Smiles and Snores: What I'm Reading (October)

The end of the month is almost here, so I should share what I've read!

	Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder Paul Farmer was a young student entering medical school when he first visited Haiti in 1984. He was shocked by the malnutrition and lack of health care for the poor -- which was most of the country. His vision of free health care for all who need it began to form. Kidder traces the (then) 18 year journey that Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, and Jim Kim made through medical innovation in community healthcare. Their organization, Partners in Health, has been a major force in health care policy around the world and has grown from a clinic in a tiny Haitian town to clinics around Haiti, Peru, Russia, Africa, and the world. Farmer's story is very touching.
	Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas This is the second book in the Hathaway series. Winnifred, sister to Amelia, Poppy, Beatrix, and Leo has an opportunity to travel to France to heal from a difficult bout with scarlet fever has left her weak. During her 2 year absence, Merripen, the gypsy the family has adopted as their own, works to rebuild the family estate which burned to the ground in the first novel. Winn and Merripen must face their fears and desires. This was most excellent.
	Hot Mahogany by Stuart Woods Stone Barrington is back and ready to charm every woman in sight. Oh, and to do some lawyering. This book features CIA director Lance Cabot's "lost" brother Barton and antiquities. It was a quick, easy read.
	Heat Lightning by John Sandford Virgil Flowers is back in John Sandford's latest installment. This time he is looking into the lemon murders -- murdered veterans whose killer puts a lemon in their mouth to prevent sound during torture. True to the character's past, Virgil gets in some "fun time" while he investigates. Lucas Davenport plays a very small role in this book. It took me a while to "get into it" but I liked it and it moved well the last 60%.
	Indian Pipes by Cynthia Riggs Victoria Trumbull is a busy octogenarian who lives on Martha's Vineyard. When she isn't solving island mysteries -- oh wait, she is always doing that! Victoria investigates her neighbor's mysterious murder and is faced with one strange thing after another. The Wampanoag Indians of Aquinnah play a prominent role in this story. I enjoyed it.
	Tribute by Nora Roberts Cilla McGowan was a child actress, whose mother and grandmother were also in the business. In her day, Cilla's grandmother was the talk of the town. When Cilla moves to Virginia to restore her grandmother's farm as a tribute, she finds more than she expected... I'm about 2/3 through this and itching to finish. I like it!