The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman - 5 Stars

 Nina Hill feels she has the perfect life for her. She has a cat named Phil, a job at a bookstore (which is perfect since she loves to read), and is part of an awesome trivia team. Nina is an introvert and tries to stick to her schedule as much as possible. She doesn't like surprises. 

But Nina is thrown for a loop when she discovers that the father she never knew has passed away and now finds herself with all these family members she has to deal with. Throw Tom, a member of an opposing trivia team, into the mix and Nina's world is turned upside down and she is forced to come out of her comfort zone.

I loved this book! It was so fun! Nina, while on the quirky side, is so lovable and you want nothing but the best for her. I loved how she was shy, yet could be snarky when she wanted to. I'm going to read the next one, which I'm not sure is really a true "sequel", but looks like it'll be good, too.

Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries by Tonya Kappes - 4 Stars

 "Welcome to Normal, Kentucky, where nothing is normal"

When Mae West's "ex" (as she will surely let you know) husband is busted for a Ponzi scheme, she is left with next to nothing. Mae, who is used to the finer things in life, finds herself left as the owner of a rundown campground and a tiny RV. Mae has no choice but to move into the RV and try to turn the campground into the one on the brochure she has seen. 

But when Paul, Mae's ex, shows up dead at the campground, she soon learns that his scheme touched many people in the town of Normal. With several people who had motive to kill Paul, she sets out to find out what really happened. 

This was a very quick, cute read. It was a nice break from the heavier stuff I've been reading. The author has written over 180 southern cozy mysteries. I think I'll check out some of the other ones as well as those in this series. 

The Long Walk by Stephen King - 3 Stars

 Set in the future, every May 1st, one hundred boys gather to go on the Long Walk. The rules are simple. Keep a pace of four miles per hour or pay the consequences. Contestants soon learn the consequences after receiving 3 warnings before they buy their ticket. The winner of the walk gets what ever he wants for the rest of his life. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of Ray Garraty, a 16 year old boy who has joined the walk. 

I started out liking this one, but then felt that it was just drawn out way too much. I found myself skimming through some of the paragraphs towards the end of the book. 

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison - 5 Stars

 The Gardener likes to keep "butterflies". His "butterflies" are young women that he has kidnapped and tattooed wings on. They are kept isolated in his garden where he does as he pleases with them. 

The FBI discovers the garden and interviews Maya. Maya tells the story of the garden and what has gone on. The book flips through the past events at the garden and the present, in which Maya is telling her story.

I really enjoyed this one. It's pretty creepy, but kept me on the edge. Last night it reached a point where I COULD NOT STOP READING! I was fighting sleep trying to finish it.