7-8-10 The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan - Fiction

4 - A great return to the camaraderie of just Halt, Will, and Horace. Each character has grown and Will and Horace are no longer stumbling their way through the action. Halt is beginning to show his age and realize it and that does not make him happy. The three of them make up a special task force that is meant to assist in dealings with foreign countries. They have been sent to Hibernia, Halt's homeland, to deal with a religious cult that has slowly been working its way through each Hibernian kingdom. The king of Araluen is concerned that Hibernia is just a jumping off point for an assault on his country. The task force must travel to Clonmel, the last free kingdom, and attempt to stop the cult. Great adventure and battles in this one. Plus a couple fun revelations.

7-2-10 Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - Fiction

3 - This really is my least favorite of the Pendergast novels. I know people were clamoring for a sequel to The Relic but this just wasn't that good. It does lay a bit more of the Pendergast character open though, so I guess I can't complain too much. The character lineup is pretty much the same as The Relic and each of the characters is exposed a little bit more. That's really the most I can say about this book. The science is still interesting but does feel a little rehashed. You can't skip this book in the series but if you could, I'd recommend it.

6-27-10 Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

4 - This is a slightly calmer, more Sookie-reflective book which is a nice addition to the series. Don't get me wrong, there's still action and suspense but overall Dead in the Family has a mellower feel. Sookie learns more about her fae family when Claude moves in with her. She also gets more involved in vampire politics and restrictions when Eric's maker comes to town with his new protege. Didn't think she could get more involved with the vampire world, did ya? Plus, she gets to babysit her nephew, Hunter. That's fun to read. Of course, I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

6-24-10 Instinct by Jeremy Robinson - Fiction

5 - Each book is getting better! I know I've said it before but Jeremy Robinson is one of my new favorite authors. The Chess Team is back in a new adventure and they are faced with an obstacle they don't often come against: separation. Unstoppable as a unit, they realize their weaknesses as they are slowly pulled apart by circumstance. Deep in the jungles of Vietnam a genetically mutated disease is formed and then spreads worldwide. The Chess Team is called in to escort a CDC scientist into the jungle to find the source of the disease so that a cure can be created. Unknown to everyone, there is more than the disease that is a threat in the jungle. A fast paced military and scientific thriller, Instinct is a book that should not be missed.

6-15-10 The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz - Non-Fiction

5 - This is my favorite type of non-fiction: a true story that is so exceptional that it reads like fiction. Seven men walked out of northeastern Russia (when it was still the Soviet Union) and continued walking all the way to India to escape the Russian work camp where they had been imprisoned. The hardships they endured are awesome and the fact that any of them made it to India is astounding. This story is a testament to determination and willpower and also highlights the bonds of friendship and camaraderie that form between men in times of hardship. I can't even describe the trials these men went through running from a totalitarian military and fighting against nature the whole way. Having Slavomir Rawicz decide to finally tell the story of this moment in history displays his courage even more fully than just his actions could have done. When many men would have kept this terrible experience locked away in a dark corner of their mind Rawicz chose to share his story with the world and shows the horrors that men do and the hope that allows men to survive those horrors. A fantastic non-fiction read.

6-10-10 The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - Fiction

5 - Well, this is technically a re-read but I haven't read it since 12/05 when my reviews consisted of "I love this book! It's good!" so I'm writing a new review. This is the first of the Agent Pendergast books. I'm not sure if Preston & Child originally planned to continue with the character because he has a relatively small role and he is a little more rough around the edges as a character. However, the basics of the Pendergast you will come to know and love as you continue on in the series are there. I would recommend that fans of Sherlock Holmes or Lincoln Rhyme novels try the Pendergast series. In any case, the true main characters in this book are Margo Green, a doctorate student, and Vincent D'Agosta, an NYPD lieutenant. what makes Preston & Child's books so addicting and readable is the way they combine well fleshed characters, action, scientific fact, and a supernatural feel into their books and The Relic is a great example of their skill. The New York Museum of Natural History is being plagued with bad publicity because of what have been dubbed "the Museum Murders." Is the murder a man, a wild animal, or something else entirely? Read The Relic and find out.