SUMMER READING CHALLENGE.....

I was over at A Novel Challenge checking out the reading challenges and came across one I'm going to join.  The challenge, Reading Every Season Summer Reading Challenge is hosted by Julie over at Reading Every Season.  Here are some rules for the challenge.

1. This is a design it yourself challenge. I want you to choose your own reading goals. This is a low pressure challenge meant to be fun.
2. Ideally books should be summer themed but this will not be a rule. Include books with words to do with summer, the beach, sand, the ocean or sea, swimming, summer holidays, summer clothing, sunglasses, the sun, or summer weather.  Books with a summer, pool, or beach scene on the cover will also be encouraged.
 3. If you prefer not to stick with only summer themed books that is okay. I want as many people to participate as possible so I will allow all books no matter the subject or title. However, everyone is strongly encouraged to focus on summer themed books.
4. When you have reviewed a book, you are encouraged to come back to this post and add the link to your review in the comments.

I've set my personal goal of 5 books to read this summer.  This is my list of books. I've linked the books to their pages at Amazon.com if you want to check them out

1. Field of Prey - John Sandford
2. Summer of The Dead - Julia Keller
3. That Summer - Lauren Willig
4. Secrets of the Lost Summer - Carla Neggers
5. A Death in Summer - Benjamin Black

BOOK REPORT.....

Jack & Jill - James Patterson(Alex Cross Series)

Product Description(Amazon.com)
A controversial U.S. Senator is found murdered in his Georgetown bed. On the other side of town, a beautiful little girl is found dead, savagely beaten. Washington, D.C. homicide detective Alex Cross is brought in to try to find a connection between the two murders--even as the killer strikes again. No one in Washington is safe--not children, not politicians, not even the President of the United States. Cross has impressive skills and the courage to match, but can he discover the truth in time?. 
Series: Alex Cross 
Hardcover: 432 pages 
Publisher: Little Brown & Co (T); 1st edition (September 1996) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316693715 
ISBN-13: 978-0316693714

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 3 of the Alex Cross series.  As with the previous Alex Cross books it keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Alex is hunting for a child killer.  He is pulled off that investigation to go to the White House.  The President could be the next target.  The child killings has Alex upset and worried for his own son who goes to the same school as the murders.  Alex calls in his own investigation team, John Sampson, his best friend and a few other detectives agree to help.  Now Alex has to work really hard to figure out who Jack & Jill are before any more famous people get murdered.  Does the President get killed?  Does Alex catch the child killer?  Read the book, it's really good!

This book is Number 19 on my Full House Reading Challenge list.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY......

Ashley over at Ramblings and Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check out all the great pictures everyone is sharing.

1. Favorite Time of Day...is early morning.  I get some quiet time before my day starts.

2. Nature....Looking out the front room window, there is lots of plants and animals to see.

3. The sky.....it was really hard getting a blue sky.....it has rained almost everyday this week.  But I waited and got one of a blue sky.

 4. Hello.....I was stumped on this one.  Got the idea from Bella and her toys.  It's Hello Kitty!

5. Photographer's Choice....I noticed a squirrel going up a light pole. 

Don't forget to head over to Ashley's place.  Here is the list of pictures to shoot for next week.
1. Down the Street
2. Beneath my Feet
3. Faceless
4. Blurry
5. Red, White, and Blue

CROOKED.....

I'm the one that took a crooked picture as you can see.

No I didn't just take a picture of a light pole.  I took the picture of what's on top of the pole.

I saw this squirrel scampering up this pole.  I tried to get a couple of him going up the pole, but he was moving too fast for my camera to catch him moving.

PURPLE.....

One of Bella's toys is a purple case....

you might ask what's in this purple case...

It's blocks.  The blocks have numbers, pictures and empty spaces.  Bella arranges them in different ways, but she knows her numbers.  When she's done playing with them, she always puts the numbers up.

BOOK REPORT.....

Kiss The Girls- James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
In Los Angeles, a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a beautiful medical intern suddenly disappears. Washington D.C.Us Alex Cross is back to solve the most baffling and terrifying murder case ever. Two clever pattern killers are collaborating, cooperating, competing--and they are working coast to coast. 
Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages 
Publisher: Warner Books; Reissue edition (December 1, 1995) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 9780446601245 
ISBN-13: 978-0446601245

MY THOUGHTS: This is the second book in the Alex Cross Series.  As always, I liked the book.  I just like the way the author keeps you glued to the book.  I really wanted to see if Alex Cross linked these two murders together, which he did.  All the characters in the book were easy to follow along and the author added all the juicy info to keep you interested to the end.

This is Number 1 on my list for the Full House Reading Challenge.

CAPTURED......

on camera that is.  We have a Groundhog that lives under our barn.  He/She, we aren't sure if this is a male or female Groundhog.  He/She comes out in the spring and eats the grass around our barn.  This spring we got a surprise.  He/She is a female Groundhog.  We have baby Groundhogs now!

NEEDLEWORK TUESDAY.....

Heather over at Books and Quilts is the host for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and check out the rug Heather is crocheting.

As for what I've been working on, crocheting and quilting.  My At The Beach Afghan is coming along.  This is the inspiration for the pattern....

See the bag is the upper left hand corner?  That's the color scheme I'm using.  The small bands have 2 rows and the large bands have 5 rows.  This is the updated picture...

The quilt I'm working on is for my son.  It's a Dachshund Quilt.  I've got the first 2 rows done.  The blocks are 9 inch.  The fabric I'm putting dogs on is Bleached Muslin.

What projects are you working on?

READING CHALLENGE.....

I was blog hopping and came across You, Me, and a Cup of Tea.  She has all her reading challenges listed and found one I would like to join in on.  It is the Full House Reading Challenge and is hosted over at The Book Date.  Here are the guidelines for this challenge.

1. Challenge will run from Jan 1st to December 31st 2015

2. Write and publish a post stating your intention to participate. In the post please include the Challenge graphic and a link back to this post. Then link your intention post at the bottom of this post.  Make sure it is the actual post and not just a generic link to your blog.  
 3.Entries will be accepted up until the end of September 2015.
4.  Add your reviews back here on the link in this post. At the end of every three months there will be a U.S. $12 prize with a book of your choice from the Book Depository or U.S. Amazon voucher, for the entries. There will be a new linky then for the next quarter and so on to the end of December.
 5. Reviews are not mandatory and if you prefer to keep a list of the books read and the category they cross off the card, then you can still enter for the completion of a Full House by linking to that list.   *Added 24th December to clarify.

The idea is to fill up this card.

BOOK REPORT.....

Helsinki Blood - James Thompson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
An Estonian woman begs Inspector Kari Vaara to find her daughter, Loviise, a young woman with Down syndrome who was promised work and a better life in Finland… and has since disappeared.

One more missing girl is a drop in the barrel for a police department that is understaffed and overburdened, but for Kari, the case is personal: it’s a chance for redemption, to help the victims his failed black-ops unit was intended to save, and to prove to his estranged wife, Kate, that he’s still the man he once was.

His search will lead him from the glittering world of Helsinki’s high-class clubs to the darkest circles of Finland’s underground trade in trafficked women and straight into the path of Loviise’s captors, who may be some of the most untouchable people in the country. 
Series: An Inspector Vaara Novel 
Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (March 4, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0425264610 
ISBN-13: 978-0425264614

MY THOUGHTS:  New author for me.  Although this is a series of books by this author, this is a good stand alone book.  I got all the details of  the character's in this book.  It was a very well written book and really enjoyed reading this book. 

Human Trafficking - Margaret Haerens

Product Description(Amazon.com)
This series provides readers with the information they need to think critically about the worldwide implications of global issues; each volume focuses on a controversial topic of worldwide importance and offers a panoramic view of opinions.; ; By illuminating the complexities and interrelations of the global community, this excellent resource helps students and other researchers enhance their global awareness. Each volume focuses on a controversial topic of worldwide importance and offers a panoramic view of opinions selected from a diverse range of international sources, including journals, magazines, newspapers, nonfiction books, speeches, government documents, organization newsletters, and position papers. These books contain an annotated table of contents; locator maps, to help readers place countries or areas covered in the essays; “for further discussion” questions; a worldwide list of organizations to contact; bibliographies of books and periodicals; and a subject index. 
File Size: 1557 KB 
Print Length: 224 pages 
Publisher: Greenhaven Press; 1 edition (December 1, 2011) 
Publication Date: December 16, 2011 
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 
Language: English 
ASIN: B00MMP7NVU

MY THOUGHTS:   This is a very small book, but packed with lots of information.  It has all kinds of info on the human trafficking that takes place around the world.  Very interesting book, but also very disturbing in it's content. 

This is also my wrap up for the European Reading Challenge.  Hosted over at Rose City Reader.

BUDS.....

The Hosta's and StarGazier Lilly's are budding and blooming.  I've linked each plant to it's page at Wiki if you want to read about them.

Hosta's budding....

Stargazer Lilly's budding and blooming....

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY.....

Ashley over at Ramblings & Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check it out.

Here's my pictures for the week:
1.Special....baby Groundhogs munching grass in our back yard.

2.  Habit...is reading from about 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm

3.  Explore....while walking around the yard to see what flowers were blooming I came across this.

4.  Me....on the couch with Bella and Luke.  Luke is under the pink blanket.

5.  Sprinkle.....Bella and Luke playing in the water on a hot day

Pictures to shoot for next week.
1. Favorite time of Day
2.Nature
3. The Sky
4. Hello
5. Photographers Choice

BOOK REPORT....

The Last Good Man - A. J. Kazinski

Product Description(Amazon.com)
In Beijing, a monk collapses in his chamber , dead.

A fiery mark—a tattoo? a burn?—spreads across his back and down his spine. In Mumbai, a beloved economist dies suddenly. The same symbol appears. Similar deaths are reported around the world—the victims all humanitarians, all with the same death mark. In Venice, a rogue Italian policeman links the deaths, tracing the evidence. Who is killing good people around the world?

In Copenhagen, the Interpol alert lands on the desk of veteran detective Niels Bentzon: Find the “good people” of Denmark and warn them. But Bentzon is a man who is trained to see the worst in humanity, not the good.

Just as Bentzon is ready to give up, he meets Hannah Lund, a brilliant astrophysicist mourning the death of her son. With Hannah’s help, Bentzon begins to piece together the puzzle of these far-flung deaths. A pattern emerges—a perfectly executed plan of murder. There have been thirty-four deaths—two more to come if the legend is true. According to the pattern, Bentzon and Hannah can predict the time and place of the final two murders. The deaths will occur in Venice and Copenhagen. And the time is now. 
Paperback: 480 pages 
Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (March 12, 2013) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1451640765 
ISBN-13: 978-1451640762

MY THOUGHTS:  This book is based on the Jewish belief of the thirty six righteous but unenlightened people who prevent the end of the world.  The mysteries of science and religion collide and slide together in perfect interlocking segments.  Niels is hunting down someone to help him figure out these murders.  Hannah works out a system based on science.  Niels, Hannah and Tomaso are the only 3 people who believe this.  They are trying to find a murderer who is traveling around the world killing all the good people.  Hannah is the one that finds the connection between them all. This book was very compelling, I couldn't put it down.  I wanted to find out what the connection was and who was killing these people.  I was totally surprised by the ending of the book.  I did not see that coming.  Awesome book!

This is for my European Reading Challenge hosted over at Rose City Reader.  This is my book for Denmark.
This is also Number 2 on my list for the Full House Reading Challenge.

WATER FUN......

We've been have typical Indiana weather for the last couple of weeks.  High 80's with 70 to 100% humidity.  In other words, you go outside, it's like walking into a Sauna.  So the kids have been having lots of fun with the water toys they have.

DRESS UP......

You ever play Dress Up when you were a child?  Put on your parents clothes and pretend your something else?  Tommy recently had an important meeting with a potential client.  He bought new pants, shirt, tie and shoes.  Bella saw him all dressed up and wanted to wear his clothes.  She put his shirt on, his tie and his shoes.  She was telling everyone she was a doctor.

DELAYED SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY......

I forgot to post my Scavenger Hunt Sunday pictures on Sunday......so I'm doing it now.  If you want to check this out and read more....head over to Ashley's place, Ramblings and Photos.

Then and Now.......Dandelions....... everyone has them.  Now they are yellow and then they are sticks in your yard.

Indulge....made a trip to JoAnn's Fabric to look browse around the fabric and yarn department.

Happiness.....Bella getting her picture taken, she's a camera hog.

Summer.....my Lilly's are blooming, a sure sign of summer.

Pop of Color.....the storm rolled in and it looked like it was dark.  You can see the pop of yellow from someone's lights being on.

Don't forget to hop over to Ashley's place for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.

What to look for next week
1. Special
2. Habit
3. Explore
4. Me
5. Sprinkle

BOOK REPORT.....

A Duke of Her Own - Eloisa James

Product Description(Amazon.com)

A duke must choose wisely . . .

Leopold Dautry, the notorious Duke of Villiers, must wed quickly and nobly—and his choices, alas, are few. The Duke of Montague's daughter, Eleanor, is exquisitely beautiful and fiercely intelligent. Villiers betroths himself to her without further ado.
After all, no other woman really qualifies. Lisette, the outspoken daughter of the Duke of Gilner, cares nothing for clothing or decorum. She's engaged to another man, and doesn't give a fig for status or title. Half the ton believes Lisette mad—and Villiers is inclined to agree.
Torn between logic and passion, between intelligence and imagination, Villiers finds himself drawn to the very edge of impropriety. But it is not until he's in a duel to the death, fighting for the reputation of the woman he loves, that Villiers finally realizes that the greatest risk may not be in the dueling field . . .
But in the bedroom. And the heart. 
Hardcover 
Publisher: Avon Books (2009) 
ISBN-10: 1615233369 
ISBN-13: 978-1615233366

MY THOUGHTS:  I thought I would give myself a break from murder mysteries and read my second favorite book.  I love Historical Romances.  They make me believe in romance and happy endings.  This one is truly this.  Leopold is looking for a wife to help raise his bastard children.  Eleanor has had her heart broken by one man and decides she will only marry a Duke and not for love.  So she sits her sites on a Duke for her husband.  Lisette is the perfect woman for Leopold, as she doesn't give a fig about society.  But he really wants Eleanor.  So he must choose between the two.  The thing is, Lisette is a little on the fickle side.  Then you throw in the man that broke Elanor's heart, Astley, who's wife recently dies.  Astley turns up trying to get Eleanor back, but Eleanor has fallen in love with Leopold.  So who does Eleanor decide to marry and is it for her young love or the more mature love of women?  Great book!

This is also for my European Reading Challenge.  This is being hosted over at Rose City Reader.
This is also for my Full House Reading Challenge...Number 7 on my list.