Summary:
Three sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys are the kings of pranks, or "hacks" as they call them. They are all about making a statement by pointing out the flaws in the system. And when Max, the obnoxious troublemaker of the bunch, decides to make a bet behind Eric's and Schwartz's backs, they run with it, even though they think the idea of betting over something is abhorrent. The bet: Get the biggest slacker they can find accepted into Harvard. Along the way, they run into a few obstacles, like a pretty girl that might get hurt because of the bet, a guy that's blackmailing them into helping him too, and a bully who doesn't even remember his prey. The whole idea is that you don't have to be brilliant... You just need a plan.
Thoughts:
Just in time for those crazed about college application deadlines! The basic message of the book is a good one. You just need a plan. The way the boys go about getting their plan accomplished is rather unfortunate, though some bits were rather ingenious. The story in general is not a bad one. But it is certainly not one teens should read and think "Hey, this is totally okay." There's some romance in there, and there's some intrigue. But more than anything, it's a fun little coming-of-age story that was at least amusing enough to keep my attention. Though there were certainly plenty of times where I wanted to slap the boys upside their heads. Definitely an interesting story for teens, though maybe not until after they're out of the hunt for a college?
Book 52 of 70
Pages: 320
Genre: teen lit, some romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't fantastic. Read it if you've got the time and inclination...
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Charming the Prince (Teresa Medeiros)
Summary:
Set in fourteenth century England, Lord Bannor is a fierce warrior, one of the King's best fighters against France in the war, with a brood of children that could fill a modern-day American football team, with room to spare, who needs a wife to help him tame his wild children but who won't make him want to have any more. Willow is a young woman thrust into a very Cinderella-type situation when her father marries a wicked wretch of a woman who expects Willow to do the child-rearing at the tender age of six, who wants nothing more to get away from her vicious step-siblings and children altogether. Lord Bannor's second-in-command in war, who has become his steward during peace, is enlisted to find Bannor a wife. Hollis, the steward, sees a kind, fish-wife looking girl across a field and thinks he's found the perfect woman in Willow, until she drops the apples out of her skirts and shakes out her beautiful hair. But by then it's too late, and they've already struck a deal. Neither Bannor nor Willow is happy with the new situation, and they feud for weeks. Will Bannor ever get Willow to agree to stay his wife in happiness?
Thoughts:
The beginning few chapters stink. It's not engaging, or all that interesting. No one can say what they mean or discover what their purposes are with each other. But then the feud between Bannor (and his men) and Willow (and Bannor's children) begins, and it gets more interesting. Willow starts as a character that is so stuck in her meekness and civility that she can't tell her stepmother how wicked she is or her father what a disappointment he is, and winds up being able to speak her mind and fight for herself. Bannor starts as your classic warrior type, and grows to show his soft side, and learns how to love as he should. Not a horrible book by the end. At the least, it becomes more engaging. The first third of the novel is spent developing everyone, with very little action going on except blustering on Bannor's part, and wallowing on Willow's. The end winds up being worth some of the beginning, though definitely could have used a less cliched ending.
Book 51 of 70
Pages: 352
Genre: romance, historical fiction (of sorts?)
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Eh, if you like period pieces and want something easy to read, this is an okay one for you.
Set in fourteenth century England, Lord Bannor is a fierce warrior, one of the King's best fighters against France in the war, with a brood of children that could fill a modern-day American football team, with room to spare, who needs a wife to help him tame his wild children but who won't make him want to have any more. Willow is a young woman thrust into a very Cinderella-type situation when her father marries a wicked wretch of a woman who expects Willow to do the child-rearing at the tender age of six, who wants nothing more to get away from her vicious step-siblings and children altogether. Lord Bannor's second-in-command in war, who has become his steward during peace, is enlisted to find Bannor a wife. Hollis, the steward, sees a kind, fish-wife looking girl across a field and thinks he's found the perfect woman in Willow, until she drops the apples out of her skirts and shakes out her beautiful hair. But by then it's too late, and they've already struck a deal. Neither Bannor nor Willow is happy with the new situation, and they feud for weeks. Will Bannor ever get Willow to agree to stay his wife in happiness?
Thoughts:
The beginning few chapters stink. It's not engaging, or all that interesting. No one can say what they mean or discover what their purposes are with each other. But then the feud between Bannor (and his men) and Willow (and Bannor's children) begins, and it gets more interesting. Willow starts as a character that is so stuck in her meekness and civility that she can't tell her stepmother how wicked she is or her father what a disappointment he is, and winds up being able to speak her mind and fight for herself. Bannor starts as your classic warrior type, and grows to show his soft side, and learns how to love as he should. Not a horrible book by the end. At the least, it becomes more engaging. The first third of the novel is spent developing everyone, with very little action going on except blustering on Bannor's part, and wallowing on Willow's. The end winds up being worth some of the beginning, though definitely could have used a less cliched ending.
Book 51 of 70
Pages: 352
Genre: romance, historical fiction (of sorts?)
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Eh, if you like period pieces and want something easy to read, this is an okay one for you.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Stork Raving Mad (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow is 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins. Her house is full of her husband's college drama students because the college is having issues with their on-campus furnace. Everyone is misplace from campus, and the whole town is housing the college kids wherever they can be put. One of Michael's students is nearing the end of his dissertation about a Spanish playwright, and is about to perform a show about his work and him. That is, until the dean of the English department tries to shut the play and the doctoral work down. The drama students and professors, all of whom officially fall under the English department, though they are fighting for their own department, all take umbrage at this and work to undermine the dean's decision. And then she's killed, and all the people that are swarming through Meg's house become murder suspects. Oh, and the babies could come any second.
Thoughts:
Honestly, the last time I read a Meg book ("Swan for the Money," posted in September) I was disappointed with the writing and didn't find it as engaging as it used to be. In fact, I said that if there wasn't something good in the next book, I wouldn't continue the series. This one turned it around, at least a little. Meg wasn't getting into the mystery as much, but just happened to be right-place-right-time for every bit of evidence. What's more, there were multiple murder attempts at the same time, which made it all the more interesting. And Meg's family, while usually all over everything and getting in the way more often than not, were actually useful throughout. Okay, Ms. Andrews, I'm game. We'll try this again. Let's see how you do once the babies are born.
Book 50 of 50 (Finished Sept 25th) With thirteen more weeks left in the year, let's try for 70 books to end the year!
Pages:289
Genre:Mystery
Grade:B
Would I Recommend?:Sure, though at this point, like most series, it's always good to read from the start. This series, though, seems to be one you can pick up in the middle.
Meg Langslow is 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins. Her house is full of her husband's college drama students because the college is having issues with their on-campus furnace. Everyone is misplace from campus, and the whole town is housing the college kids wherever they can be put. One of Michael's students is nearing the end of his dissertation about a Spanish playwright, and is about to perform a show about his work and him. That is, until the dean of the English department tries to shut the play and the doctoral work down. The drama students and professors, all of whom officially fall under the English department, though they are fighting for their own department, all take umbrage at this and work to undermine the dean's decision. And then she's killed, and all the people that are swarming through Meg's house become murder suspects. Oh, and the babies could come any second.
Thoughts:
Honestly, the last time I read a Meg book ("Swan for the Money," posted in September) I was disappointed with the writing and didn't find it as engaging as it used to be. In fact, I said that if there wasn't something good in the next book, I wouldn't continue the series. This one turned it around, at least a little. Meg wasn't getting into the mystery as much, but just happened to be right-place-right-time for every bit of evidence. What's more, there were multiple murder attempts at the same time, which made it all the more interesting. And Meg's family, while usually all over everything and getting in the way more often than not, were actually useful throughout. Okay, Ms. Andrews, I'm game. We'll try this again. Let's see how you do once the babies are born.
Book 50 of 50 (Finished Sept 25th) With thirteen more weeks left in the year, let's try for 70 books to end the year!
Pages:289
Genre:Mystery
Grade:B
Would I Recommend?:Sure, though at this point, like most series, it's always good to read from the start. This series, though, seems to be one you can pick up in the middle.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World (Sarah Vowell)
Summary:
A collection of short personal stories and musings covering a variety of topics. Many have a historical slant to them. She talks about her secret love affair with the Godfather, her trip with her twin sister that followed the Cherokee Indians' Trail of Tears, curiosities over mixed tapes, a trip through Hoboken to search for Sinatra sentimentality, and more.
Thoughts:
The previous book I read by Ms. Vowell, was held together by a couple of strings that were woven throughout the book, namely the presidential assassination angle, and also that she only wrote about the three that had Lincoln's son inadvertently involved. This book feels much more disjointed. Very few stories have anything to do with each other, and even the book itself is split into several different sections. These are literally just a few stories and essays that Vowell seems to have written in the past that she and the publisher strung together to fill a two-hundred page book. Sure, some of it is interesting, including her talk of the Trail of Tears, and the writing itself isn't bad. It just doesn't feel like the book gels at all. Whatsoever. It's a thorough disappointment compared to her other book. To be fair, though, this particular book was released five years prior to the other, and maybe her skill at bringing topics together had improved greatly over that time. Unfortunately, that skill was not in evidence here. I'm honestly disappointed. What's worse, it took me so long to trudge through this book, the forgettable beginning was completely lost on me by the end, and I had to go back and remind myself what the early topics in the book were.
Book 49 of 50
Pages: 219
Genre: Non-fiction, some history
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Assassination Vacation was far more interesting.
A collection of short personal stories and musings covering a variety of topics. Many have a historical slant to them. She talks about her secret love affair with the Godfather, her trip with her twin sister that followed the Cherokee Indians' Trail of Tears, curiosities over mixed tapes, a trip through Hoboken to search for Sinatra sentimentality, and more.
Thoughts:
The previous book I read by Ms. Vowell, was held together by a couple of strings that were woven throughout the book, namely the presidential assassination angle, and also that she only wrote about the three that had Lincoln's son inadvertently involved. This book feels much more disjointed. Very few stories have anything to do with each other, and even the book itself is split into several different sections. These are literally just a few stories and essays that Vowell seems to have written in the past that she and the publisher strung together to fill a two-hundred page book. Sure, some of it is interesting, including her talk of the Trail of Tears, and the writing itself isn't bad. It just doesn't feel like the book gels at all. Whatsoever. It's a thorough disappointment compared to her other book. To be fair, though, this particular book was released five years prior to the other, and maybe her skill at bringing topics together had improved greatly over that time. Unfortunately, that skill was not in evidence here. I'm honestly disappointed. What's worse, it took me so long to trudge through this book, the forgettable beginning was completely lost on me by the end, and I had to go back and remind myself what the early topics in the book were.
Book 49 of 50
Pages: 219
Genre: Non-fiction, some history
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Assassination Vacation was far more interesting.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Lean Mean Thirteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, is given one task. Plant a bug on her asshole ex-husband. But thanks to his asshole tendencies, Hurricane Stephanie whips through his office, leaving his shell-shocked staff in her homicidal wake. This isn't usually news, but Stephanie then has the misfortune of her ex going missing in the middle of the night, complete with gunshots and a blood trail. Guess who gets fingered for the crime. What's worse, her arch-nemesis Joyce, the woman that broke up her marriage in the first place, is not only sleeping with the jerk again, she won't leave Stephanie alone. With Morelli tied up with a case, Stephanie has to turn to Ranger for help in sorting out the whole mess, which could result in a wholly different kind of mess.
Thoughts:
This one was a good one. The whole way through the book, I was rooting for Stephanie and hoping she would be cleared of the murder. But knowing the characters as I do now, I was really not sorry to hear that the ex was in trouble and probably dead. Poor Steph, too, doesn't know what the hell to do about Ranger. She's hopelessly attracted to both him and Morelli, though Morelli's a much more stabilizing presence in her life, and she keeps getting thrown at Ranger, having to live in his space, being expected to share a bed with him, and having to fight the draw this man has for her. It's almost heartbreaking to see her struggle with this whole mess, but then she's really bringing a lot of it on herself with the work she does and the messes she allows herself to get into all the time. The twist near the end, too, is a fantastic one that makes total sense looking back on the clues, but sort of comes out of nowhere. I was honestly surprised by it, and while I won't say word one about what comes about, I will say it's absolutely worth checking this one out, just for the twist. Well done as always, Ms. E.
Book 48 of 50
Pages: 310
Genre: mystery with romantic undertones
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely, though a lot of the anxiety and crazy of this one can only really be understood from reading the previous books. Not a good jumping-in point anymore.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, is given one task. Plant a bug on her asshole ex-husband. But thanks to his asshole tendencies, Hurricane Stephanie whips through his office, leaving his shell-shocked staff in her homicidal wake. This isn't usually news, but Stephanie then has the misfortune of her ex going missing in the middle of the night, complete with gunshots and a blood trail. Guess who gets fingered for the crime. What's worse, her arch-nemesis Joyce, the woman that broke up her marriage in the first place, is not only sleeping with the jerk again, she won't leave Stephanie alone. With Morelli tied up with a case, Stephanie has to turn to Ranger for help in sorting out the whole mess, which could result in a wholly different kind of mess.
Thoughts:
This one was a good one. The whole way through the book, I was rooting for Stephanie and hoping she would be cleared of the murder. But knowing the characters as I do now, I was really not sorry to hear that the ex was in trouble and probably dead. Poor Steph, too, doesn't know what the hell to do about Ranger. She's hopelessly attracted to both him and Morelli, though Morelli's a much more stabilizing presence in her life, and she keeps getting thrown at Ranger, having to live in his space, being expected to share a bed with him, and having to fight the draw this man has for her. It's almost heartbreaking to see her struggle with this whole mess, but then she's really bringing a lot of it on herself with the work she does and the messes she allows herself to get into all the time. The twist near the end, too, is a fantastic one that makes total sense looking back on the clues, but sort of comes out of nowhere. I was honestly surprised by it, and while I won't say word one about what comes about, I will say it's absolutely worth checking this one out, just for the twist. Well done as always, Ms. E.
Book 48 of 50
Pages: 310
Genre: mystery with romantic undertones
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely, though a lot of the anxiety and crazy of this one can only really be understood from reading the previous books. Not a good jumping-in point anymore.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Plum Lovin' (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
It's almost Valentine's Day. There's hardly anything going on at the bond office, and Stephanie's only case, Annie Hart, is being held out of her reach by none other than Diesel, Steph's slightly supernatural bud. The catch this time around is that Stephanie's got to play Cupid while Annie can't, while Diesel finds the guy that's so ticked off at Annie, he's going after her with a vengeance. Annie's in the "relationship specialist" business, and Diesel forces Stephanie to help the five schlubs that can't find love before Valentine's Day. Most are easy, but one of the poor schmucks is Stephanie's sister's boyfriend, who wants to BE married to her sister, but just can't get to the GETTING married part without passing out cold. It's a race with the clock to get these unhappy people to find their happily ever afters.
Thoughts:
More fun holiday mayhem with our buddy Diesel. You might remember him from Visions of Sugar Plums, the Christmas book from two months ago. He's back, with more vaguely supernatural hijinks to throw upon Stephanie. When Diesel is around, you know there's going to be something fun and holiday-related. This one's fun for Valentine's time but, having read it during September, it's still fun to read at any time of the year. It's a standard mystery, like the rest of the Plum series, but this time the romance doesn't circle entirely around Stephanie. Like the previous Between-The-Numbers book from Evanovich, it's short and sweet, though this one's got a little bit more meat to it. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
Book 47 of 50
Pages: 164
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Great little read for Valentine's time, though I'd try to keep it in order with the rest of the series... There might be some spoilers otherwise.
It's almost Valentine's Day. There's hardly anything going on at the bond office, and Stephanie's only case, Annie Hart, is being held out of her reach by none other than Diesel, Steph's slightly supernatural bud. The catch this time around is that Stephanie's got to play Cupid while Annie can't, while Diesel finds the guy that's so ticked off at Annie, he's going after her with a vengeance. Annie's in the "relationship specialist" business, and Diesel forces Stephanie to help the five schlubs that can't find love before Valentine's Day. Most are easy, but one of the poor schmucks is Stephanie's sister's boyfriend, who wants to BE married to her sister, but just can't get to the GETTING married part without passing out cold. It's a race with the clock to get these unhappy people to find their happily ever afters.
Thoughts:
More fun holiday mayhem with our buddy Diesel. You might remember him from Visions of Sugar Plums, the Christmas book from two months ago. He's back, with more vaguely supernatural hijinks to throw upon Stephanie. When Diesel is around, you know there's going to be something fun and holiday-related. This one's fun for Valentine's time but, having read it during September, it's still fun to read at any time of the year. It's a standard mystery, like the rest of the Plum series, but this time the romance doesn't circle entirely around Stephanie. Like the previous Between-The-Numbers book from Evanovich, it's short and sweet, though this one's got a little bit more meat to it. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
Book 47 of 50
Pages: 164
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Great little read for Valentine's time, though I'd try to keep it in order with the rest of the series... There might be some spoilers otherwise.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Twelve Sharp (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, almost-average bounty hunter, finds herself the target of one Carmen Manoso, the self-proclaimed wife of Ranger, hottie extraordinaire and sometimes love interest of Stephanie herself. Carmen has found out that Stephanie has slept with Ranger, and wants revenge. Ranger's not around to dispute the claim, thanks to some "bad business" of his in Miami. Stephanie finds Crazy Carmen around every corner for a while. Days later, news gets out that Ranger's daughter has been kidnapped, and Ranger is the police's only suspect. And then Stephanie starts to wonder why Carmen's car, which has been watching the bond office where her friends Lula and Connie work (and where she gets handed her bounty assignments), hasn't moved in days. Stephanie peeks inside to see that Carmen's not in the driver's seat, and there's a body shaped lump in the trunk. Now that things are getting serious, Ranger happens to show up without his daughter, but with a suspected stalker coming after him, trying to BE him. And Stephanie is his next target...
Thoughts:
Really a great story. The stalker/wannabe is always a step ahead of not only the cops, but Ranger too, which is odd for him. This one sees Ranger moving himself into Steph's space for a change, and all the standard concern Steph has regarding Ranger vs. Joe Morelli is there in full force. Their concern for her safety trumps their fighting each other for her hand every time, but it's still always there for the two men, and poor Stephanie just has no idea who to choose. I'm starting to get used to this whole limbo thing she's got going on for her, though for her own sanity, she should probably make a decision some day... We all know, though, that it's never going to happen. Poor girl
Book 46 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery with a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Oh of course. This late in the series, though, I'll suggest reading more of the early books, so there's nothing missing when you get to this guy.
Stephanie Plum, almost-average bounty hunter, finds herself the target of one Carmen Manoso, the self-proclaimed wife of Ranger, hottie extraordinaire and sometimes love interest of Stephanie herself. Carmen has found out that Stephanie has slept with Ranger, and wants revenge. Ranger's not around to dispute the claim, thanks to some "bad business" of his in Miami. Stephanie finds Crazy Carmen around every corner for a while. Days later, news gets out that Ranger's daughter has been kidnapped, and Ranger is the police's only suspect. And then Stephanie starts to wonder why Carmen's car, which has been watching the bond office where her friends Lula and Connie work (and where she gets handed her bounty assignments), hasn't moved in days. Stephanie peeks inside to see that Carmen's not in the driver's seat, and there's a body shaped lump in the trunk. Now that things are getting serious, Ranger happens to show up without his daughter, but with a suspected stalker coming after him, trying to BE him. And Stephanie is his next target...
Thoughts:
Really a great story. The stalker/wannabe is always a step ahead of not only the cops, but Ranger too, which is odd for him. This one sees Ranger moving himself into Steph's space for a change, and all the standard concern Steph has regarding Ranger vs. Joe Morelli is there in full force. Their concern for her safety trumps their fighting each other for her hand every time, but it's still always there for the two men, and poor Stephanie just has no idea who to choose. I'm starting to get used to this whole limbo thing she's got going on for her, though for her own sanity, she should probably make a decision some day... We all know, though, that it's never going to happen. Poor girl
Book 46 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery with a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Oh of course. This late in the series, though, I'll suggest reading more of the early books, so there's nothing missing when you get to this guy.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Little Shop of Homicide (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Devereaux Sinclair is a financial hot-shot turned small town shop keeper living in her tiny home town, whose storied past gets her accused by a vindictive detective from nearby Kansas City of the murder of her high school boyfriend's fiancee. Dev hasn't even seen her ex for years, let alone cared that he was getting married to someone else. Her grandmother, whose health is okay but mind is failing, decides to get the neighbor's hot grandson to help Dev out. It helps that grandson Jake is an injured deputy U.S. Marshall, and has the time to spare helping Dev out. Sparks fly when Jake is around, and Dev can't help but love spending time with him, even if her life is on the line...
Thoughts:
If you've read this blog much, you'll know that my opinion of Ms. Swanson has fallen recently, thanks to her other series, with Skye Denison in Scumble River, drastically reducing in quality. This book was not much better. In fact, it borders on worse, if I'm being honest. It was plain from the start that Devereaux was going to fall in love with someone coming along soon within the book. At first, I expected her love interest to be Detective Woods, because it was the first man she was to encounter, but he turned out to be a crazy S.O.B. that no one would want around for any extended length of time (or pages), so as soon as Dev spotted Jake walk in her store, I knew it was going to be him. It didn't help that her best friends told her she should start dating some man to get the detective off her trail, and then in walks a very handsome man whose sole purpose was to help her get out of trouble. Who wouldn't fall for that mess? It was very predictable, even the love scenes. I could tell when someone was about to walk in on them, because they were getting to into the idea of hooking up. Even the "other woman" scenario Swanson throws into the mix was easily figured. Jake gets a phone call- conveniently for Swanson, it comes right in the middle of their first make-out session- and Dev can hear it's a woman's voice, and who does it turn out to be? Jake's uninterested ex-wife. Predictable. Shamefully so. The worst part of the whole book, though, was the fact that it didn't actually end. It had a resolution to the crime, sure. But it ended with a paragraph full of questions. Why would you even bother with that if you were an author? Two reasons that I can see, both equally heinous: The first is padding the word count so that your publisher doesn't bitch that your book was under 250 pages. The second is so your readers don't have to read between the lines to remember which plot holes you left open. I find this one offensive thanks to the fact that it makes us as readers seem like unobservant asses, and it shows that she knows damn well that she's going to be writing more in the series, so why bother ending it cleanly? I doubt I'll pick up the next book in the series, unless I can get my hands on it for free, or very cheap.
Book 44 of 50
Pages: 250
Genre: An even split between mystery and romance
Grade: C+ at most
Would I Recommend?: Meh. It's a light read, easily breezed through in a few hours' reading time, but it's not especially fantastic. If you like Swanson's work, go for it. If not, you don't need to go there.
Devereaux Sinclair is a financial hot-shot turned small town shop keeper living in her tiny home town, whose storied past gets her accused by a vindictive detective from nearby Kansas City of the murder of her high school boyfriend's fiancee. Dev hasn't even seen her ex for years, let alone cared that he was getting married to someone else. Her grandmother, whose health is okay but mind is failing, decides to get the neighbor's hot grandson to help Dev out. It helps that grandson Jake is an injured deputy U.S. Marshall, and has the time to spare helping Dev out. Sparks fly when Jake is around, and Dev can't help but love spending time with him, even if her life is on the line...
Thoughts:
If you've read this blog much, you'll know that my opinion of Ms. Swanson has fallen recently, thanks to her other series, with Skye Denison in Scumble River, drastically reducing in quality. This book was not much better. In fact, it borders on worse, if I'm being honest. It was plain from the start that Devereaux was going to fall in love with someone coming along soon within the book. At first, I expected her love interest to be Detective Woods, because it was the first man she was to encounter, but he turned out to be a crazy S.O.B. that no one would want around for any extended length of time (or pages), so as soon as Dev spotted Jake walk in her store, I knew it was going to be him. It didn't help that her best friends told her she should start dating some man to get the detective off her trail, and then in walks a very handsome man whose sole purpose was to help her get out of trouble. Who wouldn't fall for that mess? It was very predictable, even the love scenes. I could tell when someone was about to walk in on them, because they were getting to into the idea of hooking up. Even the "other woman" scenario Swanson throws into the mix was easily figured. Jake gets a phone call- conveniently for Swanson, it comes right in the middle of their first make-out session- and Dev can hear it's a woman's voice, and who does it turn out to be? Jake's uninterested ex-wife. Predictable. Shamefully so. The worst part of the whole book, though, was the fact that it didn't actually end. It had a resolution to the crime, sure. But it ended with a paragraph full of questions. Why would you even bother with that if you were an author? Two reasons that I can see, both equally heinous: The first is padding the word count so that your publisher doesn't bitch that your book was under 250 pages. The second is so your readers don't have to read between the lines to remember which plot holes you left open. I find this one offensive thanks to the fact that it makes us as readers seem like unobservant asses, and it shows that she knows damn well that she's going to be writing more in the series, so why bother ending it cleanly? I doubt I'll pick up the next book in the series, unless I can get my hands on it for free, or very cheap.
Book 44 of 50
Pages: 250
Genre: An even split between mystery and romance
Grade: C+ at most
Would I Recommend?: Meh. It's a light read, easily breezed through in a few hours' reading time, but it's not especially fantastic. If you like Swanson's work, go for it. If not, you don't need to go there.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
You Have Seven Messages (Stewart Lewis)
Summary:
Luna has recently lost her mother, and when visiting her mother's old studio, she finds her mother's cell phone, and a man's cuff link she doesn't recognize. She checks the phone, and there are seven messages left on the phone. She is curious, and wants to figure out why there's a stranger's cuff link in her mother's studio, and why her dad isn't telling her everything. The cute boy across the street from her even offers to help solve the mystery. But will her whole world change when she finds out the truth?
Thoughts:
Very interesting. I really enjoyed this. Sure, Luna takes some really big risks, and should probably have not done all the things she did (she's only fourteen), but if she feels she's ready to know the things she winds up knowing, she's got a right to it. The book really deals with a teen that's not completely ready to let go of her mother yet, and is aided in that process by the messages she finds, and the people she meets along the way. The last few chapters are, I'll admit, a little weird. (She travels to Italy to get away from New York City and the things she finds out about her mother.) But it works out fairly well by the end. Sure, the book ends with a lot of open endings, but sometimes life doesn't get that happy ending we're always expecting, or even an ending at all. For once, this non-ending ending is not as offensive as many others I've encountered.
Book 43 of 50
Pages: 304
Genre: teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, especially a teenager trying to deal with a loss.
Luna has recently lost her mother, and when visiting her mother's old studio, she finds her mother's cell phone, and a man's cuff link she doesn't recognize. She checks the phone, and there are seven messages left on the phone. She is curious, and wants to figure out why there's a stranger's cuff link in her mother's studio, and why her dad isn't telling her everything. The cute boy across the street from her even offers to help solve the mystery. But will her whole world change when she finds out the truth?
Thoughts:
Very interesting. I really enjoyed this. Sure, Luna takes some really big risks, and should probably have not done all the things she did (she's only fourteen), but if she feels she's ready to know the things she winds up knowing, she's got a right to it. The book really deals with a teen that's not completely ready to let go of her mother yet, and is aided in that process by the messages she finds, and the people she meets along the way. The last few chapters are, I'll admit, a little weird. (She travels to Italy to get away from New York City and the things she finds out about her mother.) But it works out fairly well by the end. Sure, the book ends with a lot of open endings, but sometimes life doesn't get that happy ending we're always expecting, or even an ending at all. For once, this non-ending ending is not as offensive as many others I've encountered.
Book 43 of 50
Pages: 304
Genre: teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, especially a teenager trying to deal with a loss.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Eleven on Top (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum has had enough of the bounty hunter game. She's been kidnapped, spat on, shot at, had at least a dozen cars destroyed, and can't stand it anymore. She tries to get other jobs, but no matter what, something goes horribly wrong. Someone is after her, and doesn't want her to get back to the normal life she so desperately wants. Oh, and her love life is complicated as always.
Thoughts:
I love this series. This one has definitely not gotten old. I enjoy reading these every single time. Evanovich just has the voice right. She's got it all right. No wonder she's such a popular author. As I read, I could tel that she was having fun telling yet another ridiculous story about poor Steph. The storyline surprised me, even the ending, thanks to the masterful work of Ms E. The hits just keep on coming for Stephanie, and don't let up until the very end. Love this series.
Book 42 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: YES. Read the series. Fight through the hype, it's worth it.
Stephanie Plum has had enough of the bounty hunter game. She's been kidnapped, spat on, shot at, had at least a dozen cars destroyed, and can't stand it anymore. She tries to get other jobs, but no matter what, something goes horribly wrong. Someone is after her, and doesn't want her to get back to the normal life she so desperately wants. Oh, and her love life is complicated as always.
Thoughts:
I love this series. This one has definitely not gotten old. I enjoy reading these every single time. Evanovich just has the voice right. She's got it all right. No wonder she's such a popular author. As I read, I could tel that she was having fun telling yet another ridiculous story about poor Steph. The storyline surprised me, even the ending, thanks to the masterful work of Ms E. The hits just keep on coming for Stephanie, and don't let up until the very end. Love this series.
Book 42 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: YES. Read the series. Fight through the hype, it's worth it.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
How to Ditch Your Fairy (Justine Larbalestier)
Summary:
Charlie is a freshman in high school, in a magical place called New Avalon, where all the celebrities are cooler than everyone else in the world and are called "Ours," as in "Our Tom Hanks," or "Our Justin Bieber." And nearly everyone has a fairy. Different people's fairies help do different things. One of Charlie's best friends, Rochelle, has a "clothes shopping" fairy, the boy she's got a crush on has a "get out of trouble" fairy, and the girl she hates more than anything has an "every boy will like you no matter what" fairy. Charlie has a parking fairy, so that no matter where she goes, whether she's driving or not (which has always been a "not" because she can't yet drive), there will always be the perfect parking spot. Charlie gets sick of being used for her parking fairy's abilities, and has been walking everywhere for months, in the hopes that her fairy will go away since there's nothing for it to do. But it isn't working fast enough for her, and she keeps getting demerits from her super-strict school. If she can't find a way to get rid of her fairy, she might be expelled from school, and she doesn't want that. If only she knew what to do...
Thoughts:
Weird book. I thought it would be a little more fun than it was, but it turned out to be a little tedious. There were a few times I wondered where something was coming from, and why, but it wound up just being pretty mediocre. It is an interesting concept, but the main character is very selfish, and very self-centered, not to mention the town itself. (Apparently no one in New Avalon ever wants to leave because nothing else outside the town could nearly as wonderful as it is in New Avalon, and no one really thinks of anything from the outside, or knows anything from the outside. Strange.) The author creates a bunch of slang words for the book that are fairly stupid, and make the speakers sound strange. There's a glossary in the back, of course, because why wouldn't there be. I had been looking forward to this book for a while, in the hopes that it would be fun and worth the wait. It wasn't. I even had given this as an option for a book group at one point, but the idea was nixed for another book entirely. Thank goodness we didn't read this, because I would have been embarrassed for suggesting it. Boo.
Book 41 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: fantasy, teen lit
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Meh. Not really worth the time and effort.
Charlie is a freshman in high school, in a magical place called New Avalon, where all the celebrities are cooler than everyone else in the world and are called "Ours," as in "Our Tom Hanks," or "Our Justin Bieber." And nearly everyone has a fairy. Different people's fairies help do different things. One of Charlie's best friends, Rochelle, has a "clothes shopping" fairy, the boy she's got a crush on has a "get out of trouble" fairy, and the girl she hates more than anything has an "every boy will like you no matter what" fairy. Charlie has a parking fairy, so that no matter where she goes, whether she's driving or not (which has always been a "not" because she can't yet drive), there will always be the perfect parking spot. Charlie gets sick of being used for her parking fairy's abilities, and has been walking everywhere for months, in the hopes that her fairy will go away since there's nothing for it to do. But it isn't working fast enough for her, and she keeps getting demerits from her super-strict school. If she can't find a way to get rid of her fairy, she might be expelled from school, and she doesn't want that. If only she knew what to do...
Thoughts:
Weird book. I thought it would be a little more fun than it was, but it turned out to be a little tedious. There were a few times I wondered where something was coming from, and why, but it wound up just being pretty mediocre. It is an interesting concept, but the main character is very selfish, and very self-centered, not to mention the town itself. (Apparently no one in New Avalon ever wants to leave because nothing else outside the town could nearly as wonderful as it is in New Avalon, and no one really thinks of anything from the outside, or knows anything from the outside. Strange.) The author creates a bunch of slang words for the book that are fairly stupid, and make the speakers sound strange. There's a glossary in the back, of course, because why wouldn't there be. I had been looking forward to this book for a while, in the hopes that it would be fun and worth the wait. It wasn't. I even had given this as an option for a book group at one point, but the idea was nixed for another book entirely. Thank goodness we didn't read this, because I would have been embarrassed for suggesting it. Boo.
Book 41 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: fantasy, teen lit
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Meh. Not really worth the time and effort.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Murder of a Creped Suzette (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye Denison, school psychologist and analyst for the local cops, manages to get her nose in everyone's business all the time. This time, Skye overhears a fight between a local country star and his manager over the cute little woman they've picked to be the star's opening act. Suzette, Miss Opening Act herself then asks Skye to help her find out what really happened the night her mother died. But before Skye can get much information out of Suzette, the starlet-to-be gets herself steamrolled. Literally. Now Skye finds herself needing to learn both who killed Suzette, and what happened to Suzette's mother, and of course Skye can't resist a good mystery.
Thoughts:
Ugh. This series is getting very tired. Sure, the storylines are still good mysteries, but getting Skye involved in them keeps getting more and more convoluted. I also tend to want to smack Skye upside the head more often now. I'm finding that in some series, I get more annoyed with the characters as time goes on, and I think that might be the case with this series as well. But if you're still okay to muddle your way through this series, more power to you. I think I'm done.
Book 40 of 50
Pages: 272
Genre: mystery with a hint of romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: The series started out well, but has gone downhill for me. If you've liked the series so far, though, go for it.
Skye Denison, school psychologist and analyst for the local cops, manages to get her nose in everyone's business all the time. This time, Skye overhears a fight between a local country star and his manager over the cute little woman they've picked to be the star's opening act. Suzette, Miss Opening Act herself then asks Skye to help her find out what really happened the night her mother died. But before Skye can get much information out of Suzette, the starlet-to-be gets herself steamrolled. Literally. Now Skye finds herself needing to learn both who killed Suzette, and what happened to Suzette's mother, and of course Skye can't resist a good mystery.
Thoughts:
Ugh. This series is getting very tired. Sure, the storylines are still good mysteries, but getting Skye involved in them keeps getting more and more convoluted. I also tend to want to smack Skye upside the head more often now. I'm finding that in some series, I get more annoyed with the characters as time goes on, and I think that might be the case with this series as well. But if you're still okay to muddle your way through this series, more power to you. I think I'm done.
Book 40 of 50
Pages: 272
Genre: mystery with a hint of romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: The series started out well, but has gone downhill for me. If you've liked the series so far, though, go for it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Ten Big Ones (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. When she and Lula go out for lunch, they spot a robbery in progress, one of a series of them of the past few weeks, and Steph manages to get a look at the guy who did it, something no one else has done. The man she spotted is part of one of Trenton's most scary gangs, and they come after her with a vengeance. What else is new? It doesn't help that Ranger, one of the biggest and scariest men Steph's ever met, is on an assignment out of the country. Steph's in a fight with her on-again-off-again, Joe Morelli, too, so she's got little to no place she feels safe. What's a poor girl to do?
Thoughts:
Wonderful as always. Janet Evanovich has yet to get stale in this series. Where I was complaining about a lack of surprises in my post last week, this week it's nothing but good. Evanovich brings it all to the table again and again, and this installment is no exception. Sure, I wish Steph would make up her mind already about which man she likes best, but breaking up that love triangle would really suck some of the fun out of these books. Keep up the great work, Miss Janet. Can't wait to read more!
Book 39 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery/romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. For sure!!
Stephanie Plum can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. When she and Lula go out for lunch, they spot a robbery in progress, one of a series of them of the past few weeks, and Steph manages to get a look at the guy who did it, something no one else has done. The man she spotted is part of one of Trenton's most scary gangs, and they come after her with a vengeance. What else is new? It doesn't help that Ranger, one of the biggest and scariest men Steph's ever met, is on an assignment out of the country. Steph's in a fight with her on-again-off-again, Joe Morelli, too, so she's got little to no place she feels safe. What's a poor girl to do?
Thoughts:
Wonderful as always. Janet Evanovich has yet to get stale in this series. Where I was complaining about a lack of surprises in my post last week, this week it's nothing but good. Evanovich brings it all to the table again and again, and this installment is no exception. Sure, I wish Steph would make up her mind already about which man she likes best, but breaking up that love triangle would really suck some of the fun out of these books. Keep up the great work, Miss Janet. Can't wait to read more!
Book 39 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery/romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. For sure!!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Swan for the Money (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow has a crazy family that always gets her stuck into crazy situations. This is yet another of them. Her parents decide to get into raising and cultivating roses, and Meg's overbearing, doesn't-hear-the-word-no mother nags Meg into running the annual rose show, on the estate of a crazy woman who insists that her entire home, and every animal on her property be in black and white only. Of course someone ends up dead. Shocker. Especially when not only Meg finds the body, but then figures out who's the killer. Again.
Thoughts:
Boy, Ms. Andrews, Meg is really good at solving mysteries. Why isn't she a cop yet? Oh right, because she's a blacksmith. To be honest, I'm starting to tire of this series. Unless there's something really spectacular that comes out of the next book or so, I'm done. The writing is still pretty good, but it's getting much more predictable. And to be honest, I tried a couple times before I was able to actually get into this one. Not a good sign. I guess it's good for the series, but I guess after eleven books, she gets a little tired of creating a new way for Meg to get involved in the whole mess.
Book 38 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. If you've made it this far into the series, you might as well finish it, right?
Meg Langslow has a crazy family that always gets her stuck into crazy situations. This is yet another of them. Her parents decide to get into raising and cultivating roses, and Meg's overbearing, doesn't-hear-the-word-no mother nags Meg into running the annual rose show, on the estate of a crazy woman who insists that her entire home, and every animal on her property be in black and white only. Of course someone ends up dead. Shocker. Especially when not only Meg finds the body, but then figures out who's the killer. Again.
Thoughts:
Boy, Ms. Andrews, Meg is really good at solving mysteries. Why isn't she a cop yet? Oh right, because she's a blacksmith. To be honest, I'm starting to tire of this series. Unless there's something really spectacular that comes out of the next book or so, I'm done. The writing is still pretty good, but it's getting much more predictable. And to be honest, I tried a couple times before I was able to actually get into this one. Not a good sign. I guess it's good for the series, but I guess after eleven books, she gets a little tired of creating a new way for Meg to get involved in the whole mess.
Book 38 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. If you've made it this far into the series, you might as well finish it, right?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Visions of Sugar Plums (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is given one task this Christmas. Bring in toy shop owner Sandy Claws. Thanks to this case, and all her others that have been keeping her busy, Steph hasn't found the time to get herself into the Christmas spirit. That's where Diesel comes in. Who's Diesel, you say? You who have read all Evanovich's other fantastic novels about one Stephanie Plum... Diesel, friends, is a vaguely supernatural character that pops in and out of Stephanie's life occasionally, apparently only in the Between-The-Numbers addenda that have been published outside of the usual numbered titles in the Plum series. What follows Diesel's appearance is a holiday-related adventure that follows Stephanie as she and Diesel try to find Sandy, and hopefully save Christmas.
Thoughts:
This tiny little tidbit of a book, more a novella at most, is really a fun little thing. This book is actually meant to come between books eight and nine in the series, though I read it between eleven and twelve. You're seeing this post a little out of reading-order for me, (hence the "45 of 50" below instead of "38 of 50") so that people who are trying to keep up with me can stay almost close to the right order. That being said, onward... The book reads VERY quickly. I think I was through it in a matter of five or six hours. Diesel is so much fun. Stephanie seems to like him, even if he does seem to come and go startlingly quickly. It's nice to see Evanovich play a little with the supernatural, even if it is barely so. If you like this series, I highly suggest catching the Between-The-Numbers set of books as well as the rest. It's the same set of characters, with the addition of Diesel, and they're looking to be fun little trips down Holiday Lane. Grab it and enjoy. You won't be sorry, and even if you are, it's not like it'll take you all that long.
Book 45 of 50
Pages: 149
Genre: Mystery, holiday related
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's a quick read. It'll take you no more than a few hours.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is given one task this Christmas. Bring in toy shop owner Sandy Claws. Thanks to this case, and all her others that have been keeping her busy, Steph hasn't found the time to get herself into the Christmas spirit. That's where Diesel comes in. Who's Diesel, you say? You who have read all Evanovich's other fantastic novels about one Stephanie Plum... Diesel, friends, is a vaguely supernatural character that pops in and out of Stephanie's life occasionally, apparently only in the Between-The-Numbers addenda that have been published outside of the usual numbered titles in the Plum series. What follows Diesel's appearance is a holiday-related adventure that follows Stephanie as she and Diesel try to find Sandy, and hopefully save Christmas.
Thoughts:
This tiny little tidbit of a book, more a novella at most, is really a fun little thing. This book is actually meant to come between books eight and nine in the series, though I read it between eleven and twelve. You're seeing this post a little out of reading-order for me, (hence the "45 of 50" below instead of "38 of 50") so that people who are trying to keep up with me can stay almost close to the right order. That being said, onward... The book reads VERY quickly. I think I was through it in a matter of five or six hours. Diesel is so much fun. Stephanie seems to like him, even if he does seem to come and go startlingly quickly. It's nice to see Evanovich play a little with the supernatural, even if it is barely so. If you like this series, I highly suggest catching the Between-The-Numbers set of books as well as the rest. It's the same set of characters, with the addition of Diesel, and they're looking to be fun little trips down Holiday Lane. Grab it and enjoy. You won't be sorry, and even if you are, it's not like it'll take you all that long.
Book 45 of 50
Pages: 149
Genre: Mystery, holiday related
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's a quick read. It'll take you no more than a few hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
To the Nines (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum gets handed a new and different kind of case from her boss, a bond out for a guy who promised to leave the country in a week. It's a new kind of bond, and there's been some publicity surrounding it, and Vinnie, Steph's boss, doesn't want it to blow up in his face. The problem is, the guy's now missing. Vinnie teams her with Ranger and demands that the guy is found before he needs to leave the country. Morelli, Steph's on-again guy, is not too pleased with the idea of her and Ranger working together, but he's dealing with it. Steph is forced to move in with Morelli temporarily, thanks to some creep that decides to stalk her. Oh, and Steph and her sidekick Lula wind up in Vegas for a day. More fun and games for Stephanie!
Thoughts:
Another good one. The plot is wonderfully twisty, though when the full idea of the plot was revealed, I had the right person pegged almost immediately. It was wonderful as usual, though. Who doesn't love a good murder plot, especially when there's stalking and creepiness involved! I continue to appreciate Stephanie's relationship with Morelli, too. They're a good pair, if only Stephanie would stop drooling in Ranger's direction. I've always been a one-man-woman, though, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. As I said, though, another fun book. Only nine more to get through!
Book 37 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery-romance hybrid
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read the series. Love it.
Stephanie Plum gets handed a new and different kind of case from her boss, a bond out for a guy who promised to leave the country in a week. It's a new kind of bond, and there's been some publicity surrounding it, and Vinnie, Steph's boss, doesn't want it to blow up in his face. The problem is, the guy's now missing. Vinnie teams her with Ranger and demands that the guy is found before he needs to leave the country. Morelli, Steph's on-again guy, is not too pleased with the idea of her and Ranger working together, but he's dealing with it. Steph is forced to move in with Morelli temporarily, thanks to some creep that decides to stalk her. Oh, and Steph and her sidekick Lula wind up in Vegas for a day. More fun and games for Stephanie!
Thoughts:
Another good one. The plot is wonderfully twisty, though when the full idea of the plot was revealed, I had the right person pegged almost immediately. It was wonderful as usual, though. Who doesn't love a good murder plot, especially when there's stalking and creepiness involved! I continue to appreciate Stephanie's relationship with Morelli, too. They're a good pair, if only Stephanie would stop drooling in Ranger's direction. I've always been a one-man-woman, though, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. As I said, though, another fun book. Only nine more to get through!
Book 37 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery-romance hybrid
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read the series. Love it.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Full House (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Nick is a riding instructor and newspaper mogul with tons of money. Billie is a divorced mother of two with a bug problem and an empty house while the kids are with their dad. In the first ten pages, you know these two are going to wind up sleeping together, no matter how much Billie protests. But first, Nick cons Billie into letting his annoying cousin Deedee live with her for two weeks before Deedee gets married. Nick's taking care of Deedee's little brother Max, who likes blowing things up to get Nick's attention. In classic romance novel fashion, after sleeping together twice, Nick and Billie are hopelessly in love and there's almost immediately talk of marriage and happily ever after. Some minor trouble appears when there are a string of break-ins in Billie's neighborhood, a persistent bug problem that the bug man can't get rid of, and things start blowing up at Nick's, and it isn't just Max. When the kids get home early, the situation gets more complicated, and Billie and Nick have to figure out how to deal with it all.
Thoughts:
Honestly, not one of Evanovich's best. It's one of Evanovich's early books, published originally in '89, and it showcases her early talent for spinning a story, but not much with her actual prose. It's stiffly written, and the particular copy that I had included several glaring editing mistakes. (Nick is called Neil for a couple paragraphs on the same page as he's called Nick, and Billie's son Joel is called Joey for two full pages.) The prose really sounds like someone testing out the writing waters which, of course, she was at the time of the original writing. Honestly disappointing compared to her later work in the Plum series. Thank goodness Evanovich got more into the mystery end of the writing and didn't stick with the romance. There is a little mystery in this particular book, which is a minor redeeming quality, though it could have been a little less obvious who was actually making the mischief.
Book 36 of 50
Pages: 334
Genre: Romance, with hints of mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. If you want to see how Evanovich handled a romance pre-Plum, or want to be an Evanovich completionist, go for it. Otherwise, find a better romance novel in the Romance section of your local bookstore.
Nick is a riding instructor and newspaper mogul with tons of money. Billie is a divorced mother of two with a bug problem and an empty house while the kids are with their dad. In the first ten pages, you know these two are going to wind up sleeping together, no matter how much Billie protests. But first, Nick cons Billie into letting his annoying cousin Deedee live with her for two weeks before Deedee gets married. Nick's taking care of Deedee's little brother Max, who likes blowing things up to get Nick's attention. In classic romance novel fashion, after sleeping together twice, Nick and Billie are hopelessly in love and there's almost immediately talk of marriage and happily ever after. Some minor trouble appears when there are a string of break-ins in Billie's neighborhood, a persistent bug problem that the bug man can't get rid of, and things start blowing up at Nick's, and it isn't just Max. When the kids get home early, the situation gets more complicated, and Billie and Nick have to figure out how to deal with it all.
Thoughts:
Honestly, not one of Evanovich's best. It's one of Evanovich's early books, published originally in '89, and it showcases her early talent for spinning a story, but not much with her actual prose. It's stiffly written, and the particular copy that I had included several glaring editing mistakes. (Nick is called Neil for a couple paragraphs on the same page as he's called Nick, and Billie's son Joel is called Joey for two full pages.) The prose really sounds like someone testing out the writing waters which, of course, she was at the time of the original writing. Honestly disappointing compared to her later work in the Plum series. Thank goodness Evanovich got more into the mystery end of the writing and didn't stick with the romance. There is a little mystery in this particular book, which is a minor redeeming quality, though it could have been a little less obvious who was actually making the mischief.
Book 36 of 50
Pages: 334
Genre: Romance, with hints of mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. If you want to see how Evanovich handled a romance pre-Plum, or want to be an Evanovich completionist, go for it. Otherwise, find a better romance novel in the Romance section of your local bookstore.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Hard Eight (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, gets roped into going on the hunt for a woman and her daughter who have gone on the run to get away from her crazy husband and his mob-ish connections. Stephanie quickly realizes that it's not just because the woman's husband is nuts, there is something wholly else going on, and Steph is determined to figure it out. The tough spot with this particular case is that Stephanie runs into another bounty hunter from another agency who is looking for the same mother and daughter. This other bounty hunter just happens to be someone who may or may not have had a fling with Ranger, so of course Steph's jealous meter goes off the charts. And she and Ranger aren't even a thing... Are they? Steph's on-again-off-again, Morelli, would like to think not.
Thoughts:
It was definitely another good one. (Shocker, right?) I am really enjoying this series. They're the kind of summer reading books that make you want to read the whole entire series over the course of a few weeks. I've been trying to pace myself, but boy it's rough. These books are fun, and they're so quintessentially New Jersey. I recognize at least one mentioned location every book, and definitely recognize the character profiles. This one is a little more serious than most, I felt, but there's enough that you can't help but love it. When do I not suggest you get your hands on an Evanovich book? Never. Keep going with the series. It hasn't failed me yet, nor will it fail you. Enjoy.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 326
Genre: Mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read this series. It's ridiculously fun. And there's plenty of it to enjoy, considering there's another ten books after this one!
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, gets roped into going on the hunt for a woman and her daughter who have gone on the run to get away from her crazy husband and his mob-ish connections. Stephanie quickly realizes that it's not just because the woman's husband is nuts, there is something wholly else going on, and Steph is determined to figure it out. The tough spot with this particular case is that Stephanie runs into another bounty hunter from another agency who is looking for the same mother and daughter. This other bounty hunter just happens to be someone who may or may not have had a fling with Ranger, so of course Steph's jealous meter goes off the charts. And she and Ranger aren't even a thing... Are they? Steph's on-again-off-again, Morelli, would like to think not.
Thoughts:
It was definitely another good one. (Shocker, right?) I am really enjoying this series. They're the kind of summer reading books that make you want to read the whole entire series over the course of a few weeks. I've been trying to pace myself, but boy it's rough. These books are fun, and they're so quintessentially New Jersey. I recognize at least one mentioned location every book, and definitely recognize the character profiles. This one is a little more serious than most, I felt, but there's enough that you can't help but love it. When do I not suggest you get your hands on an Evanovich book? Never. Keep going with the series. It hasn't failed me yet, nor will it fail you. Enjoy.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 326
Genre: Mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read this series. It's ridiculously fun. And there's plenty of it to enjoy, considering there's another ten books after this one!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The Pleasure of My Company (Steve Martin)
Summary:
Daniel is a guy who used to be a computer programmer for Hewlett-Packard. Now he's a hermit with so many mental hang-ups, he can't even count them, let alone the rest of us. He spends most days exactly the same, spying on an unknowing real estate agent through his open window, doing nonsensical puzzles and mathematical calculations in his head just because he can, and avoiding curbs at all costs because there could be a scary abyss lurking at the bottom of that three-inch step. His whole world is centered around dealing with his imagined issues, and he hardly ever ventures past them to converse with the outside world.
Thoughts:
Yes, it's that Steve Martin. To be honest, it's weird. It took me a long time to get through it, including going through a ridiculous number of books between when I started it and when I finished it. I got my hands on it initially through PaperbackSwap.com (which is an awesome resource for books, particularly because it doesn't cost all that much!) in mid-February, started it maybe in March. I just took a look, and the next book I had my hands on from PBS Dead as a Doornail, which I finished and posted about in late March. There are twenty two books between that book and this one now. As I type this post up (in mid-June), it took easily three months to start, and then subsequently get myself back to, this book. That doesn't bode well as a gauge of how much I liked it. But, as usual, I digress. The book is droll. It doesn't have specific chapter markers, nor easily noted stoppage points. A scene could go on for a paragraph before moving on to the next, or it could take five pages, and you could never tell which it would be until you got to the end of it. I was hoping that the author's comedic background would lend itself to creating a fun, light-hearted book that I would love and adore almost as much as I do him. But alas, that was absolutely not the case. I read sixty pages, over the course of about a month, and couldn't stand it anymore. I put it down for nearly two months before picking it up again. In the end, it takes until page 88 of a 163 page book for anything of substance to happen. Until then, the reader is introduced to more and more of the main character's crazy until you want to kill him and put him, and yourself, out of your shared misery. From page 88, it turns out to be almost interesting, but by that point, I was so fed up with the crazy that I just wanted to power through to the end to get the whole mess over with. I don't recommend this book, by any means, unless you're severely mentally challenged and think this will be a help to you. Seriously, don't bother. Steve Martin's comedic prowess makes no appearance in this novella. None.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 163
Genre: General fiction
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: Nope. Not even because it's Steve Martin.
Daniel is a guy who used to be a computer programmer for Hewlett-Packard. Now he's a hermit with so many mental hang-ups, he can't even count them, let alone the rest of us. He spends most days exactly the same, spying on an unknowing real estate agent through his open window, doing nonsensical puzzles and mathematical calculations in his head just because he can, and avoiding curbs at all costs because there could be a scary abyss lurking at the bottom of that three-inch step. His whole world is centered around dealing with his imagined issues, and he hardly ever ventures past them to converse with the outside world.
Thoughts:
Yes, it's that Steve Martin. To be honest, it's weird. It took me a long time to get through it, including going through a ridiculous number of books between when I started it and when I finished it. I got my hands on it initially through PaperbackSwap.com (which is an awesome resource for books, particularly because it doesn't cost all that much!) in mid-February, started it maybe in March. I just took a look, and the next book I had my hands on from PBS Dead as a Doornail, which I finished and posted about in late March. There are twenty two books between that book and this one now. As I type this post up (in mid-June), it took easily three months to start, and then subsequently get myself back to, this book. That doesn't bode well as a gauge of how much I liked it. But, as usual, I digress. The book is droll. It doesn't have specific chapter markers, nor easily noted stoppage points. A scene could go on for a paragraph before moving on to the next, or it could take five pages, and you could never tell which it would be until you got to the end of it. I was hoping that the author's comedic background would lend itself to creating a fun, light-hearted book that I would love and adore almost as much as I do him. But alas, that was absolutely not the case. I read sixty pages, over the course of about a month, and couldn't stand it anymore. I put it down for nearly two months before picking it up again. In the end, it takes until page 88 of a 163 page book for anything of substance to happen. Until then, the reader is introduced to more and more of the main character's crazy until you want to kill him and put him, and yourself, out of your shared misery. From page 88, it turns out to be almost interesting, but by that point, I was so fed up with the crazy that I just wanted to power through to the end to get the whole mess over with. I don't recommend this book, by any means, unless you're severely mentally challenged and think this will be a help to you. Seriously, don't bother. Steve Martin's comedic prowess makes no appearance in this novella. None.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 163
Genre: General fiction
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: Nope. Not even because it's Steve Martin.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Seven Up (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, sucks at her job. The only reason she's still at it is because she's really, really lucky, and because one of her bounty hunter buddies, Ranger, is really effing hot. This time around, Steph's after an eighty-year-old with an attitude and former (probably still current) mob connections who is not afraid to take a shot at anybody in his way. Poor Steph keeps trying to drag the old man to jail, and getting herself mocked every time it doesn't work out. Nice. Her perfect sister, Valerie, is home from California and getting in her way, thanks to Valerie's impending divorce and new-found need to reinvent herself. And Grandma Mazur's always getting in the way, this time in the form of being kidnapped.She's got Morelli, her cop boyfriend/lover boy, proposing marriage, and Ranger, that hot buddy of hers, proposing one night of who knows what. And Joyce Bernhardt keeps pissing her off. How you doin', Jersey. Just a day in the life...
Thoughts:
Hey, you guys got a short reprieve, didn't you? Once again, Steph's got a thousand issues, and no patience to resolve any of them. I love that there are always a dozen balls in the air for Stephanie, though I will admit that I feel bad for her because of it. Things just don't seem to ever be easy for the poor girl. I still appreciate her relationship with Morelli, though her impending hook-up with Ranger is going to put a crimp in those plans real fast. I almost wish she would break up with Morelli so she could get Ranger out of her system. Who knows if that will happen, (uh, everyone who's actually up to date with the series, considering there's 12 others) but I wish she'd just make up her mind already. Next thing I know, Evanovich is going to send another man into the mix, just to increase the sausage party Steph's already surrounded by currently. Still, the writing is great. Stephanie's voice is perfectly Jersey. And the books are not only fun, they're easy to plow through in a matter of a few days, sometimes less if you give yourself a couple hours. Love this series.
Book 33 of 50
Pages:
Genre: Mystery/romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Would I still be reading this series if I didn't recommend it?
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, sucks at her job. The only reason she's still at it is because she's really, really lucky, and because one of her bounty hunter buddies, Ranger, is really effing hot. This time around, Steph's after an eighty-year-old with an attitude and former (probably still current) mob connections who is not afraid to take a shot at anybody in his way. Poor Steph keeps trying to drag the old man to jail, and getting herself mocked every time it doesn't work out. Nice. Her perfect sister, Valerie, is home from California and getting in her way, thanks to Valerie's impending divorce and new-found need to reinvent herself. And Grandma Mazur's always getting in the way, this time in the form of being kidnapped.She's got Morelli, her cop boyfriend/lover boy, proposing marriage, and Ranger, that hot buddy of hers, proposing one night of who knows what. And Joyce Bernhardt keeps pissing her off. How you doin', Jersey. Just a day in the life...
Thoughts:
Hey, you guys got a short reprieve, didn't you? Once again, Steph's got a thousand issues, and no patience to resolve any of them. I love that there are always a dozen balls in the air for Stephanie, though I will admit that I feel bad for her because of it. Things just don't seem to ever be easy for the poor girl. I still appreciate her relationship with Morelli, though her impending hook-up with Ranger is going to put a crimp in those plans real fast. I almost wish she would break up with Morelli so she could get Ranger out of her system. Who knows if that will happen, (uh, everyone who's actually up to date with the series, considering there's 12 others) but I wish she'd just make up her mind already. Next thing I know, Evanovich is going to send another man into the mix, just to increase the sausage party Steph's already surrounded by currently. Still, the writing is great. Stephanie's voice is perfectly Jersey. And the books are not only fun, they're easy to plow through in a matter of a few days, sometimes less if you give yourself a couple hours. Love this series.
Book 33 of 50
Pages:
Genre: Mystery/romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Would I still be reading this series if I didn't recommend it?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Insatiable (Meg Cabot)
Summary:
Meena is a script writer for a very popular soap opera, Insatiable. She's all set to fight for a promotion, when her arch rival shows up already having gotten the promotion, and is taking the show in an impossibly horrible direction. She's going to add vampires, which are, of course, all the rage right now. Her show is about to start a vampire war with their rival show Lust, and Meena thinks the whole thing is stupid. Meena is upset, and feeling downtrodden. But after a early morning (read: 4am) walk with her dog that resulted in a bat attack against her and a handsome stranger, though, things start looking up. The only problem is that Meena doesn't realize she's stepped into a real-life vampire war, and her knight-in-shining-armor is right at the center. Oh, and Meena knows how everyone's lives will end. She's magic like that.
Thoughts:
Anyone that has read anything from me over the last few years knows that I am hopelessly in love with Meg Cabot's writing. This was no exception. Granted, I'm starting to get sick of the vampire wars as much as the next girl. (I still maintain that they don't effing sparkle, and they never will. Dumb books.) But this was a nice twist on the norm. Sure, Meena falls for a vampire and has ridiculously hot sex with him, but she hates the idea of it, and wishes she never heard the word "vampire." She at least isn't crazy in love with the idea of living forever, and doesn't want to die to be able to do so. Cabot's writing was flawless, as usual, though the subject matter was bordering on cliche at this point. The ending left things far too wide-open for my taste, but I'll give her a pass, because I love her so much. Also, there's apparently a second book in the series too. (Shocker, with that ending.) Don't worry, I won't jump on it yet. You do know what a sucker I am for a series, though!
Book 32 of 50
Pages: 464 pages, read as an e-book
Genre: Fantasy, romance, and vampires
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: If you're into vampires, sure. If you like Meg Cabot, sure. If you like a fairly good romance novel, sure. Otherwise, it's not a must-read.
Meena is a script writer for a very popular soap opera, Insatiable. She's all set to fight for a promotion, when her arch rival shows up already having gotten the promotion, and is taking the show in an impossibly horrible direction. She's going to add vampires, which are, of course, all the rage right now. Her show is about to start a vampire war with their rival show Lust, and Meena thinks the whole thing is stupid. Meena is upset, and feeling downtrodden. But after a early morning (read: 4am) walk with her dog that resulted in a bat attack against her and a handsome stranger, though, things start looking up. The only problem is that Meena doesn't realize she's stepped into a real-life vampire war, and her knight-in-shining-armor is right at the center. Oh, and Meena knows how everyone's lives will end. She's magic like that.
Thoughts:
Anyone that has read anything from me over the last few years knows that I am hopelessly in love with Meg Cabot's writing. This was no exception. Granted, I'm starting to get sick of the vampire wars as much as the next girl. (I still maintain that they don't effing sparkle, and they never will. Dumb books.) But this was a nice twist on the norm. Sure, Meena falls for a vampire and has ridiculously hot sex with him, but she hates the idea of it, and wishes she never heard the word "vampire." She at least isn't crazy in love with the idea of living forever, and doesn't want to die to be able to do so. Cabot's writing was flawless, as usual, though the subject matter was bordering on cliche at this point. The ending left things far too wide-open for my taste, but I'll give her a pass, because I love her so much. Also, there's apparently a second book in the series too. (Shocker, with that ending.) Don't worry, I won't jump on it yet. You do know what a sucker I am for a series, though!
Book 32 of 50
Pages: 464 pages, read as an e-book
Genre: Fantasy, romance, and vampires
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: If you're into vampires, sure. If you like Meg Cabot, sure. If you like a fairly good romance novel, sure. Otherwise, it's not a must-read.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The Rock Star's Daughter (Caitlyn Duffy)
Summary:
Taylor is a fifteen year old girl, with a partying mom and a rock star dad, who goes to a boarding school. The summer before she turns sixteen, her mother dies and she's forced to go on the road with her father, who she has only met twice before. The book follows Taylor as she deals with the loss of her mother and builds a relationship with her father, her father's wife, and the rest of the band, the crew, and the roadies. She's got a lot of learning to do.
Thoughts:
Taylor's an inexperienced girl in many ways, not the least of which being her never having been disciplined by an adult. She's had to raise herself, which puts her in an awkward place when she realizes that there should actually be rules to follow, even when you're a teenager. Taylor is naive, and very young-for-her-age, despite having to help her mother get through life too. The summer romance bits are thin and not very well done. She "falls in love" after three brief encounters with a cute boy. Sure, I was a teenage girl once too, but really? In any case, the book isn't all that well-written, and Caitlyn Duffy writes like she's just starting out as a writer (which, by reading the Author's Bio on the last page, she apparently is). I would say skip this unless you can get it free as a Kindle book, like I did, and don't have to shell out anything for it. Otherwise, save your time. I had to push my way through the last few chapters because I just wanted to move on to something else. My attention wasn't held at all. I won't be continuing this series, most especially because it seems Duffy will be writing about different girls that all go to the same school, instead of continuing with the same life she's already built. That's not my favorite kind of series, let me tell you.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: 319 read as an e-book
Genre: Teenlit
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh, only if you can get it free, and have NOTHING else to read. Otherwise, not worth the bother.
Taylor is a fifteen year old girl, with a partying mom and a rock star dad, who goes to a boarding school. The summer before she turns sixteen, her mother dies and she's forced to go on the road with her father, who she has only met twice before. The book follows Taylor as she deals with the loss of her mother and builds a relationship with her father, her father's wife, and the rest of the band, the crew, and the roadies. She's got a lot of learning to do.
Thoughts:
Taylor's an inexperienced girl in many ways, not the least of which being her never having been disciplined by an adult. She's had to raise herself, which puts her in an awkward place when she realizes that there should actually be rules to follow, even when you're a teenager. Taylor is naive, and very young-for-her-age, despite having to help her mother get through life too. The summer romance bits are thin and not very well done. She "falls in love" after three brief encounters with a cute boy. Sure, I was a teenage girl once too, but really? In any case, the book isn't all that well-written, and Caitlyn Duffy writes like she's just starting out as a writer (which, by reading the Author's Bio on the last page, she apparently is). I would say skip this unless you can get it free as a Kindle book, like I did, and don't have to shell out anything for it. Otherwise, save your time. I had to push my way through the last few chapters because I just wanted to move on to something else. My attention wasn't held at all. I won't be continuing this series, most especially because it seems Duffy will be writing about different girls that all go to the same school, instead of continuing with the same life she's already built. That's not my favorite kind of series, let me tell you.
Book 31 of 50
Pages: 319 read as an e-book
Genre: Teenlit
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh, only if you can get it free, and have NOTHING else to read. Otherwise, not worth the bother.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Spy Who Left Me (Gina Robinson)
Summary:
Treflee Miller (yes, that's her name, though her given name is "Elizabeth." Go figure!) is an almost-divorcee who wants nothing more than to help her cousin through what should have been the happiest time in her life and is turning out to be one of the toughest. Carrie, Treflee's cousin, has left her groom a few days before the wedding, and has decided to take the honeymoon trip with her former bridesmaids instead. Treflee expects a calm, relaxing trip to Hawaii. Instead she finds her spy husband, who she is desperately trying to divorce, on an undercover assignment. Ty wants anything but a divorce, and is trying to figure out why his wife went from wanting to jump his bones every time he came home to the coldest ice queen ever. Treflee gets wrapped into the spy game, making a deal with Ty that she'll help him get the bad guys in exchange for his signature on the divorce paperwork, while Ty tries his damnedest to win back her heart.
Thoughts:
Not bad. The writing could surely be worse. It's a fun romp through a spy's world as he fights to hold on to his wife. Treflee keeps a secret from Ty (she had a miscarriage while he was on his last mission and never told him!) and blames him for not being there for her. I hate to say it, Tref, but it's absolutely your fault sweetie. The spy bits are interesting, though the bad guys' organization names are stupid. (Revolutionary International Organization of Terrorists, or RIOT, and the Fuk Ching. Really, Ms. Robinson? Really?) The main characters' names are ridiculous. But the storyline and the writing otherwise is fairly good. It's a good going-on-vacation book. (I say this because I read it while on vacation myself!) Go for it. It's a fun little read, and it goes really quickly.
Book 30 of 50
Pages: 352 read as an e-book
Genre: Romance, with a side of mystery.
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's light, and addictive, and apparently it's the start of a series. (Music to all your ears, right? Another series for me to read through!)
Treflee Miller (yes, that's her name, though her given name is "Elizabeth." Go figure!) is an almost-divorcee who wants nothing more than to help her cousin through what should have been the happiest time in her life and is turning out to be one of the toughest. Carrie, Treflee's cousin, has left her groom a few days before the wedding, and has decided to take the honeymoon trip with her former bridesmaids instead. Treflee expects a calm, relaxing trip to Hawaii. Instead she finds her spy husband, who she is desperately trying to divorce, on an undercover assignment. Ty wants anything but a divorce, and is trying to figure out why his wife went from wanting to jump his bones every time he came home to the coldest ice queen ever. Treflee gets wrapped into the spy game, making a deal with Ty that she'll help him get the bad guys in exchange for his signature on the divorce paperwork, while Ty tries his damnedest to win back her heart.
Thoughts:
Not bad. The writing could surely be worse. It's a fun romp through a spy's world as he fights to hold on to his wife. Treflee keeps a secret from Ty (she had a miscarriage while he was on his last mission and never told him!) and blames him for not being there for her. I hate to say it, Tref, but it's absolutely your fault sweetie. The spy bits are interesting, though the bad guys' organization names are stupid. (Revolutionary International Organization of Terrorists, or RIOT, and the Fuk Ching. Really, Ms. Robinson? Really?) The main characters' names are ridiculous. But the storyline and the writing otherwise is fairly good. It's a good going-on-vacation book. (I say this because I read it while on vacation myself!) Go for it. It's a fun little read, and it goes really quickly.
Book 30 of 50
Pages: 352 read as an e-book
Genre: Romance, with a side of mystery.
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's light, and addictive, and apparently it's the start of a series. (Music to all your ears, right? Another series for me to read through!)
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Hot Six (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum has only been a bounty hunter for a little while. Maybe a year or two at this point. And she gets handed the hardest bounty she's ever had to bring in. She has to bring in Ranger, her mentor and friend, who has helped her out of countless scrapes, and who she kind of has the hots for, though don't tell Joe Morelli... Stephanie doesn't want the job, but gets pulled into Ranger's mess anyway. He is wrapped up in a mob deal, and everyone is after him. Stephanie gets sucked in because she can't leave well enough alone, and has two goons tailing her, along with Joyce Bernhardt, her least favorite person ever. And as a bonus, Grandma Mazur pisses off Stephanie's dad, and decides to move in with Stephanie, putting a crimp in her suddenly a little more active sex life. Not to mention that Ranger has started setting his sights on Steph too. What a pickle.
Thoughts:
They really just keep getting better. Stephanie has to deal with a slightly loopy mob boss, a very horny almost-boyfriend, and a hot co-worker on the run. These books just keep getting funnier and hotter under the collar! They feel so familiar, too, thanks to their setting in New Jersey. I feel like I know Stephanie and her whole family. Maybe not the crazy people she hangs with thanks to her less than desirable job, though... I just keep wanting more from this series, and not in a bad way. Thank goodness there's another twelve books to go!
Book 29 of 50
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery, romance, and chicklit in equal parts
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?:
Stephanie Plum has only been a bounty hunter for a little while. Maybe a year or two at this point. And she gets handed the hardest bounty she's ever had to bring in. She has to bring in Ranger, her mentor and friend, who has helped her out of countless scrapes, and who she kind of has the hots for, though don't tell Joe Morelli... Stephanie doesn't want the job, but gets pulled into Ranger's mess anyway. He is wrapped up in a mob deal, and everyone is after him. Stephanie gets sucked in because she can't leave well enough alone, and has two goons tailing her, along with Joyce Bernhardt, her least favorite person ever. And as a bonus, Grandma Mazur pisses off Stephanie's dad, and decides to move in with Stephanie, putting a crimp in her suddenly a little more active sex life. Not to mention that Ranger has started setting his sights on Steph too. What a pickle.
Thoughts:
They really just keep getting better. Stephanie has to deal with a slightly loopy mob boss, a very horny almost-boyfriend, and a hot co-worker on the run. These books just keep getting funnier and hotter under the collar! They feel so familiar, too, thanks to their setting in New Jersey. I feel like I know Stephanie and her whole family. Maybe not the crazy people she hangs with thanks to her less than desirable job, though... I just keep wanting more from this series, and not in a bad way. Thank goodness there's another twelve books to go!
Book 29 of 50
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery, romance, and chicklit in equal parts
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?:
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
Summary:
The final book in the Hunter Games series, Mockingjay keeps the action going. At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is pulled out of the arena from her second Hunger Games to find out there is a whole revolution already happening in Panem. She finds herself in District 13, the district that the rest of the country thought was long gone, and she's in the midst of the revolutionaries' camp. She is asked to be the face of the revolution, the Mockingjay, the person to inspire Panem's people to fight against President Snow and the Capitol's forces. This final installment in the series watches Katniss try to find her place in the world, and figure out who she wants to have at her side in the end.
Thoughts:
This series is a good one. There is a lot of hype about it for a reason. Is it the next Twilight or Harry Potter? Maybe or maybe not, but the writing is definitely on par with Rowling's. (Stephanie Meyer's writing is no where near the same caliber, so I refuse to acknowledge her popularity further.) The concluding book is bittersweet for sure, and watching the deaths of some of the characters in this one are hard to handle, for sure. The problem with this book is that it flies through the story so quickly that you don't have time to really mourn anyone, as much as you'd like. One death in particular is so shocking, not even Katniss really deals with it. I understand that the plan was always to have a trilogy, but this particular piece could have used a good fifty to one hundred extra pages of exposition. The ending is what I would have wanted to see, but hardly brushes the surface of the joy and happiness it should have. It could have been worse, certainly, but it really could have been better.
Book 28 of 50
Pages: 400
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen lit, with touches of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, but read the first two first!
The final book in the Hunter Games series, Mockingjay keeps the action going. At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is pulled out of the arena from her second Hunger Games to find out there is a whole revolution already happening in Panem. She finds herself in District 13, the district that the rest of the country thought was long gone, and she's in the midst of the revolutionaries' camp. She is asked to be the face of the revolution, the Mockingjay, the person to inspire Panem's people to fight against President Snow and the Capitol's forces. This final installment in the series watches Katniss try to find her place in the world, and figure out who she wants to have at her side in the end.
Thoughts:
This series is a good one. There is a lot of hype about it for a reason. Is it the next Twilight or Harry Potter? Maybe or maybe not, but the writing is definitely on par with Rowling's. (Stephanie Meyer's writing is no where near the same caliber, so I refuse to acknowledge her popularity further.) The concluding book is bittersweet for sure, and watching the deaths of some of the characters in this one are hard to handle, for sure. The problem with this book is that it flies through the story so quickly that you don't have time to really mourn anyone, as much as you'd like. One death in particular is so shocking, not even Katniss really deals with it. I understand that the plan was always to have a trilogy, but this particular piece could have used a good fifty to one hundred extra pages of exposition. The ending is what I would have wanted to see, but hardly brushes the surface of the joy and happiness it should have. It could have been worse, certainly, but it really could have been better.
Book 28 of 50
Pages: 400
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen lit, with touches of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, but read the first two first!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
High Five (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
The bounty is almost nil during the hot and sweaty summer of [whatever year this is supposed to be...] and Stephanie Plum is hunting for something to do, and some way to pay the bills. Her mother begs her to help find her uncle Fred who has gone missing during his morning errands. She soon learns that there's far more to the disappearance than just a wandering old man. Stephanie gets one little bounty to go after, though, and I do mean little. Her little person FTA bounty is not coming quietly, and winds up living in Steph's apartment thanks to a broken door at his place. In the wake of the waning bounties to recover, Stephanie's mentor, Ranger, throws a few "small" jobs her way to help her get by, and she winds up developing more than a passing interest in Ranger himself.
Thoughts:
I don't have to keep singing Evanovich's praises if you've read any of my previous reviews of her other three books, but I will say this: High Five was the hottest book so far, and there wasn't even major action in the romance department. The tension, however, was incredibly high, in every respect. HEL-lo! The ending leaves you hanging, too, and I fought like hell to not pick up number six, especially considering how addicting this series is, and the fact that I already had six in hand! Whooooo, boy! The story line is a great one, with another great twist. I might be the most clueless reader, but I never really guess who's going to turn out to be the bad guy with Evanovich's work until she reveals the last clues. Highly suggested, as usual.
Book 27 of 50
Pages: 340
Genre: A+
Grade: Mystery, romance, chicklit, and a whole lot of all of them, too!
Would I Recommend?: Yesyesyesyes! Go start the series. Read it. Love it! GO!
The bounty is almost nil during the hot and sweaty summer of [whatever year this is supposed to be...] and Stephanie Plum is hunting for something to do, and some way to pay the bills. Her mother begs her to help find her uncle Fred who has gone missing during his morning errands. She soon learns that there's far more to the disappearance than just a wandering old man. Stephanie gets one little bounty to go after, though, and I do mean little. Her little person FTA bounty is not coming quietly, and winds up living in Steph's apartment thanks to a broken door at his place. In the wake of the waning bounties to recover, Stephanie's mentor, Ranger, throws a few "small" jobs her way to help her get by, and she winds up developing more than a passing interest in Ranger himself.
Thoughts:
I don't have to keep singing Evanovich's praises if you've read any of my previous reviews of her other three books, but I will say this: High Five was the hottest book so far, and there wasn't even major action in the romance department. The tension, however, was incredibly high, in every respect. HEL-lo! The ending leaves you hanging, too, and I fought like hell to not pick up number six, especially considering how addicting this series is, and the fact that I already had six in hand! Whooooo, boy! The story line is a great one, with another great twist. I might be the most clueless reader, but I never really guess who's going to turn out to be the bad guy with Evanovich's work until she reveals the last clues. Highly suggested, as usual.
Book 27 of 50
Pages: 340
Genre: A+
Grade: Mystery, romance, chicklit, and a whole lot of all of them, too!
Would I Recommend?: Yesyesyesyes! Go start the series. Read it. Love it! GO!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Four to Score (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum's latest FTA (Faiure to Appear) bounty is a waitress with an ass of a boyfriend. She swiped his car because she was pissed at him, and he pressed charges. Maxine and her family take Stephanie on a wild goose chase thanks to her clues for her dumb-ass boyfriend. Of course, Stephanie has to figure out what all the clues mean, because they might lead her to her bounty that much faster. She enlists not only Lula, a former prostitute turned secretary and sidekick, but her Grandma Mazur, a seventy-something lady with time to kill, and a drag queen named Sally Sweet. It doesn't help that she can't figure out what the hell is going on with her hunky almost-boyfriend Morelly, or that her cousin has brought her least favorite person in the world (the woman she found screwing her now-ex husband on their dining room table) on as a fellow bounty hunter after the same bounty, or that someone is once again trying to kill her. Just another day in the life of a Jersey girl.
Thoughts:
I straight-up love this series. It's addictive, and I am so totally hooked. It takes everything in me to hop to another book after finishing one, so that my blog doesn't look like a Janet Evanovich love fest! (Currently, I'm in possession of the books up to number nine, but I'm trying to take my time... You'll see in the next few weeks how well it's working out!) This particular installment sees Stephanie fighting several different wars as usual, including a few of the heart. I love that Stephanie's forced to stay with Joe Morelli, thanks to a tiny little thing called a fire bomb... I like their dynamic. I have a friend that's a fan of a certain other gentleman in the series, though we'll get into that situation further when Stephanie's travels put her more in his way. For now, I love this series like a fat kid loves cake. Keep it coming, Evanovich.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery, romance, and a whole lotta chicklit
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. Love this series. Enjoy!!
Stephanie Plum's latest FTA (Faiure to Appear) bounty is a waitress with an ass of a boyfriend. She swiped his car because she was pissed at him, and he pressed charges. Maxine and her family take Stephanie on a wild goose chase thanks to her clues for her dumb-ass boyfriend. Of course, Stephanie has to figure out what all the clues mean, because they might lead her to her bounty that much faster. She enlists not only Lula, a former prostitute turned secretary and sidekick, but her Grandma Mazur, a seventy-something lady with time to kill, and a drag queen named Sally Sweet. It doesn't help that she can't figure out what the hell is going on with her hunky almost-boyfriend Morelly, or that her cousin has brought her least favorite person in the world (the woman she found screwing her now-ex husband on their dining room table) on as a fellow bounty hunter after the same bounty, or that someone is once again trying to kill her. Just another day in the life of a Jersey girl.
Thoughts:
I straight-up love this series. It's addictive, and I am so totally hooked. It takes everything in me to hop to another book after finishing one, so that my blog doesn't look like a Janet Evanovich love fest! (Currently, I'm in possession of the books up to number nine, but I'm trying to take my time... You'll see in the next few weeks how well it's working out!) This particular installment sees Stephanie fighting several different wars as usual, including a few of the heart. I love that Stephanie's forced to stay with Joe Morelli, thanks to a tiny little thing called a fire bomb... I like their dynamic. I have a friend that's a fan of a certain other gentleman in the series, though we'll get into that situation further when Stephanie's travels put her more in his way. For now, I love this series like a fat kid loves cake. Keep it coming, Evanovich.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery, romance, and a whole lotta chicklit
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. Love this series. Enjoy!!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie's got a vampire hubby who just can't seem to talk things through with her. They have a blood bond that Sookie is worried is the only reason she actually loves Eric. But when the bond is broken, and the love is still there, she's not quite satisfied. She wants Eric to talk to her, include her in his life and his worries. Not that she doesn't have enough to worry about. There's still someone out to kill her, and she can't stand Eric's new boss. She just can't figure out whether it's horrible to want people dead...
Thoughts:
Not bad. I wouldn't say it's one of the best in the series, but it could have been worse. The good news for you, dear readers (all three of you, haha!) is that you're not going to have to hear about Sookie Stackhouse much more. I've got one more published book to get my hands on, and then it'll only be once a year that you'll hear about Sook's adventures in vampirism. But back to the book. I found that this particular book didn't stick with me nearly as much as some of the others in the series. If something's really super-fantastic, it'll stick in my brain and make me want to read more of whatever it is so badly I can't wait to get the next in the series. This book in the series wasn't like that. I got more annoyed with the characters than usual, and was almost looking forward to getting to the end so I could move on to the next book. I'm not as pleased with Harris's work on this one as I have been in the past. Oh well, better luck next time!
Book 25 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery, with romance and vampires and a few other fantasy characters...
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's still a good book, and the series is fabulous. But be sure to read from the beginning. This one will lose you if you start from the middle!
Sookie's got a vampire hubby who just can't seem to talk things through with her. They have a blood bond that Sookie is worried is the only reason she actually loves Eric. But when the bond is broken, and the love is still there, she's not quite satisfied. She wants Eric to talk to her, include her in his life and his worries. Not that she doesn't have enough to worry about. There's still someone out to kill her, and she can't stand Eric's new boss. She just can't figure out whether it's horrible to want people dead...
Thoughts:
Not bad. I wouldn't say it's one of the best in the series, but it could have been worse. The good news for you, dear readers (all three of you, haha!) is that you're not going to have to hear about Sookie Stackhouse much more. I've got one more published book to get my hands on, and then it'll only be once a year that you'll hear about Sook's adventures in vampirism. But back to the book. I found that this particular book didn't stick with me nearly as much as some of the others in the series. If something's really super-fantastic, it'll stick in my brain and make me want to read more of whatever it is so badly I can't wait to get the next in the series. This book in the series wasn't like that. I got more annoyed with the characters than usual, and was almost looking forward to getting to the end so I could move on to the next book. I'm not as pleased with Harris's work on this one as I have been in the past. Oh well, better luck next time!
Book 25 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery, with romance and vampires and a few other fantasy characters...
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's still a good book, and the series is fabulous. But be sure to read from the beginning. This one will lose you if you start from the middle!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Three to Get Deadly (Janet Evanovich
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, novice bounty hunter, gets the worst assignment yet. She's got to pick up Uncle Mo, Trenton's favorite candy shop owner. Mo missed a court date, and hasn't been seen at the shop in days. Stephanie gets in too deep as usual, and finds herself threatened almost every day after starting her hunt for Mo. Add to that Lula, a former hooker who's angling to become a bounty hunter herself, who decides that she's going to help Stephanie out, and often causes more trouble than good. And the icing on this cake is Joe Morelli, Stephanie's first bounty and a Trenton cop, who can't seem to decide whether he wants to kill Stephanie or screw her senseless. Tough life for anyone, but Stephanie deals. Barely...
Thoughts:
How obsessed am I with this series? So much. I love Stephanie Plum's voice. Evanovich makes me smirk like the Jersey girl I am, and I feel like Stephanie could be the girl down the street from me. I love the feel of the books, a little suspense, and a lot of Jersey jokes that only we really get. Even if you're not from Jersey, there's plenty in this series that anyone can love, including the hunky cop (that we all KNOW Stephanie's going to get her *ahem* hands on eventually), the crazy sidekick, the crazy dude that knows how to handle the worst of it, and a ridiculous family that you're thankful that you don't have. One of the things I love about this series is that the books don't end with a ridiculously open ending. They end with actual closings of the storylines, and the only overarching plots are the romantic plot with Stephanie and Morelli, and the plot that carries Stephanie through her learning how to be a bounty hunter. Well done, Ms. Evanovich.
Book 24 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: Mystery, with hints of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yup. For sure, especially if you're from New Jersey.
Stephanie Plum, novice bounty hunter, gets the worst assignment yet. She's got to pick up Uncle Mo, Trenton's favorite candy shop owner. Mo missed a court date, and hasn't been seen at the shop in days. Stephanie gets in too deep as usual, and finds herself threatened almost every day after starting her hunt for Mo. Add to that Lula, a former hooker who's angling to become a bounty hunter herself, who decides that she's going to help Stephanie out, and often causes more trouble than good. And the icing on this cake is Joe Morelli, Stephanie's first bounty and a Trenton cop, who can't seem to decide whether he wants to kill Stephanie or screw her senseless. Tough life for anyone, but Stephanie deals. Barely...
Thoughts:
How obsessed am I with this series? So much. I love Stephanie Plum's voice. Evanovich makes me smirk like the Jersey girl I am, and I feel like Stephanie could be the girl down the street from me. I love the feel of the books, a little suspense, and a lot of Jersey jokes that only we really get. Even if you're not from Jersey, there's plenty in this series that anyone can love, including the hunky cop (that we all KNOW Stephanie's going to get her *ahem* hands on eventually), the crazy sidekick, the crazy dude that knows how to handle the worst of it, and a ridiculous family that you're thankful that you don't have. One of the things I love about this series is that the books don't end with a ridiculously open ending. They end with actual closings of the storylines, and the only overarching plots are the romantic plot with Stephanie and Morelli, and the plot that carries Stephanie through her learning how to be a bounty hunter. Well done, Ms. Evanovich.
Book 24 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: Mystery, with hints of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yup. For sure, especially if you're from New Jersey.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Two for the Dough (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and she's not so great at it. Not yet, anyway, considering she's not had all that much practice at it just yet. This second book finds her going after a guy who shot his buddy in the knee, and then skipped bail. Little does she know, Kenny Mancuso is involved in much bigger things than just an accidental shot to the knee, and there's soon dead bodies to deal with. What's worse, Joe Morelli, Stephanie's former flame, local cop, and ex-bounty, is after Kenny too. Of course, Morelli explains it away that he's just looking for his cousin, but Stephanie's gut tells her that there's more to it. She's learning well that she should go with her gut whenever possible.
Thoughts:
Love it. No really, I love this series. Stephanie Plum is a great character, and Evanovich gets the Jersey voice just right, as though she's a Jersey Girl, born and bred, which of course, she is. Of course, in this second book, she misses the boat on one of the classic Jersey phrases, (In Jersey, we go "down the shore," not "to the shore.") but if that's the worst of it, that's hardly anything at all. The series so far is great fun. I love Stephanie's fight to make herself look like she can actually handle herself as a bounty hunter, and I love the constant jabs and pokes at Jersey from someone in the family. Plenty of people make fun of New Jersey, but only real Jersey kids know how to truly stick it to the state. Plus, there's the romance story line with Stephanie and Morelli that no one can overlook. Evanovich does a great job carrying the whole mess, and I love watching every second of it. New favorite series, friends. Lucky you.
Book 23 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: mystery, with a touch of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. And this series feels more like one you don't have to read from the start. It helps, but it's not completely necessary.
Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and she's not so great at it. Not yet, anyway, considering she's not had all that much practice at it just yet. This second book finds her going after a guy who shot his buddy in the knee, and then skipped bail. Little does she know, Kenny Mancuso is involved in much bigger things than just an accidental shot to the knee, and there's soon dead bodies to deal with. What's worse, Joe Morelli, Stephanie's former flame, local cop, and ex-bounty, is after Kenny too. Of course, Morelli explains it away that he's just looking for his cousin, but Stephanie's gut tells her that there's more to it. She's learning well that she should go with her gut whenever possible.
Thoughts:
Love it. No really, I love this series. Stephanie Plum is a great character, and Evanovich gets the Jersey voice just right, as though she's a Jersey Girl, born and bred, which of course, she is. Of course, in this second book, she misses the boat on one of the classic Jersey phrases, (In Jersey, we go "down the shore," not "to the shore.") but if that's the worst of it, that's hardly anything at all. The series so far is great fun. I love Stephanie's fight to make herself look like she can actually handle herself as a bounty hunter, and I love the constant jabs and pokes at Jersey from someone in the family. Plenty of people make fun of New Jersey, but only real Jersey kids know how to truly stick it to the state. Plus, there's the romance story line with Stephanie and Morelli that no one can overlook. Evanovich does a great job carrying the whole mess, and I love watching every second of it. New favorite series, friends. Lucky you.
Book 23 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: mystery, with a touch of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. And this series feels more like one you don't have to read from the start. It helps, but it's not completely necessary.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Dead in the Family (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Poor Sookie. All she wanted was some quiet in her mind after years of telepathy cluing her in to what everyone she's ever met is thinking. That's all she wanted when she started getting into the vampire world. But now she's got her fairy bloodline, not all of whom are pleased with her, whether the door to the fairy world is open or not. She's got a whole other vampire that she's bonded with forever, and she might be in love, but she might not. She's got friends that are werewolves and dealing with their newly exposed existence, and one might be a traitor. And once again, there's someone out to get her. Sookie just can't get a break.
Thoughts:
Once the ending isn't really there. I won't harp, but Harris, you've really got to work on this. The book itself is good. Sookie and Eric are getting closer, and start dating in this book. Good for them. (Finally.) Jason, Sookie's brother, seems to be growing up a bit. (Finally.) Everyone seems to be settling into their lives (or unlives) well in this book. Of course, there's always problems, because it would be a pretty boring book if there weren't. I'm almost glad I'm getting close to the end of this series, though. (I'm sure you're glad I'm almost done too!) I enjoy them, don't get me wrong. They're just not as intense anymore. They've settled into a groove, which I appreciate, but the groove isn't as groovy as when they were more action-packed. Eric, one of the very major characters at this point, has become more kitten than tiger, thanks to a shift in power. Sookie, who used to be so light-hearted, has become hard. It's almost as though Sookie and Eric have swapped places. I almost want Sookie to get herself turned, just to see what she would do with it. Anyway, I've come this far (10 books into an almost 12 book series. Book 12 comes out in May.) I don't think I'll feel right stopping now. Besides, despite their groove status, they're still entertaining. Just with a little less wow.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 311
Genre: Mystery, vamps, and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. But please start from the beginning. They're more fun that way.
Poor Sookie. All she wanted was some quiet in her mind after years of telepathy cluing her in to what everyone she's ever met is thinking. That's all she wanted when she started getting into the vampire world. But now she's got her fairy bloodline, not all of whom are pleased with her, whether the door to the fairy world is open or not. She's got a whole other vampire that she's bonded with forever, and she might be in love, but she might not. She's got friends that are werewolves and dealing with their newly exposed existence, and one might be a traitor. And once again, there's someone out to get her. Sookie just can't get a break.
Thoughts:
Once the ending isn't really there. I won't harp, but Harris, you've really got to work on this. The book itself is good. Sookie and Eric are getting closer, and start dating in this book. Good for them. (Finally.) Jason, Sookie's brother, seems to be growing up a bit. (Finally.) Everyone seems to be settling into their lives (or unlives) well in this book. Of course, there's always problems, because it would be a pretty boring book if there weren't. I'm almost glad I'm getting close to the end of this series, though. (I'm sure you're glad I'm almost done too!) I enjoy them, don't get me wrong. They're just not as intense anymore. They've settled into a groove, which I appreciate, but the groove isn't as groovy as when they were more action-packed. Eric, one of the very major characters at this point, has become more kitten than tiger, thanks to a shift in power. Sookie, who used to be so light-hearted, has become hard. It's almost as though Sookie and Eric have swapped places. I almost want Sookie to get herself turned, just to see what she would do with it. Anyway, I've come this far (10 books into an almost 12 book series. Book 12 comes out in May.) I don't think I'll feel right stopping now. Besides, despite their groove status, they're still entertaining. Just with a little less wow.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 311
Genre: Mystery, vamps, and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. But please start from the beginning. They're more fun that way.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Dead and Gone (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie's got more troubles as usual. Her friends and colleagues in the Were community (werewolves, werepanthers, etcetera) are officially coming out of the supernatural closet. The FBI wants to question her about how she was able to help find people in the bombing of the vampire summit a few months back, and they're hoping to exploit her gift. There's fairies that are after her, and want her dead. A former bestie of Sookie's is not cool with the news that their boss is a shapeshifter, and wants to take them all down. There's a crucifixion. And to top it all off, Eric does something really sneaky that ties Sookie even tighter to him. Poor girl.
Thoughts:
Once again, a good one. I am starting to get a bit annoyed, though, at how Harris ends these books. Sure, they leave you wanting more, that's not a big issue. But when the wanting is for a more wrapped up plot, and for an actual ending to a book, not a "to be continued," that's not a good thing. Harris does pack a punch with this one once again, which I appreciate, and there's always something going on. I really enjoy Sookie's growing attachment to Eric, because I always liked his character, and how they interacted. I'll keep going with the series, because there's not much left, but the open endings are starting to bug me, especially considering Harris only puts out one book a year, it seems, and I'm coming very close to the current end of the series. I will say, though, I'd be interested in going back and watching how this would play out on the TV show. I wonder if it'll even be around long enough to get to these plot points, though it might, as it's already in season five, and each season seemed to equate to one of the books in the series.
Book 20 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery, romance, and vampires
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Please start from the beginning of this series, if you're going to read it at all. It's too confusing otherwise.
Sookie's got more troubles as usual. Her friends and colleagues in the Were community (werewolves, werepanthers, etcetera) are officially coming out of the supernatural closet. The FBI wants to question her about how she was able to help find people in the bombing of the vampire summit a few months back, and they're hoping to exploit her gift. There's fairies that are after her, and want her dead. A former bestie of Sookie's is not cool with the news that their boss is a shapeshifter, and wants to take them all down. There's a crucifixion. And to top it all off, Eric does something really sneaky that ties Sookie even tighter to him. Poor girl.
Thoughts:
Once again, a good one. I am starting to get a bit annoyed, though, at how Harris ends these books. Sure, they leave you wanting more, that's not a big issue. But when the wanting is for a more wrapped up plot, and for an actual ending to a book, not a "to be continued," that's not a good thing. Harris does pack a punch with this one once again, which I appreciate, and there's always something going on. I really enjoy Sookie's growing attachment to Eric, because I always liked his character, and how they interacted. I'll keep going with the series, because there's not much left, but the open endings are starting to bug me, especially considering Harris only puts out one book a year, it seems, and I'm coming very close to the current end of the series. I will say, though, I'd be interested in going back and watching how this would play out on the TV show. I wonder if it'll even be around long enough to get to these plot points, though it might, as it's already in season five, and each season seemed to equate to one of the books in the series.
Book 20 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery, romance, and vampires
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Please start from the beginning of this series, if you're going to read it at all. It's too confusing otherwise.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
One for the Money (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum is a woman living in Trenton, NJ, and she's just lost her job. She can barely pay her rent, let alone car payments or anything else. She's dying for any job she can get her hands on. When she goes to her cousin's office to interview for a filing job, and finds the position filled, she is willing to do anything. That's when her cousin's secretary tells her there's an open spot for a bounty hunter. Stephanie jumps at the chance when she hears how much she'll get for the job. The added bonus is that she'll be bringing in the one guy that's humiliated her all her life. Little does she know that she's way over her head in the bounty hunting business, and there's more to her case than meets the eye.
Thoughts:
Oh my God, I loved this. I read it two sittings, because I couldn't put it down. (The only time I did was because it was well past midnight, and my eyes were more closed than open.) It's not only a fast read, but it's funny as hell. I will say that it is very dated, considering it was originally written in 1994, when the eighties were only slightly uncool, and car phones were the new rage (Forget cell phones. Those weren't even thought of yet!) The fashion described for poor Stephanie sounds like a girl getting ready for an 80's party. But if you take all that in stride, and remember a time when cell phones weren't available to call for help from a dark alley, you'll be fine. I will admit that when Stephanie first gets into trouble when she's out and about in the city, and she needs help, my first reaction is "use your cell phone and call someone," but then I checked myself, checked the publishing date, and laughed. But it really is a fun read, and I look forward to getting into the series. As a girl from Jersey, I appreciate and understand a lot of the "New Jersey attitude" that Stephanie and the rest of the characters exude. And even 18 year old jokes about Jersey's lack of gardens make me smile. I highly suggest this book, and probably the series. Besides, although I plan to see it no matter how bad it supposedly is, I hear the book is way better than the movie. I just hope it's set in 90's Jersey, not 2010's Jersey. It would be so much more interesting! Be warned, once I start really getting my hands on these books, you'll be hearing about them endlessly until I'm through, just like the rest of the series I've powered through.
Book 19 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. And it doesn't hurt that it's the first in the series either!
Stephanie Plum is a woman living in Trenton, NJ, and she's just lost her job. She can barely pay her rent, let alone car payments or anything else. She's dying for any job she can get her hands on. When she goes to her cousin's office to interview for a filing job, and finds the position filled, she is willing to do anything. That's when her cousin's secretary tells her there's an open spot for a bounty hunter. Stephanie jumps at the chance when she hears how much she'll get for the job. The added bonus is that she'll be bringing in the one guy that's humiliated her all her life. Little does she know that she's way over her head in the bounty hunting business, and there's more to her case than meets the eye.
Thoughts:
Oh my God, I loved this. I read it two sittings, because I couldn't put it down. (The only time I did was because it was well past midnight, and my eyes were more closed than open.) It's not only a fast read, but it's funny as hell. I will say that it is very dated, considering it was originally written in 1994, when the eighties were only slightly uncool, and car phones were the new rage (Forget cell phones. Those weren't even thought of yet!) The fashion described for poor Stephanie sounds like a girl getting ready for an 80's party. But if you take all that in stride, and remember a time when cell phones weren't available to call for help from a dark alley, you'll be fine. I will admit that when Stephanie first gets into trouble when she's out and about in the city, and she needs help, my first reaction is "use your cell phone and call someone," but then I checked myself, checked the publishing date, and laughed. But it really is a fun read, and I look forward to getting into the series. As a girl from Jersey, I appreciate and understand a lot of the "New Jersey attitude" that Stephanie and the rest of the characters exude. And even 18 year old jokes about Jersey's lack of gardens make me smile. I highly suggest this book, and probably the series. Besides, although I plan to see it no matter how bad it supposedly is, I hear the book is way better than the movie. I just hope it's set in 90's Jersey, not 2010's Jersey. It would be so much more interesting! Be warned, once I start really getting my hands on these books, you'll be hearing about them endlessly until I'm through, just like the rest of the series I've powered through.
Book 19 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Definitely. And it doesn't hurt that it's the first in the series either!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
From Dead to Worse (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
The next installment in the life of Sookie Stackhouse finds her dealing with the aftermath of the explosion at the vampire summit. Many of the vamps she'd known got killed in the blast, or burned by the sun. Quinn, her hunky weretiger (think werewolf, but with stripes.) boyfriend got seriously hurt, and after seeing him in the hospital, Sookie hasn't heard from him again. The vampires of Louisiana are really hurting, particularly the Queen, who lost both her legs in the fire. Their already weakened state was made even worse by the explosion, and now they've got an impending war to deal with. Sookie's werewolf friends aren't fairing much better, and although they had nothing to do with the summit, they've got their own serious war issues to worry about. People are turning up dead or missing, and the two factions of the pack are butting heads worse than ever. Sookie's brother and his new wife are being idiots, which is no surprise to Sookie, though she worries about what might happen if either of them steps too far out of line. And of course, there's the little matter of Sookie's extended family, which didn't much exist until now, but she's just learned that there are people out there that are her blood, and now she's trying to learn more about them.
Thoughts:
So good. (Shut up, I know I said I'd take a rest with the Sookie, and I will. I've got a few more books in line that are not related at all!) This one was easily as good as the last, if not better. I always love when people that have very little or no family find a little more for themselves. (Prisoner of Azkaban was always my favorite Harry Potter book primarily because he finds his godfather.) There's a lot more going between Eric and Sookie, which I'm totally down for. (Hunky vamp that he is!) I appreciate the stuff with the Were community, though it feels like a much bigger invasion into Sookie's life than it had previously. I wouldn't mind if that plot line were mostly finished after this book. I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't see Alcide much more, as sad as that is. This particular book made me lose a little of my endearment toward him. The most interesting thing about this book, as well as the last book, though to a smaller extent, is that Sookie has become harder and harder. In the beginning of the series, when she knew little of the vampire world, and nothing of the Weres, let alone anything else. She was much more lighthearted and sunny than she is now. I would equate it to how Buffy changed in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Buffy started out a perky teenager who managed to utter the line "If the apocalypse comes, beep me!" in all seriousness before scampering off to a school dance. By the end of the series, she takes the death of some of her close friends as casualties in battle. Sookie is turning out very much the same. When thinking about the casualties from the battles that arise within this book, Sookie doesn't get weepy and upset, she's shaken, but she moves on. It's a very interesting shift in Sookie's mindset, and I'll be looking forward to reading more from Harris. (Though not so soon, I promise!)
Book 18 of 50
Pages: 303
Genre: Mystery, vampires, romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Here comes the broken record. This series really needs to be read from the beginning, and if you don't, you'll really feel as though you're missing something big. Promise. But hell yeah, read it!
The next installment in the life of Sookie Stackhouse finds her dealing with the aftermath of the explosion at the vampire summit. Many of the vamps she'd known got killed in the blast, or burned by the sun. Quinn, her hunky weretiger (think werewolf, but with stripes.) boyfriend got seriously hurt, and after seeing him in the hospital, Sookie hasn't heard from him again. The vampires of Louisiana are really hurting, particularly the Queen, who lost both her legs in the fire. Their already weakened state was made even worse by the explosion, and now they've got an impending war to deal with. Sookie's werewolf friends aren't fairing much better, and although they had nothing to do with the summit, they've got their own serious war issues to worry about. People are turning up dead or missing, and the two factions of the pack are butting heads worse than ever. Sookie's brother and his new wife are being idiots, which is no surprise to Sookie, though she worries about what might happen if either of them steps too far out of line. And of course, there's the little matter of Sookie's extended family, which didn't much exist until now, but she's just learned that there are people out there that are her blood, and now she's trying to learn more about them.
Thoughts:
So good. (Shut up, I know I said I'd take a rest with the Sookie, and I will. I've got a few more books in line that are not related at all!) This one was easily as good as the last, if not better. I always love when people that have very little or no family find a little more for themselves. (Prisoner of Azkaban was always my favorite Harry Potter book primarily because he finds his godfather.) There's a lot more going between Eric and Sookie, which I'm totally down for. (Hunky vamp that he is!) I appreciate the stuff with the Were community, though it feels like a much bigger invasion into Sookie's life than it had previously. I wouldn't mind if that plot line were mostly finished after this book. I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't see Alcide much more, as sad as that is. This particular book made me lose a little of my endearment toward him. The most interesting thing about this book, as well as the last book, though to a smaller extent, is that Sookie has become harder and harder. In the beginning of the series, when she knew little of the vampire world, and nothing of the Weres, let alone anything else. She was much more lighthearted and sunny than she is now. I would equate it to how Buffy changed in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Buffy started out a perky teenager who managed to utter the line "If the apocalypse comes, beep me!" in all seriousness before scampering off to a school dance. By the end of the series, she takes the death of some of her close friends as casualties in battle. Sookie is turning out very much the same. When thinking about the casualties from the battles that arise within this book, Sookie doesn't get weepy and upset, she's shaken, but she moves on. It's a very interesting shift in Sookie's mindset, and I'll be looking forward to reading more from Harris. (Though not so soon, I promise!)
Book 18 of 50
Pages: 303
Genre: Mystery, vampires, romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Here comes the broken record. This series really needs to be read from the beginning, and if you don't, you'll really feel as though you're missing something big. Promise. But hell yeah, read it!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
All Together Dead (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie's being dragged to the vampire summit in Rhodes, (I believe in Michigan, but it could be Illinois. One of the northern central states, anyway...) to be Queen Sophia-Anne's personal telepath. Her job is to keep a mental ear out, and try to learn what the other kings and queens (and their minions) are up to at this summit. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana is hurting, along with many other states in the Gulf area. Louisiana's vampire population is hard hit, too, and the Queen of Louisiana is no exception. Sophia-Anne's position is not only crippled due to the storm's abuse, she's being accused of unjustly killing her recently acquired husband for the sole purpose of getting her hands on his Arkansas territory. Sookie gets unhappily jammed up right in the middle of all this, with no consideration for the fact that she's got other pressing things at home, not least of which is her brother's wedding to a girl she doesn't care for at all, and her witch friend from New Orleans coming to stay at her house for a while as she works to rebuild more than just her home. Disaster is around every corner for Sookie, just another average day for poor Sook.
Thoughts:
Yes, I know. Another Sookie book. I'll branch out soon, I promise. I'm almost done with the series anyway! It's a good one, though. I really enjoyed it (shocker). Harris puts so many balls up in the air that I hardly know when another one's going to come down, let alone what's going to happen. This one had the return of the telepath Barry, who we hadn't seen since "Living Dead in Dallas," and it was interesting to see Sookie deal with another telepath. The reader is treated to more vampire lore, and a few extra bits for the other supernatural areas in Sookie's life too, which definitely helps Harris broaden her fantasy world. It was interesting, too, to see how Harris dealt with the Katrina issue. She didn't go into much detail, but the book did begin with a lot of talk about what had happened to Louisiana vamps thanks to the flooding. To be honest, this is near the top on my list of good books within the series. I will highly recommend this series to anyone who asks. It's a fun series (with no damn sparkly vampires.) with a lot going on, but never too much to handle. Good stuff.
Book 17 of 50
Pages:323
Genre:Mystery plus romance plus vampires equals Sookie!
Grade:A
Would I Recommend?:Once again, this is a read the whole series kind of book. There's too many things wrapped into this series to pick up in the middle.
Sookie's being dragged to the vampire summit in Rhodes, (I believe in Michigan, but it could be Illinois. One of the northern central states, anyway...) to be Queen Sophia-Anne's personal telepath. Her job is to keep a mental ear out, and try to learn what the other kings and queens (and their minions) are up to at this summit. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana is hurting, along with many other states in the Gulf area. Louisiana's vampire population is hard hit, too, and the Queen of Louisiana is no exception. Sophia-Anne's position is not only crippled due to the storm's abuse, she's being accused of unjustly killing her recently acquired husband for the sole purpose of getting her hands on his Arkansas territory. Sookie gets unhappily jammed up right in the middle of all this, with no consideration for the fact that she's got other pressing things at home, not least of which is her brother's wedding to a girl she doesn't care for at all, and her witch friend from New Orleans coming to stay at her house for a while as she works to rebuild more than just her home. Disaster is around every corner for Sookie, just another average day for poor Sook.
Thoughts:
Yes, I know. Another Sookie book. I'll branch out soon, I promise. I'm almost done with the series anyway! It's a good one, though. I really enjoyed it (shocker). Harris puts so many balls up in the air that I hardly know when another one's going to come down, let alone what's going to happen. This one had the return of the telepath Barry, who we hadn't seen since "Living Dead in Dallas," and it was interesting to see Sookie deal with another telepath. The reader is treated to more vampire lore, and a few extra bits for the other supernatural areas in Sookie's life too, which definitely helps Harris broaden her fantasy world. It was interesting, too, to see how Harris dealt with the Katrina issue. She didn't go into much detail, but the book did begin with a lot of talk about what had happened to Louisiana vamps thanks to the flooding. To be honest, this is near the top on my list of good books within the series. I will highly recommend this series to anyone who asks. It's a fun series (with no damn sparkly vampires.) with a lot going on, but never too much to handle. Good stuff.
Book 17 of 50
Pages:323
Genre:Mystery plus romance plus vampires equals Sookie!
Grade:A
Would I Recommend?:Once again, this is a read the whole series kind of book. There's too many things wrapped into this series to pick up in the middle.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
Another special post, since this series is so popular right now!
Summary:
The second in the ridiculously popular Hunger Games series, this episode finds Katniss dealing with the aftermath of her victory at the Games. She has to deal with how she feels about Peeta, her fellow victor, and Gale, the boy she left home while she played up a love story for the Hunger Games cameras. But much more importantly, the country of Panem is reeling after Katniss defied the Capitol with her ending of the Games. There are uprisings threatening in several districts, and President Snow, president of Panem, forces Katniss to play up the romance between herself and Peeta once again during the Victor's Tour. But what happens just before the next Hunger Games sends Katniss into a tailspin, and she's got a whole new set of worries to deal with.
Thoughts:
First things first, I'm trying to not spoil anything from the original book or this one. It's tough, but enough people haven't gotten there that want to read the books. So I'll do my best. Now, I hate how this book ends. It is abrupt and very clearly a ploy to get readers to pick up the next book tomorrow. I despise authors who find the need to do this. If your book is interesting enough, or thrilling or endearing or enjoyable or imaginative enough, people will go get the sequel. Take Evanovich and Rowling for example. There are clearly defined endings with their work. Harry finishes year one. Stephanie brings her big score in and solves the case. In this book, Katniss barely clings to life, and the book ends. There are at least half a dozen major, disgustingly wide open plot holes that have yet to be looked at, let alone sewn up. At least with the original, The Hunger Games, there was a clear finality to the end of the book. This book ends with a shocking declaration. Are you kidding? I digress. I really enjoyed the book. It's thrilling and inventive, and I couldn't put the damn thing down, just like its predecessor. I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I liked it like that. The writing is good (save the ridiculously abrupt ending) and the characters are well built. But damn, girl. End a book with an ending, not a middle.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 391, read as an e-book
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen-lit
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Read the first one, because everything in this hinges on what happened in the first book. But yes. It's a great book. Read it.
The second in the ridiculously popular Hunger Games series, this episode finds Katniss dealing with the aftermath of her victory at the Games. She has to deal with how she feels about Peeta, her fellow victor, and Gale, the boy she left home while she played up a love story for the Hunger Games cameras. But much more importantly, the country of Panem is reeling after Katniss defied the Capitol with her ending of the Games. There are uprisings threatening in several districts, and President Snow, president of Panem, forces Katniss to play up the romance between herself and Peeta once again during the Victor's Tour. But what happens just before the next Hunger Games sends Katniss into a tailspin, and she's got a whole new set of worries to deal with.
Thoughts:
First things first, I'm trying to not spoil anything from the original book or this one. It's tough, but enough people haven't gotten there that want to read the books. So I'll do my best. Now, I hate how this book ends. It is abrupt and very clearly a ploy to get readers to pick up the next book tomorrow. I despise authors who find the need to do this. If your book is interesting enough, or thrilling or endearing or enjoyable or imaginative enough, people will go get the sequel. Take Evanovich and Rowling for example. There are clearly defined endings with their work. Harry finishes year one. Stephanie brings her big score in and solves the case. In this book, Katniss barely clings to life, and the book ends. There are at least half a dozen major, disgustingly wide open plot holes that have yet to be looked at, let alone sewn up. At least with the original, The Hunger Games, there was a clear finality to the end of the book. This book ends with a shocking declaration. Are you kidding? I digress. I really enjoyed the book. It's thrilling and inventive, and I couldn't put the damn thing down, just like its predecessor. I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I liked it like that. The writing is good (save the ridiculously abrupt ending) and the characters are well built. But damn, girl. End a book with an ending, not a middle.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 391, read as an e-book
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen-lit
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Read the first one, because everything in this hinges on what happened in the first book. But yes. It's a great book. Read it.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Definitely Dead (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie Stackhouse is once again shoved unrepentantly into vampire business. Her cousin, Hadley, who was turned into a vampire a few years previously, was permanently killed, and Sookie was named as her benefactor. Sookie has to now go to New Orleans to get Hadley's affairs in order, and collect any belongings Hadley's left behind. For once, though, Sookie's got something good going for her. She's got a hunky guy drooling over her, and he's not even a vamp! Quinn is a weretiger (think werewolf, only he turns into a tiger instead) that spotted her in the prior book, and they developed an... interesting connection. Add in a witch landlady, a vampire queen demanding help, and Eric and Bill (Sookie's exes) still trying to vie for Sookie's attentions, and there you have the next chapter in Sookie's crazy life.
Thoughts:
I really enjoy this series. Often when I start a book, within the first twenty pages or so, I see how many more pages I have, so I know when things are really going to ramp up, and then finish off. For Harris's page-turners, it easily takes me eighty or more to think about the page check, and then it's usually more to see how far I got and less to see how far I have yet to go. Harris has a way of building characters that you become completely enamored of, and who you wish you'd see more. (Personally, I'm crazy about Eric's character, because he's predictable in his unpredictability. Gotta love that guy!) Sookie's making more of a stand this time around, and trying not to jump straight into another shaky relationship that's based mostly around lust, so she's trying to take it slow with Quinn, a trait I appreciate and admire in not only a fictional character, but in an actual person. Something to note about this particular edition to the Sookie books: It seems there is a short story that comes between the previous book, Dead as a Doornail, and this one. The story of how and why Hadley died is touched on briefly, but I'm fairly positive there is something more than just flashbacks to rely on for the full story. I'll be hunting for it, but I'm not sure if/when I'll find it. Just something to think about. Overall, barring the lack of info about Hadley's early exit, this was another great turn for Sookie, and for Harris.
Book 16 of 50
Pages:324
Genre:Mystery with a side of supernaturality
Grade:B+
Would I Recommend?:Yes, but please read the previous installments before you get here. It'll just be confusing otherwise.
Sookie Stackhouse is once again shoved unrepentantly into vampire business. Her cousin, Hadley, who was turned into a vampire a few years previously, was permanently killed, and Sookie was named as her benefactor. Sookie has to now go to New Orleans to get Hadley's affairs in order, and collect any belongings Hadley's left behind. For once, though, Sookie's got something good going for her. She's got a hunky guy drooling over her, and he's not even a vamp! Quinn is a weretiger (think werewolf, only he turns into a tiger instead) that spotted her in the prior book, and they developed an... interesting connection. Add in a witch landlady, a vampire queen demanding help, and Eric and Bill (Sookie's exes) still trying to vie for Sookie's attentions, and there you have the next chapter in Sookie's crazy life.
Thoughts:
I really enjoy this series. Often when I start a book, within the first twenty pages or so, I see how many more pages I have, so I know when things are really going to ramp up, and then finish off. For Harris's page-turners, it easily takes me eighty or more to think about the page check, and then it's usually more to see how far I got and less to see how far I have yet to go. Harris has a way of building characters that you become completely enamored of, and who you wish you'd see more. (Personally, I'm crazy about Eric's character, because he's predictable in his unpredictability. Gotta love that guy!) Sookie's making more of a stand this time around, and trying not to jump straight into another shaky relationship that's based mostly around lust, so she's trying to take it slow with Quinn, a trait I appreciate and admire in not only a fictional character, but in an actual person. Something to note about this particular edition to the Sookie books: It seems there is a short story that comes between the previous book, Dead as a Doornail, and this one. The story of how and why Hadley died is touched on briefly, but I'm fairly positive there is something more than just flashbacks to rely on for the full story. I'll be hunting for it, but I'm not sure if/when I'll find it. Just something to think about. Overall, barring the lack of info about Hadley's early exit, this was another great turn for Sookie, and for Harris.
Book 16 of 50
Pages:324
Genre:Mystery with a side of supernaturality
Grade:B+
Would I Recommend?:Yes, but please read the previous installments before you get here. It'll just be confusing otherwise.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Six Geese A-Slaying (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Yet another Donna Andrews mystery featuring Meg Langslow. This one is set at the most magical time of the year, the Christmas season. It's two days from Christmas, and Meg is in charge of Caerphilly's Holiday Parade. The trouble is, Santa gets offed within thirty minutes of his arrival. Whoops. Of course, Meg's got to hunt down the killer and save Christmas.
Thoughts:
The goose motif throughout was quite amusing. Andrews always throws the fowl named in the title into the storyline of the particular book, and this time was no different. And of course, along with the geese, there comes ridiculousness and hilarity that accompany Meg's family anywhere and everywhere. I enjoyed this one as always. The reasons behind the murder were not as obvious as they've been previously, and I was glad to see that drama stemming from Meg being unmarried is now gone, as she and Michael have happily gotten that out of the way. Unfortunately for Meg, now she's got to contend with the "when are the kids coming?" questions that old married always seem to need to ask the nearest newlyweds. Poor girl, I know how you feel, far more than I'd like. As usual for Ms. Andrews, this is yet another splendid turn for Meg and company.
Book 15 of 50
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. There aren't nearly as many callbacks to previous books as there are in other series, so this one would be an okay choice to pick up in the middle. Great for Christmas reading (or maybe even a little Christmas in July?)
Yet another Donna Andrews mystery featuring Meg Langslow. This one is set at the most magical time of the year, the Christmas season. It's two days from Christmas, and Meg is in charge of Caerphilly's Holiday Parade. The trouble is, Santa gets offed within thirty minutes of his arrival. Whoops. Of course, Meg's got to hunt down the killer and save Christmas.
Thoughts:
The goose motif throughout was quite amusing. Andrews always throws the fowl named in the title into the storyline of the particular book, and this time was no different. And of course, along with the geese, there comes ridiculousness and hilarity that accompany Meg's family anywhere and everywhere. I enjoyed this one as always. The reasons behind the murder were not as obvious as they've been previously, and I was glad to see that drama stemming from Meg being unmarried is now gone, as she and Michael have happily gotten that out of the way. Unfortunately for Meg, now she's got to contend with the "when are the kids coming?" questions that old married always seem to need to ask the nearest newlyweds. Poor girl, I know how you feel, far more than I'd like. As usual for Ms. Andrews, this is yet another splendid turn for Meg and company.
Book 15 of 50
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. There aren't nearly as many callbacks to previous books as there are in other series, so this one would be an okay choice to pick up in the middle. Great for Christmas reading (or maybe even a little Christmas in July?)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
A Touch of Greek (Tina Folsom)
Summary:
Triton is a philandering minor God, sprung from Olympus with spectacular good looks, a smokin' hot bod, and the arrogance to go with it. He can and will sleep with anything with breath and boobs. He even beds Zeus's current mistress, which leads to all kinds of trouble. His punishment, he is banished to the mortal world and must find a woman who will fall in love with him, not for his good looks, but his selflessness and kindness. Triton's in deep crap. Sophia's aunt, who raised her and her cousin Michael, has just passed away, and she is the sole benefactor of her aunt's will, thanks to Michael's conniving, cheating, stealing ways. She's trying to refurbish the house and turn it into a bed and breakfast, so that she won't be swept away by the taxes on her inheritance, and Michael's doing everything to stop it, and take what he believes he's owed. An unfortunate accident leaves Sophia nearly blind, and facing hardship upon hardship when Triton comes to her, ready to help and gain her love. Little do they both know, there's all kinds of peril waiting for them at every turn.
Thoughts:
Really good. It's absolutely classic romance novel formula, of course. But the writing is good, and the details are interesting. I was rooting for them both the whole way through, even if I did know what was going to happen in the end. The writing was good enough that you can ignore the "holy crap, so predictable" and move on to the "aww, what are they going to do next" of it all. I can't say it's the best I've ever read, but it's definitely not the worst. Added bonus is the Greek mythology angle, which will usually hook me right off. It does get fairly racy, and Triton often (especially at the beginning) can't stop thinking about his (ahem) trident. (Har har.) But it's not so much to be off-putting. There's more books in the series, though it apparently focuses on Dionysus not Triton, but I'll probably check it out anyway. I read this one on the Kindle, but it is also available in hard copy.
Book 14 of 50
Pages:221 according to Kindle (the last 5-10 pages were a "sneak peak"), 228 according to Amazon's page
Genre:romance, with a touch of Greek mythology
Grade:B+
Would I Recommend?:Sure, it's a fun romp in the hay.
Triton is a philandering minor God, sprung from Olympus with spectacular good looks, a smokin' hot bod, and the arrogance to go with it. He can and will sleep with anything with breath and boobs. He even beds Zeus's current mistress, which leads to all kinds of trouble. His punishment, he is banished to the mortal world and must find a woman who will fall in love with him, not for his good looks, but his selflessness and kindness. Triton's in deep crap. Sophia's aunt, who raised her and her cousin Michael, has just passed away, and she is the sole benefactor of her aunt's will, thanks to Michael's conniving, cheating, stealing ways. She's trying to refurbish the house and turn it into a bed and breakfast, so that she won't be swept away by the taxes on her inheritance, and Michael's doing everything to stop it, and take what he believes he's owed. An unfortunate accident leaves Sophia nearly blind, and facing hardship upon hardship when Triton comes to her, ready to help and gain her love. Little do they both know, there's all kinds of peril waiting for them at every turn.
Thoughts:
Really good. It's absolutely classic romance novel formula, of course. But the writing is good, and the details are interesting. I was rooting for them both the whole way through, even if I did know what was going to happen in the end. The writing was good enough that you can ignore the "holy crap, so predictable" and move on to the "aww, what are they going to do next" of it all. I can't say it's the best I've ever read, but it's definitely not the worst. Added bonus is the Greek mythology angle, which will usually hook me right off. It does get fairly racy, and Triton often (especially at the beginning) can't stop thinking about his (ahem) trident. (Har har.) But it's not so much to be off-putting. There's more books in the series, though it apparently focuses on Dionysus not Triton, but I'll probably check it out anyway. I read this one on the Kindle, but it is also available in hard copy.
Book 14 of 50
Pages:221 according to Kindle (the last 5-10 pages were a "sneak peak"), 228 according to Amazon's page
Genre:romance, with a touch of Greek mythology
Grade:B+
Would I Recommend?:Sure, it's a fun romp in the hay.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
This is a special post, brought on because the Hunger Games is huge right now. From time to time, if I find something that's great and that I want to share right away, I'll make a special Wednesday post to keep you up to date. The book number (22 of 50) is out of order from the rest of the books posted on Sundays because I'm really far ahead on my reading this year.
Summary:
The Hunger Games is about a post-apocalyptic country called Panem, which sits where the United States once did. The thirteen districts revolted against the Capitol, and now the twelve remaining districts have to suffer through the Hunger Games as punishment. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district fight to the death in an arena near the Capitol, and video of the whole ordeal is broadcast throughout the country for everyone to watch. The Tributes' names are drawn by lots, though anyone can volunteer if they so choose. Katniss Everdeen hates the Capitol for this violent practice, but she volunteers for the Games to save her little sister's life. Now she must fight her way through the Games, fending off the craziest of competitors, in the hopes that she might actually return to District Twelve.
Thoughts:
What a disturbing plot line for a piece of teen literature. But it works. You feel offended by the gall of the Panem government, and you hurt for Katniss as she fights to stay alive, and does everything she can to do so. The characters are so well built, they take hold of your mind and don't let go. It's not often that I find something that has as much a hold on me as this book does. I couldn't put the book down, even during the more tedious parts (of which there are very, very few), and finished the book in about three days' time. It's an incredible book, and well worth the read. Sure, this book is trendy and cool right now, and you might want to roll your eyes at all the hipsters that are carrying around well-worn copies of it, and the rest of the series, like badges of honor or something. But they're not wrong about the impressiveness of the book. It's well plotted, very well written, and completely intriguing. Highly suggested, and honestly, probably one of the best books I've read all year, so far. Hop on the Hunger Games train if you haven't already. You won't be sorry. As an aside, I went to the movie last week, and the movie is fairly spot-on. There were a few discrepancies (Prim isn't the one that gave Katniss the mocking jay pin, it was another girl Katniss went to school with, and Peeta's actor doesn't feel like Peeta to anyone I've spoken with about it) but for the most part, it's a very well-done movie adaptation. I think an added bonus was how much Ms. Collins was involved with the making of the movie. I saw her name on two different lines when the credits rolled, more than just "Based on a novel by..." I highly suggest the movie, but only after having read the book, because there are things that will just shock the heck out of you if you don't know they're coming, and you might wind up bawling like a baby as you watch the movie unknowingly. Watch this space for a review of the following books in the series. It'll come as soon as I get my hands on the books.
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: teen lit, post-apocalyptic
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, with great aplomb. Read it. Trust.
The Hunger Games is about a post-apocalyptic country called Panem, which sits where the United States once did. The thirteen districts revolted against the Capitol, and now the twelve remaining districts have to suffer through the Hunger Games as punishment. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district fight to the death in an arena near the Capitol, and video of the whole ordeal is broadcast throughout the country for everyone to watch. The Tributes' names are drawn by lots, though anyone can volunteer if they so choose. Katniss Everdeen hates the Capitol for this violent practice, but she volunteers for the Games to save her little sister's life. Now she must fight her way through the Games, fending off the craziest of competitors, in the hopes that she might actually return to District Twelve.
Thoughts:
What a disturbing plot line for a piece of teen literature. But it works. You feel offended by the gall of the Panem government, and you hurt for Katniss as she fights to stay alive, and does everything she can to do so. The characters are so well built, they take hold of your mind and don't let go. It's not often that I find something that has as much a hold on me as this book does. I couldn't put the book down, even during the more tedious parts (of which there are very, very few), and finished the book in about three days' time. It's an incredible book, and well worth the read. Sure, this book is trendy and cool right now, and you might want to roll your eyes at all the hipsters that are carrying around well-worn copies of it, and the rest of the series, like badges of honor or something. But they're not wrong about the impressiveness of the book. It's well plotted, very well written, and completely intriguing. Highly suggested, and honestly, probably one of the best books I've read all year, so far. Hop on the Hunger Games train if you haven't already. You won't be sorry. As an aside, I went to the movie last week, and the movie is fairly spot-on. There were a few discrepancies (Prim isn't the one that gave Katniss the mocking jay pin, it was another girl Katniss went to school with, and Peeta's actor doesn't feel like Peeta to anyone I've spoken with about it) but for the most part, it's a very well-done movie adaptation. I think an added bonus was how much Ms. Collins was involved with the making of the movie. I saw her name on two different lines when the credits rolled, more than just "Based on a novel by..." I highly suggest the movie, but only after having read the book, because there are things that will just shock the heck out of you if you don't know they're coming, and you might wind up bawling like a baby as you watch the movie unknowingly. Watch this space for a review of the following books in the series. It'll come as soon as I get my hands on the books.
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: teen lit, post-apocalyptic
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, with great aplomb. Read it. Trust.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
Summary:
In John Green's newest book, Hazel is a sixteen year old who, since her diagnosis with lung cancer, has become a self-described homebody. She goes to Support Group, and not much else, and grudgingly at that. One fateful meeting of the Support Group, she meets Augustus Waters, and her whole existence changes. Augustus is hot, and he stares at her the whole meeting. The agree to read each other's favorite books, and from there the bond does nothing but grow.
Thoughts:
What a brutal, glorious, agonizingly beautiful book. I'd read one of Green's books before (Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and it was fantastic.) and appreciated his humor and the great writing. When, through Green's video blog, which my husband keeps up with, we learned that A Fault in Our Stars was getting released, we had to grab it. This latest novel is no less spectacular than his previous. (No, they have nothing to do with each other, except that they are both about teenagers. No series here, people!) Green creates characters that are endearing and wonderful, and you can't help but fall for them while they fall for each other. When I first cracked the cover, and discovered it was a book about cancer patients, I didn't want to read on, because I didn't want to be depressed over their illness. But this is not, as Green put it, "a cancer book." There's no epic fighting ending in a spectacular honorarium that Hazel fights to build so she can be remembered. Yes, the beginning is a tad uncomfortable for those of us blessed enough to not see the hardships with our own eyes. But Green leads the reader past the fact that Hazel is a cancer patient and leads you to exactly where Hazel would want you to be, forgetting at times that she's sick, ignoring the fact that she's going to die, and living with her while she creates her infinity with Augustus. It's cliche, and I know it is, but... I laughed. I cried. I loved this. Well done, Mr. Green. You've done it again.
Book 13 of 50
Pages:336
Genre:teen lit
Grade:A+
Would I Recommend?:Hell yes. Please do. You won't regret it at all. Promise.
In John Green's newest book, Hazel is a sixteen year old who, since her diagnosis with lung cancer, has become a self-described homebody. She goes to Support Group, and not much else, and grudgingly at that. One fateful meeting of the Support Group, she meets Augustus Waters, and her whole existence changes. Augustus is hot, and he stares at her the whole meeting. The agree to read each other's favorite books, and from there the bond does nothing but grow.
Thoughts:
What a brutal, glorious, agonizingly beautiful book. I'd read one of Green's books before (Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and it was fantastic.) and appreciated his humor and the great writing. When, through Green's video blog, which my husband keeps up with, we learned that A Fault in Our Stars was getting released, we had to grab it. This latest novel is no less spectacular than his previous. (No, they have nothing to do with each other, except that they are both about teenagers. No series here, people!) Green creates characters that are endearing and wonderful, and you can't help but fall for them while they fall for each other. When I first cracked the cover, and discovered it was a book about cancer patients, I didn't want to read on, because I didn't want to be depressed over their illness. But this is not, as Green put it, "a cancer book." There's no epic fighting ending in a spectacular honorarium that Hazel fights to build so she can be remembered. Yes, the beginning is a tad uncomfortable for those of us blessed enough to not see the hardships with our own eyes. But Green leads the reader past the fact that Hazel is a cancer patient and leads you to exactly where Hazel would want you to be, forgetting at times that she's sick, ignoring the fact that she's going to die, and living with her while she creates her infinity with Augustus. It's cliche, and I know it is, but... I laughed. I cried. I loved this. Well done, Mr. Green. You've done it again.
Book 13 of 50
Pages:336
Genre:teen lit
Grade:A+
Would I Recommend?:Hell yes. Please do. You won't regret it at all. Promise.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
A Red Hot Valentine's Day (various)
Summary:
This collection of four short stories has two set in the nineteenth century, one set in modern-ish times with demons, and one set in actual modern times. Warning, these stories are flat-out erotica, and not recommended for the faint of heart. Story one sees a whole lotta action for an unmarried gentleman seeking a wife, and his current mistress, a widow with a wandering eye. Story two finds a long-distance couple trying to finally celebrate a Valentine's Day in the same time zone. Story three throws together an incubus and a succubus who are past lovers, and whose job on earth is to bring damned souls to hell through any sexual means possible. Story four finds a widow and her first (and unrequited) love stuck together during a snow storm.
Thoughts:
I almost didn't post about this book, because I just didn't know how I felt about it. But I'm sticking to my guns, and posting about every book I read, no matter the content. That being said, holy crap. I was given this as a gift, and the giver had no idea of the true content, other than it sounded like a romance, and something I might enjoy. I can't tell you my surprise when I cracked the cover. Whoo boy. Story one is literally sex-laden. I can remember at least six instances of sexual activity off the top of my head, and that was in a grand total of seventy pages. There's very little actual STORY here, it's more "how do I get this guy into that chick's bed fastest?" I wasn't impressed. There's erotica written purely for the sex, and erotica written with an actual storyline involved, and this is very clearly in the first category. Clearly. Story two's got a little more going for it, and the erotica involved is actually more of a story within a story that's being sent back and forth between the couple as they try to pass time between meetings. Not altogether bad, and probably my second favorite out of the four options. Still, the author was very obviously trying to fulfill a couple challenges, either put forth from friends, or challenges to herself. Story three was just weird. It has two sections based in modern times, and one set in Hell itself. I mean, I'm all for fantastical stories and everything, but this one was just flat-out bizarre. And add in a few seriously detailed sexual encounters, and there you go. Definitely the least favorite of the bunch. I hate stopping reading things in the middle of a story, but on this bad boy, I was sorely tempted. Holy geez. Story four was sweet. Sure, it was hot stuff, too, but it actually had a storyline to it, and not just something to get the partners from sexual point A to point B. It had a bit of a Pride and Prejudice feel to it, though Jane Austen would never have dared to put erotica into any of her novels, and is probably rolling in her grave at my mere suggestion of such a thing. However, it was definitely the best of the pack, and you know the old saying. "Save the best for last." Once again, that's absolutely true, and I'm proud of this author for actually putting together a thoughtful piece that happens to include some racy sex scenes, instead of sex with a side of story.
Book 12 of 50
Pages:292
Genre:Erotica.
Grade:C+
Would I Recommend?:Eh. I've read better, and I've read worse. I certainly won't be reading it again...
This collection of four short stories has two set in the nineteenth century, one set in modern-ish times with demons, and one set in actual modern times. Warning, these stories are flat-out erotica, and not recommended for the faint of heart. Story one sees a whole lotta action for an unmarried gentleman seeking a wife, and his current mistress, a widow with a wandering eye. Story two finds a long-distance couple trying to finally celebrate a Valentine's Day in the same time zone. Story three throws together an incubus and a succubus who are past lovers, and whose job on earth is to bring damned souls to hell through any sexual means possible. Story four finds a widow and her first (and unrequited) love stuck together during a snow storm.
Thoughts:
I almost didn't post about this book, because I just didn't know how I felt about it. But I'm sticking to my guns, and posting about every book I read, no matter the content. That being said, holy crap. I was given this as a gift, and the giver had no idea of the true content, other than it sounded like a romance, and something I might enjoy. I can't tell you my surprise when I cracked the cover. Whoo boy. Story one is literally sex-laden. I can remember at least six instances of sexual activity off the top of my head, and that was in a grand total of seventy pages. There's very little actual STORY here, it's more "how do I get this guy into that chick's bed fastest?" I wasn't impressed. There's erotica written purely for the sex, and erotica written with an actual storyline involved, and this is very clearly in the first category. Clearly. Story two's got a little more going for it, and the erotica involved is actually more of a story within a story that's being sent back and forth between the couple as they try to pass time between meetings. Not altogether bad, and probably my second favorite out of the four options. Still, the author was very obviously trying to fulfill a couple challenges, either put forth from friends, or challenges to herself. Story three was just weird. It has two sections based in modern times, and one set in Hell itself. I mean, I'm all for fantastical stories and everything, but this one was just flat-out bizarre. And add in a few seriously detailed sexual encounters, and there you go. Definitely the least favorite of the bunch. I hate stopping reading things in the middle of a story, but on this bad boy, I was sorely tempted. Holy geez. Story four was sweet. Sure, it was hot stuff, too, but it actually had a storyline to it, and not just something to get the partners from sexual point A to point B. It had a bit of a Pride and Prejudice feel to it, though Jane Austen would never have dared to put erotica into any of her novels, and is probably rolling in her grave at my mere suggestion of such a thing. However, it was definitely the best of the pack, and you know the old saying. "Save the best for last." Once again, that's absolutely true, and I'm proud of this author for actually putting together a thoughtful piece that happens to include some racy sex scenes, instead of sex with a side of story.
Book 12 of 50
Pages:292
Genre:Erotica.
Grade:C+
Would I Recommend?:Eh. I've read better, and I've read worse. I certainly won't be reading it again...
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Dead as a Doornail (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie Stackhouse, resident telepath and friend to vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of other creatures, finds herself once again wrapped up in a supernatural mystery. There's someone out to get shifters. Several shootings in Bon Temps sets Sookie on a search to find the shooter, who has killed one person, and wounded several others. Adding to that, Sookie gets roped into werewolf pack politics as her friend Alcide's pack tries to choose a new leader. Worse yet, Eric, who has no memory of the time he spent in Sookie's care after a witch's spell was cast on him, is trying to get Sookie to tell him what happened, which Sookie doesn't want to do, thanks to the little mishap Sookie had near the end of Eric's stay. Tara, a friend of Sook's from childhood, is also having some vampire issues of her own that Sookie obviously needs to help out with, because who is Sookie if she's not a good friend. And to top it all off, it looks like someone has it in for Sookie too! Just another average day in good ol' Bon Temps, Louisiana.
Thoughts:
Very good. I'm becoming more and more enamored with this series as it rolls on. I liked the early books, but the last two have been great. I'm looking forward to the next six books, to see exactly where things go with Sookie. This book sees Sookie getting into all kinds of mischief with all kinds of men. She's got Bill and Eric, the vamps that are vying for her attentions, but she's also got Alcide, the Were who's finally free of his crazy ex-girlfriend, Calvin, the werepanther that's looking to expand his breed and add in some new blood to the mix, Sam, her boss and a shape-shifter, who there's always been some tension between, but nothing ever really came from it, and then there's the new guy. I'll leave him for you to find, but all those men make for an interesting set of curiosities on Sookie's part. The book has a lot of different things going on, but not so many that it's hard to keep up. I've read some stories that have tons of different plot points that aren't all connected, and that the author does a crap-ass job of pulling together. In this particular installment, there are a bunch of different plots going on, seven or eight, if I'm counting right, but Harris brings things together very well. You as the reader won't feel tossed from story to story wantonly, instead you're led with great care, so nothing gets dropped, and all the points get resolved (or resolved for now, at least. A writer can't resolve everything and keep a series going, now can she?) Sookie's universe is ever-expanding, and the series is only getting better as it goes. Well done, Ms. Harris, keep up the good work.
Book 11 of 50
Pages:295
Genre:mystery, vampires
Grade:A
Would I Recommend?:Yes, but start at the beginning of the series. There are, of course, brief callbacks to prior books, but you wouldn't really get the references unless you read the books they come from.
Sookie Stackhouse, resident telepath and friend to vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of other creatures, finds herself once again wrapped up in a supernatural mystery. There's someone out to get shifters. Several shootings in Bon Temps sets Sookie on a search to find the shooter, who has killed one person, and wounded several others. Adding to that, Sookie gets roped into werewolf pack politics as her friend Alcide's pack tries to choose a new leader. Worse yet, Eric, who has no memory of the time he spent in Sookie's care after a witch's spell was cast on him, is trying to get Sookie to tell him what happened, which Sookie doesn't want to do, thanks to the little mishap Sookie had near the end of Eric's stay. Tara, a friend of Sook's from childhood, is also having some vampire issues of her own that Sookie obviously needs to help out with, because who is Sookie if she's not a good friend. And to top it all off, it looks like someone has it in for Sookie too! Just another average day in good ol' Bon Temps, Louisiana.
Thoughts:
Very good. I'm becoming more and more enamored with this series as it rolls on. I liked the early books, but the last two have been great. I'm looking forward to the next six books, to see exactly where things go with Sookie. This book sees Sookie getting into all kinds of mischief with all kinds of men. She's got Bill and Eric, the vamps that are vying for her attentions, but she's also got Alcide, the Were who's finally free of his crazy ex-girlfriend, Calvin, the werepanther that's looking to expand his breed and add in some new blood to the mix, Sam, her boss and a shape-shifter, who there's always been some tension between, but nothing ever really came from it, and then there's the new guy. I'll leave him for you to find, but all those men make for an interesting set of curiosities on Sookie's part. The book has a lot of different things going on, but not so many that it's hard to keep up. I've read some stories that have tons of different plot points that aren't all connected, and that the author does a crap-ass job of pulling together. In this particular installment, there are a bunch of different plots going on, seven or eight, if I'm counting right, but Harris brings things together very well. You as the reader won't feel tossed from story to story wantonly, instead you're led with great care, so nothing gets dropped, and all the points get resolved (or resolved for now, at least. A writer can't resolve everything and keep a series going, now can she?) Sookie's universe is ever-expanding, and the series is only getting better as it goes. Well done, Ms. Harris, keep up the good work.
Book 11 of 50
Pages:295
Genre:mystery, vampires
Grade:A
Would I Recommend?:Yes, but start at the beginning of the series. There are, of course, brief callbacks to prior books, but you wouldn't really get the references unless you read the books they come from.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Crime Brulee (Nancy Fairbanks)
Summary:
Carolyn Blue is a stay at home mom turned food critic. She travels with her husband to the American Chemical Society convention in New Orleans, where he is giving a paper, and where they plan to meet up with some old friends from college. At their first dinner get-together at the beginning of the trip, one of the old friends, Julienne, gets into a fight with her husband, in front of the rest of the diners, and storms off, never to be seen again. Literally. Carolyn spends the rest of her trip in New Orleans trying to hunt Julienne down while she samples all the local cuisine.
Thoughts:
Not bad, but not great either. I liked the looks of the recipes, which are included for some of the meals Carolyn dives into throughout the book, and I'll probably copy out a couple of them for future use. But the story itself was fairly predictable. I knew who dun it as soon as the character was introduced, and could see most of the twists coming, even while Carolyn wouldn't or couldn't admit it to herself. Carolyn is very much the busybody type, maternal to a fault, and imagines some sadly ridiculous scenarios. She also put far too much stock in the dream she had about Julienne, because what detective puts any kind of weight to a dream. I figured out far too much of the plot too far ahead for it to be really enjoyable, and the last hundred pages or so, I couldn't wait to be finished, and it's not even a long book anyway. I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series, but as I said, it's good for the recipes.
Book 10 of 50
Pages: 274
Genre: mystery, with a culinary twist
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Maybe just for the recipes?
Carolyn Blue is a stay at home mom turned food critic. She travels with her husband to the American Chemical Society convention in New Orleans, where he is giving a paper, and where they plan to meet up with some old friends from college. At their first dinner get-together at the beginning of the trip, one of the old friends, Julienne, gets into a fight with her husband, in front of the rest of the diners, and storms off, never to be seen again. Literally. Carolyn spends the rest of her trip in New Orleans trying to hunt Julienne down while she samples all the local cuisine.
Thoughts:
Not bad, but not great either. I liked the looks of the recipes, which are included for some of the meals Carolyn dives into throughout the book, and I'll probably copy out a couple of them for future use. But the story itself was fairly predictable. I knew who dun it as soon as the character was introduced, and could see most of the twists coming, even while Carolyn wouldn't or couldn't admit it to herself. Carolyn is very much the busybody type, maternal to a fault, and imagines some sadly ridiculous scenarios. She also put far too much stock in the dream she had about Julienne, because what detective puts any kind of weight to a dream. I figured out far too much of the plot too far ahead for it to be really enjoyable, and the last hundred pages or so, I couldn't wait to be finished, and it's not even a long book anyway. I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series, but as I said, it's good for the recipes.
Book 10 of 50
Pages: 274
Genre: mystery, with a culinary twist
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Maybe just for the recipes?
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Dead to the World (Charlaine Harris)
Summary:
Sookie Stackhouse the reluctant mind reader is at it again. This book finds her starting a new year by taking care of the most powerful vampire in Area 5, Eric Northman, who has lost his memory thanks to a new witch in the area. The new Eric is thoughtful and insecure, and wants to be wherever Sookie is, so long as it's night time. His second in command, Pam, negotiates with Sookie and Sookie's brother, Jason, for Sookie to take care of Eric and hide him at her house until his underlings can deal with the witch and her coven. The same night that Jason and Pam strike a deal for Eric's hiding safely at Sookie's, Jason goes missing from his house. The book follows as Sookie deals with Jason's disappearance by day, and Eric's safe keeping by night.
Thoughts:
To be quite honest, I enjoyed this one far better than previous installments in the series. I'm not as big a fan of Bill anymore (who is Sookie's ex, and Eric's subordinate), and I was okay with him being in Peru for the majority of the story. I do like Eric better, but there wasn't much of the old, usual Eric to be seen in this. It was more the memory-less Eric that Sookie spent time with, and while he was a fun character to watch, I wished we could have seen more of the old Eric as well. I want to get to know him better. There was also a couple of appearances of Sookie's friend Alcide, a werewolf from the area that helped her in her adventure to Jackson, Mississippi in the previous book. It seems I tend to like the heroes that the heroine ISN'T dating at the start of a series better than the one she is dating. Ah, but I digress. Back to Sookie and friends. I like her strong personality, and that she's beginning to hold her own a little better around the two-natured (vamps, werewolves, shape-shifters, etc.) and can stand up for herself in a fight. Good for her.
Book 9 of 50
Pages: 291
Genre: mystery and romance, with the vampire twist
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup. It's far better than previous ones. I'm glad I started up with this series again.
Sookie Stackhouse the reluctant mind reader is at it again. This book finds her starting a new year by taking care of the most powerful vampire in Area 5, Eric Northman, who has lost his memory thanks to a new witch in the area. The new Eric is thoughtful and insecure, and wants to be wherever Sookie is, so long as it's night time. His second in command, Pam, negotiates with Sookie and Sookie's brother, Jason, for Sookie to take care of Eric and hide him at her house until his underlings can deal with the witch and her coven. The same night that Jason and Pam strike a deal for Eric's hiding safely at Sookie's, Jason goes missing from his house. The book follows as Sookie deals with Jason's disappearance by day, and Eric's safe keeping by night.
Thoughts:
To be quite honest, I enjoyed this one far better than previous installments in the series. I'm not as big a fan of Bill anymore (who is Sookie's ex, and Eric's subordinate), and I was okay with him being in Peru for the majority of the story. I do like Eric better, but there wasn't much of the old, usual Eric to be seen in this. It was more the memory-less Eric that Sookie spent time with, and while he was a fun character to watch, I wished we could have seen more of the old Eric as well. I want to get to know him better. There was also a couple of appearances of Sookie's friend Alcide, a werewolf from the area that helped her in her adventure to Jackson, Mississippi in the previous book. It seems I tend to like the heroes that the heroine ISN'T dating at the start of a series better than the one she is dating. Ah, but I digress. Back to Sookie and friends. I like her strong personality, and that she's beginning to hold her own a little better around the two-natured (vamps, werewolves, shape-shifters, etc.) and can stand up for herself in a fight. Good for her.
Book 9 of 50
Pages: 291
Genre: mystery and romance, with the vampire twist
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yup. It's far better than previous ones. I'm glad I started up with this series again.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Nose for Justice (Rita Mae Brown)
Summary:
In the first book in a new series, we meet Mags, a Wall Street hot shot who just lost everything when her boss is found to be corrupt. She moves to Nevada with her Aunt Jeep, a former WWII flying ace, to give herself time to get back on her feet. They find an old skeleton buried in Jeep's barn that they discover while Jeep and her adopted son are upgrading the drainage system in the stalls. They call in Pete, one of the local cops, to check it out. At the same time, someone is blowing up water distribution pumps across town. Jeep spots something wrong at the pump and alerts Pete, who goes to investigate there. The story follows Pete in his investigation of the blown pump, as well as a couple of murders that wind up being connected to the case, and Mags as she does her own search for who the mystery man in the barn could have been. Oh, and the dogs in the family talk to each other and think that people are not nearly as smart as they are.
Thoughts:
Holy God, reading this book took me a month and a half. Literally. And I'm no slow reader. I just could NOT get into this one. The characters I named in the summary above are only a fifth or a sixth of the actual cast of characters. Brown actually lists all the characters by name at the beginning of the book, before the opening chapter, along with their reasons for being involved in the book. I guess that was a quick reference guide for us readers who might get lost in the swamp of people. What's more, the book sounds like it should be a nice, light mystery, one that you should be able to bang out in a couple days and be no worse for reading it. But Brown gets so down and dirty into the politics of water rights in Nevada and California, I couldn't keep myself engrossed like I usually am. I haven't read any of Brown's other series, with Sneaky Pie (I think that's the cat's name.) who helps his owner solve mysteries, but I have heard that they are much lighter and more fun. Fighting through to finish this book felt like pure drudgery. I stopped partway through because I knew I was going to get behind in posting reviews if I didn't, and read the Thief, just so I would keep on my schedule for you lovely readers. I wanted so badly for this book to be fun, so I would have a new series to dive into, and near the beginning of the series, too. (There's a second book out, but that's all so far.) But I don't think I'll be reading the second book. If the political side of murder is where Brown is going to go with Mags and Jeep, I don't want any part of it. But if you're into a book debating who should control water rights and why, jump right into this one. As for me, I'll stick with the cheesier murder mysteries, thanks.
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Holy crap no, unless you're very into political debating with a side murder mystery.
In the first book in a new series, we meet Mags, a Wall Street hot shot who just lost everything when her boss is found to be corrupt. She moves to Nevada with her Aunt Jeep, a former WWII flying ace, to give herself time to get back on her feet. They find an old skeleton buried in Jeep's barn that they discover while Jeep and her adopted son are upgrading the drainage system in the stalls. They call in Pete, one of the local cops, to check it out. At the same time, someone is blowing up water distribution pumps across town. Jeep spots something wrong at the pump and alerts Pete, who goes to investigate there. The story follows Pete in his investigation of the blown pump, as well as a couple of murders that wind up being connected to the case, and Mags as she does her own search for who the mystery man in the barn could have been. Oh, and the dogs in the family talk to each other and think that people are not nearly as smart as they are.
Thoughts:
Holy God, reading this book took me a month and a half. Literally. And I'm no slow reader. I just could NOT get into this one. The characters I named in the summary above are only a fifth or a sixth of the actual cast of characters. Brown actually lists all the characters by name at the beginning of the book, before the opening chapter, along with their reasons for being involved in the book. I guess that was a quick reference guide for us readers who might get lost in the swamp of people. What's more, the book sounds like it should be a nice, light mystery, one that you should be able to bang out in a couple days and be no worse for reading it. But Brown gets so down and dirty into the politics of water rights in Nevada and California, I couldn't keep myself engrossed like I usually am. I haven't read any of Brown's other series, with Sneaky Pie (I think that's the cat's name.) who helps his owner solve mysteries, but I have heard that they are much lighter and more fun. Fighting through to finish this book felt like pure drudgery. I stopped partway through because I knew I was going to get behind in posting reviews if I didn't, and read the Thief, just so I would keep on my schedule for you lovely readers. I wanted so badly for this book to be fun, so I would have a new series to dive into, and near the beginning of the series, too. (There's a second book out, but that's all so far.) But I don't think I'll be reading the second book. If the political side of murder is where Brown is going to go with Mags and Jeep, I don't want any part of it. But if you're into a book debating who should control water rights and why, jump right into this one. As for me, I'll stick with the cheesier murder mysteries, thanks.
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Holy crap no, unless you're very into political debating with a side murder mystery.
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