Horrifying multiple murders, heart-touching forbidden romances and all-consuming desires take center stage in these sensational, new spine-tingling stories. Just as addictive as Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, they'll hook you from the first page and keep you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the ride.
Texas Ranger Crawford Hunt needs to bring his darling daughter home. She's living with her grandparents because he spiraled out of control following his wife's sudden death. After cleaning up his act, the devoted father fights for five-year-old Georgia's custody in Judge Holly Spencer's courtroom.
But when a masked gunman interrupts the proceedings and kills a beloved bailiff, Crawford goes on autopilot saving the beautiful, ambitious judge from a bullet. To catch the calculating killer, the pair must form a secret alliance while wrestling an intense attraction that could prove disastrous to everyone involved. They find themselves torn between solving the brutal crime, protecting her hard-won career, keeping his precious family safe and giving in to unexpected passions.
Perfect when you're in the mood for a thrilling romance, this suspense-filled tale from the author of more than 65 New York Times best sellers entertains with memorable characters, sizzling-hot encounters and plenty of heart. I must confess to getting choked up at the end. (Grand Central Publishing, August 2015, 416 pages)
By all reports, E. L. James Fifty Shades of Grey is this summer's HOTTEST read and, until recently, it was in the top slot on Amazon's bestseller list.
Some of my friends (yes, even those in the 50+ crowd like me) have loved it so much they couldn't wait to finish the other two books in the erotic trilogy. Others simply couldn't get past the explicit and often ultra-kinky sex scenes. OMGoodness!
Should I read it just to see what all the fuss is about? (Please help me out and let me know what you think in the comments section below.) While on the fence, I've rounded up some other great new love stories perfect when you're in the mood for pure-pleasure reading:
Charlotte and I love spending time at the beach in the summer. It's a place where our second favorite activity is reading (Get your mind out of the gutter - Charlotte's favorite activity is walking the beach; mine is not walking the beach). We're always on the lookout for great books that'll take us somewhere, give us a different point of view or, in Charlotte's case, make her cry. Good times. Good times.
Marrying for money's a major mistake. That's a lesson 18-year-old Jeannette Boucher learns on her wedding night in Brenda Novak's Valentine's-right historical romance The Bastard (Amazon Digital Services, December 2011).
Whether you're soaking up some warmth at the beach, by the fire or in the tub, you'll find a great escape in these four lively whodunits perfect for fall:
The Story Behind the Song. The Exclusive Personal Stories behind 101 of Your Favorite Songs is part of the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul series. For those Boomers who like their trivia - especially of the music variety - this one's a gem.
Normally, I'm just not into sports. But with Super Bowl XLV in our backyard, I'm finding it impossible to ignore a historic event that could bring more than 100,000 fans and hundreds of millions of dollars into my hometown. (To be clear internets, the game is in ARLINGTON, not Dallas, as my Facebook friends are quick to point out.)
Rodeo in Joliet is a book you'll HATE. Before you stop reading, let me explain.
Many of our health and environmental problems stem from a food system riddled with pesticides, preservatives and over processing. Temra Costa's Farmer Jane celebrates women who are fighting back by working to change the way America eats and farms.
Catherine M. Lewis', Don't Ask What I Shot: How Eisenhower's Love of Golf Helped Shape 1950s America, is a terrific look back at the game and its impact on the Boomer generation.
Kerry Hannon's, What's Next? How to Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, is a great how-to book for any Boomer at a career crossroads.
White Heat, the first page-turner in Brenda Novak's new Hired-Gun Trilogy, pits private security operatives Rachel Jessop and Nate Ferrentino against a fanatical religious cult.
Beyond the Boys of Summer: The Very Best of Roger Kahn may be the best book ever written for the Boomer sports fan.
Henry Beard's Golf is the perfect Father's Day gift (Hint: It's June 20) for any man who has ever picked up a club. It's irreverent, educational and laugh-out-loud funny.
Zoe Fitzgerald Carter's Imperfect Endings isn't the feel-good novel of the year, but it's a novel full of feelings experienced by every Boomer with aging parents.
In retirement, my mom found murder, madness and some serious romance.
Walter Isaacson's new book, American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane, is an eclectic collection of essays covering famous figures from Ben Franklin to Bill Gates.
As Baby Boomers, we're the sons and daughters of the Greatest Generation. Not to be outdone, Baby Boomers gave birth to Generation Kill, today's 20-30-somethings who are fighting the war on terror in
Aside from that weird Princess Leia hairstyle, baby-boomer Carrie Fisher seemed to have everything:
So what went wrong? In her first memoir, Wishful Drinking, this Hollywood blue-blood offers a humor-filled peak into her what-should-have-been-a-storybook life where drugs, alcohol and, later, electroshock therapy served as a "Bridge over Troubled Water."
Carrie's mom Debbie Reynolds (Singin' in the Rain and our favorite Tammy) and dad Eddie Fisher (the not-so-well remembered vocalist/actor who joined Debbie in Bundle of Joy) figure prominently in this anything-but-typical autobiography. Though termed "America's Sweethearts" when they married in 1955, these two became tabloid fodder four short years later when Eddie divorced Debbie to marry his best friend's widow Elizabeth Taylor.
Hence Carrie saw her father more on tv than at home and spent the next almost quarter century struggling with the concept of "real life." Understandable, considering she grew up on movie soundstages, lived in what she terms "the Embassy" (a house with eight little pink refrigerators and three pools "in case two broke") and started singing in her mother's nightclub act at 13 (coincidentally the same age when she tried pot.) And later, she would don a long, white dress in a galaxy where no one wore underwear under their clothes (at least according to George Lucas) and increase her drug use in an effort to achieve numbness. Then, her mother would, naturally, call Cary Grant or Ava Gardner to intervene.
Based on Carrie's witty, one-woman stage show, this entertaining, 156-page read takes a light look at her life with rock icon Paul Simon (who she dated, married, divorced and dated again) and second marriage to an agent who she later discovered was gay. Brimming with complications like waking up and finding her friend dead beside her in bed, this saucy story makes a great beach or rainy afternoon read. The pictures alone make Wishful Drinking a worthwhile addition to your collection, especially if you're like us and love classic movies.
Author: Carrie Fisher
Penned: December 2008
Other Works: Delusions of Grandma, Surrender the Pink, Postcards from the Edge and The Best Awful
Time Out: You can finish it in an afternoon.
Beach Worthy: By all means
Available: $14.28 from
Amazon.com (hardcover)