Summary:
In the third Percy Jackson installment, Percy finds himself stuck with Grover and a bunch of chicks on a mission to save a goddess, and his friend Annabeth. This time, the journey is a cross-country trek to San Francisco via Washington, DC. They have to save Artemis and get her to the Council of the Gods by the winter solstice, which is only a week away. Oh, and Annabeth's life hangs in the balance, too. Just another quest for poor Percy.
Thoughts:
Awesome as usual. I loved that this time, they weren't out to save just anyone. It was a goddess herself that was in trouble. And also Annabeth. Percy is just starting to realize he's got a thing for Annabeth, too, which makes life all the more interesting for the Olympian crew. Also, it begs the question, if Zeus is your dad, and Athena is your would-be girlfriend's mom, doesn't that mean that your would-be girlfriend's also your niece? Things to ponder. But yeah, this is awesome, just like the rest of Riordan's work. I'll be hunting down 4 and 5, for sure, and I'll probably be looking up more of Riordan's work when I'm through this series.
Pages: 312
Genre: Fantasy, Greek mythology, teen lit
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely!
40 down, only 10 to go!
Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Suite Scarlett ( Maureen Johnson)
Summary:
Scarlett is the third child out of four of a pair of hotel owners in New York City. The day she turns sixteen, she is given the responsibility of keeping up one of the rooms in the hotel, and in fact, it's the schmancy-est room in the hotel. But she also is saddled with the burden of the knowledge that the hotel is not doing well at all. The day after her birthday, Scarlett's suite gets booked for the whole summer, and she becomes the personal assistant of the room's occupant, Mrs. Amberson, a crazy former Broadway star who's back in the city for some excitement and to reminisce about days gone by. The excitement comes via Scarlett's brother Spencer and his fledgling theatre group who are trying their damnedest to put on Hamlet, with little success. And so goes Scarlett's summer...
Thoughts:
A lot of plot lines to keep up with, for sure. A character was introduced in the first couple of chapters that I nearly forgot about 100 pages later when she was brought up again. Honestly, getting through this book was like slogging through mud during a typhoon. I really loved Maureen Johnson's book, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but the can't-put-it-down nature of that book was completely lost when it came to this one. I'm sadly disappointed. There's too many depressing things to make this book as wonderful as Johnson's previous work. There is apparently a sequel, but I'll be skipping it. No thanks.
Pages: 353
Genre: Teen lit
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Probably not. It's not worth the slogging.
39 down, 11 to go!
Scarlett is the third child out of four of a pair of hotel owners in New York City. The day she turns sixteen, she is given the responsibility of keeping up one of the rooms in the hotel, and in fact, it's the schmancy-est room in the hotel. But she also is saddled with the burden of the knowledge that the hotel is not doing well at all. The day after her birthday, Scarlett's suite gets booked for the whole summer, and she becomes the personal assistant of the room's occupant, Mrs. Amberson, a crazy former Broadway star who's back in the city for some excitement and to reminisce about days gone by. The excitement comes via Scarlett's brother Spencer and his fledgling theatre group who are trying their damnedest to put on Hamlet, with little success. And so goes Scarlett's summer...
Thoughts:
A lot of plot lines to keep up with, for sure. A character was introduced in the first couple of chapters that I nearly forgot about 100 pages later when she was brought up again. Honestly, getting through this book was like slogging through mud during a typhoon. I really loved Maureen Johnson's book, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but the can't-put-it-down nature of that book was completely lost when it came to this one. I'm sadly disappointed. There's too many depressing things to make this book as wonderful as Johnson's previous work. There is apparently a sequel, but I'll be skipping it. No thanks.
Pages: 353
Genre: Teen lit
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Probably not. It's not worth the slogging.
39 down, 11 to go!
The Sea of Monsters (Rick Riordan)
Summary:
In the second Percy Jackson book, Percy is sent on a trek to the Bermuda Triangle to help rescue his friend, Grover. Annabeth comes along, plus a new friend from Percy's most recent school. Along the way, he encounters all new and interesting mythical creatures, some that help him, and some that really don't.
Thoughts:
It's a great second step into the Olympian world of today. The series is fun, and the characters are lovable for sure. Even the ones that aren't so nice are written so well that you can't help but appreciate them for their awfulness. I'll be keeping up with this series. (Actually, I've already finished another of these books, I just haven't posted in a while, so I figure I'll go in order, haha!) I definitely suggest these awesome books for anyone, teen or not, because they're just that fun.
Pages: 288
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit, Greek mythology
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
38 down, 12 to go!
In the second Percy Jackson book, Percy is sent on a trek to the Bermuda Triangle to help rescue his friend, Grover. Annabeth comes along, plus a new friend from Percy's most recent school. Along the way, he encounters all new and interesting mythical creatures, some that help him, and some that really don't.
Thoughts:
It's a great second step into the Olympian world of today. The series is fun, and the characters are lovable for sure. Even the ones that aren't so nice are written so well that you can't help but appreciate them for their awfulness. I'll be keeping up with this series. (Actually, I've already finished another of these books, I just haven't posted in a while, so I figure I'll go in order, haha!) I definitely suggest these awesome books for anyone, teen or not, because they're just that fun.
Pages: 288
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit, Greek mythology
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
38 down, 12 to go!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Extracurricular Activities (Maggie Barbieri)
Summary:
College professor of English Lit Alison Bergeron is good at finding dead bodies. Apparently she's found some previously, and now she's found her ex-husband's body in her kitchen. The book follows her playing junior sleuth, her non-relationship with the married cop in charge that she wishes was more, her relationship with her priest best friend's brother that she wishes wasn't, a mob guy and his wife, and her seemingly innocuous neighbors.
Thoughts:
So many stories in here, you would think it was hard to keep up, but they were more or less straightforward, except for one. And the cop boyfriend and his wife had a storyline thrown in there too, just for good measure. I got bored with Alison's relationship with him almost from the jump. I would have much rather seen a mystery novel branch out and NOT have the junior sleuth hook up with the hot cop. Also, this writer has to come up with better nicknames for people. "Miss Blurry Tattoo Ass," "Bagpipe Kid," and "Accordion Boy" all leave a whole lot to be desired. "Detective Hot Pants" isn't bad, though, but I suspect the author's witty best friend came up with that one, because the MC's witty best friend did.
All I ask is for a crime novel to be written by a woman, about a single woman, and not have her hook up with the Detective Hot Pants of the book. Just one, please. I think I need to write that one myself, though...
Pages: 294
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it's okay. Same old, same old murder mystery.
College professor of English Lit Alison Bergeron is good at finding dead bodies. Apparently she's found some previously, and now she's found her ex-husband's body in her kitchen. The book follows her playing junior sleuth, her non-relationship with the married cop in charge that she wishes was more, her relationship with her priest best friend's brother that she wishes wasn't, a mob guy and his wife, and her seemingly innocuous neighbors.
Thoughts:
So many stories in here, you would think it was hard to keep up, but they were more or less straightforward, except for one. And the cop boyfriend and his wife had a storyline thrown in there too, just for good measure. I got bored with Alison's relationship with him almost from the jump. I would have much rather seen a mystery novel branch out and NOT have the junior sleuth hook up with the hot cop. Also, this writer has to come up with better nicknames for people. "Miss Blurry Tattoo Ass," "Bagpipe Kid," and "Accordion Boy" all leave a whole lot to be desired. "Detective Hot Pants" isn't bad, though, but I suspect the author's witty best friend came up with that one, because the MC's witty best friend did.
All I ask is for a crime novel to be written by a woman, about a single woman, and not have her hook up with the Detective Hot Pants of the book. Just one, please. I think I need to write that one myself, though...
Pages: 294
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it's okay. Same old, same old murder mystery.
Elsewhere (Gabrielle Zevin)
Summary:
Liz is nearly sixteen, and totally ready for life to come her way. She's on the way to help her best friend pick out a prom dress, but gets forever waylaid by a taxi to the torso. Oops. After she dies, she goes to Elsewhere, where everyone is dead, and instead of existing forever in whatever form they died in, they all age backwards. She meets her grandmother who died long before she was born, as well as plenty of other people who become very dear to her.
Thoughts:
It's a very interesting take on the life-after-death thing. I really like the idea, actually. There are images of elderly people holding hands with their young spouses that died long before they were ready. Sure, it's a little weird. But it's a nice story. Plus there's dogs and cats there in Elsewhere, so it's got to be okay, right? I just have to wonder about who I would be able to see again by the time I got there, if this was how it came about. Definitely a take on the afterlife that I'd never have thought about. I hope this is how it is, because I'd love to see my family in their younger forms.
A couple cool quote-ables that I came across from this book:
"In my humble opinion, love is when a person believes that he, she, or it can't live without some other he, she, or it."
"Love, Lizzie, is when we have irrationally convinced ourselves that we do."
--page 180
and
"A life isn't measured in hours and minutes. It's the quality, not the length."
--page 266
Just thought I'd share those. Definitely recommend this one, for the thoughts this could provoke.
Pages: 277
Genre: General fiction, maybe a little fantasy?
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
36 down, 14 to go!
Liz is nearly sixteen, and totally ready for life to come her way. She's on the way to help her best friend pick out a prom dress, but gets forever waylaid by a taxi to the torso. Oops. After she dies, she goes to Elsewhere, where everyone is dead, and instead of existing forever in whatever form they died in, they all age backwards. She meets her grandmother who died long before she was born, as well as plenty of other people who become very dear to her.
Thoughts:
It's a very interesting take on the life-after-death thing. I really like the idea, actually. There are images of elderly people holding hands with their young spouses that died long before they were ready. Sure, it's a little weird. But it's a nice story. Plus there's dogs and cats there in Elsewhere, so it's got to be okay, right? I just have to wonder about who I would be able to see again by the time I got there, if this was how it came about. Definitely a take on the afterlife that I'd never have thought about. I hope this is how it is, because I'd love to see my family in their younger forms.
A couple cool quote-ables that I came across from this book:
"In my humble opinion, love is when a person believes that he, she, or it can't live without some other he, she, or it."
"Love, Lizzie, is when we have irrationally convinced ourselves that we do."
--page 180
and
"A life isn't measured in hours and minutes. It's the quality, not the length."
--page 266
Just thought I'd share those. Definitely recommend this one, for the thoughts this could provoke.
Pages: 277
Genre: General fiction, maybe a little fantasy?
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
36 down, 14 to go!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Diva Las Vegas (Eileen Davidson)
Summary:
Alexis Peterson is a soap opera actress who has discovered quite a few dead bodies lately. In this book, she finds a woman dead in a Halloween haunted house on the lawn of the Playboy mansion. She and her boyfriend, Det. Frank Jakes, follow the clues all the way from L.A. to Vegas and back again.
Thoughts:
Another good one, though this one felt a little too open at the end. Davidson opens up a few non-essential stories in the background of the main murder mystery, (namely, her ex comes back threatening a challenge of their custody arrangement, and Jakes wants a little more commitment from her) and they're really not talked about much, and literally the last page opens one of those things wide. I like my books to have some kind of resolution to them, and this book literally opens another can of worms on the last page. I like Davidson's books, and I'll definitely keep reading these, but it is a little annoying.
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery, with a bit of romance.
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Sure. They're pretty good mysteries.
35 down, 15 to go!
Alexis Peterson is a soap opera actress who has discovered quite a few dead bodies lately. In this book, she finds a woman dead in a Halloween haunted house on the lawn of the Playboy mansion. She and her boyfriend, Det. Frank Jakes, follow the clues all the way from L.A. to Vegas and back again.
Thoughts:
Another good one, though this one felt a little too open at the end. Davidson opens up a few non-essential stories in the background of the main murder mystery, (namely, her ex comes back threatening a challenge of their custody arrangement, and Jakes wants a little more commitment from her) and they're really not talked about much, and literally the last page opens one of those things wide. I like my books to have some kind of resolution to them, and this book literally opens another can of worms on the last page. I like Davidson's books, and I'll definitely keep reading these, but it is a little annoying.
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery, with a bit of romance.
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Sure. They're pretty good mysteries.
35 down, 15 to go!
Tales of the Vampire Slayer, vol. 3 (Various)
Summary:
More tales from the non-Buffy slayers. Only four of them in this collection. The first is a Native American girl, the second is a Chinese girl, the third is an American in the South, and the last is an American in Tokyo.
Thoughts:
There was one that was more than 100 pages (the one about the Chinese girl), and honestly, it was the least engaging. I think I might stop here on these books. The quality has gone downward for sure.
Pages: 319
Genre: Mystery-ish
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Probably not. The older ones are much better than this.
34 down, 16 to go!
More tales from the non-Buffy slayers. Only four of them in this collection. The first is a Native American girl, the second is a Chinese girl, the third is an American in the South, and the last is an American in Tokyo.
Thoughts:
There was one that was more than 100 pages (the one about the Chinese girl), and honestly, it was the least engaging. I think I might stop here on these books. The quality has gone downward for sure.
Pages: 319
Genre: Mystery-ish
Grade: C-
Would I Recommend?: Probably not. The older ones are much better than this.
34 down, 16 to go!
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp (Rick Yancey)
Summary:
Alfred Kropp is a fifteen year old hulk of a boy, whose mother died, and whose father left very early in his life. Alfred never even knew him. Alfred lives with his Uncle Farrell, who works as a security guard in Samson Towers. One day, Uncle Farrell is approached and asked to steal a sword from Bernard Samson's office. Uncle Farrell, in turn, says that Alfred has to help him steal the sword, or he'll send Alfred back to foster care. Given no other choice, Alfred goes along with it, only to learn that the man wanting the sword is evil, and the sword is really the Sword of Kings, Excalibur. Alfred feels horrible about the theft, and decides to do everything he can to get the Sword back to its rightful place. Along the way, he learns more and more about the legends and history of King Arthur, and his Knights.
Thoughts:
Wonderful! I'm definitely planning to get the rest of the series. Some of the plot twists were easy to see coming, but the writing was fantastic. It was one of those can't-put-it-down kind of books. This, like the Percy Jackson book from earlier this year, was one that I never looked to see how many pages I had left. It was engaging. At every turn, I felt more and more awful for Alfred, and was rooting for him more and more. Great stuff. The worst part was the end, because I couldn't get another dose of story until I get the next book!
Pages: 339
Genre: Fantasy/mystery
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
33 down, 17 to go!
Alfred Kropp is a fifteen year old hulk of a boy, whose mother died, and whose father left very early in his life. Alfred never even knew him. Alfred lives with his Uncle Farrell, who works as a security guard in Samson Towers. One day, Uncle Farrell is approached and asked to steal a sword from Bernard Samson's office. Uncle Farrell, in turn, says that Alfred has to help him steal the sword, or he'll send Alfred back to foster care. Given no other choice, Alfred goes along with it, only to learn that the man wanting the sword is evil, and the sword is really the Sword of Kings, Excalibur. Alfred feels horrible about the theft, and decides to do everything he can to get the Sword back to its rightful place. Along the way, he learns more and more about the legends and history of King Arthur, and his Knights.
Thoughts:
Wonderful! I'm definitely planning to get the rest of the series. Some of the plot twists were easy to see coming, but the writing was fantastic. It was one of those can't-put-it-down kind of books. This, like the Percy Jackson book from earlier this year, was one that I never looked to see how many pages I had left. It was engaging. At every turn, I felt more and more awful for Alfred, and was rooting for him more and more. Great stuff. The worst part was the end, because I couldn't get another dose of story until I get the next book!
Pages: 339
Genre: Fantasy/mystery
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
33 down, 17 to go!
Because She Can (Bridie Clark)
Summary:
Claire is having a crazy day. She's just gotten news that her mentor is leaving the publishing company she works for, and now the little bit of attention she'd been getting for her projects will be practically null. Her best friend Bea asks her to come to a gallery opening, and when Claire arrives, she finds the man she crushed on as a college student. And now he's interested in her! And he's going to get her a job with the best publisher in the city! The book follows Claire for a year after this fateful day, all the way to her wedding day, where she's about to marry that man, Randall. But is it normal to have this many doubts on your wedding day?
Thoughts:
It's a poor man's Devil Wears Prada. Quite literally, it's the same story, as Claire gets crapped on at every turn, and the boss is an unholy bitch. Only it's a book publisher, not a magazine publisher. Pretty much most other things in the story are the same. This was just written three years later, and it has a wedding in the mix. It was vaguely amusing, and not really much to talk about compared with DWP. I feel like I liked this book better than DWP, but only a little. I vaguely remember being annoyed by DWP when I read it. Past that, I wouldn't bother with this one if you've read the original. No wonder this was on the bargain rack.
Pages: 274
Genre: Chick lit
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Could go either way.
32 down, 18 to go!
Claire is having a crazy day. She's just gotten news that her mentor is leaving the publishing company she works for, and now the little bit of attention she'd been getting for her projects will be practically null. Her best friend Bea asks her to come to a gallery opening, and when Claire arrives, she finds the man she crushed on as a college student. And now he's interested in her! And he's going to get her a job with the best publisher in the city! The book follows Claire for a year after this fateful day, all the way to her wedding day, where she's about to marry that man, Randall. But is it normal to have this many doubts on your wedding day?
Thoughts:
It's a poor man's Devil Wears Prada. Quite literally, it's the same story, as Claire gets crapped on at every turn, and the boss is an unholy bitch. Only it's a book publisher, not a magazine publisher. Pretty much most other things in the story are the same. This was just written three years later, and it has a wedding in the mix. It was vaguely amusing, and not really much to talk about compared with DWP. I feel like I liked this book better than DWP, but only a little. I vaguely remember being annoyed by DWP when I read it. Past that, I wouldn't bother with this one if you've read the original. No wonder this was on the bargain rack.
Pages: 274
Genre: Chick lit
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Could go either way.
32 down, 18 to go!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Fairy Tale Blues (Tina Welling)
Summary:
Forty-something (or fifty-something) AnnieLaurie is married to a sweet, funny man named Jess. He's self-absorbed and careless, and for their anniversary, he gets her the same pair of blue topaz earrings that he got her for Valentine's Day. This brings Annie to the realization that she needs a break. A break from her life with him, from the store they own together, from everything about their life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She leaves the anniversary dinner abruptly, and hops a flight to Florida, nothing with her but the clothes on her back and her purse. She decides she's taking a "marriage sabbatical."
Thoughts:
The book feels like it's Welling's way of working through her own issues with her marriage. The main female character even is named like a fanfic "MarySue." It's written alternatively from Annie's and Jess's points of view. While Annie describes her world and her "awakening" and all that, I kind of wanted to reach into the pages and smack her around. Yes, Jess has issues. But you're not without them either. I wanted to put it down so badly because it just wasn't GOOD to me, but I hate stopping a book in the middle, so I usually tough out even the worst books. (Case in point: Raiders of the Low Forehead. Worst book I've ever read, bar none, but I actually finished that flaming pile of- ugh. Awful.)
What makes me sad about this book is that Jess works on himself, yes, and so does Annie, but the only real actions that go on during the book are when Annie meets Daniel, a former drug runner, on the run from his former boss and the cartel they work (or worked, in Daniel's case) for. That's the only real fun in this book. It was wholly depressing, and a waste of a week or more of my reading time. And this was one of the books from Paperback Swap that I had been waitlisted for. And I didn't even like it. Waste of time and a PBS credit.
31 down, 19 to go!
Pages: 312
Genre: Chick-lit, self help
Grade: D
Would I Recommend?: Not unless you're a 50+ with serious marriage issues.
Forty-something (or fifty-something) AnnieLaurie is married to a sweet, funny man named Jess. He's self-absorbed and careless, and for their anniversary, he gets her the same pair of blue topaz earrings that he got her for Valentine's Day. This brings Annie to the realization that she needs a break. A break from her life with him, from the store they own together, from everything about their life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She leaves the anniversary dinner abruptly, and hops a flight to Florida, nothing with her but the clothes on her back and her purse. She decides she's taking a "marriage sabbatical."
Thoughts:
The book feels like it's Welling's way of working through her own issues with her marriage. The main female character even is named like a fanfic "MarySue." It's written alternatively from Annie's and Jess's points of view. While Annie describes her world and her "awakening" and all that, I kind of wanted to reach into the pages and smack her around. Yes, Jess has issues. But you're not without them either. I wanted to put it down so badly because it just wasn't GOOD to me, but I hate stopping a book in the middle, so I usually tough out even the worst books. (Case in point: Raiders of the Low Forehead. Worst book I've ever read, bar none, but I actually finished that flaming pile of- ugh. Awful.)
What makes me sad about this book is that Jess works on himself, yes, and so does Annie, but the only real actions that go on during the book are when Annie meets Daniel, a former drug runner, on the run from his former boss and the cartel they work (or worked, in Daniel's case) for. That's the only real fun in this book. It was wholly depressing, and a waste of a week or more of my reading time. And this was one of the books from Paperback Swap that I had been waitlisted for. And I didn't even like it. Waste of time and a PBS credit.
31 down, 19 to go!
Pages: 312
Genre: Chick-lit, self help
Grade: D
Would I Recommend?: Not unless you're a 50+ with serious marriage issues.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Aunt Dimity's Good Deed (Nancy Atherton)
Summary:
Lori Shepherd is back Boston in the third installment of the Aunt Dimity sagas. She's gone and gotten married, though her new hubby turns out to be a Class A workaholic. Two years of marriage have brought Lori little more than anxiety and annoying in-laws. She plans a trip for the two of them to visit Dimity's- and now her- cottage in England, as a second honeymoon. Only hubby the lawyer is too busy working on a case to leave. He promises to finish soon, and then head to England to meet Lori, and sends his father to keep her company in the meantime. How wonderful. But two days into the trip, Lori's father-in-law goes missing, and she spends the next few days running around the English countryside trying to find him.
Thoughts:
Wonderful, again. Atherton's got a fabulous way of telling her stories. Lori is a bit of an idiot some times, and you wonder how she misses some obvious things. What are you going to do. The writing is awesome, so I'll forgive Lori being slightly dense. I'll definitely continue with this series. Atherton is great.
30 down, 20 to go!
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Atherton's awesome.
Lori Shepherd is back Boston in the third installment of the Aunt Dimity sagas. She's gone and gotten married, though her new hubby turns out to be a Class A workaholic. Two years of marriage have brought Lori little more than anxiety and annoying in-laws. She plans a trip for the two of them to visit Dimity's- and now her- cottage in England, as a second honeymoon. Only hubby the lawyer is too busy working on a case to leave. He promises to finish soon, and then head to England to meet Lori, and sends his father to keep her company in the meantime. How wonderful. But two days into the trip, Lori's father-in-law goes missing, and she spends the next few days running around the English countryside trying to find him.
Thoughts:
Wonderful, again. Atherton's got a fabulous way of telling her stories. Lori is a bit of an idiot some times, and you wonder how she misses some obvious things. What are you going to do. The writing is awesome, so I'll forgive Lori being slightly dense. I'll definitely continue with this series. Atherton is great.
30 down, 20 to go!
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Atherton's awesome.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (John Boyne)
Summary:
Bruno is a nine year old boy in 1940's Germany whose father is a Commandant in the German army. After a visit from the Fury, Bruno and his family are moved to a house far away called Out-With. There is nothing anywhere near the house, except for a very big fence that goes on for as far as Bruno can see. Bruno and his sister have no one to play with or talk to except the other soldiers. One day, Bruno goes exploring, and finds a speck that becomes a spot that becomes a blob that becomes a boy. Suddenly Out-With is not as bad.
Thoughts:
It reads exactly like being in a little boy's brain. Boyne does a perfect job of getting the 9-year-old's voice right. It also showed an interesting point of view of Nazi Germany. It's not often that you see a story written about the World War 2 era from the view of the Germans. This was incredible. I see why this is so highly recommended. It was a great story, written beautifully. I think it's tied for favorite of the year so far. It's only tied because the whole thing in general is kind of depressing, but that's the only thing keeping it from really surpassing everything else for the year. Great book though.
Pages: 240
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Hell effing yes.
29 down, 21 to go!
Bruno is a nine year old boy in 1940's Germany whose father is a Commandant in the German army. After a visit from the Fury, Bruno and his family are moved to a house far away called Out-With. There is nothing anywhere near the house, except for a very big fence that goes on for as far as Bruno can see. Bruno and his sister have no one to play with or talk to except the other soldiers. One day, Bruno goes exploring, and finds a speck that becomes a spot that becomes a blob that becomes a boy. Suddenly Out-With is not as bad.
Thoughts:
It reads exactly like being in a little boy's brain. Boyne does a perfect job of getting the 9-year-old's voice right. It also showed an interesting point of view of Nazi Germany. It's not often that you see a story written about the World War 2 era from the view of the Germans. This was incredible. I see why this is so highly recommended. It was a great story, written beautifully. I think it's tied for favorite of the year so far. It's only tied because the whole thing in general is kind of depressing, but that's the only thing keeping it from really surpassing everything else for the year. Great book though.
Pages: 240
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Hell effing yes.
29 down, 21 to go!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Virgin Suicides (Jeffrey Eugenides)
Summary:
The book follows a handful of boys as they observe the Lisbon girls, who live on their street. I think it's set sometime around the 60's, but it could be as late as the late 70's or early 80's even. The Lisbon girls are an enigma to the narrator and his friends, especially when they start killing themselves. It literally starts with the EMS showing up at the Lisbon house after the last girl kills herself, and then goes back to describe the rest.
Thoughts:
It's really rather boring to me, honestly. It's a love letter to the Lisbon girls. It feels like it's written by a man that's now fully grown, who saw the girls kill themselves when he was a child, maybe twelve or thirteen at most. The narrator never actually names himself, and doesn't ever say enough to describe exactly when or where this is set. I like to have an idea of when exactly a book takes place, and who's telling the story. Call me crazy. But I digress (a little).
The boys of the story are pretty much obsessed with the five Lisbon girls. The narrator talks about the first girl killing herself, and then spends the next hundred and fifty pages talking about the uproar of the town over it, and the decline of the house itself, and freakin' tree diseases. Bleh.
The layout of the book itself, too, is cumbersome. There are five chapters in the book. The third one alone is 92 pages. And between the first suicide and the second, third, and fourth, (which all happen on the same night in the story) there are 183 pages. There's only 249 pages in the book. The way the narrator tells the story, you think that another suicide is coming any second, if only he would stop talking about what the house looks like now, and then it all happens right at the end.
I really didn't like the book, and I can't imagine why someone would. I just found it incredibly boring. I got the book through Paperback Swap, and have been waiting for it for literally months. I'm now wishing I hadn't bothered with it, because it really wasn't worth the wait.
28 down, 22 to go!
Pages: 249
Genre: general fiction
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: No. Straight up.
The book follows a handful of boys as they observe the Lisbon girls, who live on their street. I think it's set sometime around the 60's, but it could be as late as the late 70's or early 80's even. The Lisbon girls are an enigma to the narrator and his friends, especially when they start killing themselves. It literally starts with the EMS showing up at the Lisbon house after the last girl kills herself, and then goes back to describe the rest.
Thoughts:
It's really rather boring to me, honestly. It's a love letter to the Lisbon girls. It feels like it's written by a man that's now fully grown, who saw the girls kill themselves when he was a child, maybe twelve or thirteen at most. The narrator never actually names himself, and doesn't ever say enough to describe exactly when or where this is set. I like to have an idea of when exactly a book takes place, and who's telling the story. Call me crazy. But I digress (a little).
The boys of the story are pretty much obsessed with the five Lisbon girls. The narrator talks about the first girl killing herself, and then spends the next hundred and fifty pages talking about the uproar of the town over it, and the decline of the house itself, and freakin' tree diseases. Bleh.
The layout of the book itself, too, is cumbersome. There are five chapters in the book. The third one alone is 92 pages. And between the first suicide and the second, third, and fourth, (which all happen on the same night in the story) there are 183 pages. There's only 249 pages in the book. The way the narrator tells the story, you think that another suicide is coming any second, if only he would stop talking about what the house looks like now, and then it all happens right at the end.
I really didn't like the book, and I can't imagine why someone would. I just found it incredibly boring. I got the book through Paperback Swap, and have been waiting for it for literally months. I'm now wishing I hadn't bothered with it, because it really wasn't worth the wait.
28 down, 22 to go!
Pages: 249
Genre: general fiction
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: No. Straight up.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Making Mischief (Elizabeth Young)
Summary:
Abby saw something at 16 that she very much shouldn't have. The boy her cousin, Rachel, had a crush on was getting busy with one of her cousin's best friends right in Rachel's backyard. She never told Rachel, though she did tell another cousin, Fleur. Once they grew up, the boy has become a man (named Guy) and has started dating Fleur (not Rachel). Fleur begs Abby to keep an eye on Guy for her while Fleur couldn't be around. Abby found Guy to be very upstanding, and began to rekindle the tiny crush she had on him from when they were teens. But what's a girl to do when the guy she's got the hots for is dating family?
Thoughts:
A fun, easy read. Sure, the author's lazy for naming the main guy GUY. (Really? There's NO other names that would have fit this man??) But it's one of those stories that you hope she figures out the right way to go about things, and when she does, it's great. And the nice thing is that this one didn't just end when the romance bit resolved itself. It had a little bit of a happily ever after tagged on in the last chapter, which made me happy.
Pages: 332
Genre: Romance/chicklit
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it was fun.
27 down, 23 to go!
Abby saw something at 16 that she very much shouldn't have. The boy her cousin, Rachel, had a crush on was getting busy with one of her cousin's best friends right in Rachel's backyard. She never told Rachel, though she did tell another cousin, Fleur. Once they grew up, the boy has become a man (named Guy) and has started dating Fleur (not Rachel). Fleur begs Abby to keep an eye on Guy for her while Fleur couldn't be around. Abby found Guy to be very upstanding, and began to rekindle the tiny crush she had on him from when they were teens. But what's a girl to do when the guy she's got the hots for is dating family?
Thoughts:
A fun, easy read. Sure, the author's lazy for naming the main guy GUY. (Really? There's NO other names that would have fit this man??) But it's one of those stories that you hope she figures out the right way to go about things, and when she does, it's great. And the nice thing is that this one didn't just end when the romance bit resolved itself. It had a little bit of a happily ever after tagged on in the last chapter, which made me happy.
Pages: 332
Genre: Romance/chicklit
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, it was fun.
27 down, 23 to go!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye Dennison is back. She's been visiting her maternal grandmother every day for the past few weeks to get the family history from Grandma. One day, instead of finding her grandmother ready for more chatting, she finds her dead. The family thinks it's old age, but Skye doesn't think so, and she's right. Someone's poisoned Grandma. Skye makes it her mission to find out who killed Grandma, and manages to turn up old, long-forgotten family secrets in the process.
Thoughts:
Skye is a fairly good character, sure. And she's great at being nosy enough to solve a murder. But she is so not good with men. This was what annoyed me the most about this book. Sure, she had a crappy relationship with an ex, and she's "afraid that she's going to lose herself again like she did before." But she's a much different person now. Suck it up, get over it, because you've just lost a hunk who was really in love with you, because you wouldn't let him get to second base. Really? What are you, in high school again?
Otherwise, the crime fighting stuff was okay. It's an easy read, and semi-predictable. I had a feeling I knew what the Big Family Secret (tm) was long before anything was revealed. When you put certain clues together, which I can't say for fear of spoiling the book, it's a fairly obvious ending. But it's okay. I enjoyed most of it, and will probably keep reading, just to see if Skye can get the hell over herself. (Probably not, since she seems to be Swanson's version of a Mary Sue: a character that is based on the author who gets to live out the wacky hijinks the author can't in real life.)
Pages: 251
Genre: Mystery with a dash of romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's not bad.
26 down, 24 to go!
Skye Dennison is back. She's been visiting her maternal grandmother every day for the past few weeks to get the family history from Grandma. One day, instead of finding her grandmother ready for more chatting, she finds her dead. The family thinks it's old age, but Skye doesn't think so, and she's right. Someone's poisoned Grandma. Skye makes it her mission to find out who killed Grandma, and manages to turn up old, long-forgotten family secrets in the process.
Thoughts:
Skye is a fairly good character, sure. And she's great at being nosy enough to solve a murder. But she is so not good with men. This was what annoyed me the most about this book. Sure, she had a crappy relationship with an ex, and she's "afraid that she's going to lose herself again like she did before." But she's a much different person now. Suck it up, get over it, because you've just lost a hunk who was really in love with you, because you wouldn't let him get to second base. Really? What are you, in high school again?
Otherwise, the crime fighting stuff was okay. It's an easy read, and semi-predictable. I had a feeling I knew what the Big Family Secret (tm) was long before anything was revealed. When you put certain clues together, which I can't say for fear of spoiling the book, it's a fairly obvious ending. But it's okay. I enjoyed most of it, and will probably keep reading, just to see if Skye can get the hell over herself. (Probably not, since she seems to be Swanson's version of a Mary Sue: a character that is based on the author who gets to live out the wacky hijinks the author can't in real life.)
Pages: 251
Genre: Mystery with a dash of romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's not bad.
26 down, 24 to go!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Fatally Flaky (Diane Mott Davidson)
Summary:
Goldy Schultz is a caterer in Colorado dealing with the bridezillaest of brides, who likes to throw Goldy as many curve balls as she can. The biggest comes just two days before the wedding, when Billie Bridezillie tells Goldy she's changed the venue and added fifty more guests to the list. Oh, and Goldy is in the middle of working another wedding when she gets the news, a wedding in which not only does the estranged father of the bride shows up drunk and trying to get involved in the wedding, but the man who is supposed to be walking the bride down the aisle winds up dead in a ravine. The story follows Goldy as she tries to find out whodunnit, and as she grieves for someone else who winds up dead, too.
Thoughts:
It was kind of slow going. The author describes far too much having to do with the baking mess, and should focus more on actual story. The writing isn't bad, and I definitely didn't pick out the ending. I will say that it seemed to wrap up too easily, like even the author wasn't sure who did it in the end, and she didn't put out enough clues that would lead to the killer. That could be just me, though.
Pages: 382, unless you count the recipes, then 432.
Genre: Mystery, with a hint of "crazy bride!" thrown in, cookbook (last 30 pages of the paperback!!)
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Wouldn't go out of my way to, but wouldn't dissuade anyone either.
25 down, 25 to go! Halfway point for the year's goal!
Goldy Schultz is a caterer in Colorado dealing with the bridezillaest of brides, who likes to throw Goldy as many curve balls as she can. The biggest comes just two days before the wedding, when Billie Bridezillie tells Goldy she's changed the venue and added fifty more guests to the list. Oh, and Goldy is in the middle of working another wedding when she gets the news, a wedding in which not only does the estranged father of the bride shows up drunk and trying to get involved in the wedding, but the man who is supposed to be walking the bride down the aisle winds up dead in a ravine. The story follows Goldy as she tries to find out whodunnit, and as she grieves for someone else who winds up dead, too.
Thoughts:
It was kind of slow going. The author describes far too much having to do with the baking mess, and should focus more on actual story. The writing isn't bad, and I definitely didn't pick out the ending. I will say that it seemed to wrap up too easily, like even the author wasn't sure who did it in the end, and she didn't put out enough clues that would lead to the killer. That could be just me, though.
Pages: 382, unless you count the recipes, then 432.
Genre: Mystery, with a hint of "crazy bride!" thrown in, cookbook (last 30 pages of the paperback!!)
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Wouldn't go out of my way to, but wouldn't dissuade anyone either.
25 down, 25 to go! Halfway point for the year's goal!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Murder by Puffins (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Meg Langslow is at it again. She and her new boyfriend, Michael, go to her aunt's house on a small island in Maine or somewhere, thinking that they will have a nice, quiet getaway. Instead, they get seasick on the boat thanks to a hurricane off the coast that just won't go away, and when they finally hit land and go to the aunt's house, they find not only Aunt Phoebe herself, but Meg's parents and brother as well. Meg and Michael try to get some relaxation (and avoid doing a million chores) by going out for a walk, but instead they find a local artist dead.
Thoughts:
Good story. Well written once again. It's a fun series, and I definitely plan on keeping up with it. Though around every turn, you do start wishing Meg could just get a break, and get some time without her crazy relatives... Though they are one of the best things about the book, so it's kind of a toss up.
Pages: 302
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
24 down, 26 to go!
Meg Langslow is at it again. She and her new boyfriend, Michael, go to her aunt's house on a small island in Maine or somewhere, thinking that they will have a nice, quiet getaway. Instead, they get seasick on the boat thanks to a hurricane off the coast that just won't go away, and when they finally hit land and go to the aunt's house, they find not only Aunt Phoebe herself, but Meg's parents and brother as well. Meg and Michael try to get some relaxation (and avoid doing a million chores) by going out for a walk, but instead they find a local artist dead.
Thoughts:
Good story. Well written once again. It's a fun series, and I definitely plan on keeping up with it. Though around every turn, you do start wishing Meg could just get a break, and get some time without her crazy relatives... Though they are one of the best things about the book, so it's kind of a toss up.
Pages: 302
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely.
24 down, 26 to go!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Nothing but Trouble (Rachel Gibson)
Summary:
Mark Bressler is the former captain of the Seattle Chinooks. Chelsea Ross is an aspiring actress who can't get a part that isn't "town slut" because of her big boobs. Chelsea takes a job as Mark's personal assistant to save up money for a boob reduction. Mark was in a horrific car accident that's left him in constant pain and unable to play hockey anymore. Standard romance plot ensues, including the "something happens to break them up for a while which leads one of them to profess their undying love."
Thoughts:
Kind of predictable. But it was good. Intriguing. I read the whole thing yesterday. It was a quick read. Gibson's storytelling skills are pretty good. I couldn't stop reading, even though I knew I should go to sleep. I think I got into it because of the hockey player, to be honest. I've been getting more into hockey thanks to the hunky honey's newfound interest in it, and this one got inside the head of the player himself. It was kind of neat for me. Call me crazy.
The storyline itself is not bad. The writing is pretty darn good. I might look into getting more of Gibson's work, see if it's all this intriguing. We'll see.
Pages: 384
Genre: Romance, straight up.
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not?
23 down, 27 to go! (At this point in the year, I should be at 21, so I'm ahead of the 50 book mark. Yay me!
Mark Bressler is the former captain of the Seattle Chinooks. Chelsea Ross is an aspiring actress who can't get a part that isn't "town slut" because of her big boobs. Chelsea takes a job as Mark's personal assistant to save up money for a boob reduction. Mark was in a horrific car accident that's left him in constant pain and unable to play hockey anymore. Standard romance plot ensues, including the "something happens to break them up for a while which leads one of them to profess their undying love."
Thoughts:
Kind of predictable. But it was good. Intriguing. I read the whole thing yesterday. It was a quick read. Gibson's storytelling skills are pretty good. I couldn't stop reading, even though I knew I should go to sleep. I think I got into it because of the hockey player, to be honest. I've been getting more into hockey thanks to the hunky honey's newfound interest in it, and this one got inside the head of the player himself. It was kind of neat for me. Call me crazy.
The storyline itself is not bad. The writing is pretty darn good. I might look into getting more of Gibson's work, see if it's all this intriguing. We'll see.
Pages: 384
Genre: Romance, straight up.
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not?
23 down, 27 to go! (At this point in the year, I should be at 21, so I'm ahead of the 50 book mark. Yay me!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Lois Lane Tells All (Karen Hawkins)
Summary:
Susan is a news reporter with a special love for Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Mark is an accountant trying to get Susan's paper from running into the ground. Opposites attract, standard romance novel storyline ensues, with the added bonus of a little mystery thrown in. (Someone stole $30K from a church bake sale, and someone else is making threats to Susan's life.)
Thoughts:
Standard romance novel. There's not much else to say, except the editor on this one could use going over it one more time. To be fair, the mystery parts were not so predictable, but the romance bits? More obvious than the nose on my face. Once again, I wish we could see a little of the happily ever after bits. Most romances end with the MCs saying "I love you" for the first time ever (and usually actually revealing that there's any feelings there at all) on the very last page. Is it so wrong to want to see a little conflict after they say "I love you"?
Pages: 379
Genre: Romance, mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it was okay. I wouldn't tell someone not to read it...
22 down, 28 to go!
Susan is a news reporter with a special love for Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Mark is an accountant trying to get Susan's paper from running into the ground. Opposites attract, standard romance novel storyline ensues, with the added bonus of a little mystery thrown in. (Someone stole $30K from a church bake sale, and someone else is making threats to Susan's life.)
Thoughts:
Standard romance novel. There's not much else to say, except the editor on this one could use going over it one more time. To be fair, the mystery parts were not so predictable, but the romance bits? More obvious than the nose on my face. Once again, I wish we could see a little of the happily ever after bits. Most romances end with the MCs saying "I love you" for the first time ever (and usually actually revealing that there's any feelings there at all) on the very last page. Is it so wrong to want to see a little conflict after they say "I love you"?
Pages: 379
Genre: Romance, mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it was okay. I wouldn't tell someone not to read it...
22 down, 28 to go!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Pact (Jodi Picoult)
Summary:
Chris and Emily grew up together. Literally. Their parents were best friends, and so were they, all through their childhoods. And at thirteen and fourteen, when it was time for them to explore a relationship with the opposite sex, of course they did it together. But at seventeen, they find themselves at a carousel in the middle of the night, with a revolver, two bullets, and a sadness growing within them. Emily winds up dead, and Chris is left to pick up the pieces.
The book begins with the shot, and follows Chris as he gets arrested for Emily's murder and put on trial.
Thoughts:
This book is wholly depressing. Readers watch as Chris gets locked up and deals with prison life, and his parents deal with the fear that their son is a murderer. We see Emily's parents fight the idea that not only was their daughter possibly suicidal, but also keeping very big secrets from them.
It was well written, yes, and a real page-turner for sure. But it was completely depressing, and if all of Picoult's work is this sad, I don't think I can bring myself to read more. I read to get my mind off the heaviness of the world around me, not to be dragged down further.
Oh, and according to the cover, this is a love story. This was just a sadness story.
Pages: 389
Genre: Mystery, romance?
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Maybe, if you like to read a depressing love story...
21 down, 29 to go!
Chris and Emily grew up together. Literally. Their parents were best friends, and so were they, all through their childhoods. And at thirteen and fourteen, when it was time for them to explore a relationship with the opposite sex, of course they did it together. But at seventeen, they find themselves at a carousel in the middle of the night, with a revolver, two bullets, and a sadness growing within them. Emily winds up dead, and Chris is left to pick up the pieces.
The book begins with the shot, and follows Chris as he gets arrested for Emily's murder and put on trial.
Thoughts:
This book is wholly depressing. Readers watch as Chris gets locked up and deals with prison life, and his parents deal with the fear that their son is a murderer. We see Emily's parents fight the idea that not only was their daughter possibly suicidal, but also keeping very big secrets from them.
It was well written, yes, and a real page-turner for sure. But it was completely depressing, and if all of Picoult's work is this sad, I don't think I can bring myself to read more. I read to get my mind off the heaviness of the world around me, not to be dragged down further.
Oh, and according to the cover, this is a love story. This was just a sadness story.
Pages: 389
Genre: Mystery, romance?
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Maybe, if you like to read a depressing love story...
21 down, 29 to go!
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