Summary:
The third tie-in book to the hit TV series, Castle. Nikki Heat is faced with the murder of a priest. He was killed in an S&M club. And her squad captain might be involved. Rook, her journalist boyfriend, is on assignment, deeply undercover, and completely radio silent. Or at least she thought he was, until he shows up on Page Six with his sexy agent coming out of a swanky restaurant. As an added bonus, Rook's ex writes a tell-all piece about what's going down within the precinct using Rook's notes on the case. And to top it off, Nikki is up for a promotion to Lieutenant, but instead gets slapped in the face instead. How will she clear the case, and her good name?
Thoughts:
Once again, the book reads like an episode of the show. It feels like reading what the character Richard Castle would actually write, were he a real writer. The true author of the books is still unknown, and honestly, I don't think I want to know. The books have allusions to former projects the actors from the show were involved in. (Firefly and Quantum of Solace, to name a few.) It's a fun look into the mind of a fictional character of one of my favorite shows. But the books are now feeling like they could be good, stand-alone books, independent from the show they're spun from.
Book 38 of 40
Pages: 301
Genre: mystery, romance
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes, most especially if you watch the show Castle on ABC.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon (Rick Yancey)
Summary:
Alfred Kropp is a teenaged boy with no mom, living in the foster system. His father was the descendant of Lancelot of the round table. In the previous book, Alfred died and was brought back to life. Now he's got to help get the Seals of Solomon so the world doesn't get overrun by a bunch of demons. The trouble is, he's seen what the Seal does, and what demons can do to a person. He's told to never look into their eyes... So what does he do? Yep. He looked. Now he's got to deal with his worst fears while he fights to save the world. Again.
Thoughts:
A good book. The first was really cool, delving into the mythos behind the Knights of the Round Table. In this one, Kropp finds out that there are, in fact, such things as demons, and not just the mistakes that come back to haunt you later. Kropp has to deal with his inner demons as well as the physical ones, and find a way to best the demons that can't be bested. It's an interesting take on "the end of the world." It's good enough to keep you wondering how Kropp's going to make it through, but light enough that you can put it down for a week, then pick it back up and still remember what had been happening. Not bad for teen lit.
Book 37 of 40
Pages: 327
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Eh. You've got to read the first one before this, and this is very definitely a fantasy book.
Alfred Kropp is a teenaged boy with no mom, living in the foster system. His father was the descendant of Lancelot of the round table. In the previous book, Alfred died and was brought back to life. Now he's got to help get the Seals of Solomon so the world doesn't get overrun by a bunch of demons. The trouble is, he's seen what the Seal does, and what demons can do to a person. He's told to never look into their eyes... So what does he do? Yep. He looked. Now he's got to deal with his worst fears while he fights to save the world. Again.
Thoughts:
A good book. The first was really cool, delving into the mythos behind the Knights of the Round Table. In this one, Kropp finds out that there are, in fact, such things as demons, and not just the mistakes that come back to haunt you later. Kropp has to deal with his inner demons as well as the physical ones, and find a way to best the demons that can't be bested. It's an interesting take on "the end of the world." It's good enough to keep you wondering how Kropp's going to make it through, but light enough that you can put it down for a week, then pick it back up and still remember what had been happening. Not bad for teen lit.
Book 37 of 40
Pages: 327
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Eh. You've got to read the first one before this, and this is very definitely a fantasy book.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Murder of a Real Bad Boy (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye's gone and broken up with Simon (yeeeeeeeees!) and is trying to figure out how she wants life to continue from now on. Oh, and she's now an heiress with a house in serious need for TLC. That's where Beau the contractor comes in... and then gets murdered. Skye spends the book trying to decide what and who she wants out of Life, while trying to figure out who killed her contractor. Also, her brother has a secret, so her mother forces her to be nosy and find out what's up. Scumble River is turning into a regular soap opera town!
Thoughts:
Another nice step along the Skye Denison path. The fact that Simon is mostly out of the picture for Skye thrills me, which is no surprise to anyone who's ever read one of my reviews about this series. The plot is fairly well laid out, and I didn't figure out the murderer until late in the game, which is a plus. An added bonus was that Swanson got right down to the murder in this installment, whereas the previous few books have taken a while to get to the murder mystery part. (Swanson has relied on more mystery than murder in previous installments, which annoyed me. Who picks up a murder mystery, fully expecting murder, only to get to the murder 100 pages into the 250 page book? The early death of Beau pleased me, as awful as that sounds!)
Book 36 of 40
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup! Swanson does a good job of bringing a new reader up to speed with Skye's previous adventures while still keeping the loyal readers happy. While I always recommend picking up from the beginning, most of Swanson's work is okay to jump into somewhere in the middle.
Skye's gone and broken up with Simon (yeeeeeeeees!) and is trying to figure out how she wants life to continue from now on. Oh, and she's now an heiress with a house in serious need for TLC. That's where Beau the contractor comes in... and then gets murdered. Skye spends the book trying to decide what and who she wants out of Life, while trying to figure out who killed her contractor. Also, her brother has a secret, so her mother forces her to be nosy and find out what's up. Scumble River is turning into a regular soap opera town!
Thoughts:
Another nice step along the Skye Denison path. The fact that Simon is mostly out of the picture for Skye thrills me, which is no surprise to anyone who's ever read one of my reviews about this series. The plot is fairly well laid out, and I didn't figure out the murderer until late in the game, which is a plus. An added bonus was that Swanson got right down to the murder in this installment, whereas the previous few books have taken a while to get to the murder mystery part. (Swanson has relied on more mystery than murder in previous installments, which annoyed me. Who picks up a murder mystery, fully expecting murder, only to get to the murder 100 pages into the 250 page book? The early death of Beau pleased me, as awful as that sounds!)
Book 36 of 40
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup! Swanson does a good job of bringing a new reader up to speed with Skye's previous adventures while still keeping the loyal readers happy. While I always recommend picking up from the beginning, most of Swanson's work is okay to jump into somewhere in the middle.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Murder of a Smart Cookie (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Our friend, Skye, gets her fourth summer job of the summer (after having lost the previous three) as the director of the Route 66 100-Mile Yard Sale, or at least the Scumble River portion. She works for Scumble River's new mayor, her Uncle Dante. Dante's a crazy jerk with a penchant for screaming at the top of his lungs at everyone. One of Skye's ex-bosses, Cookie, winds up dead, and Dante thunders at Skye that she had better figure out who killed Cookie before it ruins the yard sale. There are TV cameras in town, following the star of an "Antiques Roadshow" wannabe show as the bitchy woman wreaks havoc with the sellers along the yard sale route. Plus, Simon, Skye's boyfriend, is out in California while she's dealing with all the crazy, her parents and her best friend and her husband are dealing with couple-y issues that Skye wants to help fix, and one of her favorite students goes missing. Just another calm week in Scumble River!
Thoughts:
I like the separation thing for Skye and Simon. It gets him out of the picture for a while, and lets Skye be Skye. Of course, that means that Skye gets into a little more trouble than usual, but she has Wally the police chief to help her out of her scrapes. They need to just get together already! But I digress. (As usual.) The book was a good one, though I did know exactly who did it about halfway through the book, and was not at all surprised by the reveal. But it was fun and quick, and during the holiday season, that's kind of what a girl needs, isn't it?
Book 35 of 40
(I don't think I'm going to make it to 50 this year. What a year!)
Pages: 260
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: For a light read, yup! Enjoy!
Our friend, Skye, gets her fourth summer job of the summer (after having lost the previous three) as the director of the Route 66 100-Mile Yard Sale, or at least the Scumble River portion. She works for Scumble River's new mayor, her Uncle Dante. Dante's a crazy jerk with a penchant for screaming at the top of his lungs at everyone. One of Skye's ex-bosses, Cookie, winds up dead, and Dante thunders at Skye that she had better figure out who killed Cookie before it ruins the yard sale. There are TV cameras in town, following the star of an "Antiques Roadshow" wannabe show as the bitchy woman wreaks havoc with the sellers along the yard sale route. Plus, Simon, Skye's boyfriend, is out in California while she's dealing with all the crazy, her parents and her best friend and her husband are dealing with couple-y issues that Skye wants to help fix, and one of her favorite students goes missing. Just another calm week in Scumble River!
Thoughts:
I like the separation thing for Skye and Simon. It gets him out of the picture for a while, and lets Skye be Skye. Of course, that means that Skye gets into a little more trouble than usual, but she has Wally the police chief to help her out of her scrapes. They need to just get together already! But I digress. (As usual.) The book was a good one, though I did know exactly who did it about halfway through the book, and was not at all surprised by the reveal. But it was fun and quick, and during the holiday season, that's kind of what a girl needs, isn't it?
Book 35 of 40
(I don't think I'm going to make it to 50 this year. What a year!)
Pages: 260
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: For a light read, yup! Enjoy!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Murder of a Pink Elephant (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
More murder time for Skye, the school psychologist. This time around, the victim is a band mate of Skye's big brother, Vince, and Vince is one of the prime suspects. The vic goes down this time in a fire in the school gym while there's a school dance going on, and Vince and the rest of the band are playing for the dance. As a couple added bonuses, there's increased use of methamphetamines and a crazy theme park mogul wanting to set up shop in the town. To top it all off, the police chief is running for mayor and his opponent is smearing him with the fact that Skye has been solving murders in the town for the last two or three years, not the chief. It's always a good time in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye saves the day. I'm getting really tired of her relationship with Simon, the boyfriend she's had since the beginning of the series. She's not a very giving person in that aspect of her life, and it seems like the boyfriend is always having to work for her affections. Not cool. Also, why can't the woman just get herself a job with the cops already, because she's solved, what, five murders at this point? Six, if you count this book, and there's a couple short stories that have come between books, which I'm sure hold some sort of crime solving. Just start getting paid for it already, Skye. It'll be worth it to you in the end, won't it?
The books are still fun, though, and worth wading through the crap romantic bits and the little dramas in Skye's own life to get to the murder solving bits. Also, let's get this girl hooked up with the chief already, because that has just gone on too long.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, faint romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Good for the cheesy mystery lovers, as usual.
More murder time for Skye, the school psychologist. This time around, the victim is a band mate of Skye's big brother, Vince, and Vince is one of the prime suspects. The vic goes down this time in a fire in the school gym while there's a school dance going on, and Vince and the rest of the band are playing for the dance. As a couple added bonuses, there's increased use of methamphetamines and a crazy theme park mogul wanting to set up shop in the town. To top it all off, the police chief is running for mayor and his opponent is smearing him with the fact that Skye has been solving murders in the town for the last two or three years, not the chief. It's always a good time in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye saves the day. I'm getting really tired of her relationship with Simon, the boyfriend she's had since the beginning of the series. She's not a very giving person in that aspect of her life, and it seems like the boyfriend is always having to work for her affections. Not cool. Also, why can't the woman just get herself a job with the cops already, because she's solved, what, five murders at this point? Six, if you count this book, and there's a couple short stories that have come between books, which I'm sure hold some sort of crime solving. Just start getting paid for it already, Skye. It'll be worth it to you in the end, won't it?
The books are still fun, though, and worth wading through the crap romantic bits and the little dramas in Skye's own life to get to the murder solving bits. Also, let's get this girl hooked up with the chief already, because that has just gone on too long.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, faint romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Good for the cheesy mystery lovers, as usual.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Secrets Sisters Keep (Abby Drake)
Summary:
Four sisters, Ellie, Amanda, Babe, and Carleen, are brought together for their uncle's seventy-fifth birthday party. Carleen, the third child and black sheep of the family, hasn't been seen since her trial for burning down the family home ended. She was eighteen at the time, and is now in her forties. Babe, the baby, is an aging Hollywood starlet who hasn't been home since she was a teenager either. Ellie, the eldest, has lived with Uncle Edward at his Long Island lake house since her marriage ended in her twenties, and Amanda, second eldest, lives in nearby Manhattan with her husband and three children. The day before Uncle Edward's big bash, which will welcome back 200 of his oldest and dearest friends to the lake house, Uncle Edward goes missing. The book follows the sisters as they hunt for Uncle Edward, and try not to spill the beans on all their deepest and darkest secrets.
Thoughts:
Honestly, I kind of hated every character, in one respect or another. Amanda's a haughty bitch who needs to get her priorities straight. Ellie is scared of change, and everything that could make her life more meaningful. Babe is too wrapped up in herself to know anything. And Carleen, while being the most well-adjusted of the sisters, is bitter and feels the need to fix everything she may or may not have broken all those years ago. The story, overall, is an interesting one, but the players are just... Boring. Uninspired. They're cliches of the worst sort.
The book was fairly short, with big type, but I still had to push myself to get through it. At 100 pages, I was ready to be done already. The only good developments came along at page 250 or so, and went from there. Unfortunately, it was too little and too late for me to really care. I'm sorry, Ms. Drake, but you did not hook me at any point. The only reason I finished the book was that I truly hate starting a book and not seeing it through to the end. Thank goodness I got this through one of those "book of the month" clubs as one of the introductory books, so I didn't have to pay more than a few pennies for it. Otherwise, I would have been more upset.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 301
Genre: Chicklit, kinda
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Skip it. Boring, uninspired cliches aren't worth your time.
Four sisters, Ellie, Amanda, Babe, and Carleen, are brought together for their uncle's seventy-fifth birthday party. Carleen, the third child and black sheep of the family, hasn't been seen since her trial for burning down the family home ended. She was eighteen at the time, and is now in her forties. Babe, the baby, is an aging Hollywood starlet who hasn't been home since she was a teenager either. Ellie, the eldest, has lived with Uncle Edward at his Long Island lake house since her marriage ended in her twenties, and Amanda, second eldest, lives in nearby Manhattan with her husband and three children. The day before Uncle Edward's big bash, which will welcome back 200 of his oldest and dearest friends to the lake house, Uncle Edward goes missing. The book follows the sisters as they hunt for Uncle Edward, and try not to spill the beans on all their deepest and darkest secrets.
Thoughts:
Honestly, I kind of hated every character, in one respect or another. Amanda's a haughty bitch who needs to get her priorities straight. Ellie is scared of change, and everything that could make her life more meaningful. Babe is too wrapped up in herself to know anything. And Carleen, while being the most well-adjusted of the sisters, is bitter and feels the need to fix everything she may or may not have broken all those years ago. The story, overall, is an interesting one, but the players are just... Boring. Uninspired. They're cliches of the worst sort.
The book was fairly short, with big type, but I still had to push myself to get through it. At 100 pages, I was ready to be done already. The only good developments came along at page 250 or so, and went from there. Unfortunately, it was too little and too late for me to really care. I'm sorry, Ms. Drake, but you did not hook me at any point. The only reason I finished the book was that I truly hate starting a book and not seeing it through to the end. Thank goodness I got this through one of those "book of the month" clubs as one of the introductory books, so I didn't have to pay more than a few pennies for it. Otherwise, I would have been more upset.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 301
Genre: Chicklit, kinda
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Skip it. Boring, uninspired cliches aren't worth your time.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Murder of a Barbie and Ken (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye Denison is still the school psychologist in a small town in Illinois. She's still dating the town's funeral director. This time she and her dad find the town's biggest movers and shakers, Barbie and Ken Addison, (yes, really.) dead in their home, strangled with the ribbon Barbie wraps around her Lean Cuisine style meals that she guilt-sells at Tupperware-like parties. Nice. Ken was grand poo-ba of the book's version of the Elks club, (within the book they're named something long that winds up making them be called the GUMBs. Seriously.) which Skye's boyfriend decided to join just a few months earlier. Skye is determined to keep her nose out of the police business for once, but the chief actually asks her to get into it this time around thanks to her involvement with the GUMBs and their wives. The other top GUMB members tell her to get into it too, and she uncovers some disturbing secrets within the GUMBs that no one wants to get out. Oh, and to top it off, someone from her boyfriend's past comes back to haunt, and makes Skye's home their personal hotel. What to do...
Thoughts:
I like Skye for the most part, and I like that for once, she's actually trying to stay OUT of the investigation. But I think she really should break it off with her boyfriend. He doesn't treat her completely right, often kind of condescending to her. I would actually like to see them broken up for the entirety of a book, and her getting into it with the police chief who not only has the hots for her, but who she's got a jonesing for too. It's really about time that the sexual tension there is resolved, one way or another. There's another 9 books in the series as of this date, and I'm hoping that the boyfriend goes away at some point, at least for a little while. My hopes will probably be dashed, but we'll see. Oh, and for once, I didn't spot the murderer a mile away.
Book 33 of 50
Pages: 253
Genre: Mystery, with a side of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Cheesy but fun. Good quick read for the holiday season.
Skye Denison is still the school psychologist in a small town in Illinois. She's still dating the town's funeral director. This time she and her dad find the town's biggest movers and shakers, Barbie and Ken Addison, (yes, really.) dead in their home, strangled with the ribbon Barbie wraps around her Lean Cuisine style meals that she guilt-sells at Tupperware-like parties. Nice. Ken was grand poo-ba of the book's version of the Elks club, (within the book they're named something long that winds up making them be called the GUMBs. Seriously.) which Skye's boyfriend decided to join just a few months earlier. Skye is determined to keep her nose out of the police business for once, but the chief actually asks her to get into it this time around thanks to her involvement with the GUMBs and their wives. The other top GUMB members tell her to get into it too, and she uncovers some disturbing secrets within the GUMBs that no one wants to get out. Oh, and to top it off, someone from her boyfriend's past comes back to haunt, and makes Skye's home their personal hotel. What to do...
Thoughts:
I like Skye for the most part, and I like that for once, she's actually trying to stay OUT of the investigation. But I think she really should break it off with her boyfriend. He doesn't treat her completely right, often kind of condescending to her. I would actually like to see them broken up for the entirety of a book, and her getting into it with the police chief who not only has the hots for her, but who she's got a jonesing for too. It's really about time that the sexual tension there is resolved, one way or another. There's another 9 books in the series as of this date, and I'm hoping that the boyfriend goes away at some point, at least for a little while. My hopes will probably be dashed, but we'll see. Oh, and for once, I didn't spot the murderer a mile away.
Book 33 of 50
Pages: 253
Genre: Mystery, with a side of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Cheesy but fun. Good quick read for the holiday season.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Murder of a Snake in the Grass (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Another of the Scumble River mysteries, starring Skye Denison. This time around, the town is having its bicentennial celebration, complete with the descendant of the town's founder coming in from Montreal to join the festivities. When Gabriel Scumble turns up dead, Skye wants nothing to do with it, for once. She chooses instead to keep her nose clean, and deal with her creeper ex-fiance who's come to town to supposedly woo her and bring her back into his life. Skye's on-again-off-again man, Simon, is none too pleased with Skye's ex showing up, and all hell threatens to break loose in Skye's life. Of course, everyone that knows Skye knows that she won't keep her nose out of for long....
Thoughts:
Kind of a same-ol'-same-ol' for Swanson. I'm tiring of Skye not being able to choose to be with Simon, or not. With the way this one ended, I'm hoping the same old storyline isn't rehashed again in the next book of the series, but we'll have to wait and see about that, won't we? Skye is fairly good at her job, but her interpersonal skills when she's not working are rather lacking. The stories are good, but semi-predictable. The writing is fair, but readable. These are good books to pick up and read through when your mind needs a rest from the hardships of intense, thought-provoking masterpiece type books.
Book 32 of 50
Pages: 262
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, take a break from Austen and Hugo and breathe in a little down home cheesiness.
Another of the Scumble River mysteries, starring Skye Denison. This time around, the town is having its bicentennial celebration, complete with the descendant of the town's founder coming in from Montreal to join the festivities. When Gabriel Scumble turns up dead, Skye wants nothing to do with it, for once. She chooses instead to keep her nose clean, and deal with her creeper ex-fiance who's come to town to supposedly woo her and bring her back into his life. Skye's on-again-off-again man, Simon, is none too pleased with Skye's ex showing up, and all hell threatens to break loose in Skye's life. Of course, everyone that knows Skye knows that she won't keep her nose out of for long....
Thoughts:
Kind of a same-ol'-same-ol' for Swanson. I'm tiring of Skye not being able to choose to be with Simon, or not. With the way this one ended, I'm hoping the same old storyline isn't rehashed again in the next book of the series, but we'll have to wait and see about that, won't we? Skye is fairly good at her job, but her interpersonal skills when she's not working are rather lacking. The stories are good, but semi-predictable. The writing is fair, but readable. These are good books to pick up and read through when your mind needs a rest from the hardships of intense, thought-provoking masterpiece type books.
Book 32 of 50
Pages: 262
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, take a break from Austen and Hugo and breathe in a little down home cheesiness.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Witness to Death (Dave White)
Summary:
John's just a regular guy. He suspects that the man his ex, Michelle, is dating might be cheating on her. John's suspicions lead him down a road he wasn't expecting. Michelle's honey knows his way around guns, can fight better than Tyson and Holyfield and Bond combined, and can distract cops so easily, you'd think he was using the Force. The novel follows John, and Michelle's new guy, Frank (or is it Peter??) as they get to the bottom of a plot to kill them. There are shootings, deaths, and even an explosion or two.
Thoughts:
Awesome as usual. Before I go on, I should say that I am privileged enough to know the author. He's family. However, that does NOT mean that I treat his novels with kid gloves compared to the other stuff I've read. Sure, it might make Dave feel good, but if those three of you that actually read this blog (ha.) decided to pick up a Dave White novel based on my say-so, and find it to be a roiling pile of crap, you'd probably run screaming for the hills and my readership would be down to, well, nothing at all.
So now on to the review. I honestly love White's writing style. It helps that he's based in Northern Jersey, and so are his characters, and that's my current section of the world as well. The blunt but humorous descriptions and observations of White's characters bring them closer to reality for me because I see the world in a similar way. As we the reader follow John the teacher through these escapades of his, we feel for the guy, and really care about him as if he's the chatty neighbor who you'll be talking to about his kids tomorrow on your way out your respective doors. With most mystery writers, I can predict the exact angle and trajectory of the next shoe's drop before it's dropped but, with White, you never can tell. I usually catch up with where the plot's going to go about three sentences before it goes there. He packs so many twists into a single book, you feel like you're on the world's longest roller coaster, and believe me, there's always a final drop out of no where before you roll back into the station. The last drop in this one comes in the chapter that's usually the epilogue-like one, where we the readers finally relax and think everything's all finished. Literally, a Chekov's Gun scene comes out of nowhere, and I still (after having finished this a couple days ago) can't believe the ending. Trust me when I tell you, Dave White's got a knack for the drama, and I enjoy the hell out of every one of his books.
Side note: This book is not available in paper form. It's an eReader only one. I was hesitant about it, because I like the solid, tangible books in hand, but because it's White, I downloaded the book, and I am not sorry. Pick it up. It's worth the megabytes.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: Unspecified, eReader book
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely, and not just because he's family. Two good reasons you should download this: 1, it's effing GOOD, and 2, it's only $0.99. Come on. Writing this good is a steal at any price, but at under a dollar, will you really feel gypped? Doubtful.
John's just a regular guy. He suspects that the man his ex, Michelle, is dating might be cheating on her. John's suspicions lead him down a road he wasn't expecting. Michelle's honey knows his way around guns, can fight better than Tyson and Holyfield and Bond combined, and can distract cops so easily, you'd think he was using the Force. The novel follows John, and Michelle's new guy, Frank (or is it Peter??) as they get to the bottom of a plot to kill them. There are shootings, deaths, and even an explosion or two.
Thoughts:
Awesome as usual. Before I go on, I should say that I am privileged enough to know the author. He's family. However, that does NOT mean that I treat his novels with kid gloves compared to the other stuff I've read. Sure, it might make Dave feel good, but if those three of you that actually read this blog (ha.) decided to pick up a Dave White novel based on my say-so, and find it to be a roiling pile of crap, you'd probably run screaming for the hills and my readership would be down to, well, nothing at all.
So now on to the review. I honestly love White's writing style. It helps that he's based in Northern Jersey, and so are his characters, and that's my current section of the world as well. The blunt but humorous descriptions and observations of White's characters bring them closer to reality for me because I see the world in a similar way. As we the reader follow John the teacher through these escapades of his, we feel for the guy, and really care about him as if he's the chatty neighbor who you'll be talking to about his kids tomorrow on your way out your respective doors. With most mystery writers, I can predict the exact angle and trajectory of the next shoe's drop before it's dropped but, with White, you never can tell. I usually catch up with where the plot's going to go about three sentences before it goes there. He packs so many twists into a single book, you feel like you're on the world's longest roller coaster, and believe me, there's always a final drop out of no where before you roll back into the station. The last drop in this one comes in the chapter that's usually the epilogue-like one, where we the readers finally relax and think everything's all finished. Literally, a Chekov's Gun scene comes out of nowhere, and I still (after having finished this a couple days ago) can't believe the ending. Trust me when I tell you, Dave White's got a knack for the drama, and I enjoy the hell out of every one of his books.
Side note: This book is not available in paper form. It's an eReader only one. I was hesitant about it, because I like the solid, tangible books in hand, but because it's White, I downloaded the book, and I am not sorry. Pick it up. It's worth the megabytes.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: Unspecified, eReader book
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely, and not just because he's family. Two good reasons you should download this: 1, it's effing GOOD, and 2, it's only $0.99. Come on. Writing this good is a steal at any price, but at under a dollar, will you really feel gypped? Doubtful.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Assassination Vacation (Sarah Vowell)
Summary:
It's a non-fictional book for once. Vowell delves into the crazy minds and lives of the men who went after Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, examining the roads they took toward the assassinations, and the roads they followed afterward. It also looks at Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham's eldest, who was in the vicinity during each of the assassination attempts.
Thoughts:
The chapter on Lincoln takes up almost half the book, and goes far more in depth than the other two. Vowell makes history fun in the most off-beat kind of way. She literally goes on vacations and day trips to find out more about what John Wilkes Booth was doing the day after the shooting. I swear. She takes the truths of the days surrounding each assassination and lays them all out so you can learn them best, and absorb just how nuts each of the assassins actually were. Vowell's way of looking at the history of these murders makes it fun and interesting to learn about, as opposed to reading a text book or listening to your high school history teacher drone on about dates and events. (No offense to Mr. Heath, and Mr. Lynch, who are probably long gone from my school at this point, but who did actually help me enjoy history a lot more than most teachers!) Vowell takes the emotionless facts of when and where, and throws in the emotional bits of who and why so that her readers can get a sense of how it really went down. And poor Robert. That man must have had a serious complex by the end of his life.
The book is a great read. I honestly didn't want to put it down, and fully plan on picking up more of Vowell's books. Her joy over the history leaps off the page as if it had a life of its own. HIGHLY suggest this one, people. HIGHLY.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: 255
Genre: History
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: YES. A thousand times, YES!! Even if you're not big on history, this is worth it. YES!!
It's a non-fictional book for once. Vowell delves into the crazy minds and lives of the men who went after Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, examining the roads they took toward the assassinations, and the roads they followed afterward. It also looks at Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham's eldest, who was in the vicinity during each of the assassination attempts.
Thoughts:
The chapter on Lincoln takes up almost half the book, and goes far more in depth than the other two. Vowell makes history fun in the most off-beat kind of way. She literally goes on vacations and day trips to find out more about what John Wilkes Booth was doing the day after the shooting. I swear. She takes the truths of the days surrounding each assassination and lays them all out so you can learn them best, and absorb just how nuts each of the assassins actually were. Vowell's way of looking at the history of these murders makes it fun and interesting to learn about, as opposed to reading a text book or listening to your high school history teacher drone on about dates and events. (No offense to Mr. Heath, and Mr. Lynch, who are probably long gone from my school at this point, but who did actually help me enjoy history a lot more than most teachers!) Vowell takes the emotionless facts of when and where, and throws in the emotional bits of who and why so that her readers can get a sense of how it really went down. And poor Robert. That man must have had a serious complex by the end of his life.
The book is a great read. I honestly didn't want to put it down, and fully plan on picking up more of Vowell's books. Her joy over the history leaps off the page as if it had a life of its own. HIGHLY suggest this one, people. HIGHLY.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: 255
Genre: History
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: YES. A thousand times, YES!! Even if you're not big on history, this is worth it. YES!!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Name of This Book is Secret (Pseudonymous Bosch)
Summary:
I really can't tell you what it's about, because I'm not supposed to, but if I were to tell you, this is what I would say... It's about a couple of kids that learn of the disappearance of a magician, and get drawn into a whole secret world that no one should know about. But I didn't tell you that!
Thoughts:
It's fabulous. What a fun story. Sure, it's a kid's book. Then again, so was Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins, and the Wizard of Oz. This one makes you think, and try to discover who's who, and what's what, and how they're going to get where they're going next. There are codes to decipher, and riddles to solve, and smells to hear. I got turned onto the book by the Today Show, and I'm glad I hunted it down. Definitely a fun romp, and great for kids. Enjoy this one, everyone. I know you will!
Book 30 of 50
Pages: 351, 360 if you include the Appendix, and more if you write more in your ending!
Genre: Children's, mystery
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. You're crazy if you don't go hunting for this book! Such fun!
I really can't tell you what it's about, because I'm not supposed to, but if I were to tell you, this is what I would say... It's about a couple of kids that learn of the disappearance of a magician, and get drawn into a whole secret world that no one should know about. But I didn't tell you that!
Thoughts:
It's fabulous. What a fun story. Sure, it's a kid's book. Then again, so was Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins, and the Wizard of Oz. This one makes you think, and try to discover who's who, and what's what, and how they're going to get where they're going next. There are codes to decipher, and riddles to solve, and smells to hear. I got turned onto the book by the Today Show, and I'm glad I hunted it down. Definitely a fun romp, and great for kids. Enjoy this one, everyone. I know you will!
Book 30 of 50
Pages: 351, 360 if you include the Appendix, and more if you write more in your ending!
Genre: Children's, mystery
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. You're crazy if you don't go hunting for this book! Such fun!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
No Nest for the Wicket (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Once again, Meg Langslow has craziness surrounding her. Mrs. Fenniman, a woman whose relationship to Meg is, I think, some sort of aunt, decides to start an Extreme Cricket tournament in Caerphilly. Of course the tourney has to be on Meg's huge property, as well as her neighbor's farm, because everyone enjoys invading Meg's and Michael's space. Oh, and somebody gets murdered. Shocker.
Thoughts:
If you've read this blog at all, you know how I love Andrews's writing. The scenarios get more and more ridiculous, but with the way Andrews set up her first novel, no one thinks twice about how off-the-wall the newest novel's plot is. I can't wait to see what's coming next. The only thing that bugs me is Meg's fear of marrying Michael, but I guess Andrews was trying to draw out that piece of plot as long as possible.
Book 28 of 50
Pages: 259
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend? Heck yeah, though as with most series books, I do suggest starting from the beginning. Sure, you could pick up in the middle, but the whole joy of the Langslow brood is watching the crazy get crazier.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Silver (Edward Chupack)
Summary:
This is the back story of one Long John Silver, the dreaded pirate from Treasure Island. Chupack takes readers on a journey through Silver's past straight through to finding his Treasure Island.
Thoughts:
I have yet to read the original story, so take what I say with a grain of salt. However, this was probably one of the more boring books I've read in the last two or three years. It literally took me a month and a half to fight my way through this damn book. The story is told through Silver's own pen, written to the man who captured him. Holy Jesus, did I want out the whole way through this novel. I found it in the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble and after just a few pages, I saw exactly why it was there. Bleh. No thank you. Avoid this one, friends. Trust me.
Book 29 of 50
Pages: 272
Genre: Historical fiction, pirates
Grade: F
Would I Recommend? Nope. Leave this bad boy in the bargain bin, kiddies.
This is the back story of one Long John Silver, the dreaded pirate from Treasure Island. Chupack takes readers on a journey through Silver's past straight through to finding his Treasure Island.
Thoughts:
I have yet to read the original story, so take what I say with a grain of salt. However, this was probably one of the more boring books I've read in the last two or three years. It literally took me a month and a half to fight my way through this damn book. The story is told through Silver's own pen, written to the man who captured him. Holy Jesus, did I want out the whole way through this novel. I found it in the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble and after just a few pages, I saw exactly why it was there. Bleh. No thank you. Avoid this one, friends. Trust me.
Book 29 of 50
Pages: 272
Genre: Historical fiction, pirates
Grade: F
Would I Recommend? Nope. Leave this bad boy in the bargain bin, kiddies.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye Denison the school counselor was just trying to get a kid to come out of his shell, when their session gets interrupted. Another dead body has been found. This time it's the school's star of the play. Skye has to try to find the killer before the principal goes nuts over the bad press. Skye gets an in-depth look at the teen pageant circuit as well as a glimpse inside the Senior Class in crowd. Meanwhile, the kid whose session was interrupted tries to help...
Thoughts:
Not a bad one. Skye is a likable enough character, and she doesn't push too many of my "duh, what are you doing??" buttons, so that's always a step in the right direction. Swanson brings the funny more than other authors, which I appreciate. It's a good mindless read for those who just need a break from the world.
Book 27 of 50
Pages: 263
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Band Room Bash (Candice Speare)
Summary:
Second in a series I've not read before. Trish Cunningham is a mother of four (if I remember correctly), who's pregnant again. She arrives at the local high school for a meeting about promoting the school play, and finds one of the teachers involved murdered in the band room. Oh, and her stepson is a prime suspect. She's determined to find out who the murderer is and fast, before her stepson is charged.
Thoughts:
I ordered this on a whim from someone on Paperback Swap because of the title, and my band nerd history. It had little to nothing to do with band people, though. Sadness. But on to the book itself... Honestly, this author doesn't bring anything really new to the murder mystery novel party. The main character is boring, and pretty stupid, because she puts herself into danger while being very pregnant. The police chief basically hates her, and doesn't want her getting her nose into anything, which makes absolute sense, but she keeps going anyway. Everyone expects her to solve the murder, even though she has literally only solved one murder before. But of course, after you've done it once, it's not hard at all. Ugh. I didn't like anything in particular about the book, and more often than not, I was rolling my eyes at the idiocy of the main character. No, thank you. I won't be going back to read the first book, nor will I be continuing on with the series. Skip this one.
Book 26 of 30
Pages: 249
Genre: Mystery
Grade: D
Would I Recommend?: Eh. I won't be getting more from this series, I don't think.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Club Dead (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
The next book in the True Blood series. Bill gets kidnapped, and Sookie has to help by going to Mississippi to hunt him down. She spends time with Alcide, a werewolf with a good heart. And when Sookie finds out that Bill's been hanging around with the vampire that he used to be completely enamored of for a great many years, she gets angry and hurt. Who can blame her when she takes second looks at both Alcide, and Bill's boss, Eric.
Thoughts:
It's good. Honestly, though, it's not really my favorite series. I liked the show, and the books are good, but something about them isn't quite doing it for me anymore. I probably will keep up with them, to be honest, because I'm really bad at giving up midstream. I really liked how this one ended up. It felt like the end brought Sookie to a much more independent place in her life, and I liked that. I really hope to see Alcide again, because I loved his character. And I hope when we do see him again, Sookie's in a place to welcome him into her life a little more. Apparently, I'm more fond of werewolves than vampires when it's down to one or the other.
Book 25 of 30
Pages: 292
Genre: Mystery, vampires, romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Sure, if you're a vampire mystery type.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Owls Well that Ends Well (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow is at it again. As usual, she finds a dead body, this time in an old trunk someone is trying to sell at the huge yard sale at her house. In previous books, Meg and her boyfriend, Michael, bought themselves a house full of crap, and in this book, they're getting rid of the crap they don't want in a giant yard sale. Meg's family all brought their own crap over to sell too, so the yard sale takes up most of Meg's back yard, and draws the entire town out to see what they have to offer. The biggest ass of the bunch, an antiques buyer and seller, gets on everyone's last nerves, and winds up dead. Of course, Meg gets in on the investigation and once again winds up in trouble.
Thoughts:
It's another testament to the crazies with this book. You know the old saying, "write what you know?" Well, if that's what Ms. Andrews goes by, it's clear that she has all kinds of ridiculous relatives and friends in her life. After each installment of the Meg Langslow series, you don't think there could be more ludicrous circumstances, but then you crack the next cover and though you can't fathom it, but it's happened again. And yet, with Meg's nutty family, you actually believe it.
Book 24 of 30
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. The series is fun. I've passed the books along already, and everyone that's had them thinks they're fun.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Info Post!
I've gotten very behind on posting here, and I apologize! I'm going to start being far more regular. My plan for right now is to start posting once a week, this way it'll be easier to know when things will be showing up here on the blog. With Blogger's new set-up, too, it's making it far easier to set up regular postings. I'll be posting on Sundays at noon from now on, unless I get so back-logged that I decide to change it to be more frequent.
If anyone has suggestions for what they'd like to see more often, or if they have book suggestions, please feel free to comment and let me know!
Thanks! Keep reading!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
We'll Always Have Parrots (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow's boyfriend is a part time actor, and has a growing part on a semi-popular TV show that's a little Harry Potter, a little Star Trek, and a whole lot campy. Thanks to Michael's part in the show, Meg gets to delve into the convention world, seeing just how crazy people can get. The con organizers had animals brought to the hotel the con's being held in, in order to make it look more like Amblyopia, the setting of the TV show. But on the first day, the parrots and monkeys get loose, and hijinks ensue. Not to mention the dead body...
Thoughts:
Andrews does it again, bringing a yet another aspect of modern life into hilarious view. She has a way of bringing even the most outlandish situations into Meg's life, and pushing it straight past "feasible" into "outrageous" whilst still making all kinds of sense. How often do you find a single person that's found murder victims at a wedding, in a software company, during a reenactment of the Battle at Yorktown, on a weekend getaway, and now at a TV show convention. And in her next novel, Meg finds the body at a yard sale in her backyard. And there are perfectly good explanations for each and every one of these situations, and for the murders that take place. Few authors can do that without giving the reader a large pill to swallow in the form of the newest situation.
These books are fun, silly things, and completely addictive. (Case in point, I've already finished the next in the series, too!) To read one book of the Meg series is to sign yourself up for the long haul. They're great beach reading type books, too, though it'll take a lot for you to put it down, even just to roll over and even the tan!
Book 23 of 30
Pages: 331
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it's fun!
Meg Langslow's boyfriend is a part time actor, and has a growing part on a semi-popular TV show that's a little Harry Potter, a little Star Trek, and a whole lot campy. Thanks to Michael's part in the show, Meg gets to delve into the convention world, seeing just how crazy people can get. The con organizers had animals brought to the hotel the con's being held in, in order to make it look more like Amblyopia, the setting of the TV show. But on the first day, the parrots and monkeys get loose, and hijinks ensue. Not to mention the dead body...
Thoughts:
Andrews does it again, bringing a yet another aspect of modern life into hilarious view. She has a way of bringing even the most outlandish situations into Meg's life, and pushing it straight past "feasible" into "outrageous" whilst still making all kinds of sense. How often do you find a single person that's found murder victims at a wedding, in a software company, during a reenactment of the Battle at Yorktown, on a weekend getaway, and now at a TV show convention. And in her next novel, Meg finds the body at a yard sale in her backyard. And there are perfectly good explanations for each and every one of these situations, and for the murders that take place. Few authors can do that without giving the reader a large pill to swallow in the form of the newest situation.
These books are fun, silly things, and completely addictive. (Case in point, I've already finished the next in the series, too!) To read one book of the Meg series is to sign yourself up for the long haul. They're great beach reading type books, too, though it'll take a lot for you to put it down, even just to roll over and even the tan!
Book 23 of 30
Pages: 331
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it's fun!
Monday, July 25, 2011
If Books Could Kill (Kate Carlisle)
Summary:
Brooklyn is a bookbinder and restorer. In the first book in the series, she finds her mentor and friend killed, and herself stuck as the prime suspect. In this second installment, she travels to Ireland for a bookbinding conference. On a tour through the city, she finds her ex dead, and she's determined to figure out who killed him. Her English pretty-boy cop buddy shows up in Ireland too, and helps Brooklyn get her out of trouble and hunt the killer down.
Thoughts:
This woman's love for books warms my heart. She's a strong character, and the cop guy is a smooth guy for sure. I like the series, and will probably keep up with it, whenever I get a chance to get my hands on the next book. It's a good summer read. Light and quick.
Book 22 of 30
Pages: 280
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, if you're a mystery kind of person, this is right up your alley.
Brooklyn is a bookbinder and restorer. In the first book in the series, she finds her mentor and friend killed, and herself stuck as the prime suspect. In this second installment, she travels to Ireland for a bookbinding conference. On a tour through the city, she finds her ex dead, and she's determined to figure out who killed him. Her English pretty-boy cop buddy shows up in Ireland too, and helps Brooklyn get her out of trouble and hunt the killer down.
Thoughts:
This woman's love for books warms my heart. She's a strong character, and the cop guy is a smooth guy for sure. I like the series, and will probably keep up with it, whenever I get a chance to get my hands on the next book. It's a good summer read. Light and quick.
Book 22 of 30
Pages: 280
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, if you're a mystery kind of person, this is right up your alley.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox (Eoin Colfer)
Summary:
Artemis Fowl is a reformed evil genius who's got a lot of friends in low places. And by low, I mean both figuratively and physically. He's got connections with the criminal underworld as well as the Fairy world under the ground. His mother turns up ill with a fairy illness that had been eradicated decades before by the fairies. and Artemis killed the last lemur that carried the cure. He gets the idea to go back in time. Thank goodness he knows some magical creatures! The book follows the paradoxical greatness of time travel.
Thoughts:
I love this series. It's so inventive, and no matter what Artemis thinks of to do next, it turns wrong quick, then right, and wrong again so fast your head could spin. I have yet to read one of these that I haven't loved. Colfer has a way of spinning a yarn that will make your head spin until the very last page, when everything comes together.
Just a note. Like many of the previous Fowl books, this one has a decoded message along the bottoms of each page. If you don't wait until you've finished the book, you might get a little bit spoiled. Just in case you're anti-spoilers.
Book 21 of 30
Pages: 391
Genre: Teen lit, fantasy
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. When do I not recommend Colfer's work? never.
Artemis Fowl is a reformed evil genius who's got a lot of friends in low places. And by low, I mean both figuratively and physically. He's got connections with the criminal underworld as well as the Fairy world under the ground. His mother turns up ill with a fairy illness that had been eradicated decades before by the fairies. and Artemis killed the last lemur that carried the cure. He gets the idea to go back in time. Thank goodness he knows some magical creatures! The book follows the paradoxical greatness of time travel.
Thoughts:
I love this series. It's so inventive, and no matter what Artemis thinks of to do next, it turns wrong quick, then right, and wrong again so fast your head could spin. I have yet to read one of these that I haven't loved. Colfer has a way of spinning a yarn that will make your head spin until the very last page, when everything comes together.
Just a note. Like many of the previous Fowl books, this one has a decoded message along the bottoms of each page. If you don't wait until you've finished the book, you might get a little bit spoiled. Just in case you're anti-spoilers.
Book 21 of 30
Pages: 391
Genre: Teen lit, fantasy
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. When do I not recommend Colfer's work? never.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Summary:
Yossarian is a bombardier in World War II, flying over Italy, France, and wherever else the US Air Force says he should fly. He's crazy. His friends in his unit are crazy. In the Air Force, you can go home if you're crazy, but you have to ask to go home. If you ask to go home, you obviously care about your safety, which means you're not crazy, so you can't go home. It's called Catch-22.
Thoughts:
Honestly, it's hysterical. It's heavy subject matter, to be sure. It was so heavy sometimes, I needed to take a break and read something else for a while. Because of that, it took me quite a long time to power through. But it's funny. Every single character has some kind of crazy going on. The men go to Rome so regularly, one of the men has a prostitute he's in love with. Her only name in the book, in fact, is "Nately's whore." The men drive each other to insanity on a regular basis. I laughed on a regular basis through the whole book. There were also those moments when I got reminded that it was a book about a war.
It's certainly not linear, especially in the beginning few chapters. It is a brilliant novel, though, and I understand exactly why it's always on all those Top 100 book lists. It makes complete sense. I'm sure that if I read this when I was in high school, I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much as I did now. I'm glad I picked it up. If you managed to get out of it like I did when I was in school, I recommend picking it up now. It's a great read.
Book 20 of 30. Might have to raise this number...
Pages: 453, if you don't count the 50 pages of criticism, history and commentary included at the end of my edition.
Genre: General fiction, historical fiction, Top 100 book list
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Long read, yes. But worth it, for sure.
Yossarian is a bombardier in World War II, flying over Italy, France, and wherever else the US Air Force says he should fly. He's crazy. His friends in his unit are crazy. In the Air Force, you can go home if you're crazy, but you have to ask to go home. If you ask to go home, you obviously care about your safety, which means you're not crazy, so you can't go home. It's called Catch-22.
Thoughts:
Honestly, it's hysterical. It's heavy subject matter, to be sure. It was so heavy sometimes, I needed to take a break and read something else for a while. Because of that, it took me quite a long time to power through. But it's funny. Every single character has some kind of crazy going on. The men go to Rome so regularly, one of the men has a prostitute he's in love with. Her only name in the book, in fact, is "Nately's whore." The men drive each other to insanity on a regular basis. I laughed on a regular basis through the whole book. There were also those moments when I got reminded that it was a book about a war.
It's certainly not linear, especially in the beginning few chapters. It is a brilliant novel, though, and I understand exactly why it's always on all those Top 100 book lists. It makes complete sense. I'm sure that if I read this when I was in high school, I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much as I did now. I'm glad I picked it up. If you managed to get out of it like I did when I was in school, I recommend picking it up now. It's a great read.
Book 20 of 30. Might have to raise this number...
Pages: 453, if you don't count the 50 pages of criticism, history and commentary included at the end of my edition.
Genre: General fiction, historical fiction, Top 100 book list
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Long read, yes. But worth it, for sure.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Mr. Popper's Penguins (Richard & Florence Atwater)
Summary:
Mr. Popper is a house painter who loves reading. He reads everything he can about all kinds of travel, most especially about the Arctic and Antarctic. He wrote a letter to Admiral Drake at the South Pole, and when Admiral Drake starts his radio broadcast from the South Pole, he mentions that he's sent a gift to Mr. Popper. A few days later, the gift of a penguin arrives on Mr. Popper's doorstep. The story follows the Popper family as their family expands to four people and twelve penguins, and they try to decide just what to do with all those penguins.
Thoughts:
So much fun. I finished it in a few hours, as it's a children's book with big type and short pages. But it was a lovely little story that did teach a little about the poles, and about penguins. (Not much, just a little.) Mr. Popper is a wee bit bonkers, but who could resist the adorable Captain Cook, Greta, and all the rest? It's silly, light, and just exactly what I needed to take a break from Catch-22. It does suffer a little bit from being written so long ago, (It was published in 1938.) but it's still a happy little story about a guy who's got a thing for the arctic worlds. The end's a little funny (as in weird, not ha-ha) and I don't think I'd have ended it quite like that myself. It works, though, and shows off just a little more of Mr. Popper's crazy.
Is it childish? Yes. Would adults enjoy it anyway? If they're into a little bit of whimsy, absolutely. Now to see what Jim Carrey and company did to the story....
Book 19 of 30
Pages: 120ish?
Genre: Children's Lit
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: For kids, mostly, but grown-ups with a Peter Pan complex like myself would probably enjoy it for what it is.
Mr. Popper is a house painter who loves reading. He reads everything he can about all kinds of travel, most especially about the Arctic and Antarctic. He wrote a letter to Admiral Drake at the South Pole, and when Admiral Drake starts his radio broadcast from the South Pole, he mentions that he's sent a gift to Mr. Popper. A few days later, the gift of a penguin arrives on Mr. Popper's doorstep. The story follows the Popper family as their family expands to four people and twelve penguins, and they try to decide just what to do with all those penguins.
Thoughts:
So much fun. I finished it in a few hours, as it's a children's book with big type and short pages. But it was a lovely little story that did teach a little about the poles, and about penguins. (Not much, just a little.) Mr. Popper is a wee bit bonkers, but who could resist the adorable Captain Cook, Greta, and all the rest? It's silly, light, and just exactly what I needed to take a break from Catch-22. It does suffer a little bit from being written so long ago, (It was published in 1938.) but it's still a happy little story about a guy who's got a thing for the arctic worlds. The end's a little funny (as in weird, not ha-ha) and I don't think I'd have ended it quite like that myself. It works, though, and shows off just a little more of Mr. Popper's crazy.
Is it childish? Yes. Would adults enjoy it anyway? If they're into a little bit of whimsy, absolutely. Now to see what Jim Carrey and company did to the story....
Book 19 of 30
Pages: 120ish?
Genre: Children's Lit
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: For kids, mostly, but grown-ups with a Peter Pan complex like myself would probably enjoy it for what it is.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Another Meg Langslow mystery. This one centers around Meg helping out at her brother, Rob's gaming company while they're going a transition. The jokester jerk of the office gets offed on the motorized mail cart he loved abusing. Shocker, shocker, Meg's the one that finds his body. Shocker, shocker, the first person they suspect is closely related to Meg. (This time it's her brother, which is a rehash of the first book, I think.) Shocker, shocker, Meg solves the mystery.
Thoughts:
The main plot of Meg getting involved in the murders never changes. She's got crappy luck, always discovering all those dead bodies. But these books are fun. You can't help but enjoy the crazy that comes with a Meg Langslow book. Her family's crazy. Her boyfriend's useless. Her friends're suspicious. It's just the way it is in Caerphilly, VA, and their surrounding areas. It's another fun turn with Meg, for sure, and I haven't gotten sick of her yet. I'll keep going through this series.
Book 18 of 30
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup! I love this series!
Another Meg Langslow mystery. This one centers around Meg helping out at her brother, Rob's gaming company while they're going a transition. The jokester jerk of the office gets offed on the motorized mail cart he loved abusing. Shocker, shocker, Meg's the one that finds his body. Shocker, shocker, the first person they suspect is closely related to Meg. (This time it's her brother, which is a rehash of the first book, I think.) Shocker, shocker, Meg solves the mystery.
Thoughts:
The main plot of Meg getting involved in the murders never changes. She's got crappy luck, always discovering all those dead bodies. But these books are fun. You can't help but enjoy the crazy that comes with a Meg Langslow book. Her family's crazy. Her boyfriend's useless. Her friends're suspicious. It's just the way it is in Caerphilly, VA, and their surrounding areas. It's another fun turn with Meg, for sure, and I haven't gotten sick of her yet. I'll keep going through this series.
Book 18 of 30
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup! I love this series!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith in the Virginia area who has a very cute actor boyfriend, Michael. In this third book in her series, Meg's stuck at a craft fair to commemorate the Battle of Yorktown where her boyfriend's overbearing mother is running the show and demanding a lot from the crafters. They're forced to wear period costumes the entire week, and Meg gets to play go-between for the crafters to Michael's mom. In the midst of the craft fair, there's a murder to solve.
Thoughts:
It's more zany adventures with Meg and her family. Her parents are bonkers, Michael's mother is a tyrant, Spike the dog is a loveable terror (only because the reader has never met the little bugger in person), and the huge extended family is far too far-reaching. But it was fun, and a neat little break between chapters of Catch-22, which I'm still working on. I was honestly surprised, though, that the murder didn't get discovered until the last page of chapter 14, on page 112! I was honestly wondering when the death was going to happen, and then I was surprised when it finally did. I definitely called the victim from the moment we met him, but I wasn't sure on the murderer until the very end. Well played, Ms Andrews. Well played. Though the relationship business was pretty rushed when we finally got to it. That I would have been happier to have spread across more of the book. You can't have it all, can you?
Book 17 of 30
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Perfect for summer reading!
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith in the Virginia area who has a very cute actor boyfriend, Michael. In this third book in her series, Meg's stuck at a craft fair to commemorate the Battle of Yorktown where her boyfriend's overbearing mother is running the show and demanding a lot from the crafters. They're forced to wear period costumes the entire week, and Meg gets to play go-between for the crafters to Michael's mom. In the midst of the craft fair, there's a murder to solve.
Thoughts:
It's more zany adventures with Meg and her family. Her parents are bonkers, Michael's mother is a tyrant, Spike the dog is a loveable terror (only because the reader has never met the little bugger in person), and the huge extended family is far too far-reaching. But it was fun, and a neat little break between chapters of Catch-22, which I'm still working on. I was honestly surprised, though, that the murder didn't get discovered until the last page of chapter 14, on page 112! I was honestly wondering when the death was going to happen, and then I was surprised when it finally did. I definitely called the victim from the moment we met him, but I wasn't sure on the murderer until the very end. Well played, Ms Andrews. Well played. Though the relationship business was pretty rushed when we finally got to it. That I would have been happier to have spread across more of the book. You can't have it all, can you?
Book 17 of 30
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Perfect for summer reading!
Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote)
Summary:
Narrator guy lives in NYC and meets Holly Golightly, an eccentric and alluring woman that lives just upstairs. The story follows our guy as he experiences life with Ms. Golightly.
Also included in the book are three short stories, House of Flowers, A Diamond Guitar, and A Christmas Memory.
Thoughts:
It's weird, like the movie. I saw the movie a few years ago, and couldn't understand what the hell was going on. I read the book, and still didn't quite catch anything either. What I did get was that Holly's nuts, the narrator's in love, and that's about all you're supposed to get.
The three short stories weren't much to write home about... I honestly don't remember much about the House of Flowers and A Christmas Memory ones except that they were depressing. A Diamond Guitar was pretty good, though also really sad.
Book 16 of 30
Pages:161
Genre:Short stories/General Fiction
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it's pretty much a classic. Plus, the whole thing was pretty fast reading!
Narrator guy lives in NYC and meets Holly Golightly, an eccentric and alluring woman that lives just upstairs. The story follows our guy as he experiences life with Ms. Golightly.
Also included in the book are three short stories, House of Flowers, A Diamond Guitar, and A Christmas Memory.
Thoughts:
It's weird, like the movie. I saw the movie a few years ago, and couldn't understand what the hell was going on. I read the book, and still didn't quite catch anything either. What I did get was that Holly's nuts, the narrator's in love, and that's about all you're supposed to get.
The three short stories weren't much to write home about... I honestly don't remember much about the House of Flowers and A Christmas Memory ones except that they were depressing. A Diamond Guitar was pretty good, though also really sad.
Book 16 of 30
Pages:161
Genre:Short stories/General Fiction
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it's pretty much a classic. Plus, the whole thing was pretty fast reading!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (Max Brooks)
Summary:
The "writer" opens with a forward saying that he's going to stay out of sight as much as possible in the writing of the book. He goes on to say that he did a fact finding for the US government on what exactly happened during the zombie war and the clean-up afterward. In his original report, he told all the stories of the survivors, but the government rejected it, saying that they only wanted the cold, hard facts. So he went ahead and published this book with all of those stories that the government didn't care about.
The book goes on to tell the stories of the "survivors" of a zombie invasion, and outlines all of the political, social, and economical ramifications of what a full-scale zombie invasion would look like.
Thoughts:
Honestly, it was really interesting. I was completely engaged in this book the whole way through. It actually reads like a hundred testimonials from war heros and survivors. This is exactly what I would expect from someone like Tom Brokaw, about WWII or the Vietnam War or something. It was mind blowing to think about what could happen if our planet was overrun with a fictional brain-eating menace. It's a study in hypotheticals, for sure, but truly a fascinating read.
Book 15 of 30 (Halfway there!)
Pages: 342
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. If you're into the zombie thing, you'll love this, and even if you're not, it was interesting at the very least.
The "writer" opens with a forward saying that he's going to stay out of sight as much as possible in the writing of the book. He goes on to say that he did a fact finding for the US government on what exactly happened during the zombie war and the clean-up afterward. In his original report, he told all the stories of the survivors, but the government rejected it, saying that they only wanted the cold, hard facts. So he went ahead and published this book with all of those stories that the government didn't care about.
The book goes on to tell the stories of the "survivors" of a zombie invasion, and outlines all of the political, social, and economical ramifications of what a full-scale zombie invasion would look like.
Thoughts:
Honestly, it was really interesting. I was completely engaged in this book the whole way through. It actually reads like a hundred testimonials from war heros and survivors. This is exactly what I would expect from someone like Tom Brokaw, about WWII or the Vietnam War or something. It was mind blowing to think about what could happen if our planet was overrun with a fictional brain-eating menace. It's a study in hypotheticals, for sure, but truly a fascinating read.
Book 15 of 30 (Halfway there!)
Pages: 342
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. If you're into the zombie thing, you'll love this, and even if you're not, it was interesting at the very least.
Vampyres of Hollywood (Adrienne Barbeau & Michael Scott)
Summary:
Ovsanna Moore is a Hollywood scream queen who runs a very successful horror movie studio. She's also a 500-year-old vampyre. Peter King is LAPD officer investigating multiple murders that keep leading him back to Ovsanna. What he doesn't know is that Ovsanna's vampyre clan is getting attacked, and she's determined to find out why.
Thoughts:
This is another book that is written alternatively between the two main characters, though not as evenly alternating as Will Grayson, Will Grayson. This vampire book, like most others written in the last five years or so, tries to turn all the old vampire stories on their heads. The murder mystery part was good, but the "vampires really do THIS" stuff is getting old to me. I guess I should probably stop reading vampire novels. There's another of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in the wings, but that series doesn't turn everything completely around. Other than, we'll see.
Book 14 of 30
Pages: 325
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Kinda interesting for the writing style, but Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the same style done better. If you're into vampires and don't mind changing up their background, go for it.
Ovsanna Moore is a Hollywood scream queen who runs a very successful horror movie studio. She's also a 500-year-old vampyre. Peter King is LAPD officer investigating multiple murders that keep leading him back to Ovsanna. What he doesn't know is that Ovsanna's vampyre clan is getting attacked, and she's determined to find out why.
Thoughts:
This is another book that is written alternatively between the two main characters, though not as evenly alternating as Will Grayson, Will Grayson. This vampire book, like most others written in the last five years or so, tries to turn all the old vampire stories on their heads. The murder mystery part was good, but the "vampires really do THIS" stuff is getting old to me. I guess I should probably stop reading vampire novels. There's another of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in the wings, but that series doesn't turn everything completely around. Other than, we'll see.
Book 14 of 30
Pages: 325
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Kinda interesting for the writing style, but Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the same style done better. If you're into vampires and don't mind changing up their background, go for it.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (John Green & David Levithan)
Summary:
Will Grayson is a regular kid from a Chicago suburb that just tries to stay out of the way and keep his mouth shut. But his gigantic best friend, Tiny, is the most fabulous (*snap!*) linebacker in school. Will makes the mistake of writing a letter to the school newspaper in defense of Tiny, and actually signed it. From there, Will's world gets rocked a little more every day, as Tiny brings him deeper into Tiny's circle of friends, who are all in the Gay-Straight Alliance (including a cute girl, Jane, who may or may not be straight). Tiny decides to put on a play of his life, co-starring Will. This is wholly against Will's policy of shutting up and staying out of the public eye.
Will Grayson is a regular kid from a different Chicago suburb that is in love with an online friend, Isaac, who he messages any chance he gets. He's gay, but he tells no one, not even his only friend at school, Maura. He and Maura have a love-hate relationship that only exists because neither of them are close to anyone else.
One fateful day, Will Grayson goes with Tiny and Jane to a concert in Chicago, but it's at a 21+ only club, and Will's fake ID makes him only 20. Tiny and Jane go to the show, and an annoyed Will has time to burn before they go home again. He's determined to make use of his fake ID, so he decides to visit a porn shop across the street. On the very same day, Will Grayson and Isaac agree to meet in the city. Isaac sends Will to meet him at a porn shop in the city. And this is how Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. The story follows the Wills as they both become important parts in Tiny's life.
Thoughts:
The book is really quite incredible. It's written in alternating chapters, one following Will the First, one following Will the Second. They are two very different boys, who happened to have the same name, and who happen to both care about Tiny Cooper very much. The writing is good, and the story is so engaging, that I couldn't put it down. It's a really enjoyable read, although the ending feels a little abrupt for how the story had been playing out. But truly, it was a joy to read this book. I highly suggest it.
Book 13 of 30
Pages: 310
Genre: General fiction, teen lit
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. This book is awesome. Everyone should read it.
Will Grayson is a regular kid from a Chicago suburb that just tries to stay out of the way and keep his mouth shut. But his gigantic best friend, Tiny, is the most fabulous (*snap!*) linebacker in school. Will makes the mistake of writing a letter to the school newspaper in defense of Tiny, and actually signed it. From there, Will's world gets rocked a little more every day, as Tiny brings him deeper into Tiny's circle of friends, who are all in the Gay-Straight Alliance (including a cute girl, Jane, who may or may not be straight). Tiny decides to put on a play of his life, co-starring Will. This is wholly against Will's policy of shutting up and staying out of the public eye.
Will Grayson is a regular kid from a different Chicago suburb that is in love with an online friend, Isaac, who he messages any chance he gets. He's gay, but he tells no one, not even his only friend at school, Maura. He and Maura have a love-hate relationship that only exists because neither of them are close to anyone else.
One fateful day, Will Grayson goes with Tiny and Jane to a concert in Chicago, but it's at a 21+ only club, and Will's fake ID makes him only 20. Tiny and Jane go to the show, and an annoyed Will has time to burn before they go home again. He's determined to make use of his fake ID, so he decides to visit a porn shop across the street. On the very same day, Will Grayson and Isaac agree to meet in the city. Isaac sends Will to meet him at a porn shop in the city. And this is how Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. The story follows the Wills as they both become important parts in Tiny's life.
Thoughts:
The book is really quite incredible. It's written in alternating chapters, one following Will the First, one following Will the Second. They are two very different boys, who happened to have the same name, and who happen to both care about Tiny Cooper very much. The writing is good, and the story is so engaging, that I couldn't put it down. It's a really enjoyable read, although the ending feels a little abrupt for how the story had been playing out. But truly, it was a joy to read this book. I highly suggest it.
Book 13 of 30
Pages: 310
Genre: General fiction, teen lit
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. This book is awesome. Everyone should read it.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson)
Summary:
Whit and Wisty are swept away from their home in the middle of the night by government soldiers. Before they're taken away, their parents give them a drumstick and a blank book, which baffles the kids. They get thrown into prison, accused of being a wizard and a witch, and they are told that they will be put to death as soon as they hit eighteen. The book follows them as they fight to escape the prison, and learn all the ins and outs of the new political regime, which hates children.
Thoughts:
I liked it. Patterson weaves a good yarn here, while the kids learn what they really are, and learn how to deal with their magic. I obviously go for fantasy stuff more often than not, and this was a new and different twist on the witch/wizard plot line. And unlike Twilight, it doesn't turn everything on its head. Instead, it just expands on the worlds that have already been created. Plus, I liked the characters in this one.
Book 12 of 30
Pages: 312
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Interesting story, and a good start to the series. I'll definitely be going further in this series.
Whit and Wisty are swept away from their home in the middle of the night by government soldiers. Before they're taken away, their parents give them a drumstick and a blank book, which baffles the kids. They get thrown into prison, accused of being a wizard and a witch, and they are told that they will be put to death as soon as they hit eighteen. The book follows them as they fight to escape the prison, and learn all the ins and outs of the new political regime, which hates children.
Thoughts:
I liked it. Patterson weaves a good yarn here, while the kids learn what they really are, and learn how to deal with their magic. I obviously go for fantasy stuff more often than not, and this was a new and different twist on the witch/wizard plot line. And unlike Twilight, it doesn't turn everything on its head. Instead, it just expands on the worlds that have already been created. Plus, I liked the characters in this one.
Book 12 of 30
Pages: 312
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Interesting story, and a good start to the series. I'll definitely be going further in this series.
Naked Heat (Richard Castle)
Summary:
In "Castle's" second Nikki Heat novel, Nikki and Jamie Rook get wrapped up in the murder of a friend of Rook's, a gossip columnist who got into a story that was far bigger than she realized it was. Rook and Nikki embark on the case solving adventure, learning far more about the columnist than anyone else knew, all while trying to ignore the sexual tension between themselves.
Thoughts:
Another fun romp with Rook and Heat. It once again feels exactly like the show in written form. I think this one, if it were put on the show, would be more of a two-parter. There were many more details that they would never be able to stuff into a one-hour show. The mysteries written by "Castle" aren't too crazy on the plot front, but this one gave me enough to think about, for sure. It was a fun, quick read.
Book 11 of 30
Pages: 290
Genre: Mystery/romance
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: If you watch Castle, yes. Otherwise, it's just a cheesy mystery novel.
In "Castle's" second Nikki Heat novel, Nikki and Jamie Rook get wrapped up in the murder of a friend of Rook's, a gossip columnist who got into a story that was far bigger than she realized it was. Rook and Nikki embark on the case solving adventure, learning far more about the columnist than anyone else knew, all while trying to ignore the sexual tension between themselves.
Thoughts:
Another fun romp with Rook and Heat. It once again feels exactly like the show in written form. I think this one, if it were put on the show, would be more of a two-parter. There were many more details that they would never be able to stuff into a one-hour show. The mysteries written by "Castle" aren't too crazy on the plot front, but this one gave me enough to think about, for sure. It was a fun, quick read.
Book 11 of 30
Pages: 290
Genre: Mystery/romance
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: If you watch Castle, yes. Otherwise, it's just a cheesy mystery novel.
The First Love Cookie Club (Lori Wilde)
Summary:
As a child, Sarah Collier had negligent parents, and her only joy came when she spent Christmas and holidays with her grandmother in Twilight, Texas. She fell for the boy next door, Travis, who was far older than her. She even dreams of him every hear when she follows the mythos of the kismet cookie, which says that if you sleep with a cookie under your pillow on Christmas Eve, you will dream of the person you'll marry. Sarah's heart was broken when, on Christmas Day, Travis went and married someone else. (She was even his own age and everything!)
Fast forward a decade to Sarah as a huge rock star writer, who's trying to work on her second book, and whose broken heart as a kid has led her to never have a true love affair of any kind. Her editor sends her to a week-long publicity push in, where else, Twilight. Her presence was sought by the First Love Cookie Club, who are trying to make a little girl happy by bringing her favorite writer to town. Guess whose daughter that sweet little girl is. Travis. Sparks fly, hearts melt, and romance ensues.
Thoughts:
Not a bad romance novel, though it's pretty standard faire for the genre. The characters are nicely written, but this isn't exactly a James Patterson mystery. (The Patterson book will come soon!) More than anything, I expected a little talk about the actual recipe of the kismet cookies. They're supposedly amazing cookies, according to the book. With a title like "The First Love Cookie Club," I expected a little something. Oh well. Over all, it's just the standard romance story. At least there's no cop to fawn over.
Book 10 of 30 for the year
Pages: 370
Genre: Romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: It's a standard romance novel. Go with it.
As a child, Sarah Collier had negligent parents, and her only joy came when she spent Christmas and holidays with her grandmother in Twilight, Texas. She fell for the boy next door, Travis, who was far older than her. She even dreams of him every hear when she follows the mythos of the kismet cookie, which says that if you sleep with a cookie under your pillow on Christmas Eve, you will dream of the person you'll marry. Sarah's heart was broken when, on Christmas Day, Travis went and married someone else. (She was even his own age and everything!)
Fast forward a decade to Sarah as a huge rock star writer, who's trying to work on her second book, and whose broken heart as a kid has led her to never have a true love affair of any kind. Her editor sends her to a week-long publicity push in, where else, Twilight. Her presence was sought by the First Love Cookie Club, who are trying to make a little girl happy by bringing her favorite writer to town. Guess whose daughter that sweet little girl is. Travis. Sparks fly, hearts melt, and romance ensues.
Thoughts:
Not a bad romance novel, though it's pretty standard faire for the genre. The characters are nicely written, but this isn't exactly a James Patterson mystery. (The Patterson book will come soon!) More than anything, I expected a little talk about the actual recipe of the kismet cookies. They're supposedly amazing cookies, according to the book. With a title like "The First Love Cookie Club," I expected a little something. Oh well. Over all, it's just the standard romance story. At least there's no cop to fawn over.
Book 10 of 30 for the year
Pages: 370
Genre: Romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: It's a standard romance novel. Go with it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
I Heart New York (Lindsey Kelk)
Summary:
As we first meet the very British Angela, she has the distinct pleasure of finding out that her boyfriend who she thought was about to propose was, in fact, schtooping some chick he plays tennis with. Oh, and she finds this out at her best friend's wedding. Double oh, she finds out that her best friend and the new hubby knew the whole time. Because they all played tennis together. Except Angela. Yeah. So Angela decides to run. To New York City. She winds up not only meeting two hot guys, AND dating both of them, to the point where she gets to choose which man she wants to date, but she lands a blogging gig that gets her serious exposure. And she gets her happily ever.
Thoughts:
The whole thing is very Mary-Sue-ish to me. I didn't like the the dude she wound up with, and the fact that she basically falls into the blog thing annoyed me too. No one has it that easy. The book was a fast read, for sure. But the character was so dysfunctional and wishy-washy, I just didn't like her. It didn't help that the true resolution with her best friend who knew everything about the affair and told her nothing happened some time between the end of the "last chapter" and the beginning of the "epilogue." She speaks to the best friend over the phone for four pages' worth of time, says "Goodbye, I love you, and I'm glad you're okay" and then it goes from there to months down the line where the best friend sends her a congratulatory text. Seriously? Sometimes I wonder about why people end books like that. Let's just leave relationships in a weird limbo, yeah, that's a great plan! I like it.
Book 9 of 30 books for the year
Pages: 307
Genre: General Fiction/Romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Read it, don't read it. It's all up to you.
As we first meet the very British Angela, she has the distinct pleasure of finding out that her boyfriend who she thought was about to propose was, in fact, schtooping some chick he plays tennis with. Oh, and she finds this out at her best friend's wedding. Double oh, she finds out that her best friend and the new hubby knew the whole time. Because they all played tennis together. Except Angela. Yeah. So Angela decides to run. To New York City. She winds up not only meeting two hot guys, AND dating both of them, to the point where she gets to choose which man she wants to date, but she lands a blogging gig that gets her serious exposure. And she gets her happily ever.
Thoughts:
The whole thing is very Mary-Sue-ish to me. I didn't like the the dude she wound up with, and the fact that she basically falls into the blog thing annoyed me too. No one has it that easy. The book was a fast read, for sure. But the character was so dysfunctional and wishy-washy, I just didn't like her. It didn't help that the true resolution with her best friend who knew everything about the affair and told her nothing happened some time between the end of the "last chapter" and the beginning of the "epilogue." She speaks to the best friend over the phone for four pages' worth of time, says "Goodbye, I love you, and I'm glad you're okay" and then it goes from there to months down the line where the best friend sends her a congratulatory text. Seriously? Sometimes I wonder about why people end books like that. Let's just leave relationships in a weird limbo, yeah, that's a great plan! I like it.
Book 9 of 30 books for the year
Pages: 307
Genre: General Fiction/Romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Read it, don't read it. It's all up to you.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Born Under a Lucky Moon (Dana Precious)
Summary:
Jeannie is a thirty-nine year old movie promoter dealing with a jerk trying to take her top spot in the company, and who just got proposed to by her hunky boyfriend. But she's also a nineteen year old who hasn't moved out of the house, and who has a crazy family that's all coming back to the house for a summer. The novel flips back and forth between those two parts of Jeannie's life, as Jeannie tells her honey why she thinks he shouldn't want to marry her.
Thoughts:
I liked the younger Jeannie much better than the older one. Young Jeannie laughs off her crazy family a lot more than older Jeannie. Jeannie is self-involved, and a bit of a jerk. She doesn't make time for her family, and especially as a thirty-something, is so concerned with how "wacky" her family is that she won't even take her hunky man to meet her family, and he's ready to marry the woman. I'll take "Oblivious Bitch" for 500, Alex.
Book 8 of 30 for the year
Pages: 419
Genre: General fiction, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. It was kinda stupid, all things considered.
Jeannie is a thirty-nine year old movie promoter dealing with a jerk trying to take her top spot in the company, and who just got proposed to by her hunky boyfriend. But she's also a nineteen year old who hasn't moved out of the house, and who has a crazy family that's all coming back to the house for a summer. The novel flips back and forth between those two parts of Jeannie's life, as Jeannie tells her honey why she thinks he shouldn't want to marry her.
Thoughts:
I liked the younger Jeannie much better than the older one. Young Jeannie laughs off her crazy family a lot more than older Jeannie. Jeannie is self-involved, and a bit of a jerk. She doesn't make time for her family, and especially as a thirty-something, is so concerned with how "wacky" her family is that she won't even take her hunky man to meet her family, and he's ready to marry the woman. I'll take "Oblivious Bitch" for 500, Alex.
Book 8 of 30 for the year
Pages: 419
Genre: General fiction, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. It was kinda stupid, all things considered.
Juliet (Anne Fortier)
Summary:
Julie, with her twin sister, Janice, is raised in the States by her aunt. Aunt Rose passes away and leaves everything to Janice, and nothing but a letter to Julie. Julie has to fly to Siena, Italy, and try to figure out what her parents were working on before they died. She falls into a search for information on one of her ancestors. See, the fun thing is, Julie is really Giulietta Tolomei, and her ancestor of the same name was the real Juliet. The storyline flips between the current day Giulietta and the original.
Thoughts:
Incredible story. I had no idea there was a real Romeo and Juliet, let alone the fact that Willy Shakes actually stole the story from a few other authors, who wrote about the real people. It's such an engaging story, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, except the sister. She drove me crazy, even when we were supposed to really like her. Past that, everyone else was awesome, and I truly enjoyed both sides of the story. I highly recommend this one. It's a great novel, and I'm glad I picked it up from the Book of the Month club.
Book 7 of 30 for the year
Pages: 447
Genre: Romance, historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Absolutely.
Julie, with her twin sister, Janice, is raised in the States by her aunt. Aunt Rose passes away and leaves everything to Janice, and nothing but a letter to Julie. Julie has to fly to Siena, Italy, and try to figure out what her parents were working on before they died. She falls into a search for information on one of her ancestors. See, the fun thing is, Julie is really Giulietta Tolomei, and her ancestor of the same name was the real Juliet. The storyline flips between the current day Giulietta and the original.
Thoughts:
Incredible story. I had no idea there was a real Romeo and Juliet, let alone the fact that Willy Shakes actually stole the story from a few other authors, who wrote about the real people. It's such an engaging story, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, except the sister. She drove me crazy, even when we were supposed to really like her. Past that, everyone else was awesome, and I truly enjoyed both sides of the story. I highly recommend this one. It's a great novel, and I'm glad I picked it up from the Book of the Month club.
Book 7 of 30 for the year
Pages: 447
Genre: Romance, historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Absolutely.
Pirate Latitudes (Michael Crichton)
Summary:
In Crichton's last published novel, he explores the pirate world in Port Royal in the 1660's. The Governor of Jamaica gets word that there's a treasure ship in a semi-nearby Spanish port, and sends the local "privateer" to capture it and bring it back to Port Royal. Pirating ensues.
Thoughts:
Awesome. Pretty much anything by Crichton is incredible, and this was actually found in his notes after he passed. It's a pretty cool look at the history of the area and how things came together for that area in those times. A fun romp through the Caribbean in the 1660's. Go and enjoy!
Book 6 of 30 for the year
Pages: 312
Genre: Historical fiction, Pirates!
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Crichton is a genius.
In Crichton's last published novel, he explores the pirate world in Port Royal in the 1660's. The Governor of Jamaica gets word that there's a treasure ship in a semi-nearby Spanish port, and sends the local "privateer" to capture it and bring it back to Port Royal. Pirating ensues.
Thoughts:
Awesome. Pretty much anything by Crichton is incredible, and this was actually found in his notes after he passed. It's a pretty cool look at the history of the area and how things came together for that area in those times. A fun romp through the Caribbean in the 1660's. Go and enjoy!
Book 6 of 30 for the year
Pages: 312
Genre: Historical fiction, Pirates!
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Crichton is a genius.
Star Island (Carl Hiaasen)
Summary:
Cherry Pye is a coked-up, washed-up, boring Britney Spears-esque pop star that every paparazzi photog is trying to catch overdosing. One such slime ball becomes obsessed to the point that he tries to kidnap Cherry. The trouble is, he grabs Cherry's body double, Annie, instead. There are so many other lines of plot, it's ridiculous. The book winds up tying most everything together, and what they don't tie up in actual story gets wound up in an epilogue.
Thoughts:
It was a fairly easy read, and I kinda liked most of the characters. But every time the book gave Cherry's full name, my brain would start singing "She's my cherry pie..." Any book that can get an earworm like that in my head needs to go down. It was pretty well written, but I could always tell what was coming from a mile away. Totally meh kinda book.
Book 5 of 30 for the year
Pages: 337
Genre: General fiction
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Not really.
Cherry Pye is a coked-up, washed-up, boring Britney Spears-esque pop star that every paparazzi photog is trying to catch overdosing. One such slime ball becomes obsessed to the point that he tries to kidnap Cherry. The trouble is, he grabs Cherry's body double, Annie, instead. There are so many other lines of plot, it's ridiculous. The book winds up tying most everything together, and what they don't tie up in actual story gets wound up in an epilogue.
Thoughts:
It was a fairly easy read, and I kinda liked most of the characters. But every time the book gave Cherry's full name, my brain would start singing "She's my cherry pie..." Any book that can get an earworm like that in my head needs to go down. It was pretty well written, but I could always tell what was coming from a mile away. Totally meh kinda book.
Book 5 of 30 for the year
Pages: 337
Genre: General fiction
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Not really.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ham Bones (Carolyn Haines)
Summary:
One in a series (the rest of which I have yet to read), we follow a woman named Sarah Booth Delaney, a woman who lives with a ghost of her ancestor in a small town in the south called Zinnia. Zinnia has the honor or getting a Broadway-caliber production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in its little local theater. Sarah Booth knows the cast and director from her stint in NYC trying to get on Broadway, and when the leading lady dies just moments before the show must go on, the finger of blame (and the lead role in the show) lands on Sarah Booth.
Thoughts:
First things first, I was annoyed the whole way through this book because the character goes by her first and middle names. Yes, very quaint and southern of her. But who gives their character such a name? Sarah Booth? That, to me, looks like a whole lot of word padding. Give your character a different name if you want her to sound very southern. Delilah. Scarlet. Tallulah. Jolene. Whatever. But Sarah Booth?? No. Now you're just upping your word count for NaNoWriMo. Cheater.
Anyway. I didn't particularly like this one. Sure, it was a good mystery in general. Who doesn't like a whodunnit? But the writing made me want to gag. And how many amateur sleuths don't wind up with a crush on the cop running the show? I'd be more interested in seeing that, thanks.
Haines may have many more books published than I ever will, but only because she writes the most generic crap that her books are more beach readers than anything else. Why "beach readers"? Because people only take cheesy crap novels that they don't really have to think about to the beach. They go for the mindless relaxation rather than actual substantial material. I'm glad I got this one free from the Book of the Month club registration instead of spending actual money on it.
Oh, and when you're writing a series, let's actually end the book that you're writing right now, rather than something that reads more like "for more on Sarah Booth, make sure you grab the next book, coming out in two months because I can bang out one of these in my sleep, and get more of your money this way!" than "the end." Boo, Carolyn Haines. Boo.
Pages: 275
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Beach reading only. Or as a mindless jaunt after reading something good and heavy like The Book Thief.
Book 4 of 30 for the year
One in a series (the rest of which I have yet to read), we follow a woman named Sarah Booth Delaney, a woman who lives with a ghost of her ancestor in a small town in the south called Zinnia. Zinnia has the honor or getting a Broadway-caliber production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in its little local theater. Sarah Booth knows the cast and director from her stint in NYC trying to get on Broadway, and when the leading lady dies just moments before the show must go on, the finger of blame (and the lead role in the show) lands on Sarah Booth.
Thoughts:
First things first, I was annoyed the whole way through this book because the character goes by her first and middle names. Yes, very quaint and southern of her. But who gives their character such a name? Sarah Booth? That, to me, looks like a whole lot of word padding. Give your character a different name if you want her to sound very southern. Delilah. Scarlet. Tallulah. Jolene. Whatever. But Sarah Booth?? No. Now you're just upping your word count for NaNoWriMo. Cheater.
Anyway. I didn't particularly like this one. Sure, it was a good mystery in general. Who doesn't like a whodunnit? But the writing made me want to gag. And how many amateur sleuths don't wind up with a crush on the cop running the show? I'd be more interested in seeing that, thanks.
Haines may have many more books published than I ever will, but only because she writes the most generic crap that her books are more beach readers than anything else. Why "beach readers"? Because people only take cheesy crap novels that they don't really have to think about to the beach. They go for the mindless relaxation rather than actual substantial material. I'm glad I got this one free from the Book of the Month club registration instead of spending actual money on it.
Oh, and when you're writing a series, let's actually end the book that you're writing right now, rather than something that reads more like "for more on Sarah Booth, make sure you grab the next book, coming out in two months because I can bang out one of these in my sleep, and get more of your money this way!" than "the end." Boo, Carolyn Haines. Boo.
Pages: 275
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Beach reading only. Or as a mindless jaunt after reading something good and heavy like The Book Thief.
Book 4 of 30 for the year
The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)
Summary:
A gripping story of a young girl's childhood in Nazi Germany as told through the eyes of Death, who gets busier the deeper we get. She travels with her mother and brother to Germany, to a woman in the German version of Child Protection Services. On the train ride there, her brother dies, Death gets his first look at the girl, and the girl gets her hands on the first book. The story follows the girl to her permanent home in a small town outside Munich, where she develops her love of reading and books, and where all hell is about to break loose in a couple short years.
Thoughts:
What an incredible story. Liesel, the girl, is faced with two major losses right as we meet her. Her brother dies on the train, and her mother leaves her with CPS who put her into a foster home. The hits will keep coming, too, as one might expect from a book about the Holocaust. As the book trudges along to its and the war's demise, we meet her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, her friend Rudy, the town mayor and his wife, and a host of other characters, many of whom do not survive beyond 1945. There is so much to this story, and seeing it through the eyes of Death himself makes it all the more poignant, we watch Death get busier with each passing day. Still, Death finds as much good as he can while he must carry away the souls of the lost, and he seems to rejoice over the souls that manage to escape him.
It is a very large book, and it certainly takes a toll on the spirit. But it is beautifully written. Don't avoid it because of its size or subject matter. It's damn good.
Pages: 576
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Just be prepared with cheesy crap afterward to get yourself out of the doldrums of Holocaust sadness.
Book 3 of 30 for the year
A gripping story of a young girl's childhood in Nazi Germany as told through the eyes of Death, who gets busier the deeper we get. She travels with her mother and brother to Germany, to a woman in the German version of Child Protection Services. On the train ride there, her brother dies, Death gets his first look at the girl, and the girl gets her hands on the first book. The story follows the girl to her permanent home in a small town outside Munich, where she develops her love of reading and books, and where all hell is about to break loose in a couple short years.
Thoughts:
What an incredible story. Liesel, the girl, is faced with two major losses right as we meet her. Her brother dies on the train, and her mother leaves her with CPS who put her into a foster home. The hits will keep coming, too, as one might expect from a book about the Holocaust. As the book trudges along to its and the war's demise, we meet her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, her friend Rudy, the town mayor and his wife, and a host of other characters, many of whom do not survive beyond 1945. There is so much to this story, and seeing it through the eyes of Death himself makes it all the more poignant, we watch Death get busier with each passing day. Still, Death finds as much good as he can while he must carry away the souls of the lost, and he seems to rejoice over the souls that manage to escape him.
It is a very large book, and it certainly takes a toll on the spirit. But it is beautifully written. Don't avoid it because of its size or subject matter. It's damn good.
Pages: 576
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Just be prepared with cheesy crap afterward to get yourself out of the doldrums of Holocaust sadness.
Book 3 of 30 for the year
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith)
Summary:
The story of Pride and Prejudice, with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and Wickham and Lydia, and Jane and Bingley... Only with zombies. Seriously. The girls in this "adaptation" (for lack of a better word) are expert zombie killers. Still, their mother wants to marry them off as soon as possible, to any man that might come along. Mr. Darcy is as prejudiced as ever at the beginning, and Elizabeth too proud for her own good. It follows the same general storyline that the real Pride and Prejudice does, but with a few undead insertions.
Thoughts:
Funny as hell. Honestly, if you like the old story and have a bit of a sense of humor, you'll enjoy this twisting of the classic. Grahame-Smith weaves the zombies in almost seamlessly, and leaves as much of the classic alone as he can while still giving the feeling of overall foreboding that a zombie flick imparts. Jane and Elizabeth are like Buffy and Faith, masterful killers of the undead and saviors to as many innocents as possible. (Except neither of them took the crazy person pills that Faith did.) It's a little bit silly, but keeps true to Austen's original romance twists. It just has zombies, too.
Pages: 317
Genre: Classic fiction, horror
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. If you liked the original Austen, and you have room in your mind for a little silliness, you'll enjoy this.
Book 2 of 30 for the year.
The story of Pride and Prejudice, with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and Wickham and Lydia, and Jane and Bingley... Only with zombies. Seriously. The girls in this "adaptation" (for lack of a better word) are expert zombie killers. Still, their mother wants to marry them off as soon as possible, to any man that might come along. Mr. Darcy is as prejudiced as ever at the beginning, and Elizabeth too proud for her own good. It follows the same general storyline that the real Pride and Prejudice does, but with a few undead insertions.
Thoughts:
Funny as hell. Honestly, if you like the old story and have a bit of a sense of humor, you'll enjoy this twisting of the classic. Grahame-Smith weaves the zombies in almost seamlessly, and leaves as much of the classic alone as he can while still giving the feeling of overall foreboding that a zombie flick imparts. Jane and Elizabeth are like Buffy and Faith, masterful killers of the undead and saviors to as many innocents as possible. (Except neither of them took the crazy person pills that Faith did.) It's a little bit silly, but keeps true to Austen's original romance twists. It just has zombies, too.
Pages: 317
Genre: Classic fiction, horror
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. If you liked the original Austen, and you have room in your mind for a little silliness, you'll enjoy this.
Book 2 of 30 for the year.
Notwithstanding (Louis de Bernieres)
Summary:
A collection of stories about a small town in England called Notwithstanding. The stories range from the forties and fifties to the eighties and nineties. Some are about the narrator himself, though not many. Most of the stories take place before the narrator was born, and many do not even involve the narrator's family, let alone him.
Thoughts:
The book is disjointed at best. I bought this in a Waterstone's (the British version of Barnes and Noble) while on my honeymoon in London, and was disappointed by it. While reading, I felt that some stories went on far too long, some only just started getting me interested and then they were over. The idea behind the book was obviously to collect those stories from a small town that everyone tells and everyone knows, because they've been told so many times, like the time Timmy fell into a well and the time that Big Mike caught the huge fish from the town's only lake.
The whole thing was depressing, because unlike most of those kinds of stories everyone knows from their childhood, few of the stories related about the town of Notwithstanding actually make you smile. They almost all ended with sadness, and when they did, like the one about a boy catching the biggest pike in a woman's backyard pond, the narrator goes on to say something along the lines of, "Young Ms. So-and-so was diagnosed six months later with an advanced stage cancer and was dead a year later. She was so young and beautiful." Just stop at the happy "yay we got it" part. Don't remind us what you said three chapters earlier about the woman dying.
The other thing about Notwithstanding is that there was absolutely no chronological anything. It skips from the narrator's thirty year old self to a story from the sixties to the narrator's boyhood friend to "now" to the thirties. With jumps all over like that, I could hardly tell which way was up. It was worse than the Time Traveler's Wife because at least that had a vague order to it, and it told you who was how old and where you were in the story. Notwithstanding was just a jumble of stories told because they were there. It was like the author ran down to the neighborhood pub, and listened to two drunken good-ol'-boys talking about their favorite remember-whens and the author wrote them all down in the order they came out of liquored up mouths.
Pages: 342
Genre: Fiction, Short stories
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Not on your life. Boring, and not even amusing for those of us Anglophiles who would love to know what a small English town is like.
Book 1 of 30 for the year.
A collection of stories about a small town in England called Notwithstanding. The stories range from the forties and fifties to the eighties and nineties. Some are about the narrator himself, though not many. Most of the stories take place before the narrator was born, and many do not even involve the narrator's family, let alone him.
Thoughts:
The book is disjointed at best. I bought this in a Waterstone's (the British version of Barnes and Noble) while on my honeymoon in London, and was disappointed by it. While reading, I felt that some stories went on far too long, some only just started getting me interested and then they were over. The idea behind the book was obviously to collect those stories from a small town that everyone tells and everyone knows, because they've been told so many times, like the time Timmy fell into a well and the time that Big Mike caught the huge fish from the town's only lake.
The whole thing was depressing, because unlike most of those kinds of stories everyone knows from their childhood, few of the stories related about the town of Notwithstanding actually make you smile. They almost all ended with sadness, and when they did, like the one about a boy catching the biggest pike in a woman's backyard pond, the narrator goes on to say something along the lines of, "Young Ms. So-and-so was diagnosed six months later with an advanced stage cancer and was dead a year later. She was so young and beautiful." Just stop at the happy "yay we got it" part. Don't remind us what you said three chapters earlier about the woman dying.
The other thing about Notwithstanding is that there was absolutely no chronological anything. It skips from the narrator's thirty year old self to a story from the sixties to the narrator's boyhood friend to "now" to the thirties. With jumps all over like that, I could hardly tell which way was up. It was worse than the Time Traveler's Wife because at least that had a vague order to it, and it told you who was how old and where you were in the story. Notwithstanding was just a jumble of stories told because they were there. It was like the author ran down to the neighborhood pub, and listened to two drunken good-ol'-boys talking about their favorite remember-whens and the author wrote them all down in the order they came out of liquored up mouths.
Pages: 342
Genre: Fiction, Short stories
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Not on your life. Boring, and not even amusing for those of us Anglophiles who would love to know what a small English town is like.
Book 1 of 30 for the year.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Slacker Slacker!
I've been very lax on my posting duties the last six months. I'm here to say that I'll be much better for the next few days. I've got a back log of ten books for the year to write up, and plan to post about them over the next few days.
My apologies to those who actually read this, but I'll get back on track by the end of the week.
-K
My apologies to those who actually read this, but I'll get back on track by the end of the week.
-K
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