Summary:
The classic novel by Jules Verne follows Mr. Phileas Fogg of London, a man who is known by all as the most punctual and mechanical man anyone could meet, as he breaks his comfortable mold to satisfy a bet. Fogg is the type of man who rises every day at the exact same time, follows the exact same schedule, and lays his head down in the same fashion day in and day out, only to do it all again tomorrow. His only job is to be so punctual, one could set a watch by him. But on October 2nd, just before seven in the evening, Mr. Fogg lays down a plan of how a traveler could manage a trip around the world in just eighty days. His friends mock the idea, and Fogg takes it on himself to make a wager with each one of them. He will be the man to travel the world in those eighty days, and he will find them again on December 21st at 8:45pm. The novel follows Fogg's adventures and misadventures as he circumvents the world with his trusty servant, Passepartout.
Thoughts:
Wholly enjoyable, even today. Yes, it's been one hundred and thirty-eight years since the publishing of this novel, which celebrated its anniversary just three weeks ago. But while transportation has taken great leaps forward, the idea still stands. In 1872, when Phileas Fogg takes on this laborious journey, he has steamers and trains at his disposal, and little else. The airplane hasn't been invented yet, let alone commercial air flight like we see today. (The first successful powered flight at all, which happened in a glider, came along two years after Fogg's journey, and a year after the book was released. The Wrights didn't show up until the turn of the century.) The closest to that was a hot air balloon, which is hardly a way to sail around the world. And even if all of the transportation issues can be disposed of now, it's still a fun way to see the world, through the eyes of a man from the nineteenth century, with 19th century problems, like having to ride an elephant part of the way, having to save a young woman from certain death, and recovering his servant who got himself kidnapped by Sioux natives in Nebraska. We can tell that Mr. Verne was interested in the delicate intricacies of time and travel and the ways of the world at that time.
This novel is a wonderful way to expand one's mind, and take a trip back in time to the days when we didn't even know the word "airplane," let alone how useful they would turn out to be. If you're interested in expanding your literary knowledge, and getting a little culture in you, read a little Jules Verne. It's not a classic for nothing, after all!
Book 6 of 50
Pages: 245
Genre: General fiction, classics, historical fiction
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Jules Verne spins a yarn like no one in this century.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Murder of a Bookstore Babe (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Tales and Treats, a new book store in tiny Scumble River, opens to protesters and ridicule. Skye is happy to see not only a new business in town, but one that she plans to frequent regularly. The town's business owners are none too pleased, though. The library, which already has low circulation rates, might be visited less thanks to all those shiny new books. Skye's cousin might have to actually move all his used cars for sale back onto his lot rather than parking them in the public spaces that were previously under-used. The diner might lose its morning customers to the bookstore's fancy new bakery/barista. And one of the ancient and tenured teachers protests the store because it sells smut in the form of romance novels, and could possibly foster witchcraft and sorcery in the form of fantasy and sci-fi novels. Heaven forbid! Then, of course, there's the murder in the bookstore. Was it one of Scumble River's loudest complainers, or someone the owners knew from long ago? Skye's too nosy not to get into the mix once again, not to mention dealing with her ex who still won't give up, even after she's said yes to Wally's marriage proposal. The ex wouldn't be too much of an issue usually, but this time he knows something about the details surrounding the murder that he begs her not to pass on to her cop fiance. Good plan, Skye? Don't bet on it.
Thoughts:
Finally, the title doesn't completely give away the murder victim on sight! Every other installment of this series that's had a noun that's often used as a name as well (Honey, Cookie, Cherry, Barbie and Ken, Belle, and even Snake) has been the name of the victim of the primary crime in the book. Congratulations, Ms. Swanson, you had me looking for a woman named Babe to kill off. (PS, it looks like the next novel in the series goes back to the same old song... "Murder of a Creped Suzette" looks like they're going to kill off a poor girl named Suzette, and we can't do a thing to stop it!) But I digress. The book follows as most of the rest do, and I did actually spot the possible ending a mile away, but with all the other red herrings swimming around, I almost forgot about the initial inkling of our murderer's identity. I will say, I'm ready for Skye to get herself married off and done with Simon for good. Her ex-boyfriend vowed two books ago that he'll never rest until she's his again. Holy cow, guy, get over yourself. She's happy and committed to someone else. The worst part is that Skye's dumb enough to agree to keeping a secret from Wally. When has keeping secrets from your significant other ever ended well for anyone, Skye? Especially when it's the ex-boyfriend that's asking you to keep the secret. Dumb Skye Move #286, right there. All in all, though, another fun romp through crazy-ass Scumble River. Not Swanson's best, but certainly not her worst. And finally, after Suzette's murder investigation, I'll be caught up with Swanson's series, and can move on to others that I've still not cracked the covers of, and you, dear readers, can see a change of pace for once! Good news, though, I've almost finished my next read, which was something completely different. Stay tuned!
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 243
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Sure. There are worse books out there, and even worse ones in this series. Keep going in the series. It's good for you!
Tales and Treats, a new book store in tiny Scumble River, opens to protesters and ridicule. Skye is happy to see not only a new business in town, but one that she plans to frequent regularly. The town's business owners are none too pleased, though. The library, which already has low circulation rates, might be visited less thanks to all those shiny new books. Skye's cousin might have to actually move all his used cars for sale back onto his lot rather than parking them in the public spaces that were previously under-used. The diner might lose its morning customers to the bookstore's fancy new bakery/barista. And one of the ancient and tenured teachers protests the store because it sells smut in the form of romance novels, and could possibly foster witchcraft and sorcery in the form of fantasy and sci-fi novels. Heaven forbid! Then, of course, there's the murder in the bookstore. Was it one of Scumble River's loudest complainers, or someone the owners knew from long ago? Skye's too nosy not to get into the mix once again, not to mention dealing with her ex who still won't give up, even after she's said yes to Wally's marriage proposal. The ex wouldn't be too much of an issue usually, but this time he knows something about the details surrounding the murder that he begs her not to pass on to her cop fiance. Good plan, Skye? Don't bet on it.
Thoughts:
Finally, the title doesn't completely give away the murder victim on sight! Every other installment of this series that's had a noun that's often used as a name as well (Honey, Cookie, Cherry, Barbie and Ken, Belle, and even Snake) has been the name of the victim of the primary crime in the book. Congratulations, Ms. Swanson, you had me looking for a woman named Babe to kill off. (PS, it looks like the next novel in the series goes back to the same old song... "Murder of a Creped Suzette" looks like they're going to kill off a poor girl named Suzette, and we can't do a thing to stop it!) But I digress. The book follows as most of the rest do, and I did actually spot the possible ending a mile away, but with all the other red herrings swimming around, I almost forgot about the initial inkling of our murderer's identity. I will say, I'm ready for Skye to get herself married off and done with Simon for good. Her ex-boyfriend vowed two books ago that he'll never rest until she's his again. Holy cow, guy, get over yourself. She's happy and committed to someone else. The worst part is that Skye's dumb enough to agree to keeping a secret from Wally. When has keeping secrets from your significant other ever ended well for anyone, Skye? Especially when it's the ex-boyfriend that's asking you to keep the secret. Dumb Skye Move #286, right there. All in all, though, another fun romp through crazy-ass Scumble River. Not Swanson's best, but certainly not her worst. And finally, after Suzette's murder investigation, I'll be caught up with Swanson's series, and can move on to others that I've still not cracked the covers of, and you, dear readers, can see a change of pace for once! Good news, though, I've almost finished my next read, which was something completely different. Stay tuned!
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 243
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Sure. There are worse books out there, and even worse ones in this series. Keep going in the series. It's good for you!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Murder of a Wedding Belle (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Once again, Skye can't say no. This time, she's gotten her arm twisted by her grandmother, who begs her to help Skye's second cousin have a big, overly expensive wedding extravaganza in the tiny little hick town of Scumble River. Riley goes Bridezilla on Skye, especially after the wedding planner Riley hired shuffles off the mortal coil prematurely. Skye is thrust knee deep into the wedding planning world, which I know from some experience can be a little crazy, and has to fudge her way through pulling off the wedding of Riley's dreams. While she deals with that, she also has to fight off Wally's nagging about whether or not she will marry him, and Simon, who is insistent that she gives up on Wally and takes him back. Oh, the drama for Skye.
Thoughts:
Pretty good. Much better than Royal Pain, to be sure. I had no clue who actually dun it, and was surprised by the end. At this point, I'm getting annoyed with Simon, because Skye's plainly said that there's no chance for him to get Skye back, but he just keeps pushing. I think Swanson just can't give up Simon, because she thinks he's the better choice for Skye, but her fans tell her otherwise, and that's why she keeps bothering us with Simon's idiocy. I would have been perfectly happy with Skye ending it with Simon, and there being a bad break-up that she didn't want to think about or talk about ever again... I just hope that Swanson finds a better use for Simon, rather than making it so that he pops up at the most annoying times.
Book 4 of 50
Pages: 246
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Not the worst, not the best. But very good if you're working through the series.
Once again, Skye can't say no. This time, she's gotten her arm twisted by her grandmother, who begs her to help Skye's second cousin have a big, overly expensive wedding extravaganza in the tiny little hick town of Scumble River. Riley goes Bridezilla on Skye, especially after the wedding planner Riley hired shuffles off the mortal coil prematurely. Skye is thrust knee deep into the wedding planning world, which I know from some experience can be a little crazy, and has to fudge her way through pulling off the wedding of Riley's dreams. While she deals with that, she also has to fight off Wally's nagging about whether or not she will marry him, and Simon, who is insistent that she gives up on Wally and takes him back. Oh, the drama for Skye.
Thoughts:
Pretty good. Much better than Royal Pain, to be sure. I had no clue who actually dun it, and was surprised by the end. At this point, I'm getting annoyed with Simon, because Skye's plainly said that there's no chance for him to get Skye back, but he just keeps pushing. I think Swanson just can't give up Simon, because she thinks he's the better choice for Skye, but her fans tell her otherwise, and that's why she keeps bothering us with Simon's idiocy. I would have been perfectly happy with Skye ending it with Simon, and there being a bad break-up that she didn't want to think about or talk about ever again... I just hope that Swanson finds a better use for Simon, rather than making it so that he pops up at the most annoying times.
Book 4 of 50
Pages: 246
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. Not the worst, not the best. But very good if you're working through the series.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Murder of a Royal Pain (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye Denison is a pushover. She can't say no to just about anyone. In this edition of What Can We Force Skye to Do Now?, Skye gets roped into not only being a faculty adviser to the Promfest committee, but acting a part in the haunted house fundraiser. And Skye hates haunted houses. (Childhood trauma, blah blah blah...) On opening night of the haunted house, the head of the Promfest committee gets offed, and it looks like the killer could have been after Skye herself. At the same time, a new social worker is hired for the school district, and they're forced to share offices in each building. More fun times in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
I had this one pegged practically from the murderer's introduction. Swanson used the same naming technique in a previous book, so I had no trouble figuring out who was making the hit, and there was very little surprise in who went down as well. I spent most of this book waiting for the shoe to actually drop. The only suspense was in whether or not Skye would actually talk to Wally while he was away taking care of his ailing father. Mostly, with this particular installment, I was just muddling through on my way to the next book in the series. I only recommend reading it if you've read all the others, and you're wanting to continue. It just has some things in there that you won't want to miss for when Swanson eventually refers back to them in future books.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 248
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh, only if you're plowing through the series like I am. Otherwise, don't bother with this one.
Skye Denison is a pushover. She can't say no to just about anyone. In this edition of What Can We Force Skye to Do Now?, Skye gets roped into not only being a faculty adviser to the Promfest committee, but acting a part in the haunted house fundraiser. And Skye hates haunted houses. (Childhood trauma, blah blah blah...) On opening night of the haunted house, the head of the Promfest committee gets offed, and it looks like the killer could have been after Skye herself. At the same time, a new social worker is hired for the school district, and they're forced to share offices in each building. More fun times in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
I had this one pegged practically from the murderer's introduction. Swanson used the same naming technique in a previous book, so I had no trouble figuring out who was making the hit, and there was very little surprise in who went down as well. I spent most of this book waiting for the shoe to actually drop. The only suspense was in whether or not Skye would actually talk to Wally while he was away taking care of his ailing father. Mostly, with this particular installment, I was just muddling through on my way to the next book in the series. I only recommend reading it if you've read all the others, and you're wanting to continue. It just has some things in there that you won't want to miss for when Swanson eventually refers back to them in future books.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 248
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Would I Recommend?: Eh, only if you're plowing through the series like I am. Otherwise, don't bother with this one.
Cockatiels at Seven (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Once again in Meg Langslow's world, there's chaos and upheaval. This time around, a friend drops off her little boy, Timmy, for "just a little while." The little while turns into a day, then two, then three... And Meg hasn't even spoken to this friend for a good two years, since before the toddler was even born. It turns into a missing persons case that winds up with a dead body and embezzlement from the local college. It's always good news when Meg's around, after all. To top it off, Meg and Michael, now happily married (for a few weeks), are starting to think about having kids, thanks to Timmy. Are they ready for all that?
Thoughts:
Not one of my favorite Andrews stories, I'm not going to lie. I think I've gotten to the point that I'm reading the rest of the series to see it through to the end. The family's antics just weren't there this time, and there wasn't nearly as much fun. Plus, add a toddler into the danger mix, and it'll always shake out badly. I'm not going to end this series for myself, because I do still enjoy Meg's crazy-ass family, but it's not necessarily on my top priority list anymore.
Book 2 of 50
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it's a good series, and probably there will be references to this book in future, so maybe don't skip it, but don't start from this one, as it's not a very good showing of the crazy that could happen when the Langslow family is involved.
Once again in Meg Langslow's world, there's chaos and upheaval. This time around, a friend drops off her little boy, Timmy, for "just a little while." The little while turns into a day, then two, then three... And Meg hasn't even spoken to this friend for a good two years, since before the toddler was even born. It turns into a missing persons case that winds up with a dead body and embezzlement from the local college. It's always good news when Meg's around, after all. To top it off, Meg and Michael, now happily married (for a few weeks), are starting to think about having kids, thanks to Timmy. Are they ready for all that?
Thoughts:
Not one of my favorite Andrews stories, I'm not going to lie. I think I've gotten to the point that I'm reading the rest of the series to see it through to the end. The family's antics just weren't there this time, and there wasn't nearly as much fun. Plus, add a toddler into the danger mix, and it'll always shake out badly. I'm not going to end this series for myself, because I do still enjoy Meg's crazy-ass family, but it's not necessarily on my top priority list anymore.
Book 2 of 50
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh, it's a good series, and probably there will be references to this book in future, so maybe don't skip it, but don't start from this one, as it's not a very good showing of the crazy that could happen when the Langslow family is involved.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (Donna Andrews)
Summary:
Taking a break from Skye Denison, we're heading back to another series I've reviewed extensively. As a reminder, Andrews's books about Meg Langslow always feature a crazy family with off-the-wall murder investigations. Previously, there've been murders at a wedding, a TV convention, inside a computer game company, and during an Extreme Croquet tournament. This murder was no different. Meg and her fiance Michael were just trying to move themselves into their long-renovated, now-liveable house, but Meg's father, helper to all he meets, decided to foster a colony of penguins. In Meg's basement. Without her knowledge. Oh, and he found a body. The body turns out to be the owner of the town's zoo, and Meg's yard, along with her parents' yard and the yards of some of the neighboring farms, becomes home to not only penguins, but llamas, monkeys, lemurs, wolves, and a few dozen other species. Meg is less than thrilled, especially considering she is planning a big family party for Memorial Day, as well as her secret elopement with Michael. But all that is just par for the course when it comes to a Meg Langslow book.
Thoughts:
I enjoy the insanity of Andrews's Meg series. Meg is fun, and she actually knows how to put her foot down when it comes to some of the ridiculous things that her parents come up with. Some, not all, but that's better than other heroines we've come to know and tolerate, isn't it? The book is light-hearted and silly, complete with animal shenanigans and family idiocies. Meg is a great detective heroine who, while still snooping around in the police's investigation, doesn't usually wind up doing the whole job for the cops. She just supplements the evidentiary coffers a bit. A nice, welcome break from Skye's nosy busybody.
Book 1 of 50 for 2012! First book finished in the new year!
Pages: 328
Genre: mystery, comedy, slight romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Of course! This series seems more one-shot-ish than the Swanson series, so I feel okay in recommending picking any one of them up by themselves, though knowing Meg and her family from the beginning makes them all the more amusing.
Taking a break from Skye Denison, we're heading back to another series I've reviewed extensively. As a reminder, Andrews's books about Meg Langslow always feature a crazy family with off-the-wall murder investigations. Previously, there've been murders at a wedding, a TV convention, inside a computer game company, and during an Extreme Croquet tournament. This murder was no different. Meg and her fiance Michael were just trying to move themselves into their long-renovated, now-liveable house, but Meg's father, helper to all he meets, decided to foster a colony of penguins. In Meg's basement. Without her knowledge. Oh, and he found a body. The body turns out to be the owner of the town's zoo, and Meg's yard, along with her parents' yard and the yards of some of the neighboring farms, becomes home to not only penguins, but llamas, monkeys, lemurs, wolves, and a few dozen other species. Meg is less than thrilled, especially considering she is planning a big family party for Memorial Day, as well as her secret elopement with Michael. But all that is just par for the course when it comes to a Meg Langslow book.
Thoughts:
I enjoy the insanity of Andrews's Meg series. Meg is fun, and she actually knows how to put her foot down when it comes to some of the ridiculous things that her parents come up with. Some, not all, but that's better than other heroines we've come to know and tolerate, isn't it? The book is light-hearted and silly, complete with animal shenanigans and family idiocies. Meg is a great detective heroine who, while still snooping around in the police's investigation, doesn't usually wind up doing the whole job for the cops. She just supplements the evidentiary coffers a bit. A nice, welcome break from Skye's nosy busybody.
Book 1 of 50 for 2012! First book finished in the new year!
Pages: 328
Genre: mystery, comedy, slight romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Of course! This series seems more one-shot-ish than the Swanson series, so I feel okay in recommending picking any one of them up by themselves, though knowing Meg and her family from the beginning makes them all the more amusing.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Once again, we visit Skye Denison. This time around, Skye's mother has roped her into a cooking contest by entering her own recipe under Skye's name, along with her brother's and uncle's, in the hopes that the recipes might make the finals. All four recipes make it in, and May Denison guilts Skye into participating in the contest, even though Skye has no cooking skills whatsoever. Also, one of the high school students goes missing during the same weekend as the contest, and Skye promises her favorite students she will help them find the lost girl. Oh, and then the most obnoxious person in the contest gets killed.
Thoughts:
Skye is WEAK. She has to do everything for everyone else, and hardly ever thinks "well, this might get me grievously injured... Maybe I shouldn't do it!" And when that thought does cross her mind, she goes for the grievous injury anyway. What also drove me nuts about this book is May's insistence that Skye's boyfriend, the police chief that she's been lusting after for years, and who she finally started dating a book and a half ago, is no good. May works with Wally, and she knows what a nice guy he is, but she still tries to get Skye to break up with him, and go back to dating the funeral director. Seriously? Who would go for a funeral director over a cop in any contest? No, thank you. Besides, May hates the funeral director's mother, so why push for a situation that would force more contact with her? I like most of the characters in Swanson's series, but May is just getting too annoying for me. Bleh. Over her. Thank God my own mother isn't that annoying. Overall, though, pretty good book. It took me until the last clue was exposed to figure out who the murderer was, which is always a good thing. And despite May's being a pain in the ass, I'll be continuing the series, so be ready to see another four or five posts about Swanson's books. (This is book 10 of a 14 book series, though Swanson seems to put a book or two out a year.) Oh, and fun extra, the "winning recipes" were included at the back for your baking needs.
Book 40 of 40! Just made it to 40 in 2011! 50 books in 2012!
Pages: 238, 246 if you count the recipes!
Genre: Mystery, slight romance
Grade: B- for extra May
Would I Recommend?: The whole series is fun, despite my occasional whining. And the okay thing about the series is that this one can be picked up in the middle with little worry about missing something big.
Once again, we visit Skye Denison. This time around, Skye's mother has roped her into a cooking contest by entering her own recipe under Skye's name, along with her brother's and uncle's, in the hopes that the recipes might make the finals. All four recipes make it in, and May Denison guilts Skye into participating in the contest, even though Skye has no cooking skills whatsoever. Also, one of the high school students goes missing during the same weekend as the contest, and Skye promises her favorite students she will help them find the lost girl. Oh, and then the most obnoxious person in the contest gets killed.
Thoughts:
Skye is WEAK. She has to do everything for everyone else, and hardly ever thinks "well, this might get me grievously injured... Maybe I shouldn't do it!" And when that thought does cross her mind, she goes for the grievous injury anyway. What also drove me nuts about this book is May's insistence that Skye's boyfriend, the police chief that she's been lusting after for years, and who she finally started dating a book and a half ago, is no good. May works with Wally, and she knows what a nice guy he is, but she still tries to get Skye to break up with him, and go back to dating the funeral director. Seriously? Who would go for a funeral director over a cop in any contest? No, thank you. Besides, May hates the funeral director's mother, so why push for a situation that would force more contact with her? I like most of the characters in Swanson's series, but May is just getting too annoying for me. Bleh. Over her. Thank God my own mother isn't that annoying. Overall, though, pretty good book. It took me until the last clue was exposed to figure out who the murderer was, which is always a good thing. And despite May's being a pain in the ass, I'll be continuing the series, so be ready to see another four or five posts about Swanson's books. (This is book 10 of a 14 book series, though Swanson seems to put a book or two out a year.) Oh, and fun extra, the "winning recipes" were included at the back for your baking needs.
Book 40 of 40! Just made it to 40 in 2011! 50 books in 2012!
Pages: 238, 246 if you count the recipes!
Genre: Mystery, slight romance
Grade: B- for extra May
Would I Recommend?: The whole series is fun, despite my occasional whining. And the okay thing about the series is that this one can be picked up in the middle with little worry about missing something big.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye is coaxed into helping the owner of the new day spa in Scumble River find out who is sabotaging the spa before it even opens. She and her friend Trixie are given a weekend at the spa to see who is wreaking havoc at the spa. While there, Skye once again finds a dead body. This time it's a hoity-toity spa attendee who is one of the spa owner's nearest and dearest. Skye's job as detective increases as her spa weekend rushes by. Will she learn the truth before the weekend is over and the spa's residents disperse?
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye just so happens to come upon a dead body. Shock of all shocks. The story's an interesting one, winding up with a pretty good ending, not one we've seen from Swanson yet. True, I've seen similar in a few dozen Law & Order episodes, but that's all right. Swanson does a good job with it here. Though Skye's mother is getting more bothersome, especially since she's highlighted just a little more in this one than usual. The woman just won't quit. But the book overall is another fun one from Swanson. Always a good read for when you don't feel like thinking about anything substantial.
Book 39 of 40
Pages: 237
Genre: Mystery with hints of romance
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: As always, start from the beginning of the series, I say, but it's not hard to pick these up in the middle. Good "beach reading" type book.
Skye is coaxed into helping the owner of the new day spa in Scumble River find out who is sabotaging the spa before it even opens. She and her friend Trixie are given a weekend at the spa to see who is wreaking havoc at the spa. While there, Skye once again finds a dead body. This time it's a hoity-toity spa attendee who is one of the spa owner's nearest and dearest. Skye's job as detective increases as her spa weekend rushes by. Will she learn the truth before the weekend is over and the spa's residents disperse?
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye just so happens to come upon a dead body. Shock of all shocks. The story's an interesting one, winding up with a pretty good ending, not one we've seen from Swanson yet. True, I've seen similar in a few dozen Law & Order episodes, but that's all right. Swanson does a good job with it here. Though Skye's mother is getting more bothersome, especially since she's highlighted just a little more in this one than usual. The woman just won't quit. But the book overall is another fun one from Swanson. Always a good read for when you don't feel like thinking about anything substantial.
Book 39 of 40
Pages: 237
Genre: Mystery with hints of romance
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: As always, start from the beginning of the series, I say, but it's not hard to pick these up in the middle. Good "beach reading" type book.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business: A Memoir (Dick Van Dyke)
Summary:
Dick Van Dyke was the star of the aptly named Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as Bye Bye Birdie (originating his role on Broadway, and then appearing in the movie years later), Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Diagnosis Murder, and a whole host of other incredible works. His whole schtick is to be some form of himself on the stage and/or screen, and do it in a funny way. This man is a Hollywood legend. This book is about his life.
Thoughts:
I. Love. Dick Van Dyke. Love him. I'm fairly convinced that he was my first celebrity crush, from the first instant I saw him singing and dancing in the streets of London for Mary Poppins. Reading this book, and getting into the man's head, was basically a dream come true. I don't care that he was born 57 years before me, and my eldest uncle wasn't even thought of yet, let alone my mother, let alone me. I love him. It was a joy to read the tale of his lucky life in his own words. He is exactly the type of person on the page as he is on the screen. He's a jokester, and family friendly. I can literally count on one hand the number of times he used a word harsher than "hell." (The number is, in fact, once. I kid you not.) He says in his book that his goal with the work he did was to make it something that he could watch with his children, and not get embarrassed. He succeeded, spectacularly. One thing that I found interesting was the response I got when I told people that I was reading Dick Van Dyke's memoir. It wasn't "Oh my God, I loved him in Mary Poppins!" or "He was great on The Dick Van Dyke Show!" The first responses from several people (all of whom were older than me) was, "You know he was an alcoholic, right?" How, on God's green earth, is THAT your first response when you hear the name Dick Van Dyke??? This man is a comic genius, who's got legs of rubber, and can sing and act. HOW is "alcoholic" the first thing you think of? And at the time I'd spoken to these particular people, I hadn't actually gotten to any bits of the book that mention his issues with alcohol, and I wasn't around in the 70's when he actually outted himself and said "I'm an alcoholic." So no, I didn't know that. And no, it doesn't affect my view of this incredible man. So shut up about it! (Yes, I realize I've now gone on about it myself, becoming a hypocrite. I apologize, and will get back to the review.) The book is all about the joy of the job for Dick Van Dyke. He loved doing what he was doing. He still does. He's still appearing on stage, in a barbershop group called the Vantastics. He refuses to stop. I hope to hell that when I get to be in my eighties, I still love what I do enough that I want to keep doing it. Dick Van Dyke is an awesome performer, and I loved reading about his love for his craft. If you have ever in your life enjoyed a performance by our guy Dick Van Dyke, I highly recommend reading this celebration of his work. It's fun, and it's joyful, and even in the sorrow of his life, (losing a granddaughter, his ex-wife, and his girlfriend, getting a divorce, dealing with his alcoholism, etc.) he finds some kind of happiness. This is the kind of person I aspire to be. This book made me smile with every page, and now I feel the need to not only find all of his old movies, but also watch the entirety of The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as anything else I can find of his work. I love you, Mr. Van Dyke, and I thank you for sharing your life and your immense talent with us. Love, a very satisfied fan.
Book 39 of 40ish
Pages: 327 (I think... for once I don't have the book in hand!)
Genre: Non-fiction, autobiography
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Look at this post compared to all the others I ever make. I think that'll tell you! :)
And with this, we bring in the new year. I'll keep up with the list of things I finished before the end of the year last year, and then I'll get into the books for the New Year! Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Dick Van Dyke was the star of the aptly named Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as Bye Bye Birdie (originating his role on Broadway, and then appearing in the movie years later), Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Diagnosis Murder, and a whole host of other incredible works. His whole schtick is to be some form of himself on the stage and/or screen, and do it in a funny way. This man is a Hollywood legend. This book is about his life.
Thoughts:
I. Love. Dick Van Dyke. Love him. I'm fairly convinced that he was my first celebrity crush, from the first instant I saw him singing and dancing in the streets of London for Mary Poppins. Reading this book, and getting into the man's head, was basically a dream come true. I don't care that he was born 57 years before me, and my eldest uncle wasn't even thought of yet, let alone my mother, let alone me. I love him. It was a joy to read the tale of his lucky life in his own words. He is exactly the type of person on the page as he is on the screen. He's a jokester, and family friendly. I can literally count on one hand the number of times he used a word harsher than "hell." (The number is, in fact, once. I kid you not.) He says in his book that his goal with the work he did was to make it something that he could watch with his children, and not get embarrassed. He succeeded, spectacularly. One thing that I found interesting was the response I got when I told people that I was reading Dick Van Dyke's memoir. It wasn't "Oh my God, I loved him in Mary Poppins!" or "He was great on The Dick Van Dyke Show!" The first responses from several people (all of whom were older than me) was, "You know he was an alcoholic, right?" How, on God's green earth, is THAT your first response when you hear the name Dick Van Dyke??? This man is a comic genius, who's got legs of rubber, and can sing and act. HOW is "alcoholic" the first thing you think of? And at the time I'd spoken to these particular people, I hadn't actually gotten to any bits of the book that mention his issues with alcohol, and I wasn't around in the 70's when he actually outted himself and said "I'm an alcoholic." So no, I didn't know that. And no, it doesn't affect my view of this incredible man. So shut up about it! (Yes, I realize I've now gone on about it myself, becoming a hypocrite. I apologize, and will get back to the review.) The book is all about the joy of the job for Dick Van Dyke. He loved doing what he was doing. He still does. He's still appearing on stage, in a barbershop group called the Vantastics. He refuses to stop. I hope to hell that when I get to be in my eighties, I still love what I do enough that I want to keep doing it. Dick Van Dyke is an awesome performer, and I loved reading about his love for his craft. If you have ever in your life enjoyed a performance by our guy Dick Van Dyke, I highly recommend reading this celebration of his work. It's fun, and it's joyful, and even in the sorrow of his life, (losing a granddaughter, his ex-wife, and his girlfriend, getting a divorce, dealing with his alcoholism, etc.) he finds some kind of happiness. This is the kind of person I aspire to be. This book made me smile with every page, and now I feel the need to not only find all of his old movies, but also watch the entirety of The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as anything else I can find of his work. I love you, Mr. Van Dyke, and I thank you for sharing your life and your immense talent with us. Love, a very satisfied fan.
Book 39 of 40ish
Pages: 327 (I think... for once I don't have the book in hand!)
Genre: Non-fiction, autobiography
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Look at this post compared to all the others I ever make. I think that'll tell you! :)
And with this, we bring in the new year. I'll keep up with the list of things I finished before the end of the year last year, and then I'll get into the books for the New Year! Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Heat Rises (Richard Castle)
Summary:
The third tie-in book to the hit TV series, Castle. Nikki Heat is faced with the murder of a priest. He was killed in an S&M club. And her squad captain might be involved. Rook, her journalist boyfriend, is on assignment, deeply undercover, and completely radio silent. Or at least she thought he was, until he shows up on Page Six with his sexy agent coming out of a swanky restaurant. As an added bonus, Rook's ex writes a tell-all piece about what's going down within the precinct using Rook's notes on the case. And to top it off, Nikki is up for a promotion to Lieutenant, but instead gets slapped in the face instead. How will she clear the case, and her good name?
Thoughts:
Once again, the book reads like an episode of the show. It feels like reading what the character Richard Castle would actually write, were he a real writer. The true author of the books is still unknown, and honestly, I don't think I want to know. The books have allusions to former projects the actors from the show were involved in. (Firefly and Quantum of Solace, to name a few.) It's a fun look into the mind of a fictional character of one of my favorite shows. But the books are now feeling like they could be good, stand-alone books, independent from the show they're spun from.
Book 38 of 40
Pages: 301
Genre: mystery, romance
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes, most especially if you watch the show Castle on ABC.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!
The third tie-in book to the hit TV series, Castle. Nikki Heat is faced with the murder of a priest. He was killed in an S&M club. And her squad captain might be involved. Rook, her journalist boyfriend, is on assignment, deeply undercover, and completely radio silent. Or at least she thought he was, until he shows up on Page Six with his sexy agent coming out of a swanky restaurant. As an added bonus, Rook's ex writes a tell-all piece about what's going down within the precinct using Rook's notes on the case. And to top it off, Nikki is up for a promotion to Lieutenant, but instead gets slapped in the face instead. How will she clear the case, and her good name?
Thoughts:
Once again, the book reads like an episode of the show. It feels like reading what the character Richard Castle would actually write, were he a real writer. The true author of the books is still unknown, and honestly, I don't think I want to know. The books have allusions to former projects the actors from the show were involved in. (Firefly and Quantum of Solace, to name a few.) It's a fun look into the mind of a fictional character of one of my favorite shows. But the books are now feeling like they could be good, stand-alone books, independent from the show they're spun from.
Book 38 of 40
Pages: 301
Genre: mystery, romance
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes, most especially if you watch the show Castle on ABC.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon (Rick Yancey)
Summary:
Alfred Kropp is a teenaged boy with no mom, living in the foster system. His father was the descendant of Lancelot of the round table. In the previous book, Alfred died and was brought back to life. Now he's got to help get the Seals of Solomon so the world doesn't get overrun by a bunch of demons. The trouble is, he's seen what the Seal does, and what demons can do to a person. He's told to never look into their eyes... So what does he do? Yep. He looked. Now he's got to deal with his worst fears while he fights to save the world. Again.
Thoughts:
A good book. The first was really cool, delving into the mythos behind the Knights of the Round Table. In this one, Kropp finds out that there are, in fact, such things as demons, and not just the mistakes that come back to haunt you later. Kropp has to deal with his inner demons as well as the physical ones, and find a way to best the demons that can't be bested. It's an interesting take on "the end of the world." It's good enough to keep you wondering how Kropp's going to make it through, but light enough that you can put it down for a week, then pick it back up and still remember what had been happening. Not bad for teen lit.
Book 37 of 40
Pages: 327
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Eh. You've got to read the first one before this, and this is very definitely a fantasy book.
Alfred Kropp is a teenaged boy with no mom, living in the foster system. His father was the descendant of Lancelot of the round table. In the previous book, Alfred died and was brought back to life. Now he's got to help get the Seals of Solomon so the world doesn't get overrun by a bunch of demons. The trouble is, he's seen what the Seal does, and what demons can do to a person. He's told to never look into their eyes... So what does he do? Yep. He looked. Now he's got to deal with his worst fears while he fights to save the world. Again.
Thoughts:
A good book. The first was really cool, delving into the mythos behind the Knights of the Round Table. In this one, Kropp finds out that there are, in fact, such things as demons, and not just the mistakes that come back to haunt you later. Kropp has to deal with his inner demons as well as the physical ones, and find a way to best the demons that can't be bested. It's an interesting take on "the end of the world." It's good enough to keep you wondering how Kropp's going to make it through, but light enough that you can put it down for a week, then pick it back up and still remember what had been happening. Not bad for teen lit.
Book 37 of 40
Pages: 327
Genre: Fantasy, teen lit
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Eh. You've got to read the first one before this, and this is very definitely a fantasy book.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Murder of a Real Bad Boy (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Skye's gone and broken up with Simon (yeeeeeeeees!) and is trying to figure out how she wants life to continue from now on. Oh, and she's now an heiress with a house in serious need for TLC. That's where Beau the contractor comes in... and then gets murdered. Skye spends the book trying to decide what and who she wants out of Life, while trying to figure out who killed her contractor. Also, her brother has a secret, so her mother forces her to be nosy and find out what's up. Scumble River is turning into a regular soap opera town!
Thoughts:
Another nice step along the Skye Denison path. The fact that Simon is mostly out of the picture for Skye thrills me, which is no surprise to anyone who's ever read one of my reviews about this series. The plot is fairly well laid out, and I didn't figure out the murderer until late in the game, which is a plus. An added bonus was that Swanson got right down to the murder in this installment, whereas the previous few books have taken a while to get to the murder mystery part. (Swanson has relied on more mystery than murder in previous installments, which annoyed me. Who picks up a murder mystery, fully expecting murder, only to get to the murder 100 pages into the 250 page book? The early death of Beau pleased me, as awful as that sounds!)
Book 36 of 40
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup! Swanson does a good job of bringing a new reader up to speed with Skye's previous adventures while still keeping the loyal readers happy. While I always recommend picking up from the beginning, most of Swanson's work is okay to jump into somewhere in the middle.
Skye's gone and broken up with Simon (yeeeeeeeees!) and is trying to figure out how she wants life to continue from now on. Oh, and she's now an heiress with a house in serious need for TLC. That's where Beau the contractor comes in... and then gets murdered. Skye spends the book trying to decide what and who she wants out of Life, while trying to figure out who killed her contractor. Also, her brother has a secret, so her mother forces her to be nosy and find out what's up. Scumble River is turning into a regular soap opera town!
Thoughts:
Another nice step along the Skye Denison path. The fact that Simon is mostly out of the picture for Skye thrills me, which is no surprise to anyone who's ever read one of my reviews about this series. The plot is fairly well laid out, and I didn't figure out the murderer until late in the game, which is a plus. An added bonus was that Swanson got right down to the murder in this installment, whereas the previous few books have taken a while to get to the murder mystery part. (Swanson has relied on more mystery than murder in previous installments, which annoyed me. Who picks up a murder mystery, fully expecting murder, only to get to the murder 100 pages into the 250 page book? The early death of Beau pleased me, as awful as that sounds!)
Book 36 of 40
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup! Swanson does a good job of bringing a new reader up to speed with Skye's previous adventures while still keeping the loyal readers happy. While I always recommend picking up from the beginning, most of Swanson's work is okay to jump into somewhere in the middle.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Murder of a Smart Cookie (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
Our friend, Skye, gets her fourth summer job of the summer (after having lost the previous three) as the director of the Route 66 100-Mile Yard Sale, or at least the Scumble River portion. She works for Scumble River's new mayor, her Uncle Dante. Dante's a crazy jerk with a penchant for screaming at the top of his lungs at everyone. One of Skye's ex-bosses, Cookie, winds up dead, and Dante thunders at Skye that she had better figure out who killed Cookie before it ruins the yard sale. There are TV cameras in town, following the star of an "Antiques Roadshow" wannabe show as the bitchy woman wreaks havoc with the sellers along the yard sale route. Plus, Simon, Skye's boyfriend, is out in California while she's dealing with all the crazy, her parents and her best friend and her husband are dealing with couple-y issues that Skye wants to help fix, and one of her favorite students goes missing. Just another calm week in Scumble River!
Thoughts:
I like the separation thing for Skye and Simon. It gets him out of the picture for a while, and lets Skye be Skye. Of course, that means that Skye gets into a little more trouble than usual, but she has Wally the police chief to help her out of her scrapes. They need to just get together already! But I digress. (As usual.) The book was a good one, though I did know exactly who did it about halfway through the book, and was not at all surprised by the reveal. But it was fun and quick, and during the holiday season, that's kind of what a girl needs, isn't it?
Book 35 of 40
(I don't think I'm going to make it to 50 this year. What a year!)
Pages: 260
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: For a light read, yup! Enjoy!
Our friend, Skye, gets her fourth summer job of the summer (after having lost the previous three) as the director of the Route 66 100-Mile Yard Sale, or at least the Scumble River portion. She works for Scumble River's new mayor, her Uncle Dante. Dante's a crazy jerk with a penchant for screaming at the top of his lungs at everyone. One of Skye's ex-bosses, Cookie, winds up dead, and Dante thunders at Skye that she had better figure out who killed Cookie before it ruins the yard sale. There are TV cameras in town, following the star of an "Antiques Roadshow" wannabe show as the bitchy woman wreaks havoc with the sellers along the yard sale route. Plus, Simon, Skye's boyfriend, is out in California while she's dealing with all the crazy, her parents and her best friend and her husband are dealing with couple-y issues that Skye wants to help fix, and one of her favorite students goes missing. Just another calm week in Scumble River!
Thoughts:
I like the separation thing for Skye and Simon. It gets him out of the picture for a while, and lets Skye be Skye. Of course, that means that Skye gets into a little more trouble than usual, but she has Wally the police chief to help her out of her scrapes. They need to just get together already! But I digress. (As usual.) The book was a good one, though I did know exactly who did it about halfway through the book, and was not at all surprised by the reveal. But it was fun and quick, and during the holiday season, that's kind of what a girl needs, isn't it?
Book 35 of 40
(I don't think I'm going to make it to 50 this year. What a year!)
Pages: 260
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: For a light read, yup! Enjoy!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Murder of a Pink Elephant (Denise Swanson)
Summary:
More murder time for Skye, the school psychologist. This time around, the victim is a band mate of Skye's big brother, Vince, and Vince is one of the prime suspects. The vic goes down this time in a fire in the school gym while there's a school dance going on, and Vince and the rest of the band are playing for the dance. As a couple added bonuses, there's increased use of methamphetamines and a crazy theme park mogul wanting to set up shop in the town. To top it all off, the police chief is running for mayor and his opponent is smearing him with the fact that Skye has been solving murders in the town for the last two or three years, not the chief. It's always a good time in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye saves the day. I'm getting really tired of her relationship with Simon, the boyfriend she's had since the beginning of the series. She's not a very giving person in that aspect of her life, and it seems like the boyfriend is always having to work for her affections. Not cool. Also, why can't the woman just get herself a job with the cops already, because she's solved, what, five murders at this point? Six, if you count this book, and there's a couple short stories that have come between books, which I'm sure hold some sort of crime solving. Just start getting paid for it already, Skye. It'll be worth it to you in the end, won't it?
The books are still fun, though, and worth wading through the crap romantic bits and the little dramas in Skye's own life to get to the murder solving bits. Also, let's get this girl hooked up with the chief already, because that has just gone on too long.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, faint romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Good for the cheesy mystery lovers, as usual.
More murder time for Skye, the school psychologist. This time around, the victim is a band mate of Skye's big brother, Vince, and Vince is one of the prime suspects. The vic goes down this time in a fire in the school gym while there's a school dance going on, and Vince and the rest of the band are playing for the dance. As a couple added bonuses, there's increased use of methamphetamines and a crazy theme park mogul wanting to set up shop in the town. To top it all off, the police chief is running for mayor and his opponent is smearing him with the fact that Skye has been solving murders in the town for the last two or three years, not the chief. It's always a good time in Scumble River.
Thoughts:
Once again, Skye saves the day. I'm getting really tired of her relationship with Simon, the boyfriend she's had since the beginning of the series. She's not a very giving person in that aspect of her life, and it seems like the boyfriend is always having to work for her affections. Not cool. Also, why can't the woman just get herself a job with the cops already, because she's solved, what, five murders at this point? Six, if you count this book, and there's a couple short stories that have come between books, which I'm sure hold some sort of crime solving. Just start getting paid for it already, Skye. It'll be worth it to you in the end, won't it?
The books are still fun, though, and worth wading through the crap romantic bits and the little dramas in Skye's own life to get to the murder solving bits. Also, let's get this girl hooked up with the chief already, because that has just gone on too long.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 252
Genre: Mystery, faint romance
Grade: B-
Would I Recommend?: Good for the cheesy mystery lovers, as usual.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Secrets Sisters Keep (Abby Drake)
Summary:
Four sisters, Ellie, Amanda, Babe, and Carleen, are brought together for their uncle's seventy-fifth birthday party. Carleen, the third child and black sheep of the family, hasn't been seen since her trial for burning down the family home ended. She was eighteen at the time, and is now in her forties. Babe, the baby, is an aging Hollywood starlet who hasn't been home since she was a teenager either. Ellie, the eldest, has lived with Uncle Edward at his Long Island lake house since her marriage ended in her twenties, and Amanda, second eldest, lives in nearby Manhattan with her husband and three children. The day before Uncle Edward's big bash, which will welcome back 200 of his oldest and dearest friends to the lake house, Uncle Edward goes missing. The book follows the sisters as they hunt for Uncle Edward, and try not to spill the beans on all their deepest and darkest secrets.
Thoughts:
Honestly, I kind of hated every character, in one respect or another. Amanda's a haughty bitch who needs to get her priorities straight. Ellie is scared of change, and everything that could make her life more meaningful. Babe is too wrapped up in herself to know anything. And Carleen, while being the most well-adjusted of the sisters, is bitter and feels the need to fix everything she may or may not have broken all those years ago. The story, overall, is an interesting one, but the players are just... Boring. Uninspired. They're cliches of the worst sort.
The book was fairly short, with big type, but I still had to push myself to get through it. At 100 pages, I was ready to be done already. The only good developments came along at page 250 or so, and went from there. Unfortunately, it was too little and too late for me to really care. I'm sorry, Ms. Drake, but you did not hook me at any point. The only reason I finished the book was that I truly hate starting a book and not seeing it through to the end. Thank goodness I got this through one of those "book of the month" clubs as one of the introductory books, so I didn't have to pay more than a few pennies for it. Otherwise, I would have been more upset.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 301
Genre: Chicklit, kinda
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Skip it. Boring, uninspired cliches aren't worth your time.
Four sisters, Ellie, Amanda, Babe, and Carleen, are brought together for their uncle's seventy-fifth birthday party. Carleen, the third child and black sheep of the family, hasn't been seen since her trial for burning down the family home ended. She was eighteen at the time, and is now in her forties. Babe, the baby, is an aging Hollywood starlet who hasn't been home since she was a teenager either. Ellie, the eldest, has lived with Uncle Edward at his Long Island lake house since her marriage ended in her twenties, and Amanda, second eldest, lives in nearby Manhattan with her husband and three children. The day before Uncle Edward's big bash, which will welcome back 200 of his oldest and dearest friends to the lake house, Uncle Edward goes missing. The book follows the sisters as they hunt for Uncle Edward, and try not to spill the beans on all their deepest and darkest secrets.
Thoughts:
Honestly, I kind of hated every character, in one respect or another. Amanda's a haughty bitch who needs to get her priorities straight. Ellie is scared of change, and everything that could make her life more meaningful. Babe is too wrapped up in herself to know anything. And Carleen, while being the most well-adjusted of the sisters, is bitter and feels the need to fix everything she may or may not have broken all those years ago. The story, overall, is an interesting one, but the players are just... Boring. Uninspired. They're cliches of the worst sort.
The book was fairly short, with big type, but I still had to push myself to get through it. At 100 pages, I was ready to be done already. The only good developments came along at page 250 or so, and went from there. Unfortunately, it was too little and too late for me to really care. I'm sorry, Ms. Drake, but you did not hook me at any point. The only reason I finished the book was that I truly hate starting a book and not seeing it through to the end. Thank goodness I got this through one of those "book of the month" clubs as one of the introductory books, so I didn't have to pay more than a few pennies for it. Otherwise, I would have been more upset.
Book 34 of 50
Pages: 301
Genre: Chicklit, kinda
Grade: D-
Would I Recommend?: Skip it. Boring, uninspired cliches aren't worth your time.
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