The Widow by John Grisham

 Title: The Widow

Author: John Grisham
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 5/25/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Simon Latch the small town lawyer.  Eleanor Barnett, the widow who might be rich. Matildo is Simon's assistant.  Landy is the FBI agent.
What happens? Eleanor comes to Simon to re-write her will.  The other town lawyer has written a will with a $450,000 one time payment.  Eleanor claims to be rich. Is she?
How long was this? 404 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good story, moves along.  Ending a little frustrating.  Really?  but a good read
Overall grade: B+

Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

 Title: Leonardo Da Vinci

Author: Walter Isaacson
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 5/15/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Da Vinci!
What happens? Da Vinci was a supremely talented artist who was obsessed with understanding in detail the way things worked.  How we see.  How the muscles work.  How water flows.  Perspective

He was not great at finishing things.  Easily distracted.  Very popular and always had a sponsor.  Did not finish work often.  Died with the Mona Lisa in his possession, believed to be still working on finishing it.
How long was this? 600+ pages
Did I like this? Important and enjoyable, but some parts I skipped over.   Too much detail
Overall grade: B+

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt

 Title: Dachshund Through the Snow

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: Library book
When did I finish?: April 25, 2026
When was the book published: 2019
Main Characters: Andy, Laurie, Marcus, Sam, a new guy Corey Douglas and his dog Simon Garfunkel
What happens? Andy represents Simon to get him early retirement with his retired cop buddy Corey.  Laurie picks an ornament off the community xmas tree for a little boy who wants his dad back who is innocent of a murder 14 years ago of a teenage girl who had his DNA under her fingernails.
How long was this? 352 pages
Did I like this? Good stuff.  
Overall grade: B+

A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George

 Title: A Slowly Dying Cause

Author: Elizabeth George
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 4/19/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Bea Hannaford, cop w son Pete and ex- Ray, Michael Lobb, 2nd wife Kayla, brother Dexter.  Goron and Bran, son and father who help tin streamer Michael, Daidre, Lynley's ex who is the daughter of Bran, given up for foster care years ago. Havers and Lynley
What happens? Lobb is killed in his tin workshop.  All signs point to Goron, simple son of Bran.  Daidre wants to prove it's not him (her brother).  Enlists Havers to help out.
How long was this? 542 pages
Did I like this? Enjoyable George novel.  One plot line that has absolutely nothing to do with the main story.  But interesting and not predictable.
Overall grade: B+

Once for Yes by Allie Millington

 Title: Once for Yes

Author: Allie Millington
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook, car trip home from PD 4/2026
When did I finish?: 4/5/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Prue is 11.  Lives in Odenburgh - the building is one of the main characters.  Lina is the sister who passed away.
What happens? The building is up for sale.  Prue doesn't want to leave the last place that Lina lived.  The buy across the street is watching with binoculars
How long was this? 272 pages
Did I like this? Good for pre-teens
Overall grade: C+

In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka

Title: In Her Defense

Author: Philippa Malicka
Did I listen or read?: audible on trip to SB/PD April 2026
When did I finish?: March 30
When was the book published: 2026
Main Characters: Anna Finbow, Augusta is the main character, Jean Guest
What happens? Jean sues Anna for claiming that she has brainwashed Anna's daughter via "therapy" - Gus becomes the assistant for Anna and husband, but who actually met the daughter in Rome where she modeled for her at an art school
How long was this? 350 pages
Did I like this? Not really great, acceptable.
Overall grade: B

Even Money by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

 Title: Even Money

Author: Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Did I listen or read?: library book (OVA)
When did I finish?: 3/25/2026
When was the book published:  2009
Main Characters: Ned Talbot, bookmaker outside the stands
What happens? Ned's father introduces himself, and then is stabbed to death.  He finds a backpack that his father left behind with a chip writer, and 30k in cash.
How long was this? 350 pages
Did I like this? Usual quality Francis stuff
Overall grade: B+

The K Team by David Rosenfelt

 Title: The K Team

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 3/30/2026
When was the book published: 2020
Main Characters: Corey Douglas and the rest of the usual cast (Laurie, Andy, Marcus, Sam, etc.)
What happens? Corey and Laurie start the K team w Marcus. Someone is setting up Judge Hatchet Henderson to make it look like he is dirty.  
How long was this?  304 pages
Did I like this? Always enjoyable.  Problem is that Corey is "Andy" except he's a brave ex-cop.
Overall grade: B

Time and Again by Jack Finney

 Title: Time and Again

Author: Jack Finney
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 3/30/2026
When was the book published: 1970
Main Characters: Simon Morley
What happens? Simon gets recruited for a project (was working as a graphic designer for an ad agency) with a unique approach to time travel involving hypnosis and rehearsal.
How long was this? 400 pages
Did I like this? It was an interesting approach and a decent plot with good characters.
Overall grade: B+

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child

 Title: Exit Strategy

Author: Lee Child and Andrew Child
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 3/16/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Reacher, Gilmour an ex-CIA hired randomly as a security guard to cheat. Strickland
What happens? Gilmour convinces Reacher to help him after he observes him saving an elderly couple from 3 scam artists in a coffee shop.  Reacher helps him and they finally eventually figure out the big secret, after unraveling that a shrink was using confidential info to blackmail patients into carrying out a plot.  What plot?  Hell if I know...
How long was this? 304 pages
Did I like this? Not much.  I really couldn't follow what was going on and couldn't care.  It really is a creative idea revealed at the very end, and, if there was some hint of what the hell was going on, that would have helped.
Overall grade: C+

What We Can Know by Ian Mcewan

 Title: What We Can Know

Author: Ian Mcewan
Did I listen or read?:
When did I finish?: 3/7/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Francis and Vivien Blundy, Thomas Metcalfe, Vivien's first husband Percy
What happens? in 2219, Metcalfe researches Blundy (from 2016, before the deluge from global warming) and tries to find the love poem that Francis wrote for Vivien called "A Corona for Vivien."
How long was this? 302 pages
Did I like this? Real literature, kind of odd and random that this guy dedicates his life to finding this poem, and all the characters around it.  Often the most interesting is life in 2119.
Overall grade: B

Woof by Spencer Quinn

 Title: Woof

Author: Spencer Quinn
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 3/3/2026
When was the book published: 2015
Main Characters: Bowser and Birdi series number 1
What happens? Birdie works for the Gaux family bait shop.  The valuable stuffed fish disappears from the store.  I can't remember what happened.
How long was this? 304 pages
Did I like this? Ok, cute but repetitive, really wanted Chet and the Little detective agency
Overall grade: B-

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

 Title: The Impossible Fortune

Author: Richard Osman
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 3/1/2026
When was the book published:2025
Main Characters: Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron, Elizabeth.
What happens? A couple has built a safe deposit cold storage biz.  Someone (a criminal) paid them with crypto and it's now worth 350 million.  The guy asks for help as his life is in danger.  The woman comes to see them and gets blown up.
How long was this? 368 pages
Did I like this? Really like these stories.  Love the characters and the plot moves.
Overall grade: A-

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

 Title: The Proving Ground

Author: Michael Connelly
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 2/22/2026
When was the book published:  2025
Main Characters: Michael Haller, Lincoln lawyer, lorna, maggie, cisco, Jack McElroy, opposing lawyers the Mason bros, Victor Wendt - Tidalwaiv CEO.  Judge Ruhlin
What happens? Haller is a civil attorney and takes on the AI company that build a chatbot that coached a 16 year old boy to kill his girlfriend, representing the mother of the dead girl AND the parents of the shooter.  
How long was this? 387 pages
Did I like this?  A really good story, with a solid AI foundation, and plot twists for and against. Well done.
Overall grade: A-

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

 Title: The Grey Wolf

Author: Louise Penny
Did I listen or read?: kindle from libby
When did I finish?: 2/12/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters:  Gamache, Beauvoir, Lacoste.  Jeanne Caron, old enemy.  Yves who became a monk. Charles Langlois
What happens? Gamache is made aware of a plot to poison the water, throwing the world into chaos so a lock-down government can be put into place
How long was this? 421 pages
Did I like this? It's a pretty boring plot, always enjoy the characters and Gamache's deep thinking approach. Hard to remember and keep track of who the good guys are.
Overall grade: B

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn

 Title: Bark to the Future

Author: Spencer Quinn
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 2/11/2026
When was the book published: 2022
Main Characters: Chet the dog, narrator, Bernie Little PI, Rocket, a buncha high school connections from Bernie's past
What happens? Rocket is down on his luck.  Gives Bernie a pocket switchblade, then disappears.  
How long was this? 320 pages 7 hours
Did I like this?  A great idea, but the dog narration was distracting and hard to follow.  I think I will try the first book in the series. Fun and funny in some parts, repetitive and annoying in others.  A decent story under it all.
Overall grade: B

The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble

Title: The House at Saltwater Point
Author: Colleen Coble
Did I listen or read?: libby audio book
When did I finish?: Jan 28, 2026
When was the book published: 2018
Main Characters: Ellie Blackmore, Grayson Bradshaw, Ellie's sister Mack, Mack's ex Jason
What happens? "She was distracted from saving thousands of lives by his broad shoulders and lean muscles."  Romantic fiction christian garbabe
How long was this? 328 pages 8 hours
Did I like this? Laughable at times.  Do not do again

Overall grade: C

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Title: Unbroken
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Did I listen or read?: libby audio 90% libby kindle 10%
When did I finish?: 1/23/2026
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Louie Zamperini, the Bird, Louie's family, brother Peter, mother Louise.
What happens? True story, Louie and his plan are shot down, and he survives horrible ordeals at sea, and then in Japanese prison camps.
How long was this? 426 pages, about 12 hours
Did I like this? A good story, hard to sit through the "repetitive torture" sections, but an amazing story

Overall grade: B+

Crossfire by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Title: Crossfire
Author: Felix Francis and Dick Francis - Dick's last work
Did I listen or read?: oakmont library
When did I finish?: 1/20/2026
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Tom Forsyth, his mother, Josephine Kauri, Ian the stable lead, bad guys
What happens? Tom comes out of hospital with a new foot, goes home where he is not really welcome, discovers that his mother is being blackmailed and has made some major taxation choice mistakes.  Tom fixes it.
How long was this? 336 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good Francis story.  Unique somewhat unlikeable angry man lead.  

Overall grade: B

Mother of Bourbon by Eric Goodman and Kaveh Zamanian

 Title: Mother of Bourbon

Author: Eric Goodman and Kaveh Zamanian
Did I listen or read?: bought Eric's book at the Oakmont book fair after meeting him in the hot tub w his wife
When did I finish?: 1/16/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Mary, her kids esp. Will and Emmett, her husband Joe
What happens? True fictionalized story of how Mary Dowling built a great bourbon empire before prohibition, while raising a family of 9 (maybe 8)
How long was this? 291 pages
Did I like this? Well done, interesting story. 
Overall grade: B+