The trade winds are at their best today - I can see at least 10 sailboats out there. Wish I were on one of them! Those of us who live down here don't spend our time at the beach or on the water as many people think we do. Steve and I were out to dinner at Molly Malone's in Red Hood Friday evening and one of the women sitting near us was excitedly talking about the card she can insert into her laptop so she can use the Internet while on the boat. The other woman sat quietly and listened to her, then said she didn't want to be able to access the Internet from their sailboat - that was part of the joy of living on the boat! I have to agree with her on that one. Just think of how much easier life was before email and 24/7 access to the Internet. I am trying to stay away from it during the weekend but it isn't easy! Addictive!

I did do some reading during the weekend, with my feet up on the porch railing, watching the boats go by. That was after Steve went out and sprayed for wasps - they are back! I picked up the Simon Pulse title, Killing Britney by Sean Olin, because of the cool cover. The only strong colors are the orangish red of the girl's lipstick and the bloody red finger prints along the bottom. Sure got my attention! And, when I realized it was set in Madison, WI, in the middle of the winter I was even more intrigued. Having grown up in Upper Michigan, land of 14 foot high snow banks, and lived in Wisconsin for a # of years, Madison is one of my favorite places - even in the winter. Killing Britney received a good review in SLJ, but what I enjoyed were the teens reviews on Amazon. They loved the book but some found the twists and turns, and the ending confusing. Considering this is a murder mystery with the people around Britney being killed in gruesome fashion - her best friend Melissa run over and chopped up by a Zamboni, - a little confusion is expected. Quickly the reader realizes that Britney's retelling of events is not always reliable. She has reinvented herself - the geek girl is now one of the most popular girls in school and one of the "hockey wives". Her mother drown in a white water rafting family trip and her body was never found. Mother and daughter hadn't had a close relationship and Britney is sure she is at fault. The next to die is her hockey player boyfriend Rickey, who is hit by a truck and dragged underneath it until what's left of his body falls to the road. In other words - this is a thriller with graphic and gruesome descriptions of the victim's murders. People around Britney continue to drop like flies and she fears for her own life, so does Bobby, who knew her before the killings began. Yes, the ending is a bit confusing, but what a wild fun read this is. A little too intense for M/JR, but perfect for HS. Give this one to the teens, guys and girls, who say they don't like to read! Then suggest to them - Acceleration by Graham McNamee - one of best murder mystery/thrillers for teens. Finding a serial killer's notebook would creep any teenager out!

All for now.