The Forgotten Girls

The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel Summary:  Four days later, Louise Rick still had no answers. The body of an unidentified woman was discovered in a local forest. A large, unique scar on one side of her face should have made the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. As the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, Louise risks involving the media by releasing a photo of the victim, hoping to find someone who knew her. Louise's gamble pays off: an older woman phones to say that she recognizes the woman as Lisemette, a child she once cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette, like the other children in the institution, was abandoned by her family and branded a "forgotten girl." But Louise soon discovers something more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than thirty years ago. Aided by her friend journalist Camilla Lind, Louise finds that the investigation takes a surprising and unsettling turn when it brings her closer to her childhood home. And as she uncovers more crimes that were committed--and hidden--in the forest, she is forced to confront a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed. Angie's Comments: This is not the first book in the Louise Rick series, but it is the first one that I have read. You can read it as a stand-alone. Blaedel included some twists that I wasn’t expecting, and overall I really enjoyed this story. I could guess part of the plot, but definitely not all of it. As other reviewers of this book have said, I didn’t feel much connection with the characters, except for Louise and the father of the twin girls. So if you really like character driven books, I suggest you look elsewhere. If you like plot driven books, this might be a good one for you.     Request this item

Finding Zero: A Mathematician's Odyssey to Uncover the Origins of Numbers

Finding Zero: A Mathematician's Odyssey to Uncover the Origins of Numbers Summary:  The invention of numerals is perhaps the greatest abstraction the human mind has ever created. Virtually everything in our lives is digital, numerical, or quantified. The story of how and where we got these numerals, which we so depend on, has for thousands of years been shrouded in mystery. Finding Zero is an adventure filled saga of Amir Aczel's lifelong obsession: to find the original sources of our numerals. Aczel has doggedly crisscrossed the ancient world, scouring dusty, moldy texts, cross examining so-called scholars who offered wildly differing sets of facts, and ultimately penetrating deep into a Cambodian jungle to find a definitive proof. Here, he takes the reader along for the ride. The history begins with the early Babylonian cuneiform numbers, followed by the later Greek and Roman letter numerals. Then Aczel asks the key question: where do the numbers we use today, the so-called Hindu-Arabic numerals, come from? It is this search that leads him to explore uncharted territory, to go on a grand quest into India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and ultimately into the wilds of Cambodia. There he is blown away to find the earliest zero-the keystone of our entire system of numbers-on a crumbling, vine-covered wall of a seventh-century temple adorned with eaten-away erotic sculptures. While on this odyssey, Aczel meets a host of fascinating characters: academics in search of truth, jungle trekkers looking for adventure, surprisingly honest politicians, shameless smugglers, and treacherous archaeological thieves-who finally reveal where our numbers come from. Angie's Comments: This book was interesting, although I would only recommend it for people who are very interested in mathematics or who like travelogues. It is not so much about numbers in general as it is mostly about zero. The book is part autobiography, part travelogue, part religious (explaining Eastern religions in relation to their concept of numbers), and mathematical. Aczel focuses only on the Eurasian zero, not the zero developed in Meso-America (which was the earliest zero developed) because the Meso-America zero did not spread to Eurasia. I would have liked to have had more information about the Meso-America development of zero, but I understand the author’s focus. I recommend this book to people who are interested in numbers.     Request this item

Cold Cold Heart

Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag Summary:  Dana Nolan was a promising young TV reporter until a notorious serial killer tried to add her to his list of victims.  Nearly a year has passed since surviving her ordeal, but the physical, emotional, and psychological scars run deep.  Struggling with the torment of post-traumatic stress syndrome, plagued by flashbacks and nightmares as dark as the heart of a killer, Dana returns to her hometown in an attempt to begin to put her life back together.  But home doesn’t provide the comfort she expects. Dana’s harrowing story and her return to small town life have rekindled police and media interest in the unsolved case of her childhood best friend, Casey Grant, who disappeared without a trace the summer after their graduation from high school.  Terrified of truths long-buried, Dana reluctantly begins to look back at her past.  Viewed through the dark filter of PTSD, old friends and loved ones become suspects and enemies.  Questioning everything she knows, refusing to be defined by the traumas of her past and struggling against excruciating odds, Dana seeks out a truth that may prove too terrible to be believed… Angie's Comments: This is an interesting portrayal of a person who had traumatic brain injury. I really liked the book, and I am usually a Tami Hoag fan. The mystery isn’t a huge mystery because Dana doesn’t remember a lot. The book is more about seeing if Dana can remember or uncover evidence that would put all the pieces together. And I know some people didn’t like the loose end of Dana’s father, but I liked it. It is a reminder that things happen, and not everything is related to each other.     Request this item

A Town Called Valentine

A Town Called Valentine by Emma Cane Summary:  Small towns, rugged cowboy heroes, and passion are a perfect combination when it comes to contemporary romance—just ask the many fans of Susan Wiggs, Robyn Carr, Lori Wilde, and Linda Lael Miller. Now newcomer Emma Cane joins their ranks, transporting readers to fictional Valentine, Colorado. In the first book in Cane’s heartwarming and deliciously sexy series, a young woman with a painful past and a rancher who’s no stranger to heartbreak find love in a tiny western town known for happily-ever-afters…A Town Called Valentine. Angie's Comments: This is the first in a series about people in Valentine Valley, Colorado. Other reviewers have commented that it is similar to Virgin River series by Robyn Carr, in terms of the setting and the interconnected characters. Emily and Nate are cute, but I can’t say that their issues are completely believable. I think I would have liked the book more if it was slightly shorter. Otherwise, I did read the entire book and liked it. It is a cute romance that has a cast of interesting secondary characters. I have read more books in the series, and so far they have been pleasant. They aren’t books that will remain with me, but they are a great diversion on a lazy day.     Request this item

Teardrop Lane

Teardrop Lane by Emily March Summary: In Emily March’s new novel set in her beloved Eternity Springs, a woman who has given up on dreams of a family meets a man who needs her to complete his own.   Town physician Rose Anderson hides a well of sadness behind her cheerful and capable professionalism. Heartbreak has only reinforced her belief that marriage and children aren’t in her future. Yet she’s a woman with a pulse—and when sexy, brooding artist Hunt Cicero shows up at her office with his young nephew, the sheer physical attraction he ignites in her is both exciting and unsettling. Hunt has an artist’s passionate temperament and a bachelor’s lifestyle. So when he becomes guardian to his sister’s children, he’s riddled with conflict—and in way over his head. Without Rose and her warm maternal instincts, he’d be lost. Still, she’s a woman who guards her own heart, and he’s a novice when it comes to commitment. Can the healing magic of Eternity Springs shine on this patchwork family and allow Hunt and Rose to trust that love is the fabric holding them together? Angie's Comments: This is a cute, heart-warming story about people who create a family – including four children! Hunt and Rose are interesting characters, but I loved the children the most. They added a lot of energy to the story, even though I didn’t get to know them as well as I wanted to. There are issues that Rose and Hunt need to overcome, and I kept cheering them on. If you want a sweet read about family, pick up Teardrop Lane.      Request this item

Crash & Burn

Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner Summary:  The #1 New York Times bestselling author’s latest stand-alone thriller, with a cameo by her fan-favorite character, Boston Detective D.D. Warren My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn’t.  Nicole Frank shouldn’t have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero. I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn’t exist.  Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn’t trust anything she says. My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can’t. Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead. This is my life. Except, most likely, it’s not. Now watch me crash and burn. Angie's Comments: I was nowhere close to figuring out the twists and turns of this plot. I have read Lisa Gardner’s books before, and this is one of my favorites. It is hyperrealistic? Of course not, it’s a fiction book. The twists and turns are incredible, and I was just as frustrated as the detectives were when dealing with Nicky and her husband. The ending was nice, even though some might say it was trite. Recommended for Gardner fans and mystery readers.      Request this item

How the Body Knows Its Mind

How the Body Knows Its Mind by Sian Beilock Summary:  An award-winning scientist offers a groundbreaking new understanding of the mind-body connection and its profound impact on everything from advertising to romance. The human body is not just a passive device carrying out messages sent by the brain, but rather an integral part of how we think and make decisions. In her groundbreaking new book, Sian Beilock, author of the highly acclaimed Choke, which Time magazine praised for its “smart tips...in order to think clearly...and be cool under pressure,” draws on her own cutting-edge research to turn the conventional understanding of the mind upside down in ways that will revolutionize how we live our lives. At the heart of How the Body Knows Its Mind is the tantalizing idea that our bodies “hack” our brains. The way we move affects our thoughts, our decisions, and even our preferences for particular products. Called “embodied cognition,” this new science—of which Beilock is a foremost researcher—illuminates the power of the body and its physical surroundings to shape how we think, feel, and behave. Beilock’s findings are as varied as they are surprising. For example, pacing around the room can enhance creativity; gesturing during a speech can help ensure that you don’t draw a blank; kids learn better when their bodies are part of the learning process; walking in nature boosts concentration skills; Botox users experience less depression; and much more. From the tricks used by advertisers to the ways body language can improve your memory, Beilock explains a wealth of fascinating interconnections between mind and body and how mastering them can make us happier, safer, and more successful. Angie's Comments: How the Body Knows Its Mind discusses how the body influences the mind. There are anecdotes and studies that Beilock discusses, and overall it is convincing. The book reminded me of school gym, when we were learning how to use a bow and arrow. I had issues concentrating on the instructions because I wasn’t sure what hand I would use for what. I am usually left-handed, but I throw with my right, and I never know what hand I will use until I get the equipment. So once I finally got the bow and arrow in my hands, I could figure out which hand would do what. My teacher was mad because I didn’t tell her that I would do it left-handed, and I tried to explain that I didn’t know either until I started shooting. I was at first taken aback when Chapter 1 begins with an anecdote that continues for several pages. I was waiting for the studies, which is much more scientific than one story. Beilock finally got to the studies, which was a relief. I didn’t want to read a book about anecdotes! And in a small quibble, I was not impressed by her example of the confirmation bias on page 108. She uses it to show that people don’t look to disprove their beliefs, but she uses the example of letters and numbers. In other studies, when the exact same thing is done with a concrete example (such as whether people are old enough to be drinking), people are great at getting the right answer. So I wouldn’t use that as an example of confirmation bias, but more as an example of people not thinking abstractly. I really enjoyed this book. Beilock has a lot of enthusiasm for her subject, and she backs up her information with studies, but still includes enough anecdotes to keep it interesting. The lesson? Keep moving and encourage your children to manipulate objects and to experience the world. This is a book recommended for parents of young children, mature adults who want to help their brain keep young, and for people interested in biology.      Request this item

Catch a Falling Heiress

Catch a Falling Heiress by Laura Lee Guhrke Summary:  She's an American heiress. He's a devilish earl. When these two collide, the sparks ignite a shocking scandal in USA Today bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke's unforgettable Victorian-era romance. Linnet Holland wants nothing to do with fortune hunters. No, she's determined to marry a man who loves her. But just as she's about to accept the perfect marriage proposal from the man she wants, the rakish Earl of Featherstone interrupts and ruins everything, including her reputation, with his smoldering kiss . . . Jack Featherstone knows all about Linnet's "intended," and he's determined she won't fall prey to that villain as other women have in the past. But when his attempt to save Linnet ruins her instead, he knows he has to make things right. So he sets out to win this golden beauty . . . and prove to her that being ruined by him was the best thing that could have happened to her. Angie's Comments: There were parts of the books that I wasn’t super into, but overall I liked the book. Linnet is naïve, and I liked how Guhrke is able to show that part of her character. As the book progresses, Linnet learns more about the world and stops being so judgmental about everyone else. I also enjoyed Linnet’s spirit and willingness to find her own path.       Request this item

Too Good to Be True

Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins Summary:  How far would you go to get over a guy? When Grace Emerson's ex-fiancé starts dating her younger sister, extreme measures are called for. To keep everyone from obsessing about her love life, Grace announces that she's seeing someone. Someone wonderful. Someone handsome. Someone completely made up. Who is this Mr. Right? Someone…exactly unlike her renegade neighbor Callahan O'Shea. Well, someone with his looks, maybe. His hot body. His knife-sharp sense of humor. His smarts and big heart. Whoa. No. Callahan O'Shea is not her perfect man! Not with his unsavory past. So why does Mr. Wrong feel so…right? Angie's Comments: I couldn’t figure out how Grace’s sister thought it was okay to date her sister’s ex-fiancé, no matter how much Grace said it was fine. At least Callahan O’Shea sees the oddness! I couldn’t warm up to Grace’s younger sister and her boyfriend, but I loved Grace, Callahan, and the rest of Grace’s family. Too Good to Be True is a quick, easy-going read. The characters all have strengths and flaws, and Grace seems like a normal person (except for the making up boyfriends thing). I liked her historical reenactment hobby. Callahan is a nice guy, except for the ex-con thing and his insistence on perfect honesty (which he hasn’t always practiced!).     Request this item

A Small Indiscretion

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison Summary: Fans of Everything I Never Told You and The Girl on the Train will devour this page-turning literary debut about a harrowing coming-of-age and a marriage under siege from O. Henry Prize winner Jan Ellison.   “An emotional thriller . . . Connoisseurs of domestic suspense will finish this book in a few breathless sittings.”—Kirkus Reviews   At nineteen, Annie Black abandons California for a London winter of drinking to oblivion and looking for love in the wrong places. Twenty years later, she is a happily married mother of three living in San Francisco. Then one morning, a photograph arrives in her mailbox, and an old obsession is awakened. After a return trip to London, Annie’s marriage falters, her store floods, and her son, Robbie, takes a night-time ride that nearly costs him his life. Now Annie must fight to save her family by untangling the mysteries of that reckless winter in Europe that drew an invisible map of her future. With the brilliant pacing and emotional precision that won Jan Ellison an O. Henry Prize for her first published story, A Small Indiscretion announces a major new voice in suspense fiction as it unfolds a story of denial, obsession, love, forgiveness—and one woman’s reckoning with her own fateful mistakes. Angie's Comments: A Small Indiscretion is told from Annie’s point of view, as a letter to her son (which she decides to never give him). It is interesting to see how Annie’s (foolish) choices 20 years ago impact her current life. Sometimes it was hard to see Annie make the choices she did – and I don’t understand much of her reasoning. And it turns out that Annie’s memory, which readers are relying on, is fallible. I wonder what else Annie didn’t tell us in the story… It is a slow-paced, and you can figure out most of the events before Annie revels them. However, I love how Jan Ellison writes. I recommend this book to people who like character studies and slow-paced plots.     Request this item

Historic Indianapolis Crimes: Murder and Mystery in the Circle City

Historic Indianapolis Crimes: Murder and Mystery in the Circle City by Fred D. Cavinder Summary: Hear tales from the Circle City's murderous underbelly, from poor Silvia Likens, who was tortured for months by her foster mother and eventually discovered dead, to Carrie Selvage, whose skeleton was found in an attic twenty years after she disappeared from a hospital bed in 1900. Discover how housekeepers found Dorothy Poore stuffed in a dresser drawer on a July day in 1954 and the curious story of Marjorie Jackson--her body was discovered clothed in pajama bottoms and a flannel robe on her kitchen floor, and police found $5 million hidden around her house in garbage cans, drawers, closets, toolboxes and a vacuum cleaner bag. Join local historian Fred Cavinder as he recounts the gruesome tales of Indiana's capital city, from mystery to murder. Angie's Comments: This is an overview of about 35 cases of murder in Indianapolis, mostly concentrating on the 1900s. Each case is a few pages long. Cavinder worked in newspapers, and you can tell from his writing style, which is focused on the fact.   If you like true crimes or Indiana history, I highly recommend Historic Indianapolis Crimes: Murder and Mystery in the Circle City.     Request this item

The Marriage Charm

The Marriage Charm by Linda Lael Miller Summary: The women of Bliss County have a pact—to find husbands. The right husbands.  One already has: Hadleigh Stevens, who married rancher Tripp Galloway a few months ago. Now Melody Nolan thinks it's her turn. Melody has recently found success as a jewelry designer, and her work is the focus of her life. She's not exactly unhappy, but she wants more. She's always been attracted to Spence Hogan, the local chief of police, but she's convinced that Spence, a notorious charmer, isn't what you'd call husband material.  Spence is a good cop who isn't scared of anything—except love. And he's done everything he can to preserve his reputation as a womanizer—a reputation that keeps marriage-minded women, including Melody, at bay. And yet…there's something about Melody he can't forget. Something his heart can't ignore. Angie's Comments: Marriage Charm is book two of The Brides of Bliss County, although it can be a stand-alone book as well. Melody and Spence are cute characters, and I love the girls-only camping trip that Melody and Spence chaperoned. There are some robberies that add mystery to the humor and romance of the book. Is it one of Linda Lael Miller’s best? Probably not, but it is good book. Recommended for readers of Linda Lael Miller and readers who like humor in their stories.     Request this item