Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

This is book two of the Mercy Falls trilogy. The first is Shiver. Considered young adult and written with more maturity than most in that category.

World War Z

The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us. A pandemic that destroys most of the human race. This is told as recollections from survivors around the world. It's easy to read and, at times, chilling.

Robopocalypse

Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson

In the not-too-distant future, technology takes over the world and begins exterminating the humans. I love apocalyptic stories, the what ifs that seem so plausible. This one is no different.

1984

1984 by George Orwell

Um, I don't think I really need to write a "review" per se. I think the books reputation speaks for itself. But I will say that this is the first time I've read it. I really wanted it to end differently but it ended the only way it could.

Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

I love zombies, and vampires, and supernatural stuff. They're fun to read. So I was drawn to this zombie novel for young adults. It started off really good. The idea of how this town of people had lived for generations was fascinating. As the story wore on I found the main character, Mary, to be terribly self-absorbed. To a point that I wanted to slap her. So it's a decent book, and there are more that follow (although I don't think Mary is the main character in the next one) so I may pick them up down the road. This was an easy and fast read.

Wicked Appetite

 

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

If you're a fan of Stephanie Plum (and why wouldn't you be?) Check out this first book in a new series from Janet Evanovich. I actually laughed out loud a couple times.

Evermore

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Meh. It's not awful, I did read the whole thing. But, I had the distinct feeling I had read this book before. At least in the beginning.

A Vintage Affair

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

The description from Amazon: "Phoebe Swift’s friends are stunned when she abruptly leaves a plum job to open her own vintage clothing shop in London—but to Phoebe, it’s the fulfillment of a dream, and her passion. Digging for finds in attics and wardrobes, Phoebe knows that when you buy a piece of vintage clothing, you’re not just buying fabric and thread—you’re buying a piece of someone’s past. But one particular article of clothing will soon unexpectedly change her life.

Thérèse Bell, an elderly Frenchwoman, has an impressive clothing collection. But among the array of elegant suits and couture gowns, Phoebe finds a child’s sky-blue coat—an item with which Mrs. Bell is stubbornly reluctant to part. As the two women become friends, Phoebe will learn the poignant tale of that little blue coat. And she will discover an astonishing connection between herself and Thérèse Bell—one that will help her heal the pain of her own past and allow her to love again."

I loved this book. I was a bit skeptical at first but I got pulled in by the story of the Frenchwoman. Phoebe is a likeable character and as the book unfolds you begin to understand why she does some of the things she does. The very end was wrapped up a little too tidily but otherwise was very well written, easy to read and enjoyable.

Immortal

Immortal by Gillian Shields

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn from her home near the sea to become the newest scholarship student, strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave her drowning in loneliness.

Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a mysterious and attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian blaze with each secret meeting, she begins to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. As the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate. (source)

Soulless

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless is a Victorian-era story of werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and a preternatural named Alexia Tarabotti. I love Alexia, she's stubborn and opinionated.

Here's the first part of the books description: "Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette" (source).

4 out of 5 stars

The House of the Spirits

How long do read a book before you decide you don't want to keep reading. It doesn't happen to me too often, but when it does I try to give it about 100 pages before I give up. That's about how far I made it into The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I think it's that I just didn't like the characters.

So, I moved on.

I CAN recommend another book by Isabel Allende, Zorro. Fabulous. Go read that one.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

In two words: Loved It.

This is the first in a series and I can't wait for the next one. Like most firsts in series' this spent some time with setting up the situation, which can slow a story down. I liked Thomas, the main character. The supporting characters didn't develop much depth, but I think there's still time for all that to unfold. There are two more books after all.

Here's the description:

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind." (source)

Did you read it? Did you like it?

Happy reading.

The Book of Lost Things

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

I loved this book. I read it slowly, a chapter or two at a time. There was so much imagery, I would stop after short bursts of reading to process it.

David is the main character. He's about 12 years old and his mother dies. David's father meets a woman named Rose and soon they move from London to her home in the country. Before too long, a new baby has arrived and David feels angry and resentful to Rose and Georgia for taking his father away from him.  At their new home, David's room is filled with books and they begin to whisper to him. One day, David is outside and looks up at the house. There he sees a strange and crooked man walk past a window. He thinks it might be his imagination, but is equally certain that it's not.

One evening, David decides to wander down to a sunken garden on the property and enters a narrow space that looks like a crack. He's then pulled into a strange yet familiar world.

This is in the Fairy Tale category and draws on many familiar stories from the Brothers Grimm. I don't want to say too much because it's hard to tell about the story without giving it away. I will say that the characters are well written and all are interesting. I think it's categorized as young adult. I recommend this book with a word of warning. It can be pretty graphic.

Not related to story, the cover is gorgeous. I recognized the artist right away as Robert Ryan. I want to keep the book just for that reason.

Have you read The Book of Lost Things? What did you think of it?

Peeps

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

First off, if you're freaked out by germs, rats, or sewers or if you have vivid dreams, read with caution. I am freaked out by rats. However, I don't have vivid dreams (that I remember) and this book gave me weird dreams.

It's no secret that I love vampire stories. I also love Scott Westerfeld's books. Here, vampirism is a virus. Vampires are parasite-positives, or Peeps, and one of the symptoms is cannibalism which is where the vampire legend comes from.

I love the different take on an old theme. I enjoyed the book and it's an easy read. The Last Days is the sequel. I look forward to it.

Keep writing Mr. Westerfeld.

happy reading!

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress (A Memoir of Going Home) by Rhoda Janzen

Rhoda Janzen has written her story about returning home after a couple life-altering experiences. "Home" is a Mennonite community in California.

This book actually made me laugh out loud more than once. My favorite part was a little section she referred to as "the top five Shame-Based Foods for Mennonite youth lunches." The capitalization is hers, not mine. She writes about her family in such a way that you get a real sense of all their idiosyncrasies and weirdnesses (no, that's not a word) but you can tell that she loves her family and they all accept each other the way they are. And, rather than being mean-spirited or condescending, it's endearing.

The book jumps around a bit from present-day to the past, but I didn't find it difficult to follow. As her story unfolds, you get a real sense of where she came from and what it means to her to have returned to this community after many years away.

I love memoirs. Especially those of "ordinary" people (as opposed to celebrity memoirs). I believe everyone's life has a story to be told and this is no exception. I hope to hear more from Rhoda Janzen.

Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush is the first in a series. It's an easy read with a nice flow to the story. It was easy to pick up and read quite a bit in a short period. Aside from being totally readable, I found Nora, the main character, to be completely annoying. But, most 16-year-old girls are totally annoying.

Patch shows up in her science class mid-year and is assigned to be Nora's partner. He's mysterious, totally aloof, and uncooperative. He seems bent on making Nora uncomfortable and defensive, which she is. Yet, for some reason, she's drawn to him. He feels dangerous to her and she even believes he means her harm. So why WHY does she continually seem to be seeking him out, even if only mentally? She tries to pretend indifference, yet is obviously not. Patch seems to draw her into dangerous (!) situations and she knows it but, for some reason, follows along.

Of course, there is a little mystery that comes along with the story. There are some supernatural events that begin happening once Patch shows up. Nora has weird hallucinations like totaling her best friends car on a dark rainy night, or her bedroom being ransacked. She also begins to hear a voice inside her head. Not "voices" but a voice ...

Nora's best friend, Vee, is a dolt and I don't really understand why they're friends.

The story ends kind of abruptly and it's all wrapped up with a tidy ending. The follow-up, Crescendo, should prove to be interesting how the story moves along. Am I going to read it? I'm not sure yet. But if I do, you'll hear about it here.

Happy reading!

To Be Read

Just wanted to check in and share a little photo of the pile of books I have on hand to read. This doesn't even count what I have on my wish list or the few I have on my Kindle.

Happy reading!

Fall of Giants

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

I had the goal of finishing this nearly 1000-page tome by the end of April. I did not. I spent nearly six weeks on it but the payoff was good.

The story begins before the start of World War I, continues through the war and finishes a few years after. The main characters are British, Welsh, German, American, and Russian. Some are real-life historical characters but the main characters are fictional. I found this in an Amazon.com review (3 stars): "... all of the significant characters are constantly meeting in the most unusual places and ways. I understand that the resolution of the First World War caused much change, but the characters simply interact in ways that are almost Forrest Gump-like in their ability to be where the evolving action is happening." Well said. Once (or even twice) could have been believable but this happened several times throughout the story. The more-likely scenario would have been characters being near the same place at the same time and never crossing paths.

I will admit that some of the war scenes got a little old, but I understand the need. The war lasted many years and the reader needed to get into the feeling of the long separations and loss people experienced. Sometimes it worked and other times the emotion wasn't there. All in all, the book could have easily been about 200 pages shorter. The characters were spread a little thin so we could've done with fewer. For example, the Russian brother who went to America and married a wealthy Russian girl. This part of the story felt totally unrelated to the rest of the characters and the larger story. He was an unlikeable character and I kept reading in hopes that his part in the larger scenario would evolve, but it fell flat.

This is book one in the Century Trilogy. Book two comes out in 2012. I read on Ken Follett's website that book two will cover the period of World War II and involve the children of the characters in book I.

Can you recommend any historical fiction covering the early 20th century?

Fallen

Fallen by Lauren Kate

There's something strange about Sword and Cross reform school. When Luce arrives after her boyfriend dies in a mysterious fire she feels out of place. She's new and everybody seems to know each other so of course she doesn't fit in.

I had a feeling early on that there was something unusual about the school. Luce sees Daniel and feels inexplicably drawn to him. He is rude and dismissive but she can't stay away. At one point she asks him if they know each other from someplace else. Cam is gorgeous and uber nice, but she can't stop thinking about Daniel. Daniel and Cam seem to hate each other. Strange love triangle.

Then the shadows arrive. Luce has seen them most of her life and they always leave her with a sense of foreboding. She has strange and vivid dreams. The "strange" begins to spill over into her waking life. I began to wonder if the people around her know what's happening, or if maybe she was a little crazy.

Usually when reading the first book in a series I grant a little leeway to the story, knowing that there will be more to come. I really love the concept of this one. I am hoping that the plot tightens up a bit and we don't spend quite so much time in Luce's head filled with self-doubt.

Torment is book two, out now. Passion comes out this summer. I am certainly checking them out.

Thereby Hangs a Tail

Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn

This is book two in a series. I read Dog On It last year and there's a third title that follows this one; To Fetch a Thief (which I haven't read yet). The stories follow the private detective partnership of Chet and Bernie and are told from Chet's perspective. Chet is a dog. So see? Great premise.

I love dogs. I love detective stories. There's something about these that just don't quite do it. I enjoy thinking about the world from a dog's-eye-view and the first book was great fun. I found myself struggling to get through the second one. Maybe it was just the story, about an abducted show dog named Princess. I found it a little tedious.

The third one is in my to-be-read pile, and I'm sure I'll read it. I hope I enjoy it as much as the first one, I hope I hope. Because, if it doesn't measure up I'm afraid I'll have to stop with the series. Life is too short and there are way too many really good books out in the world ...

Have you read these? Do you feel the same?

I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I love alien/sci-fi/supernatural/futuristic stories. The premise of this story is good: Number Four arrived on Earth when he was a child, a refugee from his home planet of Lorien. He's on Earth accompanied by his protector, Henri. There are eight others like him. They do not know each other. They are all protected by a charm to shield them from being killed by the Mogadorians; the species who destroyed Lorien. The Mogs are on Earth searching for the nine because they are the only ones who can defeat them.

In a nutshell.

I enjoyed the story and the characters were likable. It was a fast read and entertaining (the film is a totally different story, however). There were a couple places in the middle when the pace slowed a bit and it took most of the book to establish the characters and their "situation." The final climax of the story didn't last long and seemed to end kind of abruptly. So I feel the delivery was a little clumsy, but, overall, it was a worthy read.

The next one, The Power of Six, comes out in Aug. 2011. I'll probably tune in. Hopefully the writing will be a little tighter.

What about you, did you read it? Any recommendations?

Get Lucky

Get Lucky by Katherine Center

I'm not one for chick-lit but this was pretty good. It has a feel of self-help wrapped in a fictional story.

The story is about Sarah. She's just been fired from her job and goes home to Texas to visit her sister while she tries to figure out what to do. It turns out Sarah has no idea what makes her happy or what's happened to the past few years of her life working in advertising in New York. She's pretty sure advertising is evil and she wants to do something that really makes a positive impact on the world.

There's an internal dialogue that carries through the book that I enjoyed. There are some very thought-provoking observations that take place in Sarah's thoughts.

It's a quick read that's easy to get through, even if it is chick-lit.

Read any good ones lately?

Curse of the Spellmans

Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

If you havent read The Spellman Files go. Go read it now. I'll wait. Done? Great. Now read Curse of the Spellmans.

Izzy Spellman is a ridiculous mess. And her family isn't any better. Actually, the women in this family are all hilarious. Izzy, her younger sister Rae and their mom Olivia are all crazy. But in a lovable way. The men (brother David and father Albert) tolerate them, sometimes barely. From compulsive surveillance, going on "disappearances," and good 'ole BandE, the stories themselves aren't so full of mystery that you're on the edge of your seat. What makes these stories such good reads are the characters and the dialogue. They're page-turners. I actually laugh out loud.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Have you read the Spellmans? I can't wait to read book three!

Ruined

Ruined by Paula Morris

New Orleans ghost story.
Need I say more?

I read this very, very quickly. I liked it. But I love a ghost story.

Rebecca is a New York City girl and she gets sent to New Orleans for a few months because her father has to work overseas for a bit.

Of course, she doesn't fit in. She has a teenagers curiosity and immediately does that which she's told not to. She begins to have more questions than there seems to be answers for.

I don't want to give away anything so I won't say much more. You'll figure it out as you're reading, it's not deep mystery, but she's a good character.

Thumbs up.

Any thoughts? Any recommendations for me? I'd love to hear!

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This is book one in a new series from the author of the Uglies trilogy (which sort of has four books) and the Midnighters trilogy. Both of which I really enjoyed, which is why I picked this one up. It's a departure from the other two series, I would put Leviathan in the Steampunk sci-fi category. It takes place at the beginning of World War I but the technologies are at times advanced. There are the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers have machines like the walkers which are like piloted walking tanks. The Darwinists have created living creatures that are created from several animals (splicing and cloning) using "life threads" (DNA). They call them hydrogen breathers because they use hydrogen as fuel. Leviathan is actually a flying whale creature.

I love reading "what if" stories so I really enjoyed this one. It's imaginative and the characters are fun, smart and interesting. The mix of historical fact and science fiction is fun. It took a bit for the story to build, probably because the reader had to be introduced to these technologies and the world the characters live in. It's a quick read but it felt like it peaked and ended rather quickly.

I am intrigued enough to read the next story, Behemoth.

Have you read this one? Can you recommend any books I might enjoy?

Happy reading!

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: book 2

Ninth Grade Slays is book two in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.

I enjoyed the first book in the series, Eighth Grade Bites, which I read a short time ago. Vladimir Tod is half human, half vampire, is one-of-a-kind and is not without enemies. His father broke vampire law by marrying his human mother and many believe him to be an abomination. But, he's still just a teenager trying to survive adolescence and high school.

It's in the teen-lit genre, which I love. I wish "they" wrote books like this when I was a teenager. He's a good character and I'm enjoying "getting to know" him.

I think I'm going to order me some Minion Bling.

Happy reading!

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: part 2

First, I have to say that I loved Angels and Demons. I also loved The DaVinci Code, but not quite as much. I struggled to finish The Lost Symbol.

Here's why, in a nutshell:
1. It lacked mystery.
2. Really, how many times can weird stuff happen to one guy? Robert Langdon is like a literary Jack Bauer.
3. The characters weren't very compelling. I didn't care if they lived or died, which isn't good when you're trying to read a story about them.
4. It was about 180 pages too long.

I actually started skipping paragraphs when I had about 100 pages left, which is unusual for me. The villain was unconvincing, way, way too weird, and didn't give me a feeling of dread.

I did like the information about the symbology. It's very interesting. I've never been to Washington, D.C. and this makes me want to go more than I already did.

All in all, I think the Robert Langdon series has jumped the shark.

So, I wish I had more to say about it, but I don't. And, I don't recommend this book. Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Any reading suggestions?

Thanks for reading! See you in the new year.

Reading List 2010

Happy New Year to you all!
Here is the list of what I've read in 2010. 2009 is here and 2008 is here.

• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
• Blue Noon (Midnighters 3) by Scott Westerfeld
• Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Mockingjay (Hunger Games, book 3) by Suzanne Collins
• The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau
• The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• Sunshine by Robin McKinley
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Touching Darkness (Midnighters 2) by Scott Westerfeld
• Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
• The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
• The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle Trilogy, book 3) by Libba Bray
• The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp
• The Secret Hour (Midnighters 1) by Scott Westerfeld
• The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube by Michelle Goodman
• Demons are Forever: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
• Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn
• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
• Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
• Catching Fire (Hunger Games, book 2) by Suzanne Collins
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle
• Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
• Codex by Lev Grossman
• City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, book 3) by Cassandra Clare

If you know of any books or authors you think I might like, leave a comment an let me know! I would love to hear from you.