers pandas, dinosaurs, slugs, fish, and other animals in this book. The information is fascinating and goes beyond the normal sex animal facts. You can see the variety of sex that exists on Earth. The one issue that I had with the book is the constant voice of Jules Howard. In some cases, his emotions and thoughts complement the material and add to it. In other cases, Howard overwhelms the subject with himself. However, I really enjoyed the book and now I have new facts to astound others! This is a great book for people interested in biology, animals, and evolution.  Request this item

The Murder of Harriet Krohn

Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum

Summary: Available for the first time in English, the seventh entry in the beloved Inspector Sejer series from Norway’s Queen of Crime, Karin Fossum On a wet, gray night in early November, Charlo Torp, a former gambler who’s only recently kicked the habit, makes his way through the slush to Harriet Krohn’s apartment, flowers in hand. Certain that paying off his debt is the only path to starting a new life and winning his daughter’s forgiveness, Charlo plans to rob the wealthy old woman’s antique silver collection. What he doesn’t expect is for her to put up a fight. The following morning Harriet is found dead, her antique silver missing, and the only clue Inspector Sejer and his team find in the apartment is an abandoned bouquet. Charlo should feel relieved, but he’s heard of Sejer’s amazing record — the detective has solved every case he’s ever been assigned to. Told through the eyes of a killer, The Murder of Harriet Krohn poses the question: how far would you go to turn your life around, and could you live with yourself afterward? Angie's Comments: While this is a part of Karin Fossum’s Inspector Sejer series, The Murder of Harriet Krohn focuses on the criminal and his perspective. It is an interesting take on the mystery genre. Much of the book is filled with Charlo Torp’s thoughts. Torp is not a master criminal at all, but I find his justifications and thoughts to be scary. He is convinced that there is nothing else he could have done, and that he deserves to have what he wants. He takes no responsibility for his actions. It is a bit scary to be plunged into a world where a murderer blames his victim – she should have let him steal her items without a fight. If you like internal monologues and peering into the mind of criminal, this book is great. If you like action, this book is not for you.  Request this item

Secrets of a Runaway Bride

Secrets of a Runaway Bride by Valerie Bowman

Summary: Miss Annie Andrews is finally free to marry the man she loves. With her overprotective sister out of the country on her honeymoon, nothing can prevent her flight to Gretna Green—nothing, that is, but an abduction by the wrong gentleman. When Jordan Holloway, the Earl of Ashbourne, promised to look after his best friend's sister-in-law, he didn’t realize she would prove so difficult. But when he spirits her away to his country house to prevent her elopement, he discovers that the tempting beauty knows how to put up a fight. To make matters worse, he’s stuck playing the role of honorable protector...when what he really wants is to run away with her himself. Angie's Comments: A cute Regency romance. The heroine is quirky, but immature at times. I couldn’t quite believe how many times she ran off with the wrong guy. However, she is adorable and full of spirit. And poor Jordan, who has trouble keeping up with her! This isn’t a strict historical romance, because the characters are more modern than historical, and Annie’s actions would have ruined her reputation many times over before this book even began. But taken with a grain of salt, it is a quick, cute read. This is for readers who like quirky romances with spirited heroines and some spice.  Request this item

The Time Paradox

The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

Summary: Your every significant choice -- every important decision you make -- is determined by a force operating deep inside your mind: your perspective on time -- your internal, personal time zone. This is the most influential force in your life, yet you are virtually unaware of it. Once you become aware of your personal time zone, you can begin to see and manage your life in exciting new ways. In The Time Paradox, Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd draw on thirty years of pioneering research to reveal, for the first time, how your individual time perspective shapes your life and is shaped by the world around you. Further, they demonstrate that your and every other individual's time zones interact to create national cultures, economics, and personal destinies. You will discover what time zone you live in through Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd's revolutionary tests. Ask yourself: • Does the smell of fresh-baked cookies bring you back to your childhood? • Do you believe that nothing will ever change in your world? • Do you believe that the present encompasses all and the future and past are mere abstractions? • Do you wear a watch, balance your checkbook, and make to-do lists -- every day? • Do you believe that life on earth is merely preparation for life after death? • Do you ruminate over failed relationships? • Are you the life of every party -- always late, always laughing, and always broke? These statements are representative of the seven most common ways people relate to time, each of which, in its extreme, creates benefits and pitfalls. The Time Paradox is a practical plan for optimizing your blend of time perspectives so you get the utmost out of every minute in your personal and professional life as well as a fascinating commentary about the power and paradoxes of time in the modern world. No matter your time perspective, you experience these paradoxes. Only by understanding this new psychological science of time zones will you be able to overcome the mental biases that keep you too attached to the past, too focused on immediate gratification, or unhealthily obsessed with future goals. Time passes no matter what you do -- it's up to you to spend it wisely and enjoy it well. Here's how. Angie's Comments:  Another great New Year Resolution book! The Time Paradox explains the different views of time that people have and how those views influence people’s decisions. I found this was good for understanding myself, but it was best for understanding others. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding why someone has made the decision that they did. I have a much greater appreciation of others after reading this book. The main issue I had with the book was its length – I wish it had been shorter. The graphs/lists were not explained very well. I would recommend this book especially to people who want to understand other people better. Do you have a friend or relative who makes odd decisions? This book might help you understand them better.  Request this item

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney

Summary: Pioneering research psychologist Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control. Drawing on cutting-edge research and the wisdom of real-life experts, Willpower shares lessons on how to focus our strength, resist temptation, and redirect our lives. It shows readers how to be realistic when setting goals, monitor their progress, and how to keep faith when they falter. By blending practical wisdom with the best of recent research science, Willpower makes it clear that whatever we seek—from happiness to good health to financial security—we won’t reach our goals without first learning to harness self-control. Angie's Comments:  Interested in willpower? This book covers willpower, including to-do lists, dieting, and raising children who have willpower. The writing was smooth. I enjoyed reading about the experiments and their implications for normal life. I was fascinated by the section on dieting. At one point in college, my roommate had a scale. Somehow I ended up weighing myself every day. That resulted in me only eating half portions of most of my food. The Snickers bar that I had walking back to my dorm? Only ate half. When I threw the rest away, I didn’t even mourn. Before I threw it away, I told myself that I could have the rest of it, but I wasn’t interested. (Before you ask, no, I am not that way anymore!) If you are interested in changing your diet or ensuring that you get done what you need to, this book gives you an understanding of yourself. What do you need to do or think to actually lose weight or accomplish your to-do list? This book helps you discover those answers. Request this item

The Psychology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

The Psychology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Summary: Clearly explaining more than 100 groundbreaking ideas in the field, The Psychology Book uses accessible text and easy-to-follow graphics and illustrations to explain the complex theoretical and experimental foundations of psychology. From its philosophical roots through behaviorism, psychotherapy, and developmental psychology, The Psychology Book looks at all the greats from Pavlov and Skinner to Freud and Jung, and is an essential reference for students and anyone with an interest in how the mind works. Angie's Comments:  If you are a student taking a psychology class or just interested in psychology, this is a great book. It is best used as a reference, looking up people or ideas that you are interested in, rather than reading the book cover to cover. The ideas are explained as well as the theorist, with a short biography of the theorist, and you can check out the “See also” for related information in the book. Quick and easy explanations, usually only two pages long.  Request this item

Close to Home

Close to Home by Lisa Jackson

Summary: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson comes an atmospheric and riveting novel of suspense that uncovers the horrifying secrets buried within a ramshackle house.... Vowing to make a fresh start, Sarah McAdams has come home to renovate the old Victorian mansion where she grew up. Her daughters, Jade and Gracie, aren’t impressed by the rundown property on the shores of Oregon’s wild Columbia River. As soon as they pull up the isolated drive, Sarah too is beset by uneasy memories—of her cold, distant mother, of the half-sister who vanished without a trace, and of a long-ago night when Sarah was found on the widow’s walk, feverish and delirious. Ever since the original mistress of the house plunged to her death almost a century ago, there have been rumors that the place is haunted. As a girl, Sarah sensed a presence there, and soon Gracie claims to see a lady in white running up the stairs. Still, Sarah has little time to dwell on ghost stories, between overseeing construction and dealing with the return of a man from her past. But there’s a new, more urgent menace in the small town. One by one, teenage girls are disappearing. Frantic for her daughters’ safety, Sarah feels her veneer cracking and the house’s walls closing in on her again. Somewhere deep in her memory is the key to a very real and terrifying danger. And only by confronting her worst fears can she stop the nightmare roaring back to life once more.... Angie's Comments:  This is part ghost story, part mystery. The beginning seems more like a ghost story, then the mystery involving real people begins to heat up in the second half. I really enjoyed Sarah’s two daughters. The plot seems thin in places. (Why take so many teenage girls from the same town? The police are obviously going to be on high alert.) The ending was a surprise, and all I have to say is that Sarah’s family is interesting (past and present generations!).  Request this item

Stitch It Simple

Stitch It Simple by Beth Sheard

Summary: These projects and patterns for accessories and home decor are guaranteed to work well for sewing novices and produce fun, fast, beautiful results. Created for new-to-sewing crafters who have little or no experience in hand stitching or using a sewing machine, each project offers clear instructions and everything readers need to stitch something they are sure to love. With a wonderful passion for sewing featured on every page, readers will soon discover just how gratifying sewing can be. Angie's Comments:  Beth Sheard offers some interesting projects. I could easily see changing some of the projects to fit what you need, such as making the butterfly mobile into a butterfly pillow, and so on. Some of the projects were cute. The directions in the front are very helpful. However, the main issue is that while the subtitle reads “25 hand-sewn projects to make and share”, some of the projects and instructions involve machine sewing. I recommend this book for crafters who might get some ideas about their own projects.  Request this item

And Grant You Peace

And Grant You Peace by Kate Flora

Summary: Most people run from fires; firemen and cops run toward them‚ especially when someone inside is screaming. It began when a boy banged on Burgess's car window. He got a gasped‚ "Fire at the mosque and someone's in there‚" and a frantic gesture toward the old commercial building that served as a mosque for Portland's Somali community. His dash into the building leads to a very young mother and tiny baby in a locked closet‚ and to his worst nightmare -- investigating the death of another child. He must deal with suspicious‚ uncooperative refugees‚ members of a motorcycle gang‚ businessmen engaged in illegal activity‚ and threats to his family before identifying the mute and terrified young mother and getting justice for a helpless child who never had a chance. Angie's Comments:  An interesting book that is ultimately about greed and, fortunately, love among families. I found myself getting frustrated when no one was cooperating with the police, so author Kate Flora is great at creating atmosphere. And unlike in many mysteries that I have read, I felt that Joe Burgess’s personal life complimented the case he investigates in this book and really adds to the plot. I recommend this book to readers of mystery and police fiction.   Request this item