Book Review 23-30

It's been awhile since I did my book reviews, so here's my most recent reads. I've been too busy reading to blog. LOL! I only have 20 more books to read to reach my goal of 50 by the end of the year. At this rate, it looks like I'll read around 60 in 2009.

# 23. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - Loved it! I am hooked on this series. Harry Potter really tests his skills in year 4 of this series and I was completely surprised by the twist ending. If you haven't read Harry Potter yet, you really should. They are very engaging and engrossing books.

# 24. The Richest Man in Town by W. Randall Jones (review copy)- Read my review here on Mom Saves Money.

# 25. Right on the Money by Pat Robertson (review copy) - Read my review here on Mom Saves Money.

# 26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - Year 5 of the Harry Potter series. This one was very long, but good. The classic tale of good vs. evil, I can tell the series is really building up to a big battle. One of my favorite characters dies in the end. I won't tell you who, you have to read to find out.

# 27. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (book club) - An empty nester rediscovers her identity in the arms of a monk on a small island outside South Carolina. The main character returns to the island when her mother slices off her own finger and buries it. Why is her mom acting 'crazy'? The secret lies with the Mermaid Chair that is in the monastery next to her mother's house. This book is beautifully written with very vivid descriptions of nature. There are strong themes of spirituality and female companionship. At book club, most of the members did not like this book, but I really enjoyed it. It was engaging and interesting throughout. Although, I didn't agree with the actions of the main character at times.

# 28. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris - Book 8 in the Sookie Stackhouse series. The werewolves are at war, the vampires are attacked and Sookie's 'tiger' shifting boyfriend is missing. Another great story from Harris. This series is the inspiration behind the HBO series 'True Blood', which is my favorite show on TV right now.

# 29. How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell (review copy) - Read my review here and enter to win one of 5 copies by June 30, 2009 at Mom Saves Money

# 30. A Weaver Wedding by Allison Leigh (Tell Harlequin review) - This book was one of two sent to me for FREE from Harlequin to review. Harlequin has review programs for both teens and adults, read about the programs and sign up here. I sat down and read it this book in an evening, because I couldn't stop reading it once I started. I enjoy a good romance novel from time to time. The main character, Tara, finds herself spending a romantic weekend with hottie, Axel, and then he just disappears. He returns four months later hired as her bodyguard by her 'Secret Service' twin brother who's about to testify for a big gang trial. Axel doesn't know Tara has a secret, she's pregnant with his baby. Tara had already resolved to raise the baby alone, but when Axel shows up she doesn't know what to do and doesn't want her baby to have a dad with a 'Secret Service' type job like her father did. It was a good read if you enjoy Harlequins. This book is from a series called 'The Men of Double-C Ranch'.