Mackenzie Blue Series by Tina Wells

The Mackenzie Blue Series by Tina Wells is a Cute series about Mackenzie Blue, a girl who is going through all the drama of life as a seventh grader at Brookdale academy. 

From mackenzieblue.com:
Mackenzie, aka Zee, is the charismatic, fashionable, pop-culture savvy, down-to-earth star of this fresh new tween fiction series that chronicles the adventures of a diverse crew of friends who try to survive middle school at the prestigious Brookdale Academy in southern California. Fun and eco-conscious, Mackenzie Blue is an upbeat break from mean-girl culture.


Overview of Book 1:

Mackenzie’s diary is stolen, and the fallout is more than anyone expected – it even threatens Zee’s chances I the Teen Sing contest. Did Kathi’s crew snag the diary? Or maybe it was her nosy brother. Or even worse, did one of Mackenzie’s friends have a hand in this?

Overview of Book 2 (Mackenzie Blue: The Secret Crush):

Zee is cast as the lead in the school musical alongside her longtime crush, Landon. Perfect! Except, her friends and family aren’t thrilled about all the time Zee spends with him. Especially not her best guy pal, Jasper. With music to write, costumes to design, and friendships to save, only one thing is clear…the show must go on.

from the publisher: Mackenzie Blue: Friends Forever

Mackenzie Blue is hitting the trails!

It's time for Brookdale Academy's camping field trip, but Zee has much more to deal with than a lesson about nature. . . .

Pros:

1. My BFF, Ally, is visiting all the way from Paris! Ooh la la!

2. My friends and I are so going to win the environmental scavenger hunt!

Cons:

1. We have to stay in teeny-tiny log cabins. How will we all fit?

2. The legendary (and terrifying) Mountain Man . . .

My Take: These Books were a a refreshing breath of fresh air.  They were cute and fun and I think any girl ages 8-12 would really enjoy them.  As a matter of fact my 15 year old daughter has requested to read them.  
Head over to mackenzieblue.com for alot of great stuff to do online.

Also be on the look out for the next in the series Mackenzie Blue: Mixed Messages due out Dec. 1

Don't Blink by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (audio)

Don't Blink by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

The good

New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.

The bad

Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas--on both sides of the law.

And the dead

Back off--or die--is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.

My Take:  I really like James Patterson and try to read or listen to everything he comes out with.  I tend to like his solo books best but I enjoyed this book.  I liked the main character Nick Daniels and the story as long as it dealt with whole who ordered  the Hit and was it mob related  but as in most of Patterson's books the love life aspect of the book broke down for me.  I felt like it could have been tied together a bit more.  
The Narrator David Patrick Kelly did a good job but not suck a great job as I will be going out a specifically looking for books read by him.  
 
If you are a Patterson or thriller fan, you will enjoy this book. 
 
I received a copy of this audio book for review purposes.  

It's Monday What Are you Reading?

It's Monday What are you Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

On the blog this last week:

Review of

Key Lime Pie by Josi Kilpack

First chapter Peak At

Catching Moon Drops by Jennifer Erin Valent

Book Trailer of

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Book Review of


Arsenic and Clam Chowder by James D. Livingston

Review of

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: a Novella by Donita K. Paul

Reading last week:


Elvis and the Dearly Departed by Peggy Webb  Ebook



City on Our Knees by Toby Mac



Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris



A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman ebook



Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery  ebook



Sprinkled with Murder by Jenn McKinlay


Rise Again by Ben Tripp



The God Hater by Bill Myers


On the blog this week:


First chapter Peak of


Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Review of


Rise Again by Ben Tripp

First Chapter Peak and review of


The God Hater by Bill Myers

Audio:

Thou Shalt Laugh



Tandem by Tracey Bateman



unlocked by Karen Kingsbury





Coming Up:


The Church Awakening by Charles Swindoll




Masquerade by Nancy Moser



Everything Christmas by David Bordon and Tom Winters



Uncertain Heart by Andrea Boeshaar



Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron



The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry



Where Hearts are Free by Golden Keyes Parsons