July 2016 Book Report

Sidetracked Suspicions (2015) by Emily Thomas

Blue Hills Library series. This one kinda irked me. I know it’s supposed to take place in a smallish town where most of the folks know each other, and for the most part, get along. But when the majority suddenly cast suspicion on and turn against one of the most upright, dependable women I take issue. What happened to putting the best construction on everything?? A valuable vase disappears from the railroad museum and it looks like Wendy was the last one around before the vase went missing. So of course she was the one who took it. Gimme a break! Everything turns out OK in the end, because that’s what this series is about, but Wendy was much more willing to forgive and forget than I would be…

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On the Night of the Seventh Moon (1972) by Victoria Holt

Typical V. Holt book. I read most of the way through and then skipped to the end because I got bored with the turmoil in the middle and could see the ending coming. Young Helena is at a boarding school in Germany and meets the mysterious Maximillian in the forest while on a day trip. Lots of romance, intrigue, shenanigans and whatnot.

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Winter Wheat (1944) by Mildred Walker

Learned a lot about dry-land farming in this book. Good story, too. It takes place in Montana in 1940. Ellen Webb is a smart girl who wants to go to college. Her parents scrape enough money together to send her for one year. She returns home to teach until she can get enough money to go back to school.

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This Side of Innocence (1946) by Taylor Caldwell

Talk about your drama!! Wow! Almost the entire book is taken up with thwarted romance, ambition, revenge. Definitely soap opera worthy. It take places in New York, shortly after the Civil War has ended. Amalie is engaged to Alfred. His cousin Jerome falls in love with Amalie, and she feels the same. Amalie and Alfred marry anyway. One dark night when Alfred is away from home Jerome and Amalie have an affair, resulting in their daughter Mary. Divorce, recriminations, bad mojo all over the place. This goes on for the next 20 years or so. 

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Vampire High (2003) by Douglas Rees

This was a fun little book I got at Salvation Army for Lia. There is a sequel to this one, which I am very interested in reading as well. Cody is dragged away from his beloved California to Massachusetts when his dad changes jobs. To show his disapproval, this formerly good student sets out to flunk every class, even home room. Through his boss, the dad gets Cody admission to Vlad Dracul Magnet School, where their standards are high and EVERY student who has graduated does well in life. Cody notices right away that very few of the students seem to be “regular” kids like himself. Most of the students are tall, pale and wear sunglasses ALL THE TIME. After his suspicions are confirmed, Cody starts to realize that maybe he can make a difference in this school and actually achieve something worthwhile.