NOTE:  I am depressed at the number of books which sucked!  Is this because of my mood, our choices in literature, or something else.  But remember these are the books I am donating to the library - maybe I keep the good ones?
 
APOLOGY:  My apologies to the library for donating so many sucky books - but maybe others will like them!
 
Title: How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
Genre:  Mystery
Date read:  November, 2014

Started well - Canadian police officer investigating a murder.  Backstory about a previous incident in his career and police corruption.  Plot about a plan to blow up a bridge.  Mystery town outside big city where people live in seclusion.  Much ado about the quintuplets.

Unfortunately the story became muddled.  The bomb plot was absurd.  The backstory on corruption was hinted at repeatedly but not explained.  Ultimately I do NOT recommend this book.

Rating (0-10): 4 - Started well but ultimately flopped.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Beach House Memories by Mary Alice Monroe
Genre:  Chick-Lit?  Romance?
Date read:  September, 2014

I got this book in the hopes of enjoying the ambiance of beach life as I remembered from my youth.

Woman with husband and two kids summers at beach house.  She tracks sea turtle nests and finally makes ends meet with the turtle guy who, naturally, is then killed in a plane crash.  She reconnects with her husband and gets beaten.  But she stays - why - because she is an idiot.

Rating (0-10): 3 - Heroine a fool - I want to eat some sea turtles after this book!.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Knockdown by Sarah Graves
Genre:  Mystery
Date not read:  November, 2014

Book was about beach house, summer, house restoration.  Again I liked the proffered ambiance.  But...twice I started this book, second time I got halfway through before quitting.

Female "heroine" has a past which comes back to haunt her.  The potential assailant is disgusting.  In order to demonstrate how bad he is she has him murder a few people along the way - the girl's death reminded me of A Casual Vacancy - very sad.  By the time I gave up on this book I was hoping both the antagonist and the heroine would die!

Rating (0-10): 2 - Repugnant characters - I wanted them all to die!.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Havana Storm by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
Genre:  Action Adventure
Date read:  December, 2014

Reasonable CC book with usual first chapter historical event followed by action on the sea and under the sea.  Featured Dirk Pitt's two kids.  Story centered around undersea mining of high grade uranium ore near Cuba and a mesoamerican treasure whose location is revealed by a broken stone.

Rating (0-10): 7 - Good CC fare - nice to have main characters and not others in the CC family but I did not find the story riveting.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Genre:  Chick-Lit?  Romance?
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

Woman is no Southern Belle - she loves her sweets hidden in the closet.  That is - until she discovers someone hiding in the closet.  Story revolves on this relationship.

Rating (0-10): 6 - Good read but ultimately sad ending - no great magic.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Genre:  Chick-Lit?  Romance?
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

Sidney returns from bad marriage with kid - there is an apple tree in the back yard.  Book is a nice mood piece.

Rating (0-10): 7 - Good read with some magic.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: someday this pain will be useful to you by Peter Cameron
Genre:  ?
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

About a screwed up loner kid who starts out screwed up - continues screwed up - and ends up screwed up.  Diane recommended this book so I did read it but...

Rating (0-10): 5 - A totally pointless book - read enjoyable at points.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Finding Serenity by Jane Espenson (ed.)
Genre:  nonfiction, commentary
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

A set of essays on the Firefly / Serenity series - too cerebral for me so I read only some of the essays.  Serenity was a great show.

Rating (0-10): 6 - Had its moments but too much philosophy read into stories.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Mounting Lenses in Optical Instruments by Paul R. Yoder Jr.
Genre:  nonfiction
Date read:  not read

Just to be complete - am donating this book.

Rating (0-10): NR
Disposition: Give to library

Title: The Mayan Secrets - A Fargo Adventure by Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry
Genre:  Action Adventure
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

Don't remember much but CC books are always good to read.

Rating (0-10): 7
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
Genre:  Mystery
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

Good mystery - got us started on Sandra Brown,  Girls sister is killed at company picnic before a tornado - she investigates.

Rating (0-10): 8  Interesting mystery
Disposition: Give to library

Title: The Thrill of Victory by Sandra Brown
Genre:  Romance
Date read:  Somewhere in Time

Female tennis player and sportswriter hate each other - she gets sick - they hook up - live happily ever after?.

Rating (0-10): 3  Women can't be this dumb!  Still an OK read.
Disposition: Give to library

Title: Unbroken
Genre:  Nonfiction WWII
Date read:  December, 2014

Teenage delinquent, olympic runner, becomes pilot.  Ditches in the Pacific in 1943, drifts 47 days.  Spends two years in a Japanese prison camp.  Gets out, has PTSD, gets religion, does well.  Book made me so angry at the Japs.  Had to jump ahead to reassure myself of a happy ending after all the suffering.

Rating (0-10): 8  Kept reading to find the happy ending
Disposition: Give to Jeremy.