Bye Bye, Baby by Max Allan Collins

Max Allan Collins is an author from Muscatine, Iowa who went to high school with my dad. Bye Bye, Baby is Collin’s fifteenth book featuring private detective Nate Heller. In this volume, Nate is in Los Angeles and has been hired by Marilyn Monroe to tap her phones. Soon after taking the case, however, Nate learns that he isn’t the only person tapping Marilyn’s phone! Three months later, Marilyn is dead and the authorities are calling it suicide, but Nate isn’t convinced. The more Nate learns about the powerful and dangerous people Marilyn was involved with, the more he is certain that her death wasn’t a simple suicide. If you like historical fiction or if you’re interested in Marilyn Monroe, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden (2011) and Night Road (2011) were the first two books I read by Kristin Hannah. She quickly became one of my favorite authors. Although On Mystic Lake is not a new book, I enjoyed it. Annie Colwater has always tried to be the perfect wife and mother, to the extent she has lost a sense of who she is. When her daughter leaves for school and her husband announces he has found someone else, Annie flees to the small Washington town she grew up in: Mystic. There she tries to regain a sense of the women she once was. As the story develops, there are a few twists and turns that keep the reader guessing as to the outcome. Another good read by Kristin Hannah.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

A current trend in books lately is adult fiction authors writing for children. John Grisham is the latest in this trend. Grisham’s newest series is titled, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer. The book is set around Theo, a son of two lawyers, who has not passed the bar but knows more about the legal system than many graduating law students. While other junior high students are worried about the next assignment or upcoming dance, Theo is giving legal advice to kids who might be in jeopardy of losing their home or who have possibly witnessed a murder! I didn’t have the highest hopes for this legal thriller but Grisham was able to put in suspense and keep the reading turning pages to the end. There is a second book, The Abduction, and I think this will be a continuing series.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

A stylish black and white circus that is only open at night is the setting for this luminous and enchanting novel. Behind the scenes of the unusual circus, a dangerous duel is taking place between two powerful magicians who don’t realize the stakes of their competition. The Night Circus is deceptively simple, beautifully written and completely absorbing. I loved, loved, loved this book!

Heartland: The Cookbook By Judith Fertig

I love cookbooks, in fact we have to move to a larger house due to my ever growing cookbook/recipe collection. Although I found several recipes I liked in this cookbook, what really caught my interest is the author's chapter introductions. Ms. Fertig paints a beautiful word picture of the Midwest and many of the things I love about living in the Midwest. This book is worth reading just for the author's beautiful narrative and beautiful pictures (some of Pella)! Can you find them? This is a good read if you like cookbooks or if you don't. There is a little something for everyone in this book.