Book Review

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik

Synopsis: A boy in 1930's Paris lives among the clocks in the train station. He keeps them running and hopes no one will find him. In his spare time he tinkers with mechanical devices and learns about magic tricks and film, all while working on a secret project. Along the way he meets some interesting characters who will shape his future.

Readability: Super quick, but completely enthralling. This is essentially a children's (or juvenile) graphic novel, thought I'm not sure it fits the description perfectly...but who cares. The pictures are FANTASTIC! Anyway, it's a quick read because most of the book is pictures. When I first started reading, I had a hard time letting myself get into the pictures because I'm *such* a grown up, but once you get going, the flow is perfect.

Predictability: Well. I thought I had it all figured out. I kind of knew where we were going, until the last line, which completely floored me. Until I got to the end of the book, I kept thinking, "Ok, this is cute...what's the big deal?" And then I read the last line, which broke my heart open and crawled inside where it will stay forever and ever. It's not often that I love a book like this. Like I'll never forget it.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I read the whole thing in two hours. So there you have it.
Recommend it?: YES! Go get it right now. It won the Caldecott Medal and was turned into a movie for a reason. (Side note: did you know the movie Hugo was based on this novel? I had no idea until one of my co-workers asked me about it.)

Overall Rating: Five stars. LOVED IT.

Book Review

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Synopsis: In post-WWII Russia, Leo discovers a string of murders, which he is compelled to solve without detection from his military superiors...because "crime doesn't exist" in Communist Russia.

Readability: Aside from the Russian names, it's not as if this one was at all difficult to follow. Much of the book was VERY difficult to read because of some pretty brutal violence. Other than that..the plot twists, the character development, the writing was all along the lines of a Nancy Drew novel.

Predictability: Ugh. I mean, seriously.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Well, here's the rub. The story was compelling enough that I wanted to know if it was going to work out the way I expected it to work out. Guess what: I was right.
Recommend it?: Gee whiz, what do you think? Don't bother. Disappointing at best. The story line was interesting enough. Like, interesting enough to make up a Law & Order episode, but violence for the sake of violence is so. bor. ing. And offensive.

Overall Rating: One star. For the fact that this guy managed to get it published. One star for effort.

Book Review

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

Synopsis: Orphaned Jody is all grown up and suddenly has to face the reality of her parents' murders when key evidence that put their killer in jail comes into question.

Readability: No problemo. Well. Except for the fact that Pickard used her thesaurus a little too much. I felt, frequently, like she used too many words to say something relatively simple.

Predictability: Man! I thought I had it figured out, but boy was I wrong.

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: In-between. The first hundred pages were touch-and-go for me, but the rest of the book was pretty exciting. Mostly, I kept reading because I wanted to know if what I thought happened really happened.

Recommend it?: Sure. Not a bad read. This one didn't leave me hot or cold. It was a decent book, but not compelling enough for me to even really remember it enough to review it a week later.

Three out of five stars. Meh. I would like to read more of Pickard's books to determine if she chose to write in this rambling cowboy style to fit the theme of the book of if she always uses too many words. I really did enjoy the plot twists, though.

Book Review

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Synopsis: When her mother unexpectedly dies, sixteen year old Emily goes to live with her grandfather. Here's the thing, though: she didn't even know she had a grandfather, let alone an eight-foot grandfather living in the strangely magical town of Mullaby, North Carolina until she was orphaned. While there she makes a few special friends and begins to learn the secrets about the sleepy barbecue town and her mother's silent past.
Readability: Easy. Charming. I really like SAA's style. I reviewed her book, Garden Spells a few months ago. I love the way she weaves a little bit of magic into an every day kind of story.

Predictability: I didn't really know what was going to happen, but if forced to guess, I probably would have figured it out. I'm ok with that.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I had a hard time getting in to this one, but once I got going, I was hooked. Sometimes I think I lose something of the story when I devour it so fast. Alas, I may never know what it's like to savor a book. I don't have that kind of self control. It took me a week to read the first fifty pages and 36 hours to read the last 200.
Recommend it?: Yeah, though not as highly as Garden Spells. I felt, like with GS that the author only took it so far, when it really could have developed into a masterpiece. That being said, I highly enjoyed it. There is no violence or bad language, but there is one sexy scene--fair warning to my more tender-hearted readers. This wasn't the kind of book that I finished and said, "THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!" But I did finish and say, "That was fun. Glad I picked this one up." It was sweet, satisfying, and perfect for a road trip over Easter weekend. So there.

Three out of five stars. Very well written, but again, I feel like she stops just short of really developing the story and characters. Some of you nerds out there will know what I mean when I compare her style to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He weaves magic into seemingly mundane stories, making them sparkle. SAA does that, but without the plot and character development that would take 200+ more pages, which, I'm not sure the average reader is looking for. Keep in mind, GGM is a difficult author, and I enjoy the light-hearted feel of SAA's novels. In many ways she is the best of both worlds. I just keep wishing for a little more.

Book Review

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Synopsis: In the summer of 1931, Jacob Jankowski runs away with the circus. That's all I'm giving you.
Readability: Not hard...as in challenging. There were a few scenes that were difficult to stomach. This one is pretty gritty, folks.
Predictability: I didn't know. I didn't know. I just didn't know what was around every corner. You know I love that. This subject was so unfamiliar to me that I honestly didn't know what was coming next. There were some major surprises for me in this story. That being said, the ending was FANTASTIC.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Bah. I have been angonizing over how to answer this question. Here's the thing: while I was reading, I was completely captivated and didn't want to stop reading. When I did stop reading and thought about the book, I thought, "This is so dumb! Why am I reading this?!" I struggled with this dilemma through 300 pages.
Recommend it?: Um. I honestly don't know whether or not to recommend this. It's a very satisfying and enthralling read, but it is awfully gritty. There is quite a bit of sexiness, animal stuff that's hard to read, and a fair amount of language. This may bother some of my more fair-hearted readers. That being said, I think I enjoyed this one. I'm pretty sure. I really, really liked the ending. The ending made made it all worth while. So...if you're reading it and you're thinking, "Why did I get into this? What was I thinking?" Just remember what I said: the ending makes it all worth while. Though I can't honestly say, "The ending makes you feel like everything is right with the world." I'm so conflicted. I will say, however, that sometimes there are books that I say, "Why did the author do this or that? I would have done it this or that way." I never once thought that while reading this novel.
Three out of five stars. Very well written, interesting, and a good ending. I'm so conflicted.

Book Review

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Synopsis: Three women in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi couldn't possibly be living more different lives. Aibileen, a black maid and nurse for the white Leefolt family has raised seventeen white children. Skeeter, a twenty-two year old white woman returns home after graduating from college to discover that life in Jackson is not what she once thought. And Minny is another black maid and mother of five known for her wonderful cooking and mouthy attitude. These women decide to work on a project so socially offensive, that it literally endangers their lives. This is the story of each of these women, their work together and the strange kinship that blooms between them.

Readability: Not the easiest read. The dialect is challenging, to say the least, and this book is surprisingly long. Or maybe it just felt that way since there were so many words on every single page. (If you read it, you will understand exactly what I mean.)
Predictability: We know what happens in the South in the early sixties, we know how race relations were in Jackson, Mississippi at that time, but that is ALL that is predictable. I was so drawn in and so in love with each of the characters, that it was as if they were real, and just like in real life, you just never know what's around the corner.

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Here's the thing. This book is completely heart-wrenching. Every word tugs at your heart. It was so intense at times that I longed to put it down just to get a break, only to spend the time I wasn't reading, thinking about what I was missing. To me this is the mark of a truly wonderful novel: it feels as if it lives and breathes on its own, and when you put it down, you are taking the chance of missing something.
Recommend it?: Y.E.S. Hands down, one of the best books I have read in a long time. Perhaps ever. And I've read a lot of books. This novel was gentle, delicate, gut-wrenchingly sad, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and the kind of thing you fall in love with so deeply that you want to wrap it up and protect it under your coat. I admit, I have a thing for historical fiction, but the way Stockett has woven these women's lives together, yet kept them completely separate is, I believe, something to behold. I cried, I laughed, I feared for their lives and safety, I celebrated their victories, and was completely drawn into Southern culture with all the intensity of a Mississippi summer and surprise one-liners of an author who knows we need a break, even if it's only for just a second.

Five out of five stars. No question. I would read it again if I thought I could handle it. Clean language and some violence, though not graphic.

Go out and get it today. Do not stop. Do not pass go.

Book Review

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Synopsis: Claire Waverly has a nice life set up for herself inside the walls of her garden, using the plants inside for her hugely successful catering company. When her sister shows up with a five-year-old daughter, after being gone for ten years, her security is threatened.
Readability: Super quick and easy. Imaginative and fun, though, so not boring.

Predictability: Well...I knew how it would end, but I didn't know how we would get there. I have to say, I wish the author hadn't wrapped things up so...predictably. A little more imagination and a few more chapters, and this really could have been a masterpiece. It felt like Allen didn't want to work that hard. That being said, she laid out the puzzle pieces in a way that I could see them, but couldn't put them together without her help. ...Ok, truth be told, I could have, and I would have done it differently, but that didn't keep me from devouring every single word.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I read the whole thing in five hours. I LOVED it. Loved every word. Total, pure enjoyment.
Recommend it?: YES! Yes! YES! Be warned, however, there is limited vocabulary, and some sex and some violence. Nothing compared to the last Grafton novel I read, though. There are a couple pretty grown up scenes in this one, though, folks. That being said, I LOVED this book. I can't wait to read SAA's other novels.
Four out of five stars. Loved it for its creative context, but wish she had taken it another step further. Left me wanting more, but only because I enjoyed it so much.

Book Review

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
Synopsis: Kinsey Millhone is hired to do a background check on her neighbor, Gus's, full-time-care nurse, which she completes and approves. It's not until things start to look pretty bad for old Gus that Kinsey realizes she may have overlooked something.
Readability: In short? I have baby brain, and I didn't have any trouble at all.

Predictability: You know how I love a surprise. We know from the beginning what's going to have to happen in the end...make sense? BUT, it's the bumps and bounces along the way that kept me guessing HOW it would all work out. I'm telling you, Grafton hasn't raised my blood pressure like that in a long time. Probably in the last four "alphabet" books. Really. At about 2am, Richard came out to the living room to find me reading. "Are you coming to bed?" he asked. "NOT! RIGHT! NOW!!!!" I shrieked. Once you get to the last five or six chapters, there's no stopping. For real.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Couldn't put it down? I still can't stop thinking about it. I finished it last week.
Recommend it?: I do, but only if you are already a friend of Kinsey Millhone. There were some things in this one that were pretty shocking and a little bit gory. I have a very hard time with violence of any kind, and there was one scene in this mystery that wasn't very palatable. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this one. You know when you get so involved in a book that you are IN it? That's how I felt. I want to go back and visit...but that seems like it would be silly, since the book isn't actually alive and nothing will have changed since the last time I put it down.
Three and a half out of five stars. For violence and repetitive dialogue. (Come on Sue. Mix it up a little bit.)

Book Review

American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson

Synopsis: The auto-biography / memoir (what's the difference anyway?) of Criag Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show. He starts by talking about his parents' lives in Glasgow at the end of World War II, and takes us all the way through his own birth, schooling, and career as a Scotsman. Intertwined through each fantastically depicted memory, he ruefully describes the way alcoholism affected his life.

Readability: Not hard to read at all. Very enjoyable, in fact. Be warned: this book contains colorful language and grown-up content relating to drugs, alcohol and sex. It was not gratuitous, though, and not necessarily written to shock, which I appreciate. It reads like a journal entry, though it is very intro-spective, well-thought-out, hilariously funny and at times very emotional. In short, I laughed, I cried, I empathized. The only down side is that there are a lot, A LOT of names to keep track of. Other than that, no complaints.

Predictability: Well, I knew going into it that Ferguson currently hosts a late night television show, so I wouldn't exactly call it a shocker. I learned a lot about Ferguson's life as a Scot, and why he became an American (which, incidentally, I did not see coming--I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, so if you want to know his reasons, shoot me an email.).

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I really couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed it from word one. I don't know what I expected, but it is very well-written.

Recommend it?: I DO recommend it! It's like talking with a friend. Like I said, though, Ferguson is a true Scotsman and as such enjoys using the f-word and enjoyed (past-tense) whiskey and women.

Four out of five stars. Really loved it. Really, really.

(I just re-read this post. Could I gush any more??)

Book Review

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Synopsis: Robert Langdon once again finds himself in the middle of a Symbologist's scavenger hunt where time is of the essence. This time, in our nation's capital.

Readability: Easy--very wordy, though. I found myself skipping entire paragraphs.
Predictability: I was surprised on this one--I didn't really know how it would all turn out. There were a couple twists and turns I didn't see coming, and a handful that I did.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: As usual, Dan Brown delivered a real page-turner. Toward the end, it lost me, though. Once the mystery was solved, there were three or four more chapters to wrap up all kinds of loose ends. It was hard to stay awake for the finish.

Recommend it?: Well...that depends. In Dan Brown's other books, he has a lot to say mostly about the Catholic church. I feel like he works really hard doing his research so that nothing he says is absolutely WRONG, so it's hard to put your finger on it. Well...in The Lost Symbol, Brown has a lot to say about Christianity and religion as a whole. He's right on the money about a lot of things, but then he starts talking about how "God is in all of us," and that if we can each just elevate ourselves to one-ness, blah, blah, blah. He's missing the crucial point: As Christians, we have a savior. Remember? He missed it completely. Anyway, would I recommend this book? Sure...if you aren't offended by that sort of thing.

p.s. I felt like this was the most poorly-written book by Dan Brown yet. He repeats FULL SENTENCES from one page to another. What kind of editor did he have? Do they really think I'm so stupid that I can't follow the story? Really?

Two out of Five stars. I am disappointed.

Book Review

Julie & Julia : My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

Synopsis: Forty years after it is written, Julie (our foul-mouthed heroine) decides to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and then blog about it.

Readability: Easy peasy.

Predictability: Oh, well. You know.

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I flew through the first half of the book, but then I admit, I grew tired of the whining of the narrator and the detailed descriptions of the food were...nauseating. But maybe that's just me.
Recommend it?: Oh, sure. It was a cute read. Let it be known: I LOVED the movie. LOVED it. Loved it WAY more than the book. I never thought I would say that in my entire life. Ever. The truth is, they changed the movie enough to make me fall in love with the foul-mouthed heroine and thoroughly enjoy the added storyline about Julia Child. Honestly, the book was missing more about the REAL Mrs. Child.

Three out of Five stars. Eh.

Book Review

The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Synopsis: A novel about novel-lovers (Hel-lo! Love at first sentence!). Lucas Corso, a cranky alcoholic Spaniard, is hired to determine the authenticity of an original manuscript of Chapter 46 (or something) of The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas AND the authenticity of a 17th century manual for...er...summoning the devil. As you can imagine lots of excitement ensues.

Readability: Tough. Originally written in Spanish and translated to English, TCD is a challenging read, which was a refreshing change from the murder mysteries I usually blow through. Not so tough, however, that it was unenjoyable. The intricacy of the plot was really impressive. Even now, I can't believe what Perez-Reverte did in 300 short pages.
Predictability: I could NOT figure this one out. You know I love that. To the last SENTENCE, I didn't know where we were going.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: I didn't have trouble putting down The Club Dumas because it was rather involved to read, but believe me when I say that it was NEVER far from my thoughts. It took me 4 days to finish, and they were four well-enjoyed days.
Recommend it?: Y.E.S. To be honest, if I had known, I probably wouldn't have chosen this one because I'm not huge on Satan...you know...but by the time I realized what was going on, it was too late. The saving grace is that the book and story line have very little if nothing to do with Satan and everything to do with Corso. It is surprisingly un-scary, as Perez-Reverte doesn't go into anything to do with spiritual warfare and keeps the focus on Corso's task at hand. Even so, this one really isn't for the faint of heart, but can be read with the same fictional attitude as one would read Demon: A Memoir or Angels & Demons. I would call The Club Dumas a (wonderful!) mystery/thriller with some religious overtones. Period.
Four and half out of Five stars.

Fifteen Books

I so enjoyed writing this list for Facebook that I decided to put it on my blog, too. I'm interested in your fifteen books! Tell me if you make a list. I'll click on over and check it out!

Instructions:
Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Copy the instructions into your own note, send it along to how ever many people you like, and be sure to tag the person who tagged you.

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: My all time favorite. Until I read this book, I didn't know writing that weaves in and out of what I know as "real life," was allowed. Changed my life forever.

2. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden: I read this one while I was in Scotland. I thought it was so lovely and sad. I have vivid memories of riding the train to the Isle of Skye, fully engrossed in this novel. Mayhaps I should have been looking out the window? It seems to be my lot in life to be reading when I should be paying attention.

3. The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene: My first mystery. It sparked a love for all things heart-pounding.

4. Moby Dick by old Herman Melville: I finished it. You have no idea what that meant for me.

5. Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maude Montgomery: I read it on the ride from Norman, Oklahoma to Hudson, Wisconsin the summer after 4th grade. That's the sort of thing that sticks with you. It's the only book I can think of that I've ever read more than once. Also, it's WAAAAAAY better than Anne of Green Gables.

6. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Another one I read in Scotland. My semester abroad was an unadulterated opportunity to read purely for enjoyment. I correlate High Fidelity with happiness. Ironic?

7. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck: I got goosebumps just typing out the title. Read my senior year in high school. Sad, lovely, touching and epic.

8. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers: The spirit of the living God dwells in Chambers' writing. Life changing. Period.

9. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare: Does a play count? Anyway, I take it back, I've read this one more than once.Tried and true, and still one of the most beautiful things I've ever read.

10. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood: Not a popular favorite of Atwood's, but I was entranced (entranced, I tell you!) from word one. The quilts, the violence, the sad, bleak future. Ah, God.

11. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling: I am seventeen, burrowed under my covers in a new house in a new place reading by dim light.

12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Teen angst. Don't judge, but I thought this book was written for ME.

13. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton: Wait, they put sex in books? I can't believe my mom let me read this one. I distinctly remember nipples and a trailer park.

14. Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss: The beginning of my love for the written word.

15. Inside Out by Larry Crabb: I have never finished this book. I don't wanna talk about it.

This was hard. And took a lot longer than 15 minutes!

Book Review

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Synopsis: Um...Endless love, broken hearts, clueless parents and a mediocre heroine. Not to mention more pools of golden, shimmering topaz in his ever-loving eyes. Bleck.

Readability: Easy. I'm glad it's over.
Predictability: Ok. I had PARTS figured out, but scene after scene, I could NOT believe where the author was taking me. This one just got weirder and weirder for me. I would have predicted the end, but I would NOT have expected the roller coaster to get there.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: 700 pages this time. I read fast just to get it over with. One-third of the way through Breaking Dawn, I hit my limit. I kept reading just to find out what was going to happen.

Recommend it?: If you're going to read the first three, you pretty much have to read this one. Just don't be mad at me when you feel like you wasted a week and almost 3000 pages of your life.
Three out of Five stars. For the first half of the book. I'm still impressed with the author. Her imagination farrrrr exceeds my own. I never would have been able to come up with this kind of story line.

Can I just go on record as saying that Bella, the heroine, is a dullard? I felt like I was leading Bella around by the nose through all four books. Let me know if you feel the same way.

All in all, I enjoyed myself and haven't been this enthused to spend my time reading in quite a while, but I think I jumped in head first with the Twilight series, and let myself expect too much.

Just like most of my college boyfriends. (Excepting Richard, obviously.)

p.s. I write this knowing full well that MANY readers will disagree with my review. So sue me.

***Spoiler alert! There are spoilers in the comments section of this post. Sorry if it's too late for you already.***

Book Review

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis: More star-cros'd. More reluctant monsters. More love lost. Ohhhhhhhhhh, Jacob. [Tear.] (That last comment was for those of you who've read the series. You know what I mean.)
Readability: Easy. I enjoyed this one the most so far. By a mile.

Predictability: I went from guessing the plot lines in the first novel, to being pleasantly surprised in the second to not knowing ANYTHING in this third. LOVE that!

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Yet another 600 pages in under 12 hours. I even tried to pace myself this time so I wouldn't run out of reading material. I couldn't stop. I couldn't focus on my real life. I was completely enthralled in Eclipse. (I waited to post a review so that you wouldn't think I was too crazy. It's probably too late for that.)
Recommend it?: Doi. Read the others first. Please.

Four out of Five stars. I have to say, I'm impressed with Stephenie Meyer. I thought I was too clever for this silly vampire love story, but I am completely, irrevocably in love. It's too late for me. Save yourselves. Or don't. Enjoyyyyyyyyy Edward's smoldering eyes and Jacob's passionate growls. (I'm so not kidding around here.)

Book Review

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Synopsis: Star-cros'd lovers. Poor Edward is a reluctant vampire. Bella is even more in love with her eternally damned boyfriend, and her relationship with long-time family friend, Jacob Black develops. I don't dare say anything else...

Readability: This book was really difficult and challenging. Just kidding.

Predictability: This one was a little more unexpected for me. I really wasn't sure how this one would turn out. That's always a pleasure.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Another 600 pages in under 12 hours. I'm sorry Shirley.

Recommend it?: Obviously. But not before you read Twilight.
Four out of Five stars. I liked this one better, but I am star-cros'd myself. I just don't know who to cheer for anymore. Sigh... I have to go. I have more reading to do.

Book Review

*

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis: Edward Cullen and Bella Swan fall irrevocably in love the instant their eyes meet across the Forks High School cafeteria. Their love is heart stopping. and filled with many sorrowful glances, pained expressions and "pools of love in his golden eyes." (I made that up, but basically, it's true.)There's just one problem: Edward is a VAMPIRE!

Readability: Easy peasy. In fact, the first 20 pages, I thought, "How do people get this dribble published?" And...the rest is history.

Predictability: Oh, well...you know. It's a high school vampire love story. What do you expect? Really.

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Could. Not. Stop. Reading. There is something SO magnetic about this book that I really and truly couldn't put it down. (I'm so ashamed! Don't tell my lit professors!) I read 600 pages in 12 hours. I would have read faster if I didn't have a husband and daughter ifyouknowwhatimean.
Recommend it?: Yes. Yes. YES. I'm ashamed of how emphatically I want you to read this book. I LOVED it.

Three out of Five stars--because of the poor writing. One star for Edward. {sigh} One for a really exciting story line. And the last for the fact that there are THREE MORE BOOKS!!!

*Please note that the photo accompanying this book review isn't the book cover, like I usually post. It's a photo of Edward Cullen. My boyfriend. I haven't had the hots for a literary character like this since...well, ever.

Sigh...

Book Review

Wickett's Remedy by Myla Goldberg
Synopsis: The story of a young Irish woman, Lydia, from South Boston in 1918 and her experiences during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic that killed thousands of Americans.
Readability: A little confusing at first to determine which character's voice we are hearing, but well worth flipping back to figure it out. To be honest, I listened to this one on my iPod, so maybe it would be easier in print. I'm not sure.
Predictability: Boy, I thought I had this one figured out. The ending is sort of a stunner. I had to think about it for a couple of weeks to determine if I was ok with it. I am.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: It took me a long time to finish this one. Nevertheless, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't get Lydia out of my head.
Recommend it?: Absolutely. ABSOLUTELY. It's wonderful and touching and sweet and sad and fuunny and poignant and really just over all wonderful. I intend to find other books by this author.
Four out of Five stars--because of the stunning ending.

Book Review

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Synopsis: A gruesome murder begs Robert Langdon's involvement in saving the Vatican and the Catholic Church from an evil Hassassin and an ancient anti-Catholic brotherhood.

Readability: Easy peasy. A very quick read. Violent and sexually explicit. Not for kids...or even teens.

Predictability: Well, I knew who the bad guy was right off the bat, though Brown made me doubt myself throughout, so I guess that was nice, though I have to say: I had my reservations as to whether or not Vatican City would be destroyed. I'm just saying.

Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Brown writes an exciting novel, that's for sure. Was it well-written? Nah. Was the story line exciting? Yes. Did I find any typos? Not in this publication.

Recommend it?: Eh. Like I said, it was exciting and a quick read, but now that I think about it, it's really quite gory and sexually explicit. If you're looking for a fun thriller, go ahead and enjoy. Just don't send me a rude email when you end up offended in the end.

One out of Five on this one only because it really was heart-pounding at times.

Book Review

Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee
Synopsis: Eden, beginning of time. Adam and Eve (Ish and Isha) are created and live in the garden of Eden. You know the drill. The story covers the 600 years of their lives after The Fall.
Readability: Hard to get into at first because the scenes in Eden are just a little...smarmy. But, how else can perfect oneness with God be described? I think the smarm was unavoidable. Very easy to read otherwise, though I found myself imagining what a burden it must have been for Lee to write this story. It's not a happy one.
Predictability: Like I said, the story line really doesn't hold any surprises, but Lee approached the story from a vantage that I have never imagined. It gave new life to an old story that I know by heart. And it made both Adam and Eve very real and human to me.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: It took me a long time to read this one. Mostly because it was SO sad. The fall of man is no light reading. Ask my friends and family, though, I haven't been able to stop talking about this one.
Recommend it?: Absolutely. Absolutely. Even if you don't believe in Adam or Eve or Eden. Or God. Five out of five on this one. I KNOW, right?