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Summer Reading 2012
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Summer Reading 2012 - Between the Covers
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Shattered Mirror (Den of Shadows #3)by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
This is my favorite in the series so far. Still a little slow though. the ending wasn't really my favorite either. I'm almost at the end now so I'll have to finish the entire series ha ha.
Mod
A great look at Paris and the historical details, but perhaps a little light on character (though I did enjoy renewing my acquaintance with Count Polanyi from Kingdom of Shadows, which I recently finished). I always love the atmosphere of a Furst novel - and this one, lingering in Paris, but also traveling to Berlin, Hungary, and Morocco - was in fine form, especially in describing the how the tones of places changed during this time, and how that was reflected in the attitudes of the people.
I only wished that Stahl had had a bit more oomph to his character. I realize that we are coming into the book in the middle of his story, but I felt like a bit more background and/or his motivations would have been nice. Similarly, although I know that the focus was on Stahl, I found myself intrigued by side players - Mme Boulanger, Olga, and Wilkinson. Still, Stahl was interesting enough to follow, and Furst is rather good at making me want to keep reading. A nice addition to the series.
Midnight Predator (Den of Shadows #4)by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
This was the best one of the series yet. Action and some inner turmoil about her morals. But again, the ending fell flat. 3 stars is the best I can give on this.
Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen AbbottI made it about halfway through this book. Honestly, the prostitutes are a lot more interesting than the reformers. I wanted to know more about their stories- where they came from and where they ended up. But, that's just not the kind of information that's available. They didn't write memoirs (one of the madams did but it's the life she invented for herself rather than the whole truth), they didn't have biographers or long interviews with reporters. Their stories are all speculation and ultimately the lack of information frustrated me.
Midnight Riot by Ben AaronovitchExcellent blending of police procedural and fantasy. Policeman Peter Grant interviews a ghost at the scene of a murder and finds himself assigned to the branch of the police department which deals with the supernatural and apprenticed to a magician. Very fun to read.
Moon Over Soho by Ben AaronovitchA rather dissappointing sequel to a book I enjoyed. There are just too many pots on the fire here. Too many plotlines and everything just ends up a rather murky mess.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 4 StarsI decided I needed to take a break from the modern novel and embrace some of the much talked about classics. My first classic is P&P. I chose this because let's face it, Jane Austen is like a rock star of her time. Even if you don't read you know who she is! I've read two of her other novels previously and I must say that I enjoyed this one just as much as the others. It's a great look into the way of life at that time and how the tiniest of things could set a whole neighborhood aflutter! it's also a beautiful story of how first impressions can be deceiving and that sometimes an acquired love and respect can mean so much more. If you can get past the old English language (LOVE the dictionary on my Kindle!) then this is a great read about love, understanding, respect, and affection.
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe SchreiberFast paced and exciting teen novel. It's the literary equivilant of a summer blockbuster. Full of guns, explosions and a beautiful Lithuanian assasian. Perfect for teen guys. The violence and language are not for everyone, though.
Level 7 by Mordecai RoshwaldThis 1959 novel suffers from extreme talkiness in the narration... So much so, that I kept wondering if there was going to be any real action, or if the narrator was going to keep pontificating about his thoughts and theories.
However, when the Greatly Dreaded Eventuality finally Came to Pass, I found myself a little stunned that it actually showed up. Then there's more thinking and talking and finally The End You Were Expecting (if you bothered to read the cover blurbs.
This one was hard to stay glued to, because my attention kept wandering. I'd recommend that you go read something more interesting.
July 11, 2012.
The Inheritors / Gateway to Nowhere by A. Bertram ChandlerWith all due respect, this was more misogynistic storytelling in The Inheritors (1972). Commodore John Grimes can't quit grunting "Mphm" ad nauseum, and the story makes allusions to some old-school science fiction standard works, which still don't redeem the heavy-handedness.
Gateway to Never (also 1972) finds apparently confirmed bachelor Grimes suddenly married, and offers seemingly positive commentary on illegal drug use, until a band of drugged out hippies suddenly... [spoiler omitted].
The coolest thing about this book for me was the bad guy's ship pictured on the cover.
July 11, 2012.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell HammettI'd been meaning to read this 1930 classic for a couple of months. Shortly after picking it up, I said, "This guy Sam Spade is *slime!*" I'm sure his personal moral code shocked some of Hammett's readers "back in the day," but it's easy to see that many of the recurring film noir images and situations came from The Maltese Falcon and other books like it.
Now I find myself wanting to watch the Humphrey Bogart movie to see how much of the (occasionally scandalous) book actually made it to the screen.
July 11, 2012.
Starman Jones by Robert HeinleinAfter reading The Door into Summer, I dug into my pile of Robert Heinlein paperbacks. Starman Jones (1953) held up pretty well to what I remembered of it from reading it in my teens and 20s.
I continue to be amused by Heinlein's preview of a future where humans are the weakest (but necessary) link in the starship/computer interface. However, his characters are likable in this coming of age story, in which the Farm Boy wants to go to Space, and actually reaches his goal... but not without a few necessary complications.
A strong effort from Heinlein.
July 11, 2012.
Time for the Stars by Robert HeinleinAnother Heinlein juvenile (1956). I was struck at the similarity to The Door into Summer'soverall structure. Plenty of "I don't need a government handout" independence from the main character's father, but the bulk of the story is about a young man trying to get out from under his identical twin brother's overbearing thumb.
Telepathy and time dilation team up for a story spanning 70 years, and protagonist Tom Bartlett manages to come home again, but on his own terms. (As long as he can convince that one girl.)
July 11, 2012.
Prom and Prejudiceby Elizabeth Eulberg
This was a cute modern-day retelling of the classic tale. No weird zombies or anything just a lovely teenage story. 4 stars for this one.
Mod
A pretty easy beach read, although there is some depth to it. The concept of organ donation (and in some cases the idea of "donation" is used loosely) is an interesting one, and is tied into the plot and the characterization quite well. The characters aren't quite three dimensional - and I felt like I was told more than I was shown about Ben and Natalie - but for a thriller, they were just right.
I actually thought the Plato quotes worked to ground the story in something that might even seem plausible (some thrillers just rely too much on the unseen, all-knowing "them" as a conspiracy tool). The story took awhile to gather steam, but once it did - in the jungles of Brazil - it was much more fun to read. With the whole medical ethics angle, the book was better than I thought it would be.
Mod
I like this one a bit better than the previous one, possible because the plot was more linear, but also possibly because it directly affected one of the main characters.
As usual, Mrs. Westerman and Crowther are well-drawn. The ease with which I got back into the books is mostly reliant on their excellent characterization. And the ease with which they work with each other shows great character evolution. The book is long, but I hardly noticed, getting right into the action of the mystery of the Island of Bones.
The mystery itself came together rather neatly - and though I had my suspicions early on - the way to the murderer was intriguing. The only flaw was that I felt Stephen Westerman was a bit too grown-up for his age. But I could overlook that on the strength of the rest of the book. It's a good thing I ordered the fourth book at the same time as this one!
Mod
I liked this book. It kept my interest and I enjoyed the plot. I know there is controversy with this book, but I liked it. I hated to put it down because I wanted to see what would happen next.
America Singer lives in distopia America and the king has a "selection" of 35 girls to be potential brides for Prince Maxon. America only joins the pool of possible candidates because her mother and boyfriend want her to. She doesn't believe she will be selected.
I enjoyed the relationship Prince Maxon and America have. Of course the book leaves you hanging in the end.
4 stars
Breach of Trustby DiAnn Mills
This is a christian romantic suspense. It was almost fast moving and pretty exciting. Not too preachy either. The characters we're very likable and real. Clean good read, almost a 4 star.
Mod
This is the second book in the Matched series. Cassia and Ky have been sent away from the society and are looking for each other. They both are trying to find the "rising" to fight against the society. Everything is not as straight forward as they think.
I enjoyed the plot and the twists and turns in this book.
3 stars.
Mod
We truly need someone like Bill Bradley in office (or running for prez in 2016?). His brand of leadership - honesty, pragmatism, and optimism - is sorely lacking in the hacks who lead Congress these days. He lays out a number of points here; ways America is lagging and what we can do to turn things around. And while the Citizens United case has really screwed things up by allowing money to control our elections, Bradley talks about ways average citizens can change things (that is, if the average citizen will take the initiative).
I just won one of the weekly drawings at the library! Thanks so much!
Dead Scared by S.J. BoltonGreat read. I really like Lacey Flint as a character - she is tough, smart, and able to handle just about anything. My only quibble is that this book uses characters from two previous novels (Blood Harvest and Now You See Me), and events were referred to but not explained. For those of us who have a crap memory, or for those who haven't read the other two, things can get somewhat confusing. This book would have been great as a stand-alone except for that.
4 stars
Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela DruckermanI'm not sure this deserves the full four stars, but I am feeling generous today. I started off really liking this book. I thought that at first, I would only peruse certain parts then return it. However, I discovered that I really did enjoy the book. The French have an interesting way of parenting, and after reading this book, I'm trying to adopt certain aspects they espouse. Druckerman's writing style is also very entertaining, much in the vein of Mary Roach's Stiff and Jena Pincott's Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?, both of which I really enjoyed. The reason I'm not sure this gets the full four stars is because after awhile, I felt that Druckerman kept reiterating how much better the French are than Americans and that got tedious. Personally, I believe that whereas the French have some really good parenting practices (such as having children wait and encouraging them to be polite), they have some practices that aren't so desirable for me either (spending time and playing with your child seemed to be looked down upon). All-in-all, an interesting read about common parenting practices in another part of the world.
4 stars
Susan wrote: "I just won one of the weekly drawings at the library! Thanks so much!"Congrats!
All Things Irishby Michael Loynd
I'm happy I finally got a chance to read this one! Once I was able to pick this up it was hard to put down. This is a story about life, family, forgiveness and love. Not too heavy but still enough to engage your brain. The characters are real and not made to seem perfect. I love the crazy Irish stuff... paper in the bread... painting the car like the Irish flag... all the superstition is just fun to read. It's written with accents and that also makes it fun to read. You can almost hear them speaking and imagine the expressions on thier faces. I laughed at this and almost cried too.
At first I was a little worried about loose morales but as the story progresses you see that's not the case. It is modern in the sence of sex before marriage, but not trampy.
Thank you for this first-reads copy, I'll be passing it along.
Mod
Alan Christofferson is walking across the nation after his wife dies and he looses his business. In this third installment, he is walking across South Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri, ending up in St. Louis. He ends up having several adventures along the way and this volume ends with a cliffhanger.
A great, fun, easy read.
3 stars
Mod
From the start, this novel has a more menacing, darker tone than Robertson's previous works - and the setting of some distant duchy in Europe is perfect for the tone. Westerman and Crowther have a lot of help in this one (it's great to see characters from previous books pop-up, especially Manzerotti), and the mystery is pretty solid. Robertson ties automata, royal politics, science, alchemy, and secret societies altogether in a rather ingenious way. Enjoyed their romp, but I will be happy to see them return to form in England (I'm hoping there will be a #5).
On Blue's Waters (1999) by Gene WolfeOne star *
I was looking forward to reading this sequel to Gene Wolfe's "Urth: Book of the Long Sun" 4-part series. Unfortunately, the narrative voice for the character of Horn verges on delirious (in the *bad* sense), and the perspective jumps back and forth between present and future time periods. ("Oh, wait, I haven't told you about that yet. Never mind, let me go down this other rabbit trail...")
It took me two whole weeks to get through 381 pages, so I don't think I'll continue with this series. My local library only has Book #2 of the trilogy on its shelves, but it's hard to say if I'll bother picking it up.
I'm sorry the narrative style wasn't stronger and more coherent, because I'd *really* like to find out what happens to these characters.
July 22, 2012.
North and South by Elisabeth Gaskell
Five stars!! This is a great book! The descriptions of Milton and the times they lived in were so detailed. I really enjoy hearing how they took such delight the simple things in life but still worked hard. The Milton men with their pride and determination as well as the ladies in proper society were so believeable. This is the first I've read of this author and I think I'll check for more.
Mod
This one is more of a 2-star, but I'll bump it up since I normally like Thomas's novels.
Anyhoo, this one just didn't gel. The main characters, Millie and Fitz, were about as fun and interesting as wet blankets. I realize that the story Thomas was going for was that of learning to live with choices, but these characters were practically martyrs - for nearly 8 years! Millie, a bit too good to be true, never stood up for herself or her love; instead, she smiled and played dead. Not exactly someone I could really root for. And Fitz - don't get me started. For someone with basic male drives (and with the mistresses to prove it), he sure was a stickler for keeping his vow to Millie. And he wasn't the most appealing male hero, either - morose, selfish, and a bit narcissistic.
It's a wonder that the two of them could abandon their personalities and get together in the end - which is one of the most disappointing denouements I've seen in romance novels.
But, Thomas's writing is as good as ever, so even if you dislike the characters and the plot, you can appreciate the style.
Sworn to Protectby DiAnn Mills
This was really preachy and long and fairly boring. I was dissapointed because the 1st in this series was really a good one. Sigh.
Only 2 stars for this one.
Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely #4)by Melissa Marr
Again another dissapointment. It seems like each one of these books in this series has progressively gotten worse. Boring and too dramatic without enough action or romance to carry it off. Blah, I think I'll just read some reviews on the next one and not even finish the series.
2 stars
Seven Miracles That Saved America: Why They Matter and Why We Should Have HopeI just finished reading this book, and all I can say is wow! I have read all of Chris Stewart books which are fiction and I am impressed with his writing ability. This book opened my eyes to parts of history which were not taught in school. I encourage all to read this book.
5 stars
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JanitorsI finished this book today as well. Good book but written for a younger audience. very clever ideas on how kids get distracted in school though...if only I had those excuses when I was a kid :)
4 stars
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Lifevery well written and interesting. though the middle chapters explaining optimism in different settings can be skimmed because they all say the same thing...positive people do better. his techniques do work well. as a therapist i have used them for several years with success.
3 stars
44 Book FourI have liked her other books in the series but this was a disappointment due to all the swearing in it.
1 star
Goodbye For Now by Laurie Frankel. 3 StarsThis book is a future release that I was lucky enough to get early to review.
This book is about a woman named Meredith who loses her grandmother, and her computer genius boyfriend Sam who might be able to make death just a little easier with a computer program that could keep our dead loved ones around. Sound weird? Well, the concept was very original and interesting, however, the final product was a huge let down. This was supposed to be a highly emotional book, but I couldn't connect with the characters and their emotions at all. They just weren't well written. There was no emotion. Just someone very plainly describing the emotions these characters were supposed to be feeling. Very disappointing.
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan 5 StarsAnother great read by Rick Riordan! I loved reading the Percy Jackson series with my kids and now this is the first book in his new series The Heroes of Olympus. Like his other series this one is full of danger, adventure, friendship, and humor. Unlike the other series this one focuses more on the Roman Mythology rather than the Greek and incorporates lots of new characters as well as few of our old favorites! Very fun read.
Increase In Learning - Spiritual Patterns For Obtaining Your Own Answersgreat book. The DVD included with the book was helpful but most of the time just repeated what he wrote in the book. It would have been neat to have him talking to a group of adults who have various backgrounds. For example it would be interesting to see how he would apply some of this information in different settings, for example, a professional counselor who has to deal with application. As you can guess if someone from that profession possed the question he would say, "what doctrine or principle better understood could help you know to how apply this to your work?" I guess that is the beauty of the book, is that it is not a to do manual but a here's a way to get you started and good luck manual.
4 stars
Edenbrookeby Julianne Donaldson
I cannot say enough good things about this book. Love, love, love it! The perfect amount of humor, mystery and romance. Made me a little teary at times but just as "sigh-able" happy at others. I hope Julianne Donaldson writes more and quickly!
10 stars for this one!
Mod
This story is set in Mississippi and is told from the point of view of the 3 main characters in the book. Big, Liza, and Mosey Slocum are a family who believes bad luck comes to their family every 15 years. Big, 45, had Liza at 15 years old, Liza, 30, had Mosey at 15 years old, and they are all just waiting for the bad luck to come. Liza has had a stroke from her drug use as a teenager, so Big decides to build a pool in the backyard to help with her rehabilitation. When the digging starts, an unexpected thing is dug up.
I enjoyed this book. I listened to it and the author reads it. I haven't read Joshilyn Jackson before. I liked her writing style as well as the plot of this book. I did not like all of the swearing, and there is some sexual content in it.
3 stars.
Mod
I really liked the plot of this book. Delilah loves a children's fairy tale book and one day discovers that she can talk to Oliver the main character in the book. Delilah finds out that when the book are closed, the characters can move around in the book, like the toys do in "Toy Story" when there is no child around. Delilah and Oliver try and figure out how to get him out of the book.
I gave this 3 stars because I do feel that Delilah's character was weak. She was boring.
3 stars.
good book by cussler. I just read it to my children. My youngest son age 5, did not keep his attention as well as my 8 year old. Cussler's writing seems to be for a child around 9-12. I am a big fan of his writing and thought the book was a fun insight to the great story teller he is.4 stars
Emeralds and Espionageby Lynn Gardner
I really liked this clean but exciting - romantic suspence. It really gets going from the very first page and doesn't let up at all. A good and fast read! I'll look for more from this author.
Kill Me Softlyby Sarah Cross
This is a fun mix up fairy tale story. It was a little wishy-washy for me but still a good story.
Mr. Monk and The Blue Flugood book, but I am not sure I like it or not. It was just like watching the tv show, which I loved, but the part I didn't like is that I felt like I was reading a script. The story was interesting though.
3 stars
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TFPL Book Posse
Books mentioned in this topic
Mr. Monk and The Blue Flu (other topics)Increase In Learning: Spiritual Patterns For Obtaining Your Own Answers (other topics)
44: Book Four (other topics)
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (other topics)
Janitors (other topics)
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Mary is forced to move in with her mean, bigoted father when her husband and daughter are killed. While living there, she decides to hire a gardener to make the garden look like it did when her mother was alive. She ends up hiring Whit Eden and a romantic spark is lit. I only give it 2 stars because I felt the writing was flat and the book just abruptly ends. The plot was moving along, and then it was tied up quickly in the end. Knowing Anita Stansfield it is the first in a series, but I did not like how everything was tied up in 2 pages.
2 stars