Itchy Boots Season 8: Bike Building in Germany to the Border of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran

 I haven't written about Itchy Boots' adventurers since Season 7 ended in Africa. She took a few months off to heal from her surgery, and in late September, she started posting videos again to her YouTube channel.  I decided to post this about her first 25 episodes of Season 8. 

2024 

September 29; October 6, 13, 20

We watched episodes 1-4 which were in Germany and the Netherlands

Noraly was in Germany showing us her new bike which is actually a 1987 Yamaha which Moritz and his mechanics custom-made for her.  1987 is special to Noraly because that's the year she was born. In the second episode we learned the bike's name, Frankie, because she is a bit of a Frankenstein.  This section wasn't my favorite as I'm not a huge motorcycle person and prefer Noraly traveling to showing off the new bike, but I know she was eager to get this season started after her channel was idle for over four months.

October 27, 30

We watched episodes 5 and 6 which were in Turkey.

Noraly rode from European Turkey into Asian Turkey. I enjoyed seeing the flamingos, the lake, mountains, and trout farms.

November 3,6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27

We watched episodes 7-14 which were in Turkey

I enjoyed the historical and cultural aspects, seeing a Roman amphitheatre, the city of Konya, Rumi's grave, and a whirling dervish performance. I also enjoyed little girls who were saying "bye" like a southerner (in my opinion) and "I love you" (eps. 9). It was interesting to see underground cities and an abandoned village in Cappadocia (eps. 11), and watching Noraly ride through many tunnels along the Euphrates River to a city on the Black Sea (eps. 13). 

December 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, 18, 21, 25, 29

We watched episodes 15-23 which were in Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan

I enjoyed her interaction with the locals in many of these episodes. In Kurdistan, it was interesting to see the monastery as well as the Yazidi temple. (eps. 19). I was amused by Muhammad trying to interest Noraly in his 18 year old son, and I enjoyed that she was able to give them a gift of honey after they were so hospitable to her (eps. 20).  While Noraly had a great time in Kurdistan, unfortunately, her bike was stolen in Erbil for a bit, and the thieves cut several wires which made the electrical part of her bike unworkable. Because this bike can also be kickstarted, it came in handy that it was an older bike with that option until she can get it fixed (eps. 22). 

2025

January 1, 5

We watched episodes 24 and 25 which took place in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran

As she started for the Iranian border, she discovered she had left her passport at the hotel. Thankfully she wasn't terribly far away so she could go back and get it. A man there reminded her she needed a hijab to use while in Iran so she purchased a scarf. (eps. 24).  The reason she is headed to Iran is so she can, hopefully, enter Federal Iraq. Apparently she can't go directly from the Kurdish region into the non-Kurdish region so she's going into Iran to sort out the visa so she can explore another part of Iraq. She's hoping to get Frankie fixed in Baghdad.  It was interesting to see the border crossing: the helpful people and the ones warning her about petrol smugglers.  Also, a nice customs official left a bag of oranges on her motorcycle while she was in the hotel (eps. 25.)

December 2024

Happy last day of the year! 

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben -- This is the second book featuring sports agent and parttime sleuth Myron Bolitar. When a young tennis star is killed at a major US event, Harlan looks into why Valerie was targeted. He and his friend Win investigate. While these books are easy reading (fast to get through) and are amusing (especially when I read about cassette tapes, VCRs, and car phones not to mention Myron's adolescent humor), I don't love the series so far. 

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins -- Lark wants to work in the oncology department, but she gets moved to emergency medicine because she cries too much when her patients die.  Meanwhile Dr. Santorini aka Dr. Satan, because he's really not a friendly sort, asks for a favor in order to keep his family happy, especially his beloved Noni. Pretty cute story. 

The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- another book in the Under Suspicion series. This time Laurie and her coworkers head to California to interview the mother, friends and acquaintances in the murder of Susan several years ago. Susan was supposed to show up to an audition, but didn't and was later found dead in a canyon. 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley -- A British civil servant is promoted to be part of a secret task: being the "bridge" for someone who is here from the past. Yes, that's right: the British have somehow been able to transport a handful of individuals from the past to current times. This narrator's charge (they call them "expats") is Commander Graham Gore known as 1847 because this is when they think he died while part of Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to the Arctic. 

My Darling Boy by Helen Cooper -- Chrissy awaits the release of her son Leo after he served a two-year sentence for manslaughter. Chrissy's former best friend's son Robbie was killed. When Chrissy goes to pick up her son, he's told Leo left a few hours earlier and now he has seemingly disappeared. 

The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor -- Amelia is an actor chosen to play the romance writer Gloria Diamond, an author her mother loved. Amelia has the opportunity to live with Gloria for a few days, hoping to learn more about the world-famous author, but finds Gloria aloof at best. This book is told in a couple timelines of Gloria as a young woman (known back then as Mare short for Mary), and present time. Interesting story. 

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell -- This book was OK. I kept reading it because I was wanting to know if the NTSB officer investigating a plane crash over Kansas was able to convince Erin, the woman who allegedly survived the crash, to come forward and admit she survived. 

Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb -- Cute story featuring Olive the single mum, news reporter with the BBC circa 1950s and Jack, the Louisiana born chef who gets a job working in the royal kitchens not long after Queen Elizabeth replaces her father. 

The Janes by Lousia Luna -- This book stars Alice Vega and her sidekick Cap from a previous book which I must have liked since I put this book on my list to read. And I did like certain aspects of this story, but it was so hard to get through. I think it's because I was falling asleep while reading it at night, and couldn't follow the story as well as a more-awake me would have done. After Vega and Cap are hired to help the police, they locate the missing girls and are suddenly on the run from these same officers. 

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood -- A good way to learn more about the Wright brothers as well as their sister Katharine and their father. I learned quite a bit from this novel! 

Jackie by Dawn Clifton Tripp -- An interesting look at Jackie Kennedy's life just before she married JFK and beyond. 

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben -- A stand-alone novel which so far I prefer from this author...no offense to Myron Bolitar as he's a pretty cool dude. David is in prison for killing his son. He doesn't remember doing this, but the jury found him guilty and he is serving his time. When his former sister in law visits him in prison with a picture that seems to show his son alive and at an amusement park, David wants to find out if that is Matthew. But he's in prison so that's going to be tricky. 

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde -- When his social studies teacher offers extra credit to any student who comes up with a plan to make the world a better place - and to put that plan into action, Trevor decides to pay it forward by helping someone down on his luck as well as setting up his mom with his social studies teacher. He also helps a lady on his paper route.  He's not sure he's much of a success at implementing his plan, though. 

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins -- I wasn't sure if I'd finish this one before the end of the year, but I had more time to read today and I did finish!  This story is about Grace who lived on an island where her artist friend Vanessa painted and sculpted. Beck is wanting to collect the art pieces Vanessa left to the museum, but Grace isn't keen on giving up her friend's work. An OK book. 

November Books

 The Burning by Jane Casey -- I've seen these mysteries featuring detective Maeve Kerrigan for a while now, and decided to start this series from the beginning so I'd know the characters from the start. This book is from 2010, and I see there are more than a dozen in this series now.  In this book Maeve and her fellow detectives search for a serial killer. Also Louise is coming to grips with her best friend Rebecca's death. 

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse -- This book features Elin and Isaac from past books, and I wish I remembered their stories better, but I've read so many books, I just don't.  In this book the siblings are at a retreat in Portugal where they are supposed to relax and reconnect, however, the mystery of Kier follows them. Kier's brother Penn contacted Isaac about helping to locate his sister so while Elin is supposed to be relaxing, she gets involved in the search. And what's up with the folks living in their vans at the camp?

An American Story: Everyone's Invited by Wilmer Valderrama -- I started this memoir on election day... great story of the author's being born in Miami, but leaving at age three for his father's homeland in Venezuela. I have a soft spot for Venezuelans, and I like Wilmer on NCIS! 

Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke -- An older book, but a really neat story about Rachel who was raised to be a pure Aryan specimen and her meeting with Jason Young, an American journalist stationed in Berlin. Meanwhile Lea is preparing to help with the Passion Play which takes place every decade in Oberammergau. 

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark. -- I realized recently that I've nead a couple newer books in the Under Suspicion series and never knew the backstory referred to in them.  I looked up these books in order and this is book one that introduces us to Laurie Moran whose husband was killed by Blue Eyes when her son was just three. Five years later, the murder is still unsolved, and Laurie is producing a new television show which revisits the murder of a socialite who was hosting her daughter and her daugther's three friends for a Graduation Gala - the four young women had recently graduated from college.  

On The Surface by Rachel McGuire -- Dani and Sawyer are in the Bahamas where Dani is trying to capture the perfect videos to become a YouTube sensation. She's hoping to make a lot of money by posting about their life on a boat. But when Sawyer wakes up after a party and can't find Dani, people start questioning him. Because it's (almost) always the boyfriend or husband, right? 

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty -- Imagine being on a flight nearly getting ready to land when an older lady starts walking up the aisle pointing at people saying "cause of death, age of death" followed by things like "pancreatic cancer, age 66" or "old age, age 100." This is what happened on a flight in Australia, so after that flight people kept tabs on their fellow passengers to see if the Death Lady's predictions came true. Meanwhile the reader learns about this lady's story. Her name is Cherry by the way. Not Cheryl.  

The Stranger at the Wedding by A.E. Gauntlett -- At Annie and Mark's wedding, there is a guy sitting there who gives them both the creeps. Who is this man that they did not invite? Did Mark's father invite him as the stranger claims? Meanwhile we learn the backstory of Annie and Mark and of Cameron and how he came to be at the wedding. 

The Reckoning by Jane Casey --  I decided to try another of the Maeve Kerrigan mysteries. In this book the team starts out investigating the brutal murders of two men convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Why are these men being targeted and will there be more murders?

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen -- Stella is a lawyer for the good of children usually in custody cases, and her good friend Charles asks her to take on the case of 9 year old Rose. Beth and Ian are divorcing, each is suspected in the death of their nanny, but police don't have enough evidence to charge one or the other. Meanwhile they each want Rose to live with them and Stella has to spend time with Rose to figure out which one to recommend. 

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight -- Cleo and her mom, Kat, have a difficult relationship, but Cleo reluctantly agrees to meet her mom for dinner. Yet when Cleo arrives, the food is burning and she can't find her mom. Plus she finds blood on a shoe and broken glass.  This book explores what led up to this evening and beyond as Cleo searches for clues about what happened.

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara -- Julia is back living in Ireland after twenty years in California, and she's meeting a couple school friends for drinks when Eleanor finds out from being tagged on Facebook, that the other person who was supposed to be there, Anya, was discovered dead by her partner. As Julia struggles to make sense of this - along with remembering the fourth girl in their JADE friendship - that would be D for Donna - these viral TikTok videos keep showing her house and someone coming down from the ladder!  Creepy!  With the help of her ex-husband Gabe, her friend Eleanor, and new neighbors Alastair and Drew and Shirin, Julia tries to figure out what's going on.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager -- Ethan comes back to the family house near Princeton when his parents move to Florida. There he is confronted with the disappearance of his best friend Billy who was taken when the boys were ten years old and camping in Ethan's back yard. It's three decades later, but Ethan still has The Dream which fuels his insomnia. 

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden -- Sydney is having a terrible time finding a good guy to date despite using the app specifically for NYC-area matches.  Then she finally meets a doctor who seems spectacular in most every way. Meanwhile the reader learns the backstory of Tom and his pal Slug from high school. 

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles -- A novel set in northern France during World War I when Jessie "Kit" Carson travels there to help set up the library. Only she finds so much more needs doing and she joins in without a fuss. An interesting way to read more about CARD and what the Cards did. 

 A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison -- Riley is a reporter chosen by the famous author Columbia Jones to follow her around while on tour and get exclusive interviews. What a gift! But when Columbia is found dead in her hotel room, Riley as well as Columbia's daughter Darian look to solve this mystery. 

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea -- Sloan uses a DNA testing service as part of a forensic project and finds way more than she bargained for. She appears to be "missing baby Charlotte" from a story that made national headlines nearly three decades ago. 

October Books

 Happy Halloween! 

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen -- Liz is a newspaper reporter who investigates the disappearance of Little Lucy in London with her friend, a detective with the police.  When Liz visits the abandoned town near the coast, she feels strongly that she'd been there before, but how could she have when she grew up in a totally different area?  

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day -- Charley is the 'chambermaid' of a family-owned hotel in the boonies of Maine. After the owner dies, the three Bishop sisters arrive to see what their father left them. Also, a stranger Bree is in residence as Charley helps her flee from an abusive boyfriend. What could go wrong? 

Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman -- After Nina's father dies, she is stunned to learn of a house in the British Virgin Islands that he left her. Her father never left England as far as she knew - how did he have a house there? Meanwhile Maria is hired to be a nanny for a single father and his two children who are vacationing in the Caribbean. Only...they never show up. Instead she's given instructions to enjoy the house except for the room at the end of the bottom floor. No problem.  

The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart -- Ana is a Christian Polish woman who delivers babies. Ester is a Jewish woman Ana delivered years ago. When the two meet at Auschwitz, they encourage each other to not give up. 

The Orphanage by Lizzie Page -- After she's let go of her dream job which includes organizing things in neat rows, Clara takes a job as a housemother at the Shilling Grange Orphanage where she has eight children under her care. She soon discovers caring for troubled children is way beyond her ability so she seeks to leave so someone more qualified can take her place. The head lady at the council asks for six weeks to find someone else, and during this time Clara seeks to help the children in ways unfamiliar to them. I really enjoyed this book which captured my interest from the start! 

Murder Road by Simone St. James -- Eddie and April are headed towards their honeymoon destination when Eddie takes a wrong exit, and the couple give a ride to a young woman who turns out to be stabbed. They get involved in this small-town's history of murders along this one road.

Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman -- Agnes is thrilled when the author of her favorite novel invites her to her Hudson Valley home in order to help with the sequel. But things get strange as the author's novel sounds more like a true story, and Agnes wonders how her own mother may play into it. 

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott -- Pretty interesting story ranging from Olga and Boris in the USSR to the spy agency in the United States featuring The Typists as well as Irinia and Sally, Teddy and Henry among others.  

Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins -- Willa's sister disappeared when Laika was thirteen, and, understandably, this colored Willa's life from that time forward. She attended a boarding school where she met Robyn, and later Willa meets up with Robyn again and meets Robyn's wife Cat. Anyway...this book was actually pretty good, but I found it rather weird that I'd just read about Laika in the book before this one - and here it was used again. And the girl named Laika was named Laika because of the dog! Ha!

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter -- Jonah is getting ready to pop the question to Lauren when she takes a tumble and ends up losing her memory of the summer when they fell in love. Instead she remembers her arrival at Jonah's parents' resort and how he was unwelcoming to her in the director's role. Jonah is heartbroken to realize Lauren can't remember that they turned from foes to dating. 

The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning -- This book takes place partly in Australia where Roza and Hannah are visited by Roza's father Nico from the former Yugoslavia. Hannah is thirteen when her grandpa brings an album that Roza hides and forbids her daughter to see. Another part of this book takes place in Mauthausen, Austria, where a photographer saves negatives of pictures he takes for the Nazis. The Nazis want five photo albums showing off their atrocities, but the photographer and his helper make an extra copy so the world will one day know what the Germans did.  

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar -- Two sisters - ten months apart and both seniors in high school - attend their school's Senior Sabbatical, and one of them is missing. As Grace tries to remember what happened the night she was rescued from the side of a road, Maddy tells the story of what they did during their five days away from home. 

Six Years by Harlan Coben -- Jake is waiting for his next office hours appointment when he sees the obituary of a man he watched his summer love marry six years ago. As promised, he didn't contact Natalie while she was married to Todd, but now that he's died, he wants to reconnect. When he flies to South Carolina for the funeral, he is stunned to find Todd has a different wife and teenage children. Did this man have another family that Natalie didn't know of? Where is Natalie? 

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- After her author husband dies by suicide, Anna Williams-Bonner tries her hand at writing a novel and meets immediate success. As she does book tours around the country, Anna meets various types. When she starts getting excerpts of a manuscript mirroring her own life, Anna seeks to find who is sending these drafts to herself and her husband's parents, among others. 

The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- After Casey serves 15 years for the manslaughter of her fiancé, she is determined to prove her innocence. She contacts Laurie from the Under Suspicion TV show about investigating her case.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin -- Emma is a single parent with a young daughter who is lucky to find a compassionate boss who gives her a job in a library. I say "lucky" because at the time of this book, married women and those with children seldom worked. This book takes place during World War II and is a pretty good story! 

September Books

 Tell Me Who You Are by Louisa Luna -- This book alternates between the perspectives of Dr. Caroline, a therapist who makes up names for her patients; Gordon Strong, a man who was recently fired and sharing all his gripes about life; and Ellen Garcia, a woman held hostage. 

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb -- Eh, this book was not a favorite, but I kept reading to see how it ended since it was a quick read. Sophie moves with her husband Graham and son Jack to a small town in Texas where she'd lived during high school. She wanted somewhere smaller to raise her son, but finds it rather boring. When she's invited to join an exclusive club with a handful of beautiful, rich women, she gets more excitement than she bargained for! 

The Rom-Comers by Katherine Center -- For ten years Emma has been the caretaker for her father who was injured in a rockslide, but when her former boyfriend Logan calls her with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - writing with a famous screenplay writer in Los Angeles, her dad and sister agree that Emma has to go!  When Emma finds herself outside of Charlie's house, eavesdropping because the door popped open, and realizes he had no idea she was coming, she's furious at Logan for getting her to LA by deceptive means. 

The Wrong Family by Ellery Kane -- After years of living in foster and group homes, Hallie is now a young adult wanting to locate her father. When a DNA match supposedly helps her find THE Robert Thompson, she is thrilled at how her father welcomes her. She's invited to spend a couple of weeks at her father's house in Lake Tahoe, and enjoys working at the restaurant, but can't ignore all the weird things that have been happening.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker --  Patch and Saint are best friends, both a bit outcast, but they have each other's backs. When Patch does something heroic and disappears, Saint stays after the local police to find her friend. This book goes on and on and on (nearly 600 pages!!), yet I kept reading because I had just enough interest in what happens, and also the chapters are super-short which I like.

The Match by Harlan Coben -- Wilde was found living in the woods as a boy, and has recently submitted his saliva to a DNA site in order to locate his family. When a second cousin known as PB reaches out to him, Wilde reluctantly gets in touch and becomes involved in a search for someone who murdered online trolls. 

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell -- Cate and her family are living in a posh neighborhood while their house is being repaired from extensive damage. She likes the place except for the creepy neighbor across the street, and the empty lots behind the fence where foxes scream...and people hang out. When a teenager goes missing, Cate is relieved when the creepy neighbor is taken in for questioning, but why does she have some misgivings about this? This book is told from the perspectives of Cate, Saffyre, and Owen. 

Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke -- After her mother's funeral, Lilliana flees her home in Philadelphia to stay with her aunt Hyacinth in the mountains of North Carolina. There she hides out from her scheming father and husband, and gets to know the locals. 

Two Girls Down by Lousia Luna -- Alica Vega teams up with Cap to investigate the disappearance of Kylie and Bailey, two girls who disappeared when their mom made a quick stop at Kmart. 

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson -- Abigail and Bruce are three weeks from getting married when something regrettable happens on her bachelorette weekend. When she sees Scott in her hometown, she wonders if he's there to see her or just happens to be in the area. It is New York City, after all. When Abigail and Bruce go to a remote island in Maine, creepy things start happening. 

The House on Cold Creek Lane  by Liz Alterman -- Two storylines: Laurel and Corey. One (Laurel) is the current resident of the house while the other (Corey) lived there with her husband and daughter until a tragedy sent her to live with her mom in Florida. Laurel meets neighbors in her new community. She can't stand the nosy grandma, but adores the beautiful single lady Addie. Meanwhile her husband Rob wants to fit in and makes demands on Laurel while she's struggling.  Pretty clever ending though I figured out a bit of it before the big reveal. 

The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini -- A few years ago, I read alllll the Elm Creek Quilts novels in my library, and then saw this book in the New Books section the other day. The author says this is "in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Elm Creek Quilts series."  Summer returns to Pennsylvania after being unable to finish her master's thesis in time to graduate. She uses the summer to enjoy quilt camps, and be with her friends and family while taking on the project of curating a museum of quilts for the Waterford Historical Society. I enjoyed the historical discoveries she made along the way.  

What You Made Me Do by Barbara Gayle Austin -- A couple different timelines with Anneliese looking for her birth mother, and then the story of Willem and his mom, the beautiful, but tyrannical concert pianist, Louisa. How do these people fit together?  Pretty good. 

The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden -- Millie and Enzo (from the author's previous books) are married with two children who recently moved to a bigger place on Long Island. As the children Ada and Nic try to fit in, Millie is concerned with her son's change of personality. She's also concerned about her next-door neighbor who seems to have eyes for Enzo and a talent for insulting Millie.  

It Was An Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella -- The full title of this book includes "and other thoughts on moving forward." I read a book by this author a few weeks ago, and finally read this one which was a follow-up about her life in Manhattan. She told stories about the couch her father loved and their search for a bigger apartment in their same building, and stories about several other things. 

August Books

 The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd -- Pretty good story about Caroline and Patrick, art students sent to an advisor who encourages them in their quest to find out more about a missing painting and the life of Juliette Willoughby who died in a fire in Paris years ago. This alternates between a few storylines and decades.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay -- Ryan and Ali were highschool sweethearts when Ali was kidnapped and he was suspected in her disappearance. Now he's in Italy on a school trip when the car Ali was driving that night has been found in a lake. Poppy McGee is the new deputy put on the case. Pretty good story. 

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson -- Joan and Richard met one summer when they were at a beach resort in Maine. Through the years they kept in touch - anonymously and very sporadically - for nefarious reasons. Meanwhile Joan hires her former English teacher, now a private investigator Henry Kimball who is featured along with Lily in some other books from this author. 

The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann  H. Gabhart -- This book took much longer to read than I anticipated. Not because it was dull...it was actually decent, but I was watching so much of the Olympics "Live" and then again at night during Primetime with Andrew so that cut into my reading time a lot. I really enjoyed races on the track the last several days! Anyway, this book is about Mira who got a fast proposal from a preacher who lives in the Kentucky mountains. He wants her to go back with him as his wife and to be a school teacher to the children there. 

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell -- This is a Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel which I enjoyed, but would have appreciated more if I were familiar with the character. I did look her up. In this book Jessica is hired by Amber whose twins Fox and Lark spent the summer with their father in the UK, and came back changed. They were "perfect," too perfect and Amber wants Jessica to investigate. 

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley -- The timelines of the book switch around quite a bit, but it was pretty good. Bella is part of the grand opening of a new resort her childhood friend Francesca started. We have flashbacks to the summer that the girls were friends, and so forth. An OK book. 

Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat -- Hazel and Jean are two women who are dealing with the aftermath of the German occupation of the Channel Islands where residents are desiring to punish those who they feel collaborated with the enemy. An OK story. 

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen -- Ariel gets a disturbing text -- well, disturbing because the guy who supposedly sent it died as far as she knows. Then it's found out that a glitch caused five-year-old texts to be sent, and, well, Ariel and her work friend Zain end up looking into what happened to cause Ariel's boyfriend Drew to leave as he did. 

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay -- Except for his brother in prison, Matt's family was found dead while on vacation in Mexico. The authorities initially say it was accidental, but FBI agents aren't so sure. Matt travels to Mexico to return his family's bodies and solve the mystery.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate -- Two timelines in this book: one around 1909 and the other in the 1990s. Olive and the little Choctaw girl who has lived with her family for a few years escape Olive's stepfather and go on the run. They meet up with other children living in the wild. Meanwhile Valerie has recently taken a job as a ranger with the National Park Service in Oklahoma where she investigates things that happen within the park.  

What Have We Done? by Shari Lapena -- When Diana is found murdered in a field, her friends Riley and Evan try to figure out what happened to her. Did her boyfriend Cameron kill Diana in a fit of rage when she broke things off with him? Was it a creepy teacher or the customer who liked to visit the store? 

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine -- This book revisits characters from the authors' debut novel featuring Amber, the latest Mrs. Parrish; Daphne, the ex who wants nothing to do with her former husband; and Jackson recently released from prison for tax evasion. 

Our Kind of Game by Johanna Copeland -- Stella has the perfect life in a nice community filled with glamorous people just like herself. Yet she escapes that life occasionally and thinks back on her formative years. Meanwhile in another storyline Julie deals with her mom and her mom's many boyfriends. So fun. 

July Books

 The Teacher by Freida McFadden -- The Bennetts teach in the same high school. Whereas Eve is a not-well-liked, rather stern math teacher, her husband Nate is handsome, kind, and a very-much-liked English teacher. No one comes to love him more than Addie who has both Mr. and Ms. Bennett, and whose love of poetry makes her a favorite of Mr. Bennett. Addie is picked on by bullies so Mr. Bennett looking out for her attracts her to him. Interesting story with a twist that made me want to reread the whole book looking for clues! 

Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde -- Ru heard her mom describe her daughter as "freakishly smart" when she was just a little girl, and sure enough Ru (short for Rumaki) is set to begin college at thirteen. In order to better support her, Ru lives with a mom and son who rent out their extra room to students, and Ru becomes good friends with Gabriel, who is starting college as well. When something life-changing happens, Ru and Gabriel decide to fulfill a college list (instead of a bucket list) and head off to see stars somewhere in Utah, the aurora in the Northwest Territories, and puffins!  Pretty cute story. 

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena -- Three adult siblings reluctantly eat lunch with their parents on Easter Sunday when their father drops a bombshell that leaves them leaving in a hurry. When the housekeeper finds the parents dead in the kitchen when she arrives on Tuesday, the police are convinced one of the children - Catherine, Dan, or Jenna - killed the Mertons. They just have to prove it. 

Last House by Jessica Shattuck -- Bet and Nick meet and marry and have two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick is often gone to the Middle East as part of a US company representing Big Oil, and Bet manages things at home. Later Katherine becomes quite the activist in standing up to all the things that make society grand (some will say).  

So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White -- yet another book featuring reporter Bailey Weggins as she's a guest at someone's house when a supermodel winds up dead. Bailey does her thing - investigates! 

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White -- Eve and Daniella meet in their first year at college, as roommates they become fast friends. Later they lose touch as Eve sheds her wealthy upbringing to live simply with people against the Vietnam War - who openly cheer the Viet Cong instead. Meanwhile Daniella gets her law degree, gets married, and so forth.  The book later explores Sarah and Anna's life as daughters of Daniella and Eve. Pretty good.

The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier -- This book takes us to an island near Venice where the glassmakers lived and crafted goblets, platters, mirrors, and candlesticks among other things. It follows Orsla beginning as a 9 year old girl, and it travels through decades - sometimes generations - with Orsla aging a bit, but not as if she truly lived all those years. Most of the main characters are still there with a few dying off from the plague and other illnesses. An interesting look at life in Murano from the 1400s on.  Pretty clever.  I'm glad the author included a list of Italian words and phrases sprinkled throughout this book. I should know many Italian and Venetian curses if I choose to remember them! 

Even If It Kills Her by Kate White -- another Bailey Weggins book because I figured I might as well read the complete series; In this book, Bailey is contacted by a friend from their years at Brown. Jillian's family was murdered back then and the guy convicted of their murders might not be the true killer. DNA tests found a new person on the scene. Of course, Bailey investigates! 

The Stranger by Harlan Coben -- I was browsing at the library the other day because all my holds are still ON HOLD at the library, and saw a sign that had book similar to ______, and was right in the row with this author's books so I got one. And I liked this fast-paced story. Adam was at a lacrosse meeting - one his wife usually attended - when a stranger came up to him and told him a secret that got Adam investigating his wife's activities from a couple years back. This stranger knows things - and spreads his tidbits of knowledge to people. Pretty interesting story. 

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb -- Three best friends live near each other and regularly meet for Wine Nights around Kittie's fantastic pool. When a handsome single man moves into the neighborhood, Jen, recently divorced, sets her sights on him. But Will Harding seems interested in others as well. 

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth -- Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met as foster children in a woman's house years ago. Initially Miss Fairchild was warm and inviting to Jessica (the first of the three children she took in), but her moods became increasingly volatile. Years later the foster sisters are contacted when bones are excavated on the property where they grew up. 

Such a Perfect Wife by Kate White -- I think this is the last of the Bailey Weggins series though I saw in her last book that the author mentioned bringing back another in the future so we'll see. In this book Bailey goes to Lake George, New York, on assignment when a woman is missing. Shannon went on a jog and never came home. 

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben -- I saw the library had a lot of this author's books so I decided to start book 1 of the Myron Bolitar series which was published way back in 1995. It's quite funny to read about people rewinding messages on their answering machines, and guys talking on their car phones. I like Myron's sense of humor somewhat, especially pertaining to his name.  In this story, he is a sports agent who investigates with his friend Win. They try to track down a missing woman who was engaged to Myron's latest signee, Christian.  So far I prefer the standalone novel mentioned above, but I may continue this series when I need more to read.

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins -- Miriam lives on a narrow boat, and makes a gruesome discovery at the boat parked next door. (It had stayed two days too long so she had to see what was the matter with this rulebreaker!)  Meanwhile Laura is struggling to fit into life, and is questioned by the police. This book is full of interesting characters. 

Good Apples: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York by Elizabeth Passarella -- I enjoyed this memoir that I found one day recently when I was looking for good stories to read. The author grew up near Memphis, TN, but ended up going to New York City after college - and married a guy from Manhattan. Pretty interesting! 

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace -- When Jo Jones inherits an estate in England, she goes to this small village since there is nothing in the US holding her back. Her marriage failed, her job is over, and her mom is dead. Jo discovers a painting hidden behind a dresser, but then it goes missing. And someone is found dead on her property.  A mystery!   Kind of cool that I did a reverse image search - my first one - and the very next day Jo did one, too! 

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson -- Martha starts suspecting her husband of something and calls an old college friend Lily who helped her get away from a bad relationship years ago. Lily decides to show up at the teachers' conventions where Martha's husband sells his wares when she comes across an acquaintance from the past. 

She Left by Stacie Grey -- Amy walked away from a party, and minutes later the cabin exploded with several of her friends and acquaintances dying. Twenty years later, about ten people associated with those who died are gathered because a journalist wants to revisit the story.  Amy - now known by her middle name Therese - is an FBI agent, and when things get weird at the meeting, she has to investigate!