Thank you Deb H. for this great review!

Fifteen-year-old Max is moving to an island away from the mainland of England. Max is amazed at what he sees when his family arrives. His new home is a series of large buildings. Max checks out his bedroom. It’s bigger than his whole apartment was at home! Leaning against a wall he looks around and sees a chest-of-drawers sitting against one of the walls. Max gets a strange feeling that something isn’t right with this place. He looks toward the chest-of- drawers and a drawer slowly opens but there’s no-one there… While Max is putting his clothes away in the chest-of-drawers, he finds a note and reads it: My good friend, ‘Now that I have your attention perhaps you would be so good as to lend me your services. We have so much to do; do not waiver. As you discover the truth, do not dismiss, do not shirk. The truth will out. Find the cellar, my good friend, and begin to put things right the wrongs which have been done.’ ~ excerpt from The Accursed Dawn. Who opened the drawer and who wrote this note? No-one has been in his new home except for the caretaker. Max and his friend, Stan, look for the cellar trying to find out what the note means. Once the cellar is found, Max’s adventure begins. He also starts hearing unseen voices. What are these voices and why are they urging him on? Max turns to his friends to ask them for help. After all, what are friends for? They suggest going into town and visit the island’s mysterious historian. But why are people on the island dying? It’s up to Max to solve this mystery. Little does he know, this is an adventure of a lifetime. It’s also an adventure he’d rather forget. This paranormal mystery takes you from the present back to a horrific time in the world’s history. This page turner will have up all night! The Accursed Dawn is brilliantly written and isn’t just another ghost story. It’s a well written mystery about young love, lost love, lies, deceit and revenge. You’ll definitely have trouble putting this book down!

The Accursed Dawn is 300 pages and published by Black Leaf Publishing. For more information or to purchase from Amazon, click the cover below.

This story takes place from 1883 to 1942 in Missouri and California. It chronicles the life of Margaret, particularly her marriage to Andrew. Andrew has some mental issues which, obviously, affect their marriage. The novel is well-written and the main characters are portrayed in depth. I was caught up in Margaret's life and was eager to discover how the plot ends.

Private Life is 336 pages and published by Knopf. For more information or to purchase from Amazon, click the link below.

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When the authors made Erik Night seem like a bad guy, it was extremely unfair. Zoey cheated on Erik and he was a good boyfriend. His treatment towards her is completely justified, how could anyone go back to their girlfriend or boyfriend after they've cheated on them and not be suspicious? Their trust is gone and it can't come back over night. Plus, Erik was obviously still carrying some hurt when he walked in on his "girlfriend" in the arms of a teacher he didn't like.

The latest book in the House of Night Series is Burned.  For more information or to purchase, click the cover below. For information on the entire series, click the "House of Night Series" link below.

I can recommend this book as a good story, although, at times it was very slow reading. This novel revolves around several decades at a Catholic girls' boarding/day school in the 20th century. Many of the characters are relatives or friends and the story shows how one generation's actions are affected by those of previous generations and, in turn, affect those of future generations. An interesting book for those who like to ponder one's decisions.

Unfinished Desires will be released July 27. For more information or to purchase from Amazon click the link below.

This is only a partial review because I could not get into this story and, therefore, only read the first fifty-seven pages. This novel deals with the relationship between Irene, a doctoral student, and Gil, her husband of several years who is more than a decade older than Irene. They have three children together. Gil is a successful artist, his main subject over the years being Irene in a variety of settings, both realistic and surrealistic. The novel, although well-written, was too "artsy" for me -- I admit that I much prefer "fluff".

This book is 272 pages and published by Harper. Click the cover below for more information or to order from Amazon.

A nice story (knitters would particularly enjoy it as there are countless references to stitches, yarns, patterns, etc.) about Jo Mackenzie, a widowed mother of two young boys, who owns a knitting shop and unexpectedly finds herself pregnant again. Find out how she copes with her mom, grandma, best friend, various customers including a Hollywood star, the father of her baby, and a possible new boyfriend. Not only a good read, but it may just inspire you to go buy some needles and yarn!

This book is 432 pages and published by Voice. Click the cover below for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

For those who like "chick lit", this book is a must read! Jill Mansell's characters are vividly protrayed and you will fall in love with each (er, most) of them. Tilly is a recently dumped twenty-eight-year-old who moves from London to a small town to become a Girl Friday for Max, a previously married gay man and his daughter, precocious thirteen-year-old Louise. The story winds it way through the relationships these three have with friends, lovers, parents, and ex-wives. You will root for some and boo others as couples grow apart or together in this lighthearted novel.

This 416 page book is published by Sourcebooks Landmark. For more information or the opportunity to purchase from Amazon, click the cover below.

An excellent, although sometimes dark, novel. The darkness comes in two forms, one figurative and one literal. First of all, one of the main characters, Charles, suffers from bipolar disorder. The story portrays some of his manic episodes which are a dark time in not only his life, but also in those of his family and friends. Charles' favorite hobby is stormchasing, racing after tornadoes and other violent storms. The novel includes descriptions of many encountered storms -- depicting more darkness. In contrast to the occasional sadness and difficulty in the story, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The reader will get to know the characters and will be rooting for them.

The Stormchasers is 384 pages and published by Dutton Adult. Click the link below for more information or to purchase it from Amazon.

A great story that every parent should read.  Four 17-year-olds -- good students, good athletes, good girls -- entering their senior year of high school make a pact to get pregnant so their children can be best friends just as they are.  The girls' moms are also good friends with each other and one of them happens to be the principal of the high school the girls attend in a conservative town.  This story delves into the complex decisions that the planned pregnancies require the girls, their families, and the townspeople to make.  Relationships between moms and daughters, husbands and wives, employers and employees, pregnant girls and the fathers-to-be, family members, coworkers, and acquaintances are largely affected by the girls' actions, many that, unfortunately, the teenagers had not considered when forming their pact.  This book will make any parent realize that, yes, it could be your daughter (or son).

Not My Daughter is published by Doubleday and is 352 pages. Click the cover below for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

This delightful story embraces the joy and innocence of childhood as ten year old Isabella “Teaspoon” Marlene exuberantly prepares for a theatre gala. Despite an absent mother, a number of “afflictions”, and an occasional feeling of inferiority, Teaspoon perseveres, with the help of her Sunshine Sister, Brenda Bloom, the Sweetheart of Mill Town. Teaspoon hopes that Brenda, a beautiful, respectable teenager, will teach her how to get rid of her afflictions and become more acceptable to others. As Teaspoon interacts with various townspeople on a daily basis and as she practices for her big singing and dancing debut, she actually teaches Brenda as much, if not more, about life than Brenda teaches her. Any reader will enjoy getting to know Teaspoon and Brenda, as well as the many other memorable characters in this author’s fourth novel.

This paperback book, published by Bantam, is 368 pages. For more information about it or to purchase from Amazon, click the cover below.