Here are blurbs to pique your interest for the books I keep in the bin... hopefully they will help you find a passion for reading like I have... most were written by me, some by Amazon critics. If you like a book on this list, you can always use Amazon's "Others who bought this list" to find more books to your liking.
Ahern, Cecilia. If You Could See Me Now – Elizabeth Egan is an uptight interior designer who lives life by her routines while her sister Saoirse prefers a wild lifestyle of booze and partying from which she had a child that Elizabeth cares for. Ivan, an invisible friend comes into Elizabeth’s life believing he is there to care for her nephew, Luke, but is surprised when Elizabeth is able to see him and seems to need him more. An interesting mix of fantasy and reality and a heartwarming story… Ahern, Cecilia. Love, Rosie – This is a great paced novel that is written entirely in IM’s, emails, notes and letters. It traces the relationship between Alex and Rosie, the unsung loves of each other’s lives, as they age, have children, marry, divorce and work to keep the other in their lives. Ahern, Cecilia. P.S. I Love You – Little does his wife know, Gerry has a plan to live beyond his years when he is diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has written letters to his wife so that he can help her grieve once she is a widow. Holly follows the advice and directives of her husband and sets off on a journey of rediscovery of life without him in it. (Movie) Ahern, Cecilia. Thanks for the Memories - Another book by the author who wrote Love, Rosie and Can You See Me Now that brings a touch of magic to the ordinary world. When Joyce receives a blood transfusion after a fall down the stairs, it is not only blood she receives, but memories, knowledge and skills of the donor. As inexplicable thoughts keep entering her mind, so does a stranger that she keeps being drawn to.
Ahern, Cecilia. There’s No Place Like Here - Ahern asks readers to step outside the boundaries of reality, and enter a world where missing people (and possessions) from all over the globe congregate to start anew. When Sandy goes on an early morning jog and strays too far into the forest, she too finds herself "Here," the aptly named home of the missing. In addition to finding her lost socks, diaries, and stuffed animals, she also finds many of the people she has searched for throughout her career. From Bobby Stanley, who disappeared from his mother's house at the age of sixteen, to Terrence O'Malley, a librarian who disappeared on his way home from work at age 55, Sandy is quickly reunited with the people she has come to know only through photos and heartbreaking memories shared by devastated loved ones who enlisted her services. Of course, finding these people and possessions only makes Sandy realize how much she has missed out on in her real life, most notably her concerned parents and her on again off again boyfriend Greg.
Brown, Dan. Angels and Demons - if you read The Davinci Code and loved it, this book will blow you away... a fast paced journey through Rome with life or death stakes for a number of men and the population of Vatican City itself.
Brown, Dan. Deception Point - The time is now and President Zachary Herney is facing a very tough reelection. His opponent, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, is a powerful man with powerful friends and a mission: to reduce NASA's spending and move space exploration into the private sector. The embattled president is assured that a rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice will prove to have far-reaching implications on America's space program. The find, however, needs to be verified. Enter Rachel Sexton, a gister for the National Reconnaissance Office. Gisters reduce complex reports into single-page briefs, and in this case the president needs that confirmation before he broadcasts to the nation, probably ensuring his reelection. It's tricky because Rachel is the daughter of his opponent. Rachel is thrilled to be on the team traveling to the Arctic circle. She is a realist about her father's politics and has little respect for his stand on NASA, but Senator Sexton cannot help but have a problem with her involvement. (From Amazon)
Brown, Dan. Digital Fortress - The National Security Agency (NSA) is one setting for this exciting thriller; the other is Seville, where on page 1 the protagonist, lately dismissed from NSA, drops dead of a supposed heart attack. Though dead, he enjoys a dramaturgical afterlife in the form of his computer program. Digital Fortress creates unbreakable codes, which could render useless NSA's code-cracking supercomputer called TRANSLTR, but the deceased programmer slyly embossed a decryption key on a ring he wore. Pursuit of this ring is the engine of the plot. NSA cryptology boss Trevor Strathmore dispatches linguist Dave Becker to recover the ring, while he and Becker's lover, senior code-cracker Susan Fletcher, ponder the vulnerability of TRANSLTR. In Seville, over-the-top chase scenes abound; meanwhile, the critical events unfold at NSA. In a crescendo of murder, infernos, and explosions, it emerges that Strathmore has as agenda that goes beyond breaching Digital Fortress, and Brown's skill at hinting and concealing Strathmore's deceit will rivet cyber-minded readers. (from Booklist)
Brown, Dan. The Davinci Code - When the keeper of the Louvre is found naked and dead among the artifacts, Robert Langdon is one of the first suspects and the only one able to uncover the truth about his murder and his final message. Along with Sophie Neveu, Langdon uncovers a conspiracy as old as the new testament. Find out why this book rocked believers and nonbelievers alike.
Brown, Dan. Lost Symbol - Another installment for the hero whose brains far outweigh his brawn. When the request for Robert Langdon to come to Washington to deliver a speech turns out to be a ruse concocted by a whispering stranger, he must follow the Masonic clues throughout Washington to open the portal to unbelievable knowledge or lose the life of his friend and mentor. A great pace and a fun read that drives you to question the foundations of our nation and its forefathers.
Crichton, Michael. Next - With its roots in the current sciences of genetics, Crichton examines where our world is going and what it means for the people and animals that populate it - advertisements on animals? half human, half chimp children? Ownership of specific genes? With different strands of the tale weaving into each other, readers are forced to face our possible future.
Flynn, Gillian. Dark Places - It was seven year old Libby Day's testimony that sent her brother to prison for life when her family was slaughtered in what was dubbed the "Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". Years later, when the pity money from thousands of concerned citizens for Libby's welfare is about to run out, she is asked to be a special guest for "The Kill Club" (a society of crime enthusiasts) and agrees. She is surprised to find that these people do not agree with the testimony she gave as a child and actually will pay her to search out the truth of what happened that night. This journey leads her back to the dark places she came from and forces her to reevaluate both the events and herself.
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera - As a young teen, Florentino discovered the love of his life and swore to hold her above all others, but luck was not on his side and she married another man, so he waited. For over fifty years and through a string of secret lovers, Florentino kept silent about his obsession until her husband finally died, but by then would there still be a chance for him?
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers - NONFICTION The last of Gladwell's studies of society thus far goes into the nature of success and what it takes to rise above and beyond the norm - and it isn't innate skill that does the trick on its own.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Tipping Point – NONFICTION. Have you ever wondered what it takes for a fashion statement to become a fad? What changes must be made to end a crime wave? How certain massages are "sticky" and remain with us? This nonfiction book seeks to answer these questions and more through scientific study.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink - a non-fiction examination of gut feelings and initial instincts and when to trust them/or not to.
Krauss, Nicole. A Man Walks Into a Room - Samson Greene, an English professor at Columbia University, is found out in the Nevada desert and taken to a hospital where a brain tumor is removed and with it 24 years of his memories. Being able to only recall his life until the age of 12, he awakes into a world where friends, work and his wife are strangers to him. With a blank slate, what will fill the annals of his life now?
Larsson, Stieg. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - When a journalist is hired to document the history of a family, he is also charged with the task of uncovering the answer to a girl's disappearance 30 years in the past. Book one of three.
Lindsay, Jeff. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - If you've seen the Showtime series, this is where it all began. Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst by day and serial killer by night, Dexter balances his double life while attempting to mimic human emotion. Due to his own bloody past, he is impressed when a new killer comes to town that drains all the blood from his victims. But, Dexter runs into problems when this impressive craftsman begins leaving signs that he'd like the Dark Passenger to come out and play.
Lindsay, Jeff. Dearly Devoted Dexter - THe follow up to the debut novel, this one doesn't let readers down - and is a story that even Showtime couldn't put on television... when Dr. Danko, a torture specialist from the Salvadoran Civil War and Sgt. Doakes' past arrives in Miami, his unique approach to making his victims suffer cannot be ignored. The man leaves his victims screaming "potato people" without arms, legs, tongues, and even eyelids. While Dr. Danko hunts for his victims, Dexter is tasked with hunting him - by far my personal favorite in the series.
Lindsay, Jeff. Dexter By Design - The fourth installment in the Dexter series returns to the dangerously dark roots it originally came from. On par with book two, the novel follows as Dexter and Deb seek an artistic murderer who aims to make a splash in Miami by posing bodies in horribly tourist-ish positions. His Dark Passenger awakes and faces off against a touch opponent that may fracture his family.
Lindsay, Jeff. Dexter Is Delicious - Number 5 in the series, Lindsay keeps things interesting by adding another member to the Morgan family, (and no, it's not Harrison for you viewers). With a new baby in the house, Dexter feels something for the first time in his life - actual emotion. While attempting to temper his new found feelings in the face of the bloody scenes he must attend, he must uncover a coven of cannibals to safe the life of a teenage girl - which he knows his daughter will eventually become.
Macmahon, Jennifer. Dismantled - When a little girl's invisible friend seems to know the family's secrets, her parents must confront the demons of their past and the terror that comes with it. A fantastic ghost story that leads you to shout at the pages to warn the characters.
Macmahon, Jennifer. The Island of Lost Girls -While gassing up before an interview, Rhonda Farr watches as a little girl is led from her mother's car by a six-foot white rabbit - an abduction so surreal that she does nothing to stop it. This disappearance brings back the memories of her childhood when her best friend's father disappeared and her friend became mute until (2 years later) she too disappeared. While wracked with guilt, she joins the search for the missing girl led by the gas station's owner and untangling what happened tto all of the missing in her life.
McPartlin , Anna. Alexandra, Gone - During a normal day, running simple errands, Tom's wife Alexandra inexplicably disappears and his life is thrown into a tail spin. After getting pregnant as a teenager, Jane fulfills the roles that her decisions have trapped her in - mother to her son, caretaker to her sister and mother and artdealer for her sister's art. With her son heading to adulthood, she wonders what the world will mean for her. Elle, Jane's sister, lives in the turmoil of artistic inspiration with rampant disregard for feelings and concerns of those who love her. Leslie has buried both parents and two sisters due to a genetic form of cancer for which she has the gene, making her separate herself from the world and anyone who may care for or miss her. When these four people meet on an elevator, they unite in the name of Alexandra and together learn to forge on and left go of the past.
Picoult, Jodi. Mercy - In Wheeler, Mass. Cameron Macdonald serves as police chief and clan leader though he'd rather have become a travel writer. He is put into a quandary when his cousin, Jamie, drives up to the police station with the body of his wife announcing that he's killed her and asking for his protection as chief. On the same day, a stranger to the town arrives and captures his thoughts while she (Mia) works alongside his wife. Could you love a person enough to let them go? Would you love someone enough to stay while your mind tells you you must run?
Ryan Hyde, Catherine. Becoming Cloe - Jordy, homeless, gay, and abused, finds a kindred spirit when he rescues fragile, childlike Chloe from a brutal rape near the abandoned building where they both live. Thus begins their intensely codependent friendship. When Jordy all but commits murder to protect Chloe, it only reinforces in his mind that they have no option but to leave New York City for their safety and sanity. On their trip, Jordy aims to convince his friend that life is worth living and the world still allows for hope to survive even in the face of adversity.
Ryan Hyde, Catherine. Chasing Windmills - Four months shy of 18, Sebastian Mundt has been held a virtual prisoner by his father since his mother died: his father home-schools him and doesn't let him have outside relationships. One night, with his father heavily sedated by his sleeping pill, Sebastian sneaks out to ride the subway and locks eyes with Maria Arquette, a young mother who is caught in an abusive marriage. The two become “star crossed lovers” as Sebastian is driven to save Maria from her life and take her away with him to California. Is this a practical answer to their issues though?
Ryan Hyde, Catherine. Diary of a Witness - This young adult novel is the journal of Ernie who suffers along with his one friend Will at the hands of evil bullies intent on making their lives horrible. But how much can one person take when each day is worse than the last? Ryan Hyde, Catherine. Love in the Present Tense - At thirteen, Pearl lives with a kind prostitute while her mom copes with a crippling drug addiction. In one tragic night, Pearl gets herself pregnant and accidentally kills the father, a police officer; on the run, Pearl decides that she and her son, Leonard, will share a "forever love," an unbreakable and unconditional bond. Pearl protects Leonard like a lioness, shielding him from the dangerous world and the tragic story of his father. At five, Leonard—smart, loving and saddled with a degenerative eye disease—stays with 25-year-old next-door neighbor Mitch while Pearl works; when Pearl disappears, Mitch must assume responsibility for Leonard. While Leonard and Mitch are close, he holds on to the forever love he feels with his mother throughout his life. This novel alternates perspectives, which allows for some of the same incidents to be seen through multiple eyes – pretty cool!
Ryan Hyde, Catherine. Pay it Forward - Is any one person able to change the world? How about a 13 year old child from meager upbringings? Perhaps it is the innocence and faith of a child that is the only thing to make the world a better place... this book makes one wonder if they too have it in themselves to join the movement. (Was a Movie)
Ryan Hyde, Catherine. The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance - Cynnie's mother drowns her sorrows in booze and various men while she is left to care for her brother, Bill, who suffers from down syndrome and she does her best until her grandparents decide to take him away. She is left without guidance or responsibility and sees in her mother's example a way out until she endangers the lives of herself, her friend and her brother on a lonely highway and is forced to reevaluate her life's choices and reinvent herself.
Saramago, Jose. Blindness – When a man suddenly goes blind (white blind) while driving home, he feels alone in the world, until he realizes that the people he has come in contact with are going blind along with him. The government acts quickly, attempting to quarantine those affected by the condition in an old mental hospital, but their actions are futile as the country succumbs to this problem. If no one could see you how would you behave? How would you find food? How would you survive? One of my favorite novels.
Saramago, Jose. Seeing - After the amazing novel, Blindness looked into what would happen if the world went blind together, this follow up novel delves into what would happen if when an election was tallied 83% of the votes were blank... this quite intellectual examination shows the farce that is government while offering an alternative prognosis for a city deemed "under siege."
Sawyer, Robert J. Flash Forward - What would happen if the entire world caught a glimpse of their futures? Would they resign themselves to their fates or take action to ensure a different outcome? This question comes to bear when the world gets just that chance in this science fiction novel that inspired a hit ABC series.
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Francie Nolan is a character who will long be remembered by anyone who reads "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Bright but lonely, poor but resourceful, Francie Nolan is captured from ages 11 to 16 with poignancy and love. Francie is her daddy's "prima donna" and she treasures his love while fighting to win her mother's. Although she never achieves the place in her mother's heart that her brother holds, her strength and sheer perserverance guide her through difficult times. Like the sturdy tree that grows outside her window and survives all catastrophes, Francie Nolan survives poverty, lack of formal education, sexual assault, extreme loneliness, and lost love.
Smith, Scott. The Ruins – When two couples set off to Mexico after graduating college, it is meant to be the vacation of a lifetime, not the trip that may end their lives… While hiking through the jungle to see ancient ruins and find a friend’s brother, the trip goes well, until the natives surround them and won’t let them leave. This is a fantastic tale about survival and what happens to people when they are put to the test and psychologically taxed by horror.
Smith, Scott. A Simple Plan – When Hank, his brother and a friend are taking a winter walk, they discover a downed plane filled with cash. Assuming that someone would come looking for it, they decide to keep it silent for a year before sharing their spoils. This book proposes the question of what it takes to turn a good man bad as their decision has repercussions far beyond what they expected.
Tan, Amy. The Bonesetter's Daughter - Ruth has spent her life trying her best to put up with her mother, her superstitions and her complaints, but with a recent diagnosis of dementia, things are getting more complicated. She is forced to return home to care for her mother and in doing so uncovers an account of her life written in Chinese that she has translated. In this document, Ruth learns her mother's secrets and comes to a new appreciation for her roots.
Thompson, Hunter S. Rum Diary - Paul Kemp is hired as a reporter for an English language newspaper in Puerto Rico that is on the precipise of collapse. While there he cavorts along with his peers in bars across the island. The intruiging prose of this novel is what captures both the beauty and the grime of the island while the characters float on a sea of rum through various situations. (Being made into a movie in 2010 with Johnny Depp).
Wells, Dan. I Am Not A Serial Killer - The first novel in a trilogy about John Wayne Cleaver, a teenage boy convinced that he is a serial killer in the making. Due to his convictions, John adheres to a list of rules to keep him from letting his monster out into the world while he studies past serial killers, but when a body is found ravaged behind the Wash N Dry his monster stirs and John begins his own investigation.
