The Trap by Melanie Raabe

Linda Conrads is a reclusive novelist still traumatized by the murder of her sister twelve years ago.  Linda saw the murderer leaving the scene, but he was never caught.  When she unexpectedly spots him on TV, she is certain no one will believe her.  So she sets a trap for him in the plot of her next novel.  The Trap is a good, twisty thriller.

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

I enjoy this Iowa author, and again, this book was a very good read. I could empathize with the main character, Sarah Quinlan, within the very first pages of the story. The author winds a tale of mystery that keeps you guessing and wondering who did it all through the book. The fact that Sarah's husband displays secretive behavior, makes him suspicious and adds to the suspense. When Sarah finds out that Jack's parents didn't die in a car accident and that his Aunt Julia was murdered in much the same way his mother was years ago, she begins to have questions arise in her mind. Then she finds out that her husband has not been exactly truthful with her about his past. He changed his last name after his mother's death, and he was nearly engaged to Celia, his cousin Dean's wife, when they were young. Caught up in unanswered questions, Sarah begins to investigate the past and the present of the Quinlan family. It isn't until way at the end that the reader finds out what really happened.

Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut

Oh boy.  What to say about Kurt Vonnegut?  To call him a satirist doesn’t even begin to give him credit.  To call his humor simply ’dark’ somehow writes off the intensity and complexity behind the jabs and jokes.  His subject in this book is Walter F. Starbuck, the lowest-level member of the Nixon cabinet, a mere youth caught up in the infamous Watergate scandal and sentenced to jail.  On his first day of freedom, he runs into old enemies, old friends, and old flames, and manages to end up on top of the world before it crumbles beneath him yet again.  Kurt Vonnegut is simply an incredible writer and beyond that, you’ll have to read the book.  Truly a new classic American novelist, or to paraphrase one critic, Mr. Vonnegut is a champion of the simple and direct style, all but lost in most modern novels.  Bravo.

Red Platoon by Clinton Romesha

Read Red Platoon by Clinton Romesha.  That is all that needs to be said. If you would like a book that you can't put down once you start, this one is for you. The book is filled with brotherhood, combat, selflessness, heroism, moments of terror, and moments of deep determination.
Red Platoon looks at the soldiers of Camp Outpost (COP) Keating in Afghanistan in 2009. Due to be shut down due to its poor set-up and sustainability, the base is suddenly attacked in October of that year by large numbers of the Taliban. The book then goes into overdrive, describing how the base was overrun, how the soldiers countered the attack, and how they eventually drove the enemy away, but not without several casualties.
Red Platoon looks at the teamwork it took for these soldiers to think under heavy attack and come out with a working solution. You get a sense of the fog of war, the chaos of combat, and the brutal results of human beings versus modern weaponry. Romesha pulls no punches when it comes to his description of all aspects of the battle.
The most mazing part of this book is the selflessness of Romesha as he describes the battle and the actions he took in its final outcome. If the cover did not tell you otherwise, you would not know that former Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at COP Keating. Never is this an "I" book; it is a "we" book from the very start, and an incredible look our soldiers in the 21st century.

The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie

Set in Palo Alto, California, quirky Veblen who tempts at a local hospital and translates Norwegian, finds that it is comforting to have a squirrel living in her attic; the noise it makes at night comforts her.  It becomes a conflict of interest when her neurologist boyfriend Paul moves in and decides to trap the critter.  Following the trip to set the "charming" squirrel free are several subplots with the dysfunctional relationships of Veblen and her mother and father.  Paul is in the process of testing his medical device for brain trauma veterans, and finds himself standing up against a conniving heiress in order to expose how greed can supersede truth in some pharmaceutical companies.  The couple's impending wedding collides with all these commotions leading to an entertaining read.

Tangle Journey by Beckah Krahula

You know those adult coloring books you see everywhere? This book reminded me of that. It does take it a step up, however, in that you make your own drawings. The idea of relaxing through the process of drawing and creating for 30 minutes a day is appealing. In the end you end up with beautiful works of art. You can make them into a journal, or book, or art to put on your wall....or just fill a drawer full of interesting projects, half done. In any case, I'm going to try it!

Warbird Factory by John Fredrickson

John Fredrickson's Warbird Factory is a look back at North American Aviation and its work during World War II. Though the book looks at the development and construction of some of America's most famous fighting planes, it goes way beyond air combat. Warbird Factory also looks in detail at those who designed these aircraft, and those who built them on the factory floor.
For me, the most entertaining part of the book was the look it took at the factory workers' community. The book discusses everything from the working conditions, to the shifts, to how these people socialized and even how they made the commute to work. Warbird Factory also details labor problems that had to be overcome so that the planes could once again roll off the assembly line.
Along with all of the written information the book presents, it is also a treasure trove of period photos taken inside the factories and the offices of North American Aviation. These pictures help paint the picture of how American factories, and the Americans working in them, came together to help shorten World War II. It is a very enjoyable read.