A Book Review, "Killing Maine"

Wind power is the use of air flow through turbines to mechanically power generators for electricity. Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, consumes no water, and uses little land.

That's according to Wikipedia.

According to Mike Bond, it's Killing Maine. I know this because he spent a great deal of time educating the reader on this serious politically corrupt issue.

Between his soapbox sessions, Mike attempts to weave an interesting whodunnit. Unfortunatley the reader is stuck with Pono Hawkins, the main suspect, as he tries to solve the murder mystery and clear his name. While it seems Pono does have a heart, he's more lothario than anything else.

Killing Maine didn't do much more than Kill My Precious Time.

A Book Review, "Beautiful Maids All In A Row"

We are all flawed human beings chasing our own demons. I am drawn to that type of main herione in desperate need of redemption. 

This book satisfies on all levels. While a little light on the actual mystery it makes up in thrill. It's face pace and a definite "can't put it down" kinda book. 

Oh yes, and a great ending!

A Book Report, "The Heart of Henry Quantum"

"In the bestselling tradition of A Man Called Ove and the beloved film Love Actually, a quirky, socially awkward man goes on a quest to find his wife a last-minute Christmas gift and encounters several distractions—including bumping into his ex-girlfriend who was the one who got away."

It's less Love Actually and more Hector And The Search For Happiness. And I loved the Hector trilogy!

Like Hector, Henry is loveably quirky. His mind is constantly whirling! He realizes that it's 2 days before Christmas and he's not yet gotten anything for his wife, Margaret. He decides to get her a bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. The book details this day in the life in the mind of Henry as he travels all over San Francisco in search of the perfume.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a cute, sweet love story that made me smile.

A Book Review, "Out: A Courageous Woman's Journey"

I wanted to like this book, I really did.

I applaud those who have the courage to come out and live their true and honest lives in spite of an ignorant, bigoted, judgemental society. I appreciate the heartache Ms. Smoot endured and am very thankful she is helping to educate by telling her story.

I had a difficult time following Lou Anne's journey because I was so damn mad! My dislike of the book had less to do with Ms. Smoot and more to do with the so-called "Christians" who turned their backs and all but thumbed their noses at her. I just wanted to throw the book at the heads of the lot of them!

A Book Review, "Dark Matter"

The book blew my mind! But in a good way!

I mean, we all have those moments when we think about the "what ifs" in life. What if I'd stayed with my ex? What if I'd accepted the other job? What if I'd never gone to college, gotten married, had kids, etc.

This book allows you  the opportunity to step into some of those "what if" scenarios via Jason Dessen.

Now add the terror of being well aware of your "normal" life, the one you are happy with, the one you are desperate to return.

Thrilling!

A Book Report, "Ask The Dark"

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a 46 year young woman who loves to read YA novels. I think it's partly so I can keep up with what my teenagers are reading, though a lot of the books are extremely engaging. This was the case with Ask The Dark.

I was sucked in by the description: "A compelling tale of redemption and tour-de-force YA debut, Ask the Dark is an absorbing first-person thriller about Billy Zeets, a 14-year-old semi-delinquent in a deadly tango with a killer."

I was both saddened and amazed by Billy's fortitude. He's had a rough life which has led to some poor choices and he is very street smart. It's those keen observations that gets him involved in a string of murders in his hometown.

It's a very engaging book and an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

A Book Report, "Dark Prayer"

Sometimes I get sucked in by a book's cover. Sometimes it's the book's description. For Dark Prayer it was both.

Eloise Blake is on the run from a life she can no longer remember. And from a killer who will stop at nothing, to protect a secret as old as time. From the award-winning author of SEASON OF THE WITCH, comes a thriller about memory, identity and the murderous consequences of a quest gone wrong.

On the cover it looks like two different people, and really it is. Jenilee Gray discovers startling news which triggers a fugue state. Now she is Eloise Blake. Eloise is an entirely different person that who she was when she was Jenilee. For me that was the most fascinating part of the story - memory manipulation. We are who we are due, in part, to our memories. If those memories are manipulated, can we become someone entirely different?

For me this was more of a psychologically exciting book than it was a thriller. The murder mystery wasn't all that interesting since one could figure out "whodunit" fairly early. Still it's a rich story and I'd love for Mostert to write a prequel or even a sequel to this.

(I received an advanced reader's copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

A Book Report, "You"

"A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes's You is a perversely romantic thriller that's more dangerously clever than any you've read before."

I've read very few books that actually live up to the teaser hype. This book is one of the rare exceptions.

Boy meets girl in his bookstore. Girl flirts with boy and boy stalks girl. And I'm not talking the kind of innocent FB stalking we all occassionally partake. This is the watching from across the street, lying to the super to gain entrance in the apartment, hack into email and Twitter accounts, and steal the cell phone kind of stalking.

And yet, as creepy as Joe is, I found myself rooting for him! Trust me, no one is more surprised than me and I'll admit that I'm slightly bothered by what that might say about me.

Yes, there were things that I had to suspend my disbelief - the cell phone being the biggest hurtle, though Kepnes trys really hard to justify it. I didn't particularily find anything at all likeable about Beck, the object of Joe's obsession. And let's not get into the typical horror moviesque ending. (I mean, come on. Really?)

But I've got to tell you, as far as psychological thrillers go, this one is very different, fresh even. Joe is one of the most complex characters I've ever read. He's intense, creepy, a complete psycho and yet he has insecuries that we all can relate.

(I received an ARC of this from NetGalley for this review.)

A Book Report, "The Fever"

I admit it. I can be a “book by its cover” kinda girl.

The cover to The Fever drew my immediate attention and the book’s teaser sealed the deal.

This is a book that touches on all the genres. Several of Deenie’s close friends are having terrifying seizures. Is this an epidemic plague caused by a polluted lake in which the girls dare each other to swim? Is it a bad batch of vaccinations for HPV which has been administered to the girls. As the aftermath of the outbreaks remain freakishly unexplained, is the cause more supernatural?

While there were definitely some slow and repetitive sections of the book, I remained true to my curiosity and read to the end. The resolution is somewhat disappointing, but it is a resolution nonetheless.

(I received an advanced reader's copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

A Book Report, "The Undiscovered Goddess"

Fun and absolutely funny! This is a must read for anyone looking to improve her life and find her inner goddess.

A Book Report, "Game"

This book is the first book in the Game Trilogy by Swedish author Anders De La Motte. I got this one and the second book, Buzz for free from Netgalley. I've read this one. I'm not sure if I want to read the second one.

The premise is interesting. HP picks up a cell phone he thinks someone left on the train. It's sleek, shiny and state-of-the-art so he fiddles with it before deciding to look for its owner. The phone comes to life and asks HP if he wants to play a game. For stealing a fellow passenger's umbrella, HP will be awarded points. This seemingly harmless prank soon escalates into more egregious stunts, placing HP and others in danger.

I found it very difficult to relate to, or even like, HP. He's an immature stoner without any likable qualities. Continuing to play the Game for the money is certainly understandable, given HP's existence. But the author makes it clear that it's less about the money and more the adrenaline rush he receives from knowing his escapades are being watched and rated. He's an absolutely despicable character.

Ultimately I got sucked into the book. Who is behind the mastering of these Games? Why are these Games important? I'm sure the sequel will move the story toward that unveiling. I just don't know if I care enough about learning the answers.

A Book Report

Before and After. That’s how Rowan Areno sees her life now. Before: she was a normal sixteen-year-old—a little too sheltered by her police officer father and her mother. After: everything she once believed has been destroyed in the wake of a shattering tragedy, and every day is there to be survived.

It's those kinds of teasers that initially hook me. Many times the book doesn't live up to the teaser. This book was an exception. From the first few sentences I was caught and immediately reeled in.

Laura Weiss does a fantastic job in illustrating the desolation of depression and the devastation of subsequent suicide(s). Rarely have I been so attuned to characters in a book. Rowan's spectrum of emotion was so tangible to me there were nights I could not continue reading. I lamented along with Eli, even giving my dog extra petting sessions.

Weiss has created very real, very honest characters. She took her time with their healing and their overall journey. By the end, I was as filled with hope as Rowan and Eli.

A Book Report

"A sexy novel about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…"

The above description is what drew me to this book. Not the sexy novel part, but the part about human trafficking. Really, how could someone fall in love with the son of the man who enslaved her?

After finishing the book, the above description isn't really all that accurate. She wasn't really a victim of human trafficking - she was born into the "slave" life. And he wasn't the son of the man who enslaved her, per se. Technically the man rescued her from her abusive Master.

The author begins with human trafficking statistics. She herself is deeply passionate about the human trafficking issue. However, this book really had nothing to do with human trafficking. If the author wanted to bring about an awareness she shouldn't have written such complacent characters.

And the characters? There wasn't a single one in the book worth my interest. It was laughable that Haven, the supposed "victim of human trafficking" turns out to be a mafia princess. From slavery, to Mafia, to Russians intruding on turfs, a kidnapping and a weak love story, this book was all over the place.

And yea, there's a sequel. I, for one, won't be wasting any more of my time with Carmine and Haven.

A Book Report

A few weeks ago I received an email from Netgalley. The email mentioned that this book will be THE book EVERYONE will be talking about this summer. If everyone is going to be talking about it, well, I certainly wanted to weigh in on the conversation. So I requested it.

Donna Hayes, the Publisher and Chief Executive Officer, writes a letter to the reader that lends credence to the impending hype. She writes, "...a story so powerful that I am moved to personally bring it to your attention." She adds, "What ensues is at once a captivating story and a poignant examination of the human condition." She is not wrong.

Jason Mott's premise is a simple one. What would you do if your dead loved one suddenly returned?

In the southern town of Arcadia, Harold Hargrave opens his door one afternoon to find a government agent on his doorstep. With the agent is a familiar looking 8 year old boy. It's his son Jacob, who drowned in the river 50 years earlier. Jacob has suddenly Returned. In fact, all over the world the dead are Returning.

I was fascinated. Harold and Lucille certainly grieved the loss of Jacob, but in the years since, there grew a quiet acceptance. How does one handle this miraculous interruption to life that has gone on? Of course, Lucille embraces her son while Harold remains aloof. Slowly, and at Lucille's insistence, Harold warms up to Jacob.

At the same time there are so many Returned that governments are unable to control the escalating situation. This eventually leads to military presence for the arrest and detention of all Returned. Schools, offices, lots and homes are requisitioned as containment centers. The fear is that too soon the Returned will outnumber the True Living.

I became frustrated with the middle third of the book, which deals with Harold and Jacob living at the Arcadia containment center. This part begins the "poignant examination of the human condition" that Ms. Hayes writes. For me, the story began to drag and I found myself skimming the pages rather than giving my full attention. It wasn't until Lucille decided to take out-of-character action that the pacing began to pick up. After that it was indeed a page turner right up to the end.

I've been thinking about this book all day, so again, Ms. Hayes is correct. I certainly have been captivated. And while I'm not sure the story was "so powerful," I can tell you that I am hugging my 11 year old son more tightly today.

ABC has turned the book into a series. I will be watching Resurrection this fall. You can watch the YouTube trailer here.