Deadly Treasure by Jillayne Clements

There was a lot of substance to this book.  It had a great love story and I really grew to like the character of Lexi.  Lexi lives in Park City, Utah.  She works at the Tanger Outlets.  She just broke up with Ron when he cheats on her.  Then for the summer she is thrown into a situation where her Grandfather is killled over a map to the Lost Rhoades Mines.  The killer doesn't find the map but, now she seems to be in danger.  She is also thrown into a situation of two brothers, one is her best friend and one has been someone she tried to get his attention when she was younger.  Suddenly her thoughts are not of Ron but of the new challenges and situations she is working through.

I picked this book especially because of the Lost Rhoades Mine.  I have heard of this mine and know someone who writes about them and so that part intrigued me to buy it.  I loved hearing familiar names of Park City, Springville, BYU, UVU, Utah State, Heber, Orem and Salt Lake City.  These are all places that are familiar to me and it was fun to read them in a book.

I loved the twists and turns of this book.  There were constantly new creative situations that Lexi was in.  I was impressed with this book.  It wasn't the same ole love story.  It had punch and mystery.  I am glad I finally picked it up after having it for more than two years.

Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins

Cute, romantic, funny little story. This book is a really fun read. It was the kind of feel good reading that I often crave. It was a story about a girl named Charley. In High School, Charley had a crush on a boy from her High School.  His name is Max.  She is surprised to find out that he is now employed at the same place she is.  She reads an article on the internet about “10 Ways to Win Your Man.” She decides to try the ideas on Max. She has quite a bit of help from a neighbor who ends up being a big part of the story.

I loved every part of the book but, there were some parts of the book that I really smiled because the story is really fun.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a “get away from life” book. It is a great book to read to get totally involved in a good story. I liked this book.

Carnival Girl by Sonja Herbert

The author of this book had a rough childhood. She lived in a carnival growing up and she traveled from town to town in Germany. Her mother was part Jewish and had escaped the Nazi’s by joining the circus and then later her mother and father (who owned a carnival) married.

Sonja tells many stories. Some stories make me sad and a bit disturbed but the over-all story is of survival and getting through tough times. It is a memoir and sometimes real life isn’t so glamorous. To me this was an eye opener of how hard someone’s life can be. I had a lot of sympathy for her and I am glad she is doing well now.

Jacob's Blood by Brad Mangum

I finished this book before the weekend but I haven't taken the time to write and it is almost another weekend, so I thought it was high time.

This is a very good book.   This book takes place after the Civil War in the South.  It is about a boy who is told that his father is bad blood because he fought with the Yankees even though he lives in the South.  This is a book about learning heritage and what the boy does after learning what his Dad's blood is all about.

I found myself carried away in another time and place and I enjoyed experiencing an era in history through books.  I realize it is fiction but it was fun to get caught up in another world.