Books Are Life - Vita Libri Has Moved!!

Hi all,

Books Are Life – Vita Libri has moved to WordPress! 

I wasn’t liking the overall look of my blog over at Blogspot, so I decided a change was in order.  A new theme, a new look, but the same content. 
I look forward to connecting with WordPress book bloggers and continuing to share my love for reading and my passion for books with my current followers!

Come follow Books Are Life - Vita Libri at booksarelifevitalibri.wordpress.com.
Hope to see you soon!
And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather

Book Review - Eve by Iris Johansen

Title: Eve
Author: Iris Johansen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN:  9780312651206

Synopsis (from bn.com): 
Eve Duncan’s mission in life is to bring closure to the families who have experienced the agony of a missing child. As a forensic sculptor, she is able to piece together bones, create a face, and bring an identity to a child who would have otherwise gone unidentified. Eve is brilliant, driven, and tormented—because her own daughter, Bonnie, was taken from her years ago. But now, with the help of a CIA agent, Eve has uncovered some startling new evidence: A man with a connection to Bonnie that had been all but buried. His name is John Gallo. He’s from Eve’s own past. His whereabouts are unknown. And he might just be the missing piece to the puzzle that has haunted Eve for years…

My thoughts:  This is the first book in a new trilogy taking a closer look at the each of the main characters in Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series - Eve, Quinn, and Bonnie! 

I have read the entire Eve Duncan series and have been a huge fan for years.  I loved this book!  I loved how it was laid out, spending the first half of the book taking us back into Eve's very early years, her time with John Gallo (father of her beloved daughter Eve), and the birth of her daughter. The second half then took the reader on an exciting ride to hunt down Bonnie's kidnapper/murderer.  Did John Gallo kill Bonnie as CIA agent Catherine Ling suggests?  What is John Gallo's real story? 

I thought it was really intriquing getting a glimpse into Eve's past and how she got where she is today.  It really puts some perspective on all of the other books in the series. 

The cliffhanger ending of course has me digging right into "Quinn" to see what happens!!!

I do sincerely hope that the mystery of who kidnapped/murdered Bonnie is finally wrapped up after this trilogy however.  As much as I love the Eve Duncan Books, I do feel that the Bonnie story line is getting a bit old and a bit dragged out after a decade of this series.  Please Iris Johansen, give us faithful readers a final answer to this puzzle and give Eve and Quinn some peace.  It's enough already.

My rating:  : ) : ) : ) : ) : )  Loved it!  

And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather  

Book Review - Black Ice (Harry Bosch #2)

Title:  The Black Ice (Harry Bosch #2)
Author:  Michael Connelly
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
ISBN:  0446613444
Format: ebook


Synopsis (from BN.com):  Narcotics officer Cal Moore's orders were to look into the city's latest drug killing. Instead, he ends up in a motel room with a fatal bullet wound to the head and a suicide note stuffed in his back pocket. Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don't look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry's making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scarred veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game-one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.


My thoughts:  I am loving this Harry Bosch series - they have become my go to ebooks while on the elliptical in the gym!  In this second book in the series, hard-core cop Harry Bosch sets out to investigate the death of narcotics officer Cal Moore.  As the invetigation gets heated, things are of course not what they seem. 


The book takes you on an exciting journey from the streets of LA to the drug wars of Mexico!  The characters are real, the story fast and intriguing with plenty of police corruption, twists, and turns to keep things interesting!  This book also lays out Harry Bosch's connection to Defense Attorney Micky Haller (from Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer).


This series is worth a read!  I'm moving quickly on to #3 Concrete Blonde!


My Rating:  : )  : )  : )  : )  Liked it!!!!

And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather

Hosted by Crazy for Books . . . this weeks question is: 

“What is your favorite Halloween costume?
Even if you don’t celebrate, what kinds of costumes do you like?”

I don't really enjoy Halloween that much and have never really celebrated it, but I do love the tiny, little kids who come trick or treating in the most adorable little costumes, like lady bugs, princesses, etc.  They are sooooo cute!!!

And Remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

Book Review - Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle

Title:  Murder by Mocha (Coffeehouse Mystery #10)
Author:  Cleo Coyle
ISBN:  9780425241431
Publisher:  Berkley Prime Crime

Synopsis (from bn.com):  Clare's Village Blend coffee beans are being used to create a new java love potion: a "Mocha Magic Coffee," billed as an aphrodisiac. The product, expected to rake in millions, will be sold exclusively on Aphrodite's Village, one of the most popular online communities for women.
But at its launch, one of the website's editors is murdered. Clare is convinced a bitter killer wants the secret formula. Can she catch who's gone loco for mocha?

My thoughts:  I really liked this book, heck I really like this entire series.  I started reading this series simply  because coffee is one of my favorite things on the planet and I thought it would be fun, but now I find myself also really enjoy the characters in this series.  I don't know how she does it, but the author keeps these characters fresh, interesting, and unique even 10 books into the series.

We all know that many cozy mysteries are a bit formulaic in how things proceed:  murder happens, shop owner automatically becomes amateur sleuth trying to solve the mystery, shop owner falls in love with the cop in charge of solving the mystery, crazy antics ensue.  Cleo Coyle's series does not at all feel that way to me, it feels more real, yet with plenty of fun and interest along the way.  

Not to mention there are fabulous looking recipes in the back of the book! 

Keep on writing, Cleo, because I'm coming back for a refill with Book #11.

My rating:  :  )  :  )  :  )  :  )  Liked it!

And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather

Book Review - Black Echo (Harry Bosch #1)

Title:  The Black Echo
Author:  Michael Connelly
ISBN:  0446612731
Format: ebook


Synopsis (from BN.com):  For maverick Lapd homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal...because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit. Pitted against enemies inside his own department and forced to make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, Bosch goes on the hunt for a killer whose true face will shock him.






My thoughts:  I got interested in reading this Harry Bosch series after seeing the Lincoln Lawyer a while back.  I am glad I started it.  I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.  Harry Bosch, a hard-core, maverick, in your face LAPD homicide detective tries to solve the case of a body found in a drainpipe.  The case brings back his days as a tunnel rat in Vietnam.


Of course, there are some stereotypical traits to some of the characters, particularly Harry Bosch - hard-core, sketchy past involving Internal Affairs, rule-breaker, with many demons in his past.  This didn't get in the way for me.  I still found the characters real, edgy, and likable. 


I have started the second in the series, Black Ice, and look forward to reading the rest of the series. 


Enjoy!!




Rating:  : )  : )  : )  : )  Liked it!


And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather

Great Cozy Shopping Trip!!

Well there is nothing like a trip to Barnes and Noble to cure the stress of a bad week . . . it was like "Cozypalooza" for me today as I picked up a couple of great new reads . . .



Tragic Toppings by Jessica Beck

(Donut Shop Mystery series #5)

A Sheetcake Named Desire by Jacklyn Brady

(first in the new Piece of Cake Mystery series)

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

(first in the new Library Lover's Mystery series)

Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay

(Cupcake Bakery Mystery #3)

Shoe Done It by Grace Carroll

(first in the new Accessories Mystery series)

Enjoy your weekend all,

And Remember,

Books are Life,

Heather