1. The Walking Fish by Rachelle Burk

read on Kindle

192 pgs.

2015
Middle Grades CRF/STEM
Finished 1/12/2025
Goodreads rating: 4.16
My rating: 5
Setting: Summer at the protagonist's cottage on Glacial Lake

My comments: Rachelle Burk is coming to my school at the end of the month, and I had never heard of her before.  This book was great!  It was very well written, had humor, and honestly portrays a middle schooler who's a good kid but twists things around a little to suit herself and is naturally curious.  It's a perfect STEM/STEAM read!

Goodreads synopsis:  A humorous, exciting tale of an ordinary girl who makes an extraordinary scientific discovery—a blind fish that walks

When seventh-grader Alexis catches an unusual fish that looks like a living fossil, she sets off a frenzied scientific hunt for more of its kind. Alexis and her friend Darshan join the hunt, snorkeling, sounding the depths of Glacial Lake, even observing from a helicopter and exploring a cave. All the while, they fight to keep the selfish Dr. Mertz from claiming the discovery all for himself. When Alexis follows one final hunch, she risks her life and almost loses her friend. Walking Fish is a scientific adventure that provides a perfect combination of literacy and science.

47. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

#7 Ruth Galloway

read on Kindle
2015

370 pgs.
Genre/Level
Finished 7/5/2022
Goodreads rating: 4.09
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Norfolk, England

My comments: Kate is now five years old.  The mystery is interesting, a three generation family, the Blackstocks, that live in a huge old manor, finds one of the first generation's sons shot in the head and buried in an airplane in a place where he did not die.  Outside of the mystery, Michelle spends a good part of the year cheating on Nelson...and Ruth and Frank get together, though Ruth admits she's in love with someone else (Nelson of course)  A good one, though lots of bleakness.

Goodreads synopsis:  The chilling discovery of a downed World War II plane with a body inside leads Ruth and DCI Nelson to uncover a wealthy family’s secrets in the seventh Ruth Galloway mystery.

Norfolk is suffering from record summer heat when a construction crew unearths a macabre discovery—a downed World War II plane with the pilot still inside. Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway quickly realizes that the skeleton couldn’t possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify the man as Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat who had been reported dead at sea. When the remaining members of the Blackstock family learn about the discovery, they seem strangely frightened by the news.

Events are further complicated by a TV company that wants to make a film about Norfolk’s deserted air force bases, the so-called Ghost Fields, which have been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm. Can the team outrace a looming flood to find a killer?

Laced with dry humor and anchored by perennial fan favorite Ruth, The Ghost Fields will delight fans new and old.

74. Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

#2 Tracy Crosswhite

listened on Audible

unabridged audio (11:28)

narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith

2015
426 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished  7/7/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.29 - 4129 ratings
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Seattle, Washington

First line/s: "Tracy Crosswhite watched the minivan pull into the parking lot, noting a car seat strapped into the back seat and a yellow "Child on Board" placard dangling in the window."

My comments: This was definitely an excellent mystery, kept you wondering and questioning and worrying throughout the story.  There were lots of characters and lots of suspects, but for some reason I didn't get them mixed up or forget who was who when their names were mentioned, like I frequently do.  It was read really well, and it's so nice to know that the asshole gets it in the end.  Picchu!  (A five rating, because I didn't want it to end and I can't wait to read the next one in the series)

Goodreads synopsis:   Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life.

        A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

59. The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

read first 2/3 on Kindle while laid up with broken elbow at Laura's, finished last 1/3 on audio/Chirp

narrated by Ari Fliakos

Unabridged audio (11:42)
2015
339 pgs.
Adult Magical Realism told in two time periods
Finished 6/2/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.60 - 32,808 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary Long Island Sound, New York and "OTR" in the northeast a couple hundred years before

First line/s: "Perched on the bluff's edge, the house in in danger."

My comments: 2/3 read on Kindle 1/3 listened on Chirp.  Narrated really well.  Magical realism?  Historical fiction.  Two time periods - 1790 & present time.  Simon, the contemporary protagonist, is a librarian, brother, and swimmer who can hold his breath for 10 minutes.  The setting, a house on the edge of Long Island Sound, is slipping into the water more and more as the weeks progress until it finally totally disintegrates and slides down the bank into the sea.  There's lots and lots of water in this book.  Mermaids swimming in see-through tanks. Floods.  Downpours so bad that water seeps into houses, ruins books, pages ... lives.  Families that combine and twist and become confusingly and elaborately pulled together - to the very end.  My favorite character was the tentacle-tattooed young man who is full of electricity, lighting lightbulbs with his fingers in the traveling circus sideshow.  I particularly enjoyed listening to the narration, it has enhanced the writing for me.  At the end of the audio is a short interview with the author that is quite interesting.  Very difficult for me to rate, But I definitely liked most of it.

Goodreads synopsis:  A sweeping and captivating debut novel about a young librarian who is sent a mysterious old book, inscribed with his grandmother's name. What is the book's connection to his family?

          Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff that is slowly crumbling into the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks.
          One day, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon's grandmother. Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before fate deals its next deadly hand.
          The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's gorgeous and moving debut, a wondrous novel about the power of books, family, and magic.

127. Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

listened on Audible

2015
352 pgs.
Adult Chick Lit/RomCom
Finished 8/31/2020
Goodreads rating: 4.09
My rating:  4.5
Setting: Contemporary Wyoming mountain wilderness

My comments: Didn't want this one to end a charming, fun story that you knew would end wonderfully and couldn't wait to see how you got there.  The two protagonists were incredibly lovable and believable and their survival/hiking part of the story was great to listen to.  I've got to read another by this author. A totally feel-good story, not without some sadness, but worth.  Great narrator, she nailed the different voices beautifully.

Goodreads synopsis:   A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

61. Water World Warrior by Lisa Lace

#1 TerraMates
Listened on Audible Escape (I think)
narrated by Addison Spear and Terrance Bayes
Unabridged audio (5:28)
2015 Toppings Publishing
267 pgs.
Adult Sci Fi Romance/Alien Mail Order Bride
Finished 4/8/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.53 - 854 ratings
My rating: 3.5 (not quite a 4)

First line/s:  "The wind whipped the sails of our ship, and we barely held our course."

My comments:  Well, for a sci-fi mail order bride romance, this wasn't bad at all.  It takes place on a water planet where only a few of the physical characteristics of the aliens are different - they have film that goes over their eyes so they can swim underwater with their eyes open for great distances, and they have underwater breathing "gills" so they can swim for indefinite amounts of time.  It was pretty decent world*building and this one had characters that had a bit of depth.  Oh yes, the usual misunderstandings and incorrect second-guessing, but not the  steamy XXX-rated crapola that so many of these mail order bride romances contain.  Just a little, and in the right places, and not until at least 2/3 of the book is behind you.  Quite entertaining, actually.  Not a four, but a good, solid three and a half.

Goodreads synopsis:  Why would I want to be married to an alien?
          I should not have applied to TerraMates. The idea was crazy. I'm a young woman, in the prime of my life.
          But I was desperate.
          When I landed on another world, his appearance intrigued me. He dripped sexuality and moved like an animal. We have three days together before he sets sail without me. Am I going to escape or submit to my desires?

53. Pleasure in the Stars by Olivia Myers

listened to audio via Audible Escape
narrated by D Rampling (horrid!!!)
Unabridged audio (1:35)
2015 Soft Kiss books
95 pgs.
Adult SciFi Erotica
Finished 3/19/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.24 - 34 ratings
My rating: 1

First line/s:  "Natalie looked at her work friends, Jackie and Moona, and sighed as she gratefully let her suitcase bounce heavily onto the hotel bed."

My comments:  Probably one of the worst narrators I've ever heard in my life, she absolutely ruined the story - the little bit of the story there was.  Blech!  Whenever she spoke as a female she did it in a squeaky high-pitched falsetto voice, and her male voice was unbelievable horrible as well  Whoever hired her needs to find another occupation!

Goodreads synopsis:  An alien race known for pleasure, would she dare.
          Natalie’s work friends have to drag her along to the planet New Saigon’s Pleasure Love Festival, a ten-day party where races from all planets indulge in love, sex, and pleasure. But the lights, the scents, the sounds—everything is too much for Natalie.
          Concerned that she isn’t having as much fun and relaxing as much as she ought to, her well-meaning friends hire a Katarian escort to give Natalie all the fun they think she’s been missing out on. Can Natalie relax enough to enjoy herself with a Katarian who promises nothing but pleasure…and what happens if he’s offering her more than one night?

49. Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves

listened to Audio - free from Audio Escape
narrated by Kristin Condon
Unabridged audio (8:44)
2015
340 pgs.
Adult CRF
Finished 3/9/2020
Goodreads rating:  4.05 - 8715 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting:  Contemporary Minneapolis, MN

First line/s:  " ' The babies are going to starve,' Helena said."

My comments:  I found these two main characters to be incredibly well developed, which was only enhanced by a wonderful narration.  A good, though predictable, story with just a bit of heat.  This is the second I've read by this author and I've enjoyed both very much.  Looking forward to more.
     Here's a good quote from another GoodReads member:   "Heart Shaped Hack is a refreshing and beautiful read, it doesn't employ any of the New Adult Express tropes, has genuinely likeable, if not loveable lead characters, witty banter and good writing."

Goodreads synopsis:  When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.
          Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.
          But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

46. Stepbrother Inked by Violet Blaze

listened to audio/Audible Escape
narrated by Angelise Rosewood
Unabridged audio (9:42)
2015 Sarian Royal
346 pgs.
Adult Steamy Romance/CRF
Finished 3/6/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.82 - 2005 ratings
My rating:  2.5

First line/s:  "I set the box down on the counter and eyed Flor's ass as he bent over and set a second, much smaller box on the floor with little care or consideration as to what was inside."

My comments: Although billed as a steamy romance, a lot of the story is about what would happen if two kids raised as siblings but not related by blood fall for each other.  There was definitely a lot of steam - they guy in this was your stereotypical 21 year old bad boy tattoo artist ... who loves cats and his mom ... The gal is an 18 year old who  sometimes acts much younger.  Of course there are the mandatory best friends, I really dislike it when they put too much emphasis on those relationships in these books.  Made me think a lot about different  family situations.

Goodreads synopsis:  Forbidden love shouldn't feel so good.
          It also shouldn't hurt so much.
          How could the one person I can't have be the only person I truly need?
          Florian Harper Riley has my heart and he doesn't even know it. I used to think that was okay, that I'd get over him, but no matter how hard I try, I can't purge his sharp green gaze from my thoughts.
          He's a tattoo artist, the love of my life, the man of my dreams.
          But he's also my stepbrother.
          Fate can be wicked cruel.
          *This is a 98,000 word, full length stand-alone novel from debut author Violet Blaze (and it's hot!)*

2. Once Gone by by Blake Pierce

#1 Riley Paige, FBI
listened on Audible (Chirp)
narrated  by Elaine Wise (lovely BRITISH accent....)
Unabridged audio (7:34)
2015
304 pgs.
Adult murder mystery/police procedural
Finished 1/6/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.93 - 18,599 ratings
My rating: 2
Setting: contemporary Virginia and surrounding states

First line/s:  from Prologue:  "A new spasm of pain jolted Reba's head upright."
from Chapter 1:  "At least the stench hadn't kicked in, Special Agent Bill Jeffries thought."

My comments:  This book is about Riley Paige, a female FBI agent working out of Langley in Virginia and read by a woman with a beautifully lilting British accent.  Talk about disconcerting!  I cannot imagine what the audio company was thinking.  I had to keep adjusting to the setting, every so often thinking that it was all based in Great Britain.  And then there was Riley herself.  A mom.  A brilliant problem solver.  An extremely smart agent.  She is suffering from PTSD, which is perfectly and totally understandable.  The depression, the drinking, the debilitating thoughts she had.  What I didn't understand was her recklessness and carelessness, and the made me dislike her, and eye-rolling dislike.  Her partner, Bill, seems pretty much like a dolt, a yes-man to her decisions and a constant "don't go alone" to her unheeding ear seem to be pretty much the sum of his abilities.  Will I read more?  There are a lot more in the series.  Perhaps.....
     Plus, what a crappy cover!

Goodreads synopsis:  Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.
          Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.
          Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.
          A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

1. Name of the Devil by Andrew Mayne

#2 Jessica Blackwood
listened via Audible, purchased and owned
narrated  by Jennifer O'Donnell
Unabridged audio (12:53)
2015 Bourbon Street Books
432 pgs.
Adult Mystery/Police Procedural
Finished 1/2//2020
Goodreads rating:  4.18 - 2170 ratings
My rating: 4

First line/s:  " 'You know what you have to do,' said the distant voice at the other end of the phone."

My comments: First finished book of 2020!  The way that Jessica Blackwood connects the dots is sometimes quite mysterious.  I guess that just goes to prove that she's a brilliant FBI agent, on of the best the agency has.  It's like she's the center of a star with many, many branches, and she's the main connection for all of them.  This story includes Latin American cartels, the Catholic Church, backwoods West Virginian hicks, bombs and explosions, psychosomatic pathogens from weird fish, dangling from helicopters, forays into Mexico, and even eorcism.  It's all over the place!  But my favorite parts only come once in awhile, and the's Jessica's relationship withthe mysterious Damien.  uell une interesting book!  Never a dull moment, although most of it is totally un-believable.

Goodreads synopsis: In this electrifying sequel to the crowd-pleasing thriller Angel Killer, magician-turned-FBI agent Jessica Blackwood must once again draw on her past to go up against a brutal murderer desperate for revenge at any price
          After playing a pivotal role in the capture of the Warlock, a seemingly supernatural serial killer—and saving the FBI’s reputation in the process—agent Jessica Blackwood can no longer ignore the world she left behind. Formerly a prodigy in a family dynasty of illusionists, her talent and experience endow her with a unique understanding of the power and potential of deception, as well as a knack for knowing when things are not always as they appear to be.
          When a church congregation vanishes under mysterious circumstances in rural Appalachia, the bizarre trail of carnage indicates the Devil’s hand at work. But Satan can’t be the suspect, so FBI consultant Dr. Ailes and Jessica’s boss on the Warlock case, Agent Knoll, turn to the ace up their sleeve: Jessica. She’s convinced that an old cassette tape holds the key to the mystery, and unraveling the recorded events reveals a troubling act with far-reaching implications. The evil at work is human, and Jessica must follow the trail from West Virginia to Mexico, Miami, and even the hallowed halls of the Vatican.
          Can she stop a cold-blooded killer obsessed by a mortal sin—or will she become the next target in a twisted, diabolical game of hunter and prey…? 

Ice Planet Barbarians and Icehome Series by Ruby Dixon

#1 in a huge series called "A Sci Fi Alien Romance" :)
94th read in 2019
Listened to Audio via Chirp
read by Hollie Jackson & Mason Lloyd
Unabridged audio (5:51)
2015 self published?
188 pgs.
Adult Erotica SciFi
Finished 10/3/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.90 - 11,575 ratings
My rating: 4  Steam 4/4
Setting:  An ice planet far, far away....

First line/s: "Up until yesterday, I, Georgie Carruthers, never believed in aliens."

My comments:  How can you NOT read a book with a title like this?  And OMG, I'm totally embarrassed to say how much I loved it.  Science fiction, outer space, aliens, and a whole lot of really steamy x-rated "romance."  I couldn't put it down.  Incredibly superficial, but who cares?  I'm rating it a 4 because it's so embarrassing to rate a book like this a 5!
Goodreads synopsis:  
You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.
          And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...

#2:  Barbarian Alien
:Liz and Raahosh
111th read in 2019
Unabridged audio (6:27) by the same readers as before
211 pgs.
Published in 2015
Goodreads:  3.96 - 7831 ratings

My comments:  I can't really say that I like the protagonist, Liz - she has a really raunchy sense of humor and it's a type of raunchy that I don't really like.  Very steamy for most of the book, and I do enjoy this very weird series.  This is the first one I've read in the Amazon Romance $6.95 a month deal - which I can't believe I'm trying out!  Me, romance!  This is a 3-4-5...3 for characters and 5 for steaminess, lol!
Goodreads Synopsis:
          Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me.
          In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a cootie. And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.
          BARBARIAN ALIEN is a sequel to ICE PLANET BARBARIANS. You do not have to read both in order to understand the plot, but the story will be richer if you do!

#3 Barbarian Lover
Kira and Aehako
116th read in 2019
Unabridged audio (5:47 with the same two original narrators)
191 pgs.
2015
Goodread ratings:  4.02 - 6469 ratings

My comments:  My favorite in the series so far, I like both Kira and Aehako a whole lot, and their adventure together is pretty cool.  Same amount of smut as the first two I've read, but enough interesting substance as well.  I'm really surprised at how much the author is keeping these characters interesting, and that I'm still enjoying them, this setting, this world, and all the descriptive language surround aroused body parts~
Goodreads synopsis:  As one of the few humans stranded on the ice planet, I should be happy that I have a new home. Human women are treasured here, and one alien in particular has made it clear that he wants me. It's hard to push away the sexy, flirtatious Aehako, when all I want to do is grab him by his horns and insist he take me to his furs.
          But I've got a terrible secret - the aliens who abducted me are back, and thanks to the translator in my ear, they can find me. My presence here endangers everyone... but can I give up my new life and the man I want more than anything?

#4 Barbarian Mine
Harlow & Rukh
#117th read in 2019
Unabridged audio (5:36)
182 pgs.
2015
Goodreads:  4.10 - 6223 ratings

My comments:  Harlow and Rukh live by themselves many miles away from the rest of the tribe, by the sea.  Rukh has never lived with the rest of the tribe and thinks of them as "the bad people."  This is the book where the babies start being born, and it is Harlow's baby that is born first, tiny and sickly.  she is  constantly concerned that Rukh will want to return to their solitary lifestyle.  Good story, the series is so incredibly addicting.  And I'm not even sure why!
Goodreads Synopsis:  The ice planet has given me a second lease on life, so I'm thrilled to be here. Sure, there's no cheeseburgers, but I'm healthy and ready to be a productive member of the small tribe.
          What I didn't anticipate? That there'd be a savage stranger waiting nearby, watching me. And when he takes me captive, the unthinkable happens... I resonate to him.
          Resonance means mating, and children... but I don't know if this guy's ever been around anyone before. He's truly a barbarian in all ways, right down to clubbing me over the head and claiming me as his own.
          So why is it that I crave his touch and hunger for more?

#5 Barbarian's Prize
Tiffany & Salukh
#126 in 2019
Unabridged audio (6:05)
238 pgs.
2016
GR:  4.02 - 4998 ratings
Finished 12/14/2019
My Comments:  Not as good as the rest, perhaps I'm getting tired of them?  Or is it that I'm not crazy about the female protagonist?  The book does end with the final female finally resonating - that should be the next one, and I bet it will be a good one, because they hate each other at the onset....
Goodreads Synopsis: It’s hard being the most popular girl on the ice planet. The alien men are falling all over themselves to impress me in the hopes that I’ll take them to my furs. But they don’t know my secrets – none of them do. And they don’t realize that behind my smile, I just wish they’d go away.
          I don’t want any of them. I want someone else – someone with a gorgeous blue body, big horns, and the most intense gaze ever. He’s the only one that knows the truth. Maybe with him, I can work through my fears of the past…. but I’m pretty sure he wants more than just friendship.
          He wants forever, and I’m not sure I can give it

#6 Barbarian's Mate
Josie & Haeden
#87 in 2020
Unabridged audio
207 pgs.
2016
GR:  4.06 - 5848 ratings
Finished 5/31/2020
My Comments:  It was nice to return to the land of the ice planet.  Josie, the female protagonist in this one, was so irritating for the first half of the book...  As soon as she finally resonated, she couldn't wait to find her mate, then went hunting high and low to each and every male resident no matter their age or appearance.  However, the one she resonated with she absolutely hated.  Not sure why.  And with all the words and rehashing it was still difficult to understand why.  So frustrating.  Oh well.  Ruby Dixon seems to be an incredibly prolific writer.
Goodreads Synopsis: 'Resonance' is supposed to be a dream - that's when your soulmate is chosen for you. And everyone on the ice planet has hooked up with a big, hunky soulmate of their own... except me. So do I want a mate? Heck yeah. More than anything, all I've ever wanted is to be loved by someone.
          Except that the soulmate chosen for me? My least favorite person on the darn ice planet. Haeden's the most cranky, disapproving, unpleasant, overbearing male alien... so why is it that my body sings when he gets close? Why is he working so hard to prove to me that he's not as awful as I think he is?
          I hate him... don't I?

READING ORDER:  

Note:  There seem to be different orders.  I'm changing this to align with Goodreads.  Those read are in italics.

1. Ice Planet Barbarians (Georgie/Vektal)
2. Barbarian Alien (Liz/Raahosh)
3. Barbarian Lover (Kira/Aehako)
4. Barbarian Mine (Harlow/Rukh)
5. Barbarian's Prize (Tiffany/Salukh)
6. Barbarian's Mate (Josie/Haeden)
7. Barbarian's Touch (Lila/Rokan)
8. Barbarian's Taming (Maddie/Hassen)
9. Barbarian's Heart (Stacy/Pashov)
10. Barbarian's Hope (Asha/Hemalo)
11. Barbarian's Choice (Farli/Mardok)
12. Barbarian's Redemption (Elly/Bek)
13. Barbarian's Lady (Kate/Harrec)
14. Barbarian's Rescue (Summer/Warrek)
15. Barbarian's Tease (Brooke/Taushen)
16. Barbarian's Beloved (Ariana/Zolaya)
17. Barbarian's Seduction (Marlene/Zennek)
18. Barbarian's Treasure

Icehome Series by Ruby Dixon

1.  Lauren's Barbarian, 2017

2.  Veronica's Dragon, 2018

3.  Willa's Beast

4.  Gail's Family

5.  Angie's Gladiator

6.  Hannah's Hero

7.  Devi's Distraction

8.  Nadine's Champion

9.  Callie's Catastrophe

10.  Penny's Protector

Twas the Night Before No-Poison Day   

11.  Mari's Mistake

12.  Raven's Return

13.  Bridget's Bane

91. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

listened to Audio, not sure where (!*!) but also own Kindle
read by Kathleen Early
Unabridged audio (20:00)
2015 William Morrow
548 pgs.
Adult mystery
Finished 9/20/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.99 - 142,952 ratings
My rating:  2

First line/s:  "When you first disappeared your mother warned me that finding out exactly what had happened to you would be worse than never knowing."

My comments:  Well.  I'm not sure how to begin this review.  There were a few pros but lots of cons.  What should I start with?
The cons:
     -It was super repetitive.  Endless "thinking aloud."  Super slow in many places.  Dragged in many places.  If I'd been reading aprint copy of the book I'd probably have ditched it.
     --It was really hard for me to like Claire, one of the two protagonists, from the very beginning.  Spoiled, pretty much clueless because she wanted to be, right down to the end of the book and her dec isions about what to do with her future (nothing.)
     --an incredble amount of graphic violence, torture, all toward females.  A little I can take, this was overwhelming.
     -- so many chapters of diary entries from dear old dad.  Became pretty boring hearing over and over his reminisces about the pretty daughter.
The pros:
     -- a decent mystery Kept me guessing.
     -- I listened to this being read aloud and the reader was terrific.  That ups my review by a star.
I'm pretty sure this will remain a memorable read, but not for the reasons that people might like.  So violent.  So sadistic.  It's scary to think about such sickness and real crazies in our world.  However, my rating is based on my "cons" above, not on my thought about the state of our world.

Goodreads synopsis:  Twenty years ago Claire Scott's eldest sister, Julia, went missing. No one knew where she went - no note, no body. It was a mystery that was never solved and it tore her family apart.
          Now another girl has disappeared, with chilling echoes of the past. And it seems that she might not be the only one.
          Claire is convinced Julia's disappearance is linked.
          But when she begins to learn the truth about her sister, she is confronted with a shocking discovery, and nothing will ever be the same...

82. Blonde Hair Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter

listened on Audible, through Chirp
read by Kathleen Early
Unabridged audio (2:23)
2015 Cornerstone Digital
67 pgs.
Adult Mystery
Finished 8/29/19
Goodreads rating: 3.44 - 8282 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: 1991 Athens, Georgia

First line/s:   "The morning mist laced through the downtown streets, spiderwebbing tiny intricate patterns onto the sleeping bags lining the sidewalk outside the Georgia Theater."

My comments:  Oh my, this novella certainly packs a punch.  A pretty 19-year-old college freshman in Athens, Georgia, ponders the mysterious disappearances of other pretty young women.  I'm pretty sure this takes place in 1991, so the plight of women and rape and abduction is still either mostly ignored or spoken in hush-hush tones.  At least a lot more than currently.  I was pretty sure of the ending for quite while, but it still got to me. 

Goodreads synopsis:  A missing girl in the news reminds Julia Carroll of herself: nineteen, beautiful, blonde hair, blue eyes.
          Julia begins to dig deeper and plans an article for her college paper. She becomes gradually more obsessed with the case, never imagining how close she herself is to danger. 
from a reader: Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes is a short-story prequel to Karin Slaughter's September 2015 novel Pretty Girls. It is a brief look at Julia's life before she went missing. In my opinion, I don't feel that it is necessary for readers of  Pretty Girls to read this but it provided interesting insight into local crime at the time, Julia's character, some family dynamics, and of course her abduction. 

67. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

read on my iPhone (eBook)
2015, Feiwel & Friends
304 pgs.
YA Romance
Finished 7/21/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.93 - 13,480 ratings
My rating:5
Setting:  Contemporary San Francisco

First line/s:  "The last train wasn't coming."

My comments:  Ignore the reviews that put this book in the "so-so" category.  Those reviewers have read huge amount of ya literature and are probably quite a distance away from being young adults themselves.  This is a modern romance that includes a little bit of everything and treats teenage sex with healthy respect.  I've gotten to know San Francisco a bit in the last ten years, and it was really fun to follow Bex and Jack around the city.  Both are artists who come from very different families and income brackets, and both are suffering from a backload of family "stuff."  Who isn't, so almost any ya can relate!  The two themes that I truly appreciated in this book were those of honesty and schizophrenia.  Both were handled really well, though so were single parenting, being gay, and sexuality.  Really good book.

Goodreads synopsis: Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she’s spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Da Vinci’s footsteps, she’s ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital’s Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.
           Jack is charming, wildly attractive, and possibly one of San Francisco’s most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is—and tries to uncover what he’s hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in her family’s closet tear them apart?

49. Ascension by Victor Dixen

#1 Phobos
read the book - just translated (from French, I believe)
2015 original, 2018 in English
496 pgs.
YA SciFi
Finished 6/2/2019
Goodreads rating: 4.05 - 2990 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting:  On a spaceship to Mars, current time/dystopia

First line/s:

My comments:  OMG, I want to continue this story immediately, right now, vite, vite!  But it is literally impossible since the American edition will not be available till October 18th. Even though it's been out in English in Britain for a short while, I can't seem to find a way to get it.  Woe is me!
     This book was actually everything I'd hoped it would be, it was just plain fun.  Good guys vs. bad guys, innocents vs. unscrupulous.  And even though I dislike reality TV greatly, reading about it in a book worked really well for me-at least this time.  I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next....what a dirty trick, Victor Dixen....one of the toughest cliffhangers I've ever read.

Goodreads synopsis:  'This thrilling space odyssey will keep you turning pages late into the night.'
C. J. Daugherty, author of NIGHT SCHOOL
          Six girls, six boys. Each in the two separate bays of a single spaceship. They have six minutes each week to seduce and to make their choices, under the unblinking eye of the on-board cameras. They are the contenders in the Genesis programme, the world's craziest speed-dating show ever, aimed at creating the first human colony on Mars.
          Leonor, an 18 year old orphan, is one of the chosen ones. 
          She has signed up for glory.
          She has signed up for love.
          She has signed up for a one-way ticket.
          Even if the dream turns to a nightmare, it is too late for regrets.

Picture Book - A Poem in Your Pocket by Margaret McNamara

Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
2015 Schwartz & Wade Books

HC $16.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.94 - 355 ratings

My rating:  5, It's a terrific book

Endpapers:  Deinm blue with denim pockets with slips of papers (with words) sticking out of each
  

1^st line/s:  "Mr. Tiffin's class had never had an author visit them before."

My comments: This is a terrific book, telling both the story of a teacher and his class and the cool way he teaches them about poetry - including similes, metaphor, concrete poetry,  acrostic poetry, and haiku.  And, so importantly, that poetry doesn't have to rhyme!  There's a bit of a theme about not trying to be perfect, as one of the clever kids in the class never writes a poem because she doesn't think it's good enough.  (Funny that no one's ever written a book about kids writing really bad poems...)

Goodreads:  Usher in National Poetry Month with Mr. Tiffin and his students, stars of the hugely popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Apple Orchard Riddle. 
          Once again, Margaret McNamara sets her playful, child-friendly story in the classroom, and this time, poetry—from metaphors to acrostics to haiku—is the name of the game. The focus here is on Elinor, whose confidence falters as she tries to write something "perfect" for Poem in Your Pocket Day and impress a visiting poet. G. Brian Karas's accessible, adorable illustrations add to the fun.
          Includes a list of Mr. Tiffin's tips for celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day.
          "A nimble introduction to poetry as well as a sensitive look at the perils of perfectionism." —The New York Times
          "Pair this book with the works of Shel Silverstein, Paul B. Janeczko, Jack Prelutsky, Douglas Florian, or Robert Louis Stevenson." —School Library Journal, Starred

Picture Book - Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson

The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Illustrated by  Sean Qualls

2015, Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House Children's Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.38 - 2051 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers: A smudgy pinky, dusty solid

1^st line/s: 
"In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two healthy lungs let oout a powerful cry,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked."

My comments: ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.  This true story shows this  completely.  Born with a useless leg, Emmanuel was treated as and considered a beggar with no worth, but he wanted to EARN his way in the world.  This story shows how he really did make a difference, by proving to everyone that physical disabilities do not change a person's worth.  He biked - with one leg - for 400 miles across Ghana and had it recorded.  Because of his persistence and drive, Ghana's disability laws were changed!  This book is written really well and I totally enjoy the accompanying illustrations. A surefire winner for any "Making a Difference in the World" study!

Goodreads:  This picture book biography tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who bicycled across Ghana--nearly 400 miles--with only one leg. With that achievement he forever changed how his country treats people with disabilities, and he shows us all that one person is enough to change the world.

24. A Shroud of Tattered Sails by Scott William Carter

#4 Garrison Gage, Oregon Coast PI
Listened on Audible
Read by Steven Roy Grimsley
Unabridged (8:43)
2015 Flying Raven Press (2016 for Audio)
282 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished March 3, 2019
Goodreads rating: 4.22 - 376 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting:  Contemporary Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon Coast

First line/s:  "They walked side by side, but alone."

My comments:  Garrison Gage seems to be even more sarcastic and witty in this fourth installment, set again in Barnacle Bluffs, a beautiful tourist town on the Oregon coast.  By the end of this book, Garrison's life seems to be coming together in a really positive way - both with Zoe and a new love interest for himself.  And I'm not sure how I feel about that, to tell the truth.  I'm not sure how having a close relationship will work for him.  This was another good mystery, but not my favorite so far.  But still a 4!

Goodreads synopsis:  A beached sailboat. A missing man. A distraught woman staggering ashore. There to greet her—Garrison Gage, full-time curmudgeon and part-time private investigator, who quickly finds himself thrust into his familiar role of crusader for the desperate and downtrodden. The woman claims to have no memory, but is she lying? 
          When a body later washes ashore, the mystery deepens and the stakes ratchet up another notch. Dark money and even darker intentions. Violence both threatened and real. The woman may be at the heart of it all, or merely an innocent interloper who chose the wrong boat at the wrong time. Only Gage can discover the truth.

14. The Precipice by Paul Doiron

#6 Mike Bowditch, Maine Game Warden
listened to Audio (9:23)  borrowed from TPPL
read by Henry Levya
2015 Minotaur Books
322 pgs.
Adult Mystery
Finished 1/28/2019
Goodreads rating: 4.01- 1998 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting: Appalachian Trail area in Northern Maine, September

First line/s:  "There is a sign at the southern entrance to the Hundred Mile Wilderness.  It is made of rust brown wood and painted with white letters, and it sends a stern and unmistakable warning to all who enter:"

My comments:  Excellent mystery, wonderful setting, with all sorts of well-written description. The Appalachian Trail has always fascinated me, and Steve and I used to take many Sunday or weekend drives to the areas near the setting - Monson, Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft.  Love the area.
           I'd forgotten how disconcerted I was last time I listened to one of these, because of the many mispronunciations the reader had.  I can't believe that these aren't corrected/edited - either by a thoughtful editor doing their job, or even the author.  Perhaps he's never listened to his works read aloud?  I think he'd be really annoyed!   Piscataquis, coyote, Bangor, Augusta, and even BOWDITCH are said wrong over and over and over again.  So frustrating for a Mainer to hear, yuck!  But, alas, not the author's fault, so I won't take ratings points off.
          My only criticism about the story itself is that Stacy Stevens is so unlikable to me.  Ordinarily it wouldn't be a problem, but Mike seems to be head over heals in love with her.  Not my favorite part of the story.  She's pushy, egotistical, moody, and not nice enough not only to others, but to Mike, too.  He'll never see it, though.

Goodreads synopsis:  In this riveting new novel from Edgar finalist Paul Doiron, Bowditch joins a desperate search for two missing hikers as Maine wildlife officials deal with a frightening rash of coyote attacks.
          When two young female hikers disappear in the Hundred Mile Wilderness—the most remote stretch along the entire two-thousand mile Appalachian Trail—Maine game warden Mike Bowditch joins the search to find them. The police interview everyone they can find who came in contact with the college students and learn that the women were lovers who had been keeping their relationship secret from their Evangelical parents in Georgia.
          When two corpses are discovered—the bones picked clean by coyotes—rumors spread that the women were stalked and killed by the increasingly aggressive canines. Faced with a statewide panic, Maine’s governor places an emergency bounty on every dead coyote, and wildlife officials are tasked with collecting the carcasses.
          Despite some misgivings, Bowditch does his grisly job. But he finds his complacency challenged by his new girlfriend, the brilliant but volatile biologist Stacey Stevens, who insists coyotes merely scavenged the bodies after the women were murdered. When Stacey herself disappears on the outskirts of the Hundred Mile Wilderness, Bowditch realizes that locating her means he must also discover the truth behind what happened to the two hikers. Were the young women really killed by coyotes or, as Stacey insisted, were they murdered by the most dangerous animal in the North Woods?