The Queen by Steven James

                The Queen by Steven James is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.  This is a must read.

                The Queen is the final book in the Patrick Bower series. There are 5 books altogether.   You could read this book without having read the previous books because Steven James does a good job of giving you enough background at the beginning of the book to understand the story.  If you have followed this series he wraps things up quite nicely but in a way that will surprise you.

                Patrick Bower, the main character, is an FBI geospatial profiler.  This profession is explained in the book.  Although in each book he solves a different crime, they are all related to his ultimate search for a serial killer.  The Queen is no different.  In this book, Patrick heads to Minnesota to work a crime scene that has to do with his search for Basque, the serial killer, and his accomplice.   While in Minnesota he is tasked to investigate the killing of a retired Navy officer’s wife and child.

                What ensues is 516 can’t wait to turn the page – pages.  I have always thought his books were written like episodes of CSI.  He has technical details of crime scenes and espionage but he also includes the human and personal element of the story.  Patrick Bowers is a step-father struggling to raise a teenage daughter.  He is also wading through a relationship with another FBI agent.  Both story elements are balanced with neither of them overtaking the plot line.  The author twists them altogether to keep you guessing about who the bad guy is until the last few pages.

                Should you read this book?  ABSOLUTELY!  If you are a lover of thriller and suspense, then this book is for you. 

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years By:Julie Andrews

I am excited to post about the book I just finished.  Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews.  I picked up this book on my Kindle mostly because I really like Julie Andrews and the work she has done.  The book chronicles her early life, thus the title.  It was a rather lengthy book but a fairly easy read.

The story begins with a telling of her great-grandparent, grandparents and then her parents.  Then it goes into her birth.  From there the story chronicles just about everything that happened to her that shaped her into the lady she is today.  Her life was not an easy one but at the same time she was surrounded by people who seemed to love and care for her.  Julie Andrews loved her family and that shines through the book.

Pros:
1.  She gives enough details to make the stories interesting but not to many that you lose interest or get bogged down.
2.  The details regarding her music are not too technical.  All of her early work was in vaudville and broadway.  In many instances she describes what she was singing or how she was singing using musical terms but she does a good job explaining it so that even a reader with no understanding of music could understand what she is talking about.
3.  She wrote honestly about the people in her life and made you see how each of those people influenced, loved, hurt and encouraged her.  She also wrote honestly about herself and how she felt.  She came across as a very humble lady.
4.  It was just a good story.  She picked the right stories to tell and did it with great flair.  It was a wonderful look into her life.


Cons:
1.  I was bummed that the book ended when it did.  It was obviously not meant to tell you everything but if you want a full telling of her life, this is not it.
2.  She often got off on rabbit trails in the middle of a story.  When she returned to the original story it was hard to figure out what she was talking about.
3.  Sometimes she jumped around in time.  This sometimes made it hard to follow the story line and keep the stories straight.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.  If you are a fan of Julie Andrews then I think you will enjoy this book.  Last I checked it was a freebie for your Kindle on Amazon but you would have to check it out to be sure.

I am sure I will get better at this review thing.  I hope you have enjoyed reading the review and perhaps have found a good book to read.

Hello! Do you love to read?

 I am starting a blog about books I love to read.  Why?  Because I love it when people share with me good books that they have read.  So, maybe someone will love hearing about the good books that I have enjoyed.

I have an ipad and book shelves full of books.  I really only read fiction.  I don't do self-help books or books that teach me something.  I just want books with plots that I can get lost in and characters that I can come to love or hate.  I like all sorts of fiction - mystery, thriller, romance, historical, fantasy.  I don't care if it is secular or faith based.  I just care that it is a good story!

I read to relax, unwind and forget about my day, or week, or month depending on what is going on.  Books are my escape.

I am a teacher and during school months I don't read as many books but I average probably 2 a month.  BUT during the summer months I read 2 or 3 a week.

Check back to see what I am reading.  I will try to be honest about the story and the author.  Leave me comments if you have a book or author you think I might like.