6. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli. Bottom line is that Marilyn was a sensitive and desperate woman. Taraborrelli interviewed many of the people in Marilyn's life and used newly released documentation to present is well written biography. If you're a fan of Norma Jean, you'll find this story interesting. My rating: ***
5. Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope by Don & Susuie Van Ryn, Colleen Newell and Whitney Cerak. After a motor vehicle accident in Indiana in 2006, the wrong girl was identified as the lone survivor. Five weeks later, she awakes from a coma and the error is discovered. This is the story of how the families used their faith to cope with the extraordinary circumstances they faced. My rating: ****
4. Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts. Rowan Tripp is a special breed of firefighters - a smoke jumper. Last season her jump partner died in a fire, and Rowan is still coming to terms with his death. She's not one to mix business with pleasure. Until she meets Gull Curry, that is. And then the murders begin. My rating: ****
3. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. This is the 10th novel of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, and I've read them all - so these girls are my friends and of course I care about what is going on in their lives! Lindsay is getting married; Yuki is prosecuting the biggest case of her life; Cindy is falling in love; and Claire is... well, not much is going on with Claire. I guess her baby is keeping her busy. None the less, it's an interesting chapter of their lives and I'm ready for what comes next (which is rumored to be a crossover book with his Alex Cross character). My rating: ****
2. Drop Dead Beautiful by Jackie Collins. This 6th novel written about Lucky Santangelo is the first I've read in the series. It's full of Hollywood, Vegas, Italian Mafia, sex and violence. Ah, to be one of the Beautiful People! My rating: ****
1. The Island by Erin Hilderbrand. Four women come together to spend a month at their family beach house on Tuckernuck Island, near Nantucket. The two sisters, their mother and their aunt use the time getting to know each other - and themselves - better as they wrestle with their own internal demons. My rating: ****
What I'm reading right now:
1. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. Continuing the story that began in Shanghai Girls, See tells the story of Joy returning to China to find her true father.
2. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Hoffman's first book is about 12-year-old Cecelia Rose Honeycutt's childhood. Her mom is crazy and her dad is mean, but Aunt Tootie is a godsend and the housekeeper Oleta is wise, wise woman.
So, what are you reading these days?
