Calico Pennants by David A. Ross

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on Library Thing.

This book was very interesting and original.  It is a cross between historical fiction and the paranormal.
 At first, I didn't know how the two separate stories at the beginning of the book were tied together; Amelia Earhart and Julian Crosby were two characters from two different eras. Obviously, Amelia Earhart's story is set in the past, and Julian Crosby's story is set in present day. Their worlds collide in this book.

Julian Crosby is a 50 year old man, divorced with an almost-adult daughter, who had been forced to retire, and decides to go to Hawaii to relax and contemplate what to do with the rest of his life.  He buys a boat from a Hawaiian man and coming back from a side trip, the boat breaks down in the middle of the ocean. After drifting for a few days, he washes up on the shores of an island during a storm.

Meanwhile, the story of Amelia Earhart was being told.  Her plane went down on this same island.  A search was done, but nobody was able to find this island.

Julian and Amelia somehow meet on this island, where Amelia had found a so-called "fountain of youth", making her the same age as when she crashed the plane so long ago.

This was a very good book; I enjoyed reading it.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone and I will be looking for more books from this author!

To Dance Again by James A. Thomas

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on LibraryThing.

What a great book this was! This book deals with reincarnation and how lives are intertwined through the ages.

The story begins with Elliot, a graphic designer, who recently lost his parents and brother to an accident.  His brother's wife, Rhonda, and their 5 year old daughter, Gee, comes to live with Elliot, as she has run out of money and needed a place to stay.  Gee bonds with Elliot immediately.  Eventually, Gee starts talking about places and people as though she had been there herself.  Elliot determines that she is remembering past lives and delves into the subject with Gee.  It turns out that Gee is the reincarnated Sherri Williams, who was murdered 8 years earlier.  Sherri's best friend, Mirra, is eventually contacted and Elliot and Mirra have an instant attraction.  Meanwhile, they are trying to solve the case of Sherri's murder.  It seems that the murderer is still very much alive and happens to be a police detective.

This is a great story with action, romance and the paranormal. I would recommend this book to those with an interest in the paranormal and an open mind.  I will be looking for more books from this author!

Dark Remains by Sean McMahon

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on LibraryThing.

This book was not what I expected.  I struggled through the first half of the book, but was determined to finish it. It started getting interesting for me about halfway through.

This is a story set in London's past.  Three children are taken from the streets to a mansion outside London, owned by a Countess. These children are treated like royalty, but soon learn that something sinister is happening on the grounds of the mansion.

Not a bad story; I did like the ending which was mostly happy after the rest of the book could be construed as dark and dismal due to the story's premise.

Aesop Revisited by Ethan Russell

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on LibraryThing.

This book was actually quite good.  It mixed the classic Aesop's Fables with a new spin for modern times. They were very quirky and interesting.  Very nice job!

Defending Jacob by William Landay

I won this Advanced Reader Copy from Goodreads. What an outstanding book this is! A gripping tale of mystery and suspense. My emotions were on overdrive all throughout this book! This is a story of a father, whose 14 year old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate. At the time of the murder, Andy Barber was the Assistant DA and was hiding a dark secret from the world ~ his paternal descendents were all violent men. Jacob, the 14 year old son of Andy and his wife Laurie, had been bullied and tormented by the victim, making it plausible for Jacob to be accused of the murder. Evidence started piling up and was very incriminating for Jacob. Once Jacob was indicted for the murder, Andy lost his job as Assistant DA and joined the defense lawyer throughout the trial. There are many interesting twists and turns, making this a very powerful, emotional read. Having a teenage son with some "issues"(although minor ones), this book hit home for me. This is one book you don't want to miss; if you like mysteries and courtroom drama, this is a book you definitely must read!! I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author!

Grave Situation by Alex MacLean

I won this book from LibraryThing's Member Giveaways. I enjoyed reading this book. The author spent a lot of time describing details which makes the reader feel as though they are actually part of the book. There were quite a few people in this story, which became confusing for a little while. I liked the way the author linked together events that happened at the beginning of the book to events happening later. It was like going through an actual murder investigation. Very good book!

Grundish and Askew by Lance Carbuncle

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on Library Thing. When entering to win this book on Library Thing, there was a warning that this book was not for the faint of heart. That was absolutely correct! While this book bordered on the disgusting, it strangely made me want to read more. It is a fast paced read and was certainly anything but boring. While it was very strange in many parts of the book, it all came together very nicely and the flow of the book made sense. The ending was well thought out and made sense with the rest of the book. I do not recommend this to anyone who gets squeamish or offended easily, but for those who can handle it the book might be an interesting read!