The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Tilly Farmer has the life she always dreamed of: married to her high school sweet heart, working as a guidance counselor in the town where she grew up and trying to start a family of her own. In her mind, everything is perfect...until she walks into a fortune teller's tent at the local fair and starts experiencing insights into the future.

As she frantically tries to keep up with the visions and hopefully keep her life on track, she begins to question which is the life she wants; the one she's built over decades or the one she never imagined she could have.

Would I recommend this book? Though it is a tad unrealistic, it's still worth reading if you are seeking a distraction.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

Like all of the books in this series, this book recounts the antics of Stephanie Plum, the world's worst bounty hunter; a good, quick read.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. Evanovich's books are all light and entertaining.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

**NOTE** Just realized that I didn't post any of these since August. Will get them up ASAP, but likely won't have much for a review.

This was recommended by someone in my book club, so I added it to my list at the library. Long book, lots of detail, but definitely worth reading.

This is the story of Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has recently been through a court battle for not revealing his sources and Lisbeth Salander, a computer whiz he hires to help him investigate an unrelated situation. Even with the details and Swedish references, the reader is drawn in as the story, and mystery, unfold and they get closer to the truth. It's a classic story of good triumphing over evil.

Would I recommend this book? Without hesitation...I'm going to have to read the rest of the series.

The Blue Notebook by James Levine

This was selected by my book club, and as I was reading it I thought IMMEDIATELY about my friend Erin and how much she would love this book...then I realized that she is the one who chose it. One of the things I like about my book club is that not everyone enjoys the same style of writing so we get a some variety in what we read. Erin, for example, loves writers who use a lot of descriptive words, are imaginitive and create elaborate images for the reader through their use of figurative language. I'm more of a literal person, so it's unlikely I would have selected a book on my own, which is why I read pretty much every book that is suggested to me.

James Levine is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where I used to live, so I was excited to read this book. I assumed it was some sort of medical memoir like most of the books written by doctors. I was VERY wrong!

The story is told by Batuk, a 15-year-old Indian prostitute and I'm amazed that Levine was able to capture her voice the way he did. I never once questioned the authenticity of the narrator. This is an inside look at the world of child prostitution, told from Batuk's perspective as it is essentially a compilation of what she has written in her blue notebook.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a quick read and if you like "flowery literature" you'll love Levine's style.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

A quick read and good story. After moving from the city to "Out With" when his father is promoted by "The Fury," nine-year-old Bruno is miserable...until he goes exploring and discovers a friend who just happens to be his exact same age (they share a birthday). Though he is no longer lonely, Bruno remains uneasy about the situation at his new home and is quite naive about his surroundings. He is envious because it seems his friend, Schmuel, who lives on the other side of the fence, has a lot of other children (all boys) to play with and he has no one. Because he now has a friend he can visit, Bruno is torn between his longing to return to Berlin with his mother and sister and his desire to stay at the new house. On their final day together, Schmuel brings an extra set of "striped pajamas" for Bruno so they can play together inside the fence, satisfying Bruno's curiosity.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, it's a whole new perspective on the Holocaust.