Vanished by Joseph Finder (won from The Book Trib) (Rating–5)
Synopsis: Nick Heller, former Special Ops now working in PI Private Sector receives a call for help from Gabe, his nephew. Gabe’s stepfather, Roger and Nick’s estranged brother, has vanished and his mother has been attacked and is in the hospital. Nick not close to his brother or his father, who is in prison for securities fraud, takes a leave of absence to help investigate what has happened to his brother Roger. Even though their relationship has been strained for years, blood is thicker than water or is it?
Thoughts: This was a heart pounding suspense from a personal level to private sector and all the way up the chain to the government level. Every turn was a surprise right down to the last page. This was the first book I read by Joseph Finder and it won’t be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed.
(Challenges: Reading From My Shelf, Thriller/Suspense, Books Won & 100+)
TGIS….I am so behind in reading and updating items on my blog (will explain why a little later in this post). I have seen many of the blogs I follow posting about this new challenge Bloggiesta and have been reading some articles and realize……boy do I still have a lot to learn!!!! Things like copyrights (wondering if my blog is too new to invest in this or what are the benefits, labels, organizing blog (this I have been working on but haven’t completed. Once again any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I tend to feel guilty spending so much time getting my blog updated (since I am the number 1 computer for dummies) instead of what I should be doing and that is reading along with the mundane things known as household chores. But I read somewhere that to increase traffic, have a nice blog (suggestions in this area would also be appreciated). So that’s what I have been trying to accomplish. Now for why I am so behind this week with reading.
MY
JOURNEY
I posted this week that I have decided that I will be writing down my thoughts and emotions as to what I am facing as a means of a therapeutic nature and it beats the cost of a counselor. The reason I am so behind in everything is that I spent most of this week on the phone trying to book an appointment for an orthopedic doctor who specializes in complicated and/or risky surgeries of the spine, which I fall into having had 3 past surgeries the last one being 20 years ago and at the time I was the 3rd patient to have had an experimental procedure. Between having reports sent to this doc (wouldn’t even make the appointment until he saw all the tests results, calls to my PCP for certain files to be faxed to the orthopedic doctor, calls to the insurance company for prior authorization, etc. This went on every day this week. The phone became glued to my ear between “listen to the menu press this number, then choose another menu”, being put on hold, shuffled from one person to the next. Four days just to make an appointment……geez louise….the “White House Crashers” had it easier getting into that dinner than I had getting this appointment. 
In between laundry, I plan on doing a little work on this blog then grab my afghan( the temperature here in New England is presently 23), a cup of coffee and my book and snuggle up on the couch and read !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hoping all have a relaxing weekend. Happy Reading !
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!
TGIS….I am so behind in reading and updating items on my blog (will explain why a little later in this post). I have seen many of the blogs I follow posting about this new challenge Bloggiesta and have been reading some articles and realize……boy do I still have a lot to learn!!!! Things like copyrights (wondering if my blog is too new to invest in this or what are the benefits, labels, organizing blog (this I have been working on but haven’t completed. Once again any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I tend to feel guilty spending so much time getting my blog updated (since I am the number 1 computer for dummies) instead of what I should be doing and that is reading along with the mundane things known as household chores. But I read somewhere that to increase traffic, have a nice blog (suggestions in this area would also be appreciated). So that’s what I have been trying to accomplish. Now for why I am so behind this week with reading.
MY
JOURNEY
I posted this week that I have decided that I will be writing down my thoughts and emotions as to what I am facing as a means of a therapeutic nature and it beats the cost of a counselor. The reason I am so behind in everything is that I spent most of this week on the phone trying to book an appointment for an orthopedic doctor who specializes in complicated and/or risky surgeries of the spine, which I fall into having had 3 past surgeries the last one being 20 years ago and at the time I was the 3rd patient to have had an experimental procedure. Between having reports sent to this doc (wouldn’t even make the appointment until he saw all the tests results, calls to my PCP for certain files to be faxed to the orthopedic doctor, calls to the insurance company for prior authorization, etc. This went on every day this week. The phone became glued to my ear between “listen to the menu press this number, then choose another menu”, being put on hold, shuffled from one person to the next. Four days just to make an appointment……geez louise….the “White House Crashers” had it easier getting into that dinner than I had getting this appointment. 
In between laundry, I plan on doing a little work on this blog then grab my afghan( the temperature here in New England is presently 23), a cup of coffee and my book and snuggle up on the couch and read !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hoping all have a relaxing weekend. Happy Reading !
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!
http://islandlife808.com/memes/aloha-friday-116
From An Island Life: In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
My question is: What is your favorite flower?
I have Star Gazer Lily(s) in my garden. Beautiful to look at and they are so aromatic. I love that Yankee Candle has that fragrence so I enjoy it year round. I even named my laptop (lol) Lily.
1. There are places to go, places to see.
2. Weatherman blow those clouds away.
3. Standing in the rain.
4. Boy oh boy.
5. He went out tiger hunting on his safari vacation.
6. I try to keep my mind from wandering .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing and reading, tomorrow my plans include laundry, errands, relaxing and reading and Sunday, I want to do nothing but relax and read!
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!
http://islandlife808.com/memes/aloha-friday-116
From An Island Life: In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
My question is: What is your favorite flower?
I have Star Gazer Lily(s) in my garden. Beautiful to look at and they are so aromatic. I love that Yankee Candle has that fragrence so I enjoy it year round. I even named my laptop (lol) Lily.
1. There are places to go, places to see.
2. Weatherman blow those clouds away.
3. Standing in the rain.
4. Boy oh boy.
5. He went out tiger hunting on his safari vacation.
6. I try to keep my mind from wandering .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing and reading, tomorrow my plans include laundry, errands, relaxing and reading and Sunday, I want to do nothing but relax and read!
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com
Today’s question:
What books did you get for Christmas (or whichever holiday you may have celebrated last month)?
Do you usually ask for books on gift-giving occasions or do you prefer to buy them yourself?
My answer:
Unfortunately, there is only one book lover other than myself, in my family. So they would have no clue what to get me or even where there is a book store LOL. My one book buddy in the family is Jess, my son’s gf, but they live 5 hours away. And this Christmas she gave me a GC to the Sony EReader store so I can pick out what books I want.
My
Journey:
This will now be n occasional posting by me and mainly for me. Being a retired “RN” and facing a very complex surgical and frightening 4th operation I felt that writing down my thoughts and emotions as I face this process will help.
I now, once again, sit and wait. I have an appointment with a surgeon who supposedly only does complicated spinal surgeries. I will be seeing him on Jan 27th. I am very ambivilent about this appointment…I hope he can help me but on the other hand I am terrified to go through another fusion. Will he be able to get through 20 yrs of scar tissue without causing major complications such as paralysis, which is a great fear….but again on the other hand, I can’t live a good quality of life in the level and severity of pain I have on a daily basis. Book blogging and reading has helped me tremendously…it doesn’t take away the pain but it helps pass the time on days where the pain is excruciating.
I apologize for adding this new post to my blog but want to chronicle this new jouney that I am on.
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com
Today’s question:
What books did you get for Christmas (or whichever holiday you may have celebrated last month)?
Do you usually ask for books on gift-giving occasions or do you prefer to buy them yourself?
My answer:
Unfortunately, there is only one book lover other than myself, in my family. So they would have no clue what to get me or even where there is a book store LOL. My one book buddy in the family is Jess, my son’s gf, but they live 5 hours away. And this Christmas she gave me a GC to the Sony EReader store so I can pick out what books I want.
My
Journey:
This will now be n occasional posting by me and mainly for me. Being a retired “RN” and facing a very complex surgical and frightening 4th operation I felt that writing down my thoughts and emotions as I face this process will help.
I now, once again, sit and wait. I have an appointment with a surgeon who supposedly only does complicated spinal surgeries. I will be seeing him on Jan 27th. I am very ambivilent about this appointment…I hope he can help me but on the other hand I am terrified to go through another fusion. Will he be able to get through 20 yrs of scar tissue without causing major complications such as paralysis, which is a great fear….but again on the other hand, I can’t live a good quality of life in the level and severity of pain I have on a daily basis. Book blogging and reading has helped me tremendously…it doesn’t take away the pain but it helps pass the time on days where the pain is excruciating.
I apologize for adding this new post to my blog but want to chronicle this new jouney that I am on.
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com
*What are you currently reading?
Vanished by Joseph Finder
*What did you recently finish reading?
Most Likely To Die by Lisa Jackson (Great page turner)
*What do you think you’ll read next?
Not sure…waiting for some review books to be deposited in my mail box, so it depends…going to borrow words from a book blog that I follow…”so many precious books” …so many to choose from.

This was my very first ever challenge that I signed up for. Not knowing much about challenges, I only entered for 5 books (lol) because I wanted to make sure I would be able to meet the challenge. I definitely met the challenge and its only January. So I am reentering for another 5 LJ books. She is an awesome author. And I keep adding to my LJ TBR list after reading J.Kaye’s reviews. So I am thinking that in between the requests for reviews, I will read another Lisa Jackson book for personal enjoyment. Sounds like a plan to me. Thank you J.Kaye for starting the process for me to becoming a challenge addict (lol).
Talk & Thoughts 
I am so excited !!!! After the results I received from the doctor on Monday, yes I was very disappointed, and I know that any physical activity will be very limited until I find a doctor that will be capable to perform surgery of a complicated nature, I have to find a positive in all of this and I have found it. What is the saying about having lemons…make lemonade? Well I did just that. Knowing now that I will have more time to read, I applied to some publishers to check out this blog and see if I could and/or would be considered for reviews. And I was accepted into the communities of two (2) publishers !!!! Thank you Miriam from “Hachette Books” and Imran and Tricia from “The Book Trib”. If you look deep and search there is always a positive to every situation. The Lord may shut one door but another will open. I am looking forward to receiving and reading their books and working with them.
When visiting, please feel free to leave any suggestions,
ideas and/or comments. Would love to hear from you!!




























































































