The Soulkeepers by G.P Ching

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor, Dr. Abigail Silva, offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a gifted warrior charged with protecting human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions Dr. Silva's motives for helping him.

I really enjoyed this book.

Jacob Lau has already lost his father and now it seems he may have lost his mother too. After being pulled from the crumpled remains of their car, with no explanation or idea where his mother is, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle, whom he never knew existed, in Paris, Illinois. Now, stuck in this small town filled with bigotry toward his mixed race, he is just trying to get by and get back to Oahu to find his mother. With the help of his new girlfriend and best friend, Malini, and a slightly eccentric neighbor, Dr. Silva, he will find out more than he had bargained for.

Ching kept me interested in the story through the entire thing. I loved that, no matter what you had just learned, there was always another mystery to keep you hanging on. The characters were very interesting, especially Dr. Silva. The whole story was multidimensional. The writing was really good, it didn't feel like a debut novel.

There, of course, were things I didn't like. Some parts felt rushed. There would be big jumps in the plot that threw me off. I wanted to feel the closeness and the growth of Jacob and Malini's relationship. Also, there were some strong religious undertones. I had no idea about them before reading the book and they didn't come into play until about halfway through. For me, this wasn't overpowering for me. It fit in great with the story and wasn't too preachy, in my opinion. I could just read it, add it too the plot line and move on without feeling like I was being preached to.

It was a very good book. I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.

4 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HEREThe Soulkeepers

The Misanthrope's Guide to Life (Go Away!) by Meghan Rowland and Chris Turner-Neal

Misanthrope, n.: 1.) One who hates mankind; a curmudgeon; a loner; 2.) The guy in your office who responded to your e-mail of baby photos with "D-. Passing, but not college material"; 3.) A Realist

Just the description alone made me want to read this book. I have my moments of, "I hate everything and everyone" so I really wanted to read this. And it was worth it, for the most part. There were parts that seemed to be taken right out of my brain at times. Others, I just thought were great ideas.

The book had me from the start. I laughed out loud several times. About half way through it, though, I got bored. It was almost like the authors ran out of things to talk about and just started randomly throwing stuff in, just so they could have a book. Also, if you get the e-book version, be prepared for a lot of punctuation errors. It drove me nuts, which is kind of ironic, actually.

The book has a lot of strong language, a ton of f-bombs, and can be pretty crude at times but it is funny. If you don't mind those things and you have those thoughts of, "I hate you all," I suggest reading it. It is fun and very fast. It is the perfect book to put on your coffee table or in your bathroom. You can read little snippets at a time, have a good laugh, then move on to other things.

3.5 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:The Misanthrope's Guide to Life (Go Away!)

Skipped Parts by Tim Sandlin

Banished to the hinterlands of Wyoming, rebellious Lydia Callahan and her thirteen-year-old son Sam have no choice but to cope. But while Lydia drinks and talks to the moose head on the wall, Sam finds a friend in local girl Maurey Pierce.

This is a hard book for me to rate. I don't quite know how I feel about it.

Sam is a 13 year old boy who, along with his mother Lydia, is banished to GroVont, Wyoming by his grandfather because his mom messed up somehow. He doesn't fit in at school and is pretty miserable until he finds a friend in Maurey. Together they explore things beyond their maturity level and learn a big lesson the hard way.

It was hard to get into the book in the beginning. It was pretty slow but I thought it was well written so I kept on.   I had a really hard time remembering that Sam was only 13. The way the book is written and by Sam's "voice" you would think he was an adult or at the least late teens. I just couldn't find it believable that a 13 year old talked this way. Then there were times where he was so ignorant to a subject that you were reminded of his age.

I liked the characters, for the most part. They were developed well and interesting. Well, interesting doesn't really cover it, they were down right dysfunctional. There were a lot of really funny moments in the story, and I loved those parts. I love a story about funny, dysfunctional families. Lydia was my favorite. She was crass, vulgar and irresponsible. She made the story fun.

There were parts where I just got bored and I skimmed over them. The writing was good, though. There were parts that I didn't care about.

The part that disturbed me, and will disturb a lot of people, is the fact that these 13 year olds are having sex. I'm no prude, but I didn't enjoy reading such graphic descriptions of these kids exploring each other. If it were toned down a bit, I would have liked it a lot better. Then, it wouldn't have been the same book, though.

It made me sad when I really thought about it. In this day and age, 13 year old probably think very closely to this now. It's different from when I was 13, and that wasn't all that long ago!

In some of the reviews this book is compared to "Catcher in the Rye". This book cannot compare to "Catcher in the Rye" in any way, shape or form.

I just learned this is the first book of a trilogy. I won't be reading the rest of them.

The book was well written and brought out a lot of emotions. I just didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

2.5 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:Skipped Parts: A Novel

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

A long-lost book reappears, mysteriously connecting an old man searching for his son and a girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother's loneliness.

Leo Gursky is just about surviving, tapping his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he's still alive. But life wasn't always like this: sixty years ago, in the Polish village where he was born, Leo fell in love and wrote a book. And though Leo doesn't know it, that book survived, inspiring fabulous circumstances, even love. Fourteen-year-old Alma was named after a character in that very book. And although she has her hands full—keeping track of her brother, Bird (who thinks he might be the Messiah), and taking copious notes on How to Survive in the Wild—she undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With consummate, spellbinding skill, Nicole Krauss gradually draws together their stories.

I didn't love this book. I didn't hate it either.

The History of Love is about 2 people. A man, Leo Gursky, who fell in love with a girl at age 10, wrote a book about her, then lost her. And a girl, Alma Singer, whose father gave her mother Gursky's book and who is named after the girl in that book.

I really liked this book in the beginning. Leo's part of the story is well written and pretty funny at times. You really get the cranky old man part of him from it. Alma's parts were scattered and choppy which was annoying at times but I think it worked well given she is a 14 year old girl, and sometimes, that is how their brains work. The further you get into the book, though, the more puzzling it gets. It seems Krauss wanted to make such a mystery with the story that she put so many twist and turns and she got lost. Toward the last third of the book she starts to insert diary entries from Alma's little brother, too, which just made it that much more confusing.

There were so many characters meaninglessly inserted into the plot, also. I don't get why half of them were there, they had no story to tell and no real point of being there.

I did love a few of the chapters that were shared from Gursky's book, The History of Love. Quite a few of them were so compelling and beautifully written, that I wished the rest of the book was just a retelling of it's namesake. I especially loved the chapter called, "Die Laughing".

There were some really good parts, where I laughed or smiled. But most of the time, I was just confused and wanted it to come to an end. After 240 pages, it did finally start coming to an end, but it was completely disappointing. Krauss wrapped up her confusing little novel into a pretty little bow and called it good. Why would you write such a complex story line just to quickly end it in such a trite way?

What dissapointed me more was that Krauss is married to Jonathan Safran Foer, who wrote "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", which I read, reviewed and loved. Their writing styles are very similar but she just can't compare to him, in my opinion.

I am not sure if the good of the book outweighs the bad. I thought the book was just ok.

2 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE: Name Your Link

Nine-Tenths by Meira Pentermann

Leonard Tramer’s time machine takes him nowhere near the past, but meddling with time destroys his future. When he steps out of the defective machine, he enters a totalitarian state which resembles East Germany more than the free world he left behind.



All it takes is nine-tenths of a second to make a mistake. Nine-tenths of a second can change the world. Leonard Tramer learns this lesson the hard way. He made a mistake when he was younger and has spent the last 30 years trying to figure out how to go back and fix it. With the best of intentions, he figures it out, but what happens when you change the past? You change the future too.

I have read a lot of books about dystopian societies. They can really be hit or miss. This one was a hit.
Not many of these type of books focus on families fighting their way through these oppressive worlds. Usually everyone is evil except that one person struggling to get free but not with this one. That's one thing I really enjoyed about this book. Leonard, his wife Alina and their daughter Natalia all band together to cross all barriers to get to a better place.

Pentermann really brought this 'alternate reality' to life. I was pulled in almost immediately. The characters were all well developed and the world they live in can truly be terrifying at times. At many points in the story I felt my stomach lurch with dread or anticipation with what was coming to the characters.

I loved how the story gradually unfolded. The changes were slowly unveiled to Leonard and to the reader, which made it that much more a page turner. It didn't focus mainly on the political aspect of the story either, like most do, it wraps you up in the characters and the story line. It was very well written and a great story.

What impressed me a lot was that the author self-published this book, yet it was well edited and free of mistakes. I did find one little mistake toward the end but I can let that slide since the rest of the book is just that good.

My one issue was that a big part of it was just a bit predictable to me. I had a very good idea of what went wrong and why it all changed and, for the most part, I was right.

I'd recommend reading it, though, if it strikes your fancy. It definitely breaks the mold a bit on the genre.
Very good read.

4 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:Name Your Link

My Sister's Voice by Mary Carter

A proudly deaf artist in Philadelphia, Lacey Gears is in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, 'You have a sister. A twin to be exact'. Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her parents. But the truth is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound. "My Sister's Voice" is a beautifully written novel about sisterhood, love, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in.

"You have a sister. A twin to be exact." These words changed Lacey's life.

Lacey and Monica are identical twins. Lacey is deaf while Monica is not. They were separated by their parents at a very young age. Lacey was raised in a home for disabled children while Monica was raised by their parents. When they are 28 years old, Lacey receives an anonymous note in her mailbox and after that all the mysteries start to unravel. Who is this twin sister? Why did their parents keep her and not Lacey? Can they really get over the damage that was done years ago?

My Sister's Voice started off strong. I was pulled in immediately by the mystery of the situation. As the story went on and the characters were developed, though, my interest wavered. The characters weren't developed well. They all seemed very immature and unrealistic as did the story line. I couldn't believe that all of these people, and there were quite a few of them, would react the way they did to something so life changing.

There were times where issues were easily explained away. Something you would think would be very important to these characters lives and to the story would just be swept under the rug. While on the other hand there were unnecessary explanations and rants of things that were so minute that it took away from the story line.

The ending was a very big disappointment. We spend the entire book getting to the explanation of it all and the actual climax was incredibly anticlimactic. Lacey and Monica's lives are turned upside down by all these revelations and it was wrapped up in a perfect little package and ended abruptly. It felt like more of a rough draft, a very rough draft at that, than a published work of literature. I was disappointed.

I did find the aspects of deaf culture fascinating. I loved that they were explored, sometimes in great depth. It was very interesting to read about. Most people make a lot of assumptions about deaf people and this sheds a new light on them, their language and their culture.

Even with all those things it wasn't a terrible book. There were times where I really did enjoy it, especially once I got over the immaturity of the main characters.

2 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE: Name Your Link

A Safeway in Arizona by Tom Zoellner

On January 8, 2011, twenty-two-year-old Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a Tucson meet-and-greet held by U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. The incident left six people dead and eighteen injured, including Giffords, whom he shot in the head.

Award-winning author and fifth generation Arizonan Tom Zoellner, a longtime friend of Giffords's and a field organizer on her Congressional campaign, uses the tragedy as a jumping-off point to expose the fault lines in Arizona's political and socioeconomic landscape that allowed this to happen: the harmful political rhetoric, the inept state government, the lingering effects of the housing market's boom and bust, the proliferation and accessibility of guns, the lack of established communities, and the hysteria surrounding issues of race and immigration.

Zoellner offers a revealing portrait of the Southwestern state at a critical moment in history- and as a symbol of the nation's discontents and uncertainties. Ultimately, it is his rallying cry for a saner, more civil way of life

In the beginning of the book Zoellner states, "This book is an attempt to make sense of a fundamentally baffling event." and "this is not a work of objective journalism". One of these sentences is true. One is definitely not.

It started off well, recounting the happenings of January 8, 2011 in Tuscon, Arizona. It was interesting reading the details of the day, including who was there, why and where. It was even heartbreaking in parts. But a few pages in it started losing it's appeal to me. I appreciate the fact that the author wanted to really detail everything but he went into incredible detail about things that we didn't really need to know. Zoellner could have left out some of the minute details and saved the reader a lot of useless descriptions.

The book jumps from one subject to another in an instant. First you are reading about that tragic day, next you are reading about the Kennedy assassination, then pieces of history of Arizona. The author even threw in stories about his childhood, which did eventually bring us to his meeting with Gabrielle Giffords, but not without boring us first.

I feel this book is more of an transcript of a rambling, grief stricken man, trying to make sense of a personal tragedy, then a work of literature. Though I did learn quite a few things about the state of Arizona I would never have known if I hadn't read this book. That is the only reason for the 2 stars.

So, in case you were wondering the first statement was false. This didn't make sense of the event at all. I don't think you can blame an economy or history for one persons decision to take lives.

Maybe I'm just not the audience the author intended this book for. Other may very well enjoy this book. I did not.

So if you think you may like it, give it a try. You may like it more than I did.

2 out of 5 stars.

It is in stores on December 29. You can pre-order it here: A Safeway in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells Us About the Grand Canyon State and Life in America

I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson

his is the memoir of Elli Friedmann who was thirteen years old in March 1944 when the Nazis invaded Hungary. It describes, in intimate and excrutiating detail, how her world was shattered by their arrival. She tells what it was like to be suddenly forbidden to attend school, talk to neighbours, to forceably leave home and move to a ghetto, lose all privacy and almost starve. But worse was to come in Auschwitz concentration camp. She recounts what it was like to exist there as one of the few teenage inmates and the tiny but miraculous twists of fate that helped her survive against the odds. 

It is impossible to say you enjoyed a book such as this. This book is too bittersweet and heartbreaking to say you enjoyed it. I can say that it moved me.

Elli lived in Czechoslovakia in 1944,  along with her brother, mother and father, when Germany invaded their homeland. After having to leave school, part with valuables and wear yellow stars on their clothing they are sent to a ghetto. Shortly after they are sent to concentration camps and split up. The story tells all from the beginning when Germany first invades in 1944 until their liberation in April of 1945.

I have read several books about the Holocaust and books from survivors but this one is unique. Not often do you read a book about a survivor making it through concentration camps with her mother at her side. They go through many struggles and are moved from camp to camp yet they do it all together.

The authors detailing of events is remarkable. She brings you deeply into the camps and the atrocities the Jewish people went through. Though we will never know the pain and horror they felt, Bitton-Jackson brings us as close as I have ever read. Her writing is simple and straight forward and brings you straight into the events and doesn't let you out until the end.

I am amazed by her story of survival but even more moved by Elli's strength and perseverance. She overcame everything and still turned into an amazing, beautiful and strong woman. With a PhD even!

This is a very touching story. I will be reading the follow up books also

5 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust
And here is the link to the authors Amazon page. It lists all of her books and you can purchase them there:Livia Bitton Jackson

Zombie Fairy Tales by Jill Myles

Collected here are 7 short, slightly twisted fairy tales retold from a zombie perspective. What if Cinderella had been undead when she went to the ball? What if Little Red Riding Hood went to Grandma's house to eat her? 

Included are:
Zombie Cinderella
Beauty & The Zom-Beast
Sleeping Zom-Beauty
Little Red Rotting Hood
The Princess and the Zomb-Pea
Moldy-locks and the Three Bears
Rapunzombel


At only 76 pages this is a very fun and quick read.

There really isn't too much to say about such a little book. The writing is good. The stories are very quick and fun. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. None of the stories were amazing though. I think a lot of the stories could have been much better if there was a little more to them. They are fairy tales though so they are supposed to be short. It can get a bit gross at times for those who don't have a strong stomach.

I did like the book. Nothing great but it is enjoyable. My favorite was Zombie Cinderella, more because of the Fairy Godmother.

3 out of 5 stars

This is another one that is only an e-book. Here is the link to the Kindle version.
Zombie Fairy Tales

The Portal by Christopher Allan Poe

Cody isn’t like other little boys…he sees things he shouldn’t. Vivian Carmichael has been hiding in the San Bernardino Mountains for more than a year now. Far from cell towers and video cameras, she's finally found a safe place to raise her four-year old son Cody. Until the night he crawls into bed and whispers two words that fill her with terror. “Daddy's home.” Now running for her life, she's horrified to learn that her estranged husband Jarod is not quite human anymore. Can she unravel the mystery of her family's dark secret before he can steal her son, claiming her as his next victim?

The Portal is a very fast paced, action packed story. From the very first page the action starts and it doesn't stop until the book ends.

Vivian and her son Cody have been in hiding for a year when he climbs into bed and whispers the words Vivian fears the most, "Daddy's home". Vivian is now fighting for her and Cody's lives when she finds out she may be in over her head. Jarrod, her ex, isn't quite human anymore and Cody isn't quite himself. What is going on? She needs to figure it all out before it's too late for everyone.

It was a very easy read. I got through it fairly quickly. Poe knows how to bring you into the story from the page one. The only problem with this is that there is barely any back story and a lot of questions go unanswered through the book. I still don't know why certain things happened. The characters weren't as developed as I would like, either. The other world, though, is very well imagined. The creepiest parts of the book for me was when Cody went into his trances and when they entered Cody Town.

I do feel that Poe tried to put so much paranormal into the story in such a short amount of time that it felt jumbled at times. He had villains, monsters, possession, an imaginary world, lots of bumps in the road and still tried to keep the love story of a mother and son in tact. It was a bit much for this book.

This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I did. I got sucked into it and had a hard time putting it down. There was plot twist after plot twist and it really was fun to read. I think with a better editor and some more back story it would have been a great book. Instead it was just good.

If you like fast paced paranormal thrillers go ahead and check it out.

3 out of 5 stars.


BUY IT HERE:The Portal

Rain Song by Alice Wisler

Nicole Michelin avoids airplanes, motorcycles, and most of all, Japan, where her parents once were missionaries. Something happened in Japan...something that sent Nicole and her father back to America alone...something of which Nicole knows only bits and pieces. But she is content with life in little Mount Olive, North Carolina, with her quirky relatives, tank of lively fish, and plenty of homemade pineapple chutney. Through her online column for the Pretty Fishy Web site, she meets Harrison Michaels, who, much to her dismay, lives in Japan. She attempts to avoid him, but his e-mails tug at her heart. Then Harrison reveals that he knew her as a child in Japan. In fact, he knows more about her childhood than she does...


This was a free e-book I downloaded on a whim. I'm glad it was free, I wouldn't want to spend money on it.

The story was like many others I have read. There was a tragedy that changed the main character forever, a strong family member who keeps the main character together, a chance encounter, a bad event that puts a bump in the road and self-discovery. Not only was it boring though, it was also poorly written.

Nicole, the main character, is passive and hard to relate to. I found myself annoyed with her instead of feeling sympathetic. I got tired of hearing her excuses for everything. I understand a tragedy like the one that happens to her can change your life but you can't use it as a crutch forever. The people who do annoy me to no end. She rambled, too. She would be in the middle of a thought and just go off on a tangent.

The story dragged. You spend a lot of time hearing about Nicole's fear of Japan, among many other things, and then how she needs to go the Japan to find out about her past only to read about 4 pages of her actually there.

This is a Christian book, which I did not know until about 1/2 way through the book when it started to get a bit preachy.

This is another book I didn't enjoy and I do not recommend reading.

1 out of 5 stars

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives at night, without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within nocturnal black and white striped tents awaits a unique experience, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stand awestruck as a tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and gaze in wonderment at an illusionist performing impossible feats of magic. 
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

I loved this book. It was magical, pun intended.

Celia and Marco are bound together before they even meet. They are the key players of a game. A very unusual game that no one truly understands. Because of this game Le Cirque des Reves is born and with it come a plethora of unique characters that you won't soon forget.

The writing in this book is the best I have read in a very long time. Morgenstern entrances you with her talent of description. The imagery is mesmerizing. It is like a dream, an incredibly vivid dream and sometimes a nightmare. It pulls you in until you are in the circus tent or eating the food at a Midnight Dinner. There were many time I went back and reread a passage because I wanted to feel it all again.

There were many characters throughout the story and at times it got a bit confusing. Most characters were well developed but some I wanted to know more about. The two main characters are great. You get to know them and feel the emotions. I did fall in love with Marco, though maybe that's just the girl in me.

I'm conflicted with how I feel about how the book is laid out. I found it confusing with the time jumps and switches in characters. But now I think it makes the story that much more enchanting. The confusion adds to the mystery and magic of the plot. Everything unfolds slowly but at precisely the right time. Though, I didn't see that until I finished the book.

There is so much more I want to write about The Night Circus but I don't want to give anything away and take from your own experience with the book. Just read it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read it. I don't think you will regret it.

I believe this will go in the very small pile of books I will read over and over again.


5 out of 5 stars.


BUY IT HERE: The Night Circus

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

Nothing comes easily to Sophie Applebaum, the black sheep of her family trying to blend in with the herd. Uneasily situated between two brothers, Sophie first appears as the fulcrum and observer of her clan in "Boss of the World." Then, at college, in "The Toy Bar," she faces a gauntlet of challenges as Best Friend to the dramatic and beautiful Venice Lambourne, curator of "perfect things." In her early twenties, Sophie is dazzled by the possibilities of New York City during the Selectric typewriter era -- only to land solidly back in Surrey, PA after her father's death.

I'm not sure I understand the point of this book. Or if it even had a point.

The story is narrated by Sophie Appelbaum as she tells us about the mundane events of her mundane life.

Sophie is a boring and unlikable character. She trudges through life and doesn't learn anything from the many varying relationships she has. There is no growth in any of the characters actually. Everyone goes through so many changes in their lives but not a single one learns anything from them. It's pretty frustrating.

I didn't like Bank's writing. It was simple and not in the good way I have mentioned before. Nothing ever caught me and made me want to read more. There was no climax and it was cliche after cliche. So many people were mentioned throughout the story too, most of which just dropped out of it. It was hard to remember who was who. There were times when Banks introduced a character like we already knew them when they weren't previously mentioned. It was very frustrating to read.

I hated the structure of the book, also. It was told in little vignettes, a lot of which didn't make sense. There were huge gaps in the story. There was no continuity from one chapter to the next. Plus important events in Sophie's life were just given a passing mention. If these events were explored more I think I would have felt much more for her.

This was, yet again, a book that I finished only because I cannot stand not finishing a book. 

1 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE: 

The Wonder Spot

Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson

In nineteenth century New Zealand, there are few choices for a farm girl like Amy. Her life seems mapped out for her by the time she is twelve. Amy dreams of an exciting life in the world beyond her narrow boundaries. But it is the two people who come to the farm from outside the valley who change her life forever, and Amy learns the high cost of making the wrong choice.

There is a reason I don't read these kinds of books. I just do not find them interesting enough. This was no exception and it was dark and sad to boot.

The writing was good, just very simple. There were no bells and whistles, which is not a bad thing. I did find that Parkinson rambled on sometimes but it wasn't excessive. The characters are well hashed out, also. I did find myself caring about some of the them. In general, though, I found it boring. I know it is supposed to be a realistic look at the time period but I could not get into it. It was a bit predictable too. I had quite a few things figured out before they even became big events.

Almost immediately bad things start happening to the main character, Amy, and they just don't seem to end. It was very depressing. After reading all that happens to her you keep hoping for a happy ending but you don't get it. I felt the ending was a little abrupt and depressing. It leaves you hanging, which I now understand because this book is the first of a quartet. Either way, it was disappointing.

Part of me wants to read the other three books to find out what happens to Amy but I don't think I could stand to read another book like this one.

2 out of 5 stars

Here is the link to the entire series
BUY IT HERE:  Shayne Parkinson books

Blue by Lou Aronica

Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris's fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman - and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed.

I have mixed emotions about this book. There were things I liked but there were also several I did not like.

This is less a fantasy book and more a book about family with some fantasy thrown in. It is Chris and Becky's story overall. It wasn't quite what I expected when I read the blurb. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though.

The concept of the book is great. A father and daughter create an imaginary world to get through the daughters fight with cancer. Once in remission and after the divorce of her parents, Becky calls off the story making. 4 years later she finds herself, literally, in the world she once created. 

The beginning of the story starts off pretty slow and a little confusing. There is just so much back story to get through before you can fully understand what is going on. It was also very predictable. I had it figured out almost from the beginning. The character Gage really didn't fit in well for me either. I think Aronica could have left him out and instead built on some of the other key characters that felt one dimensional. Also, the writing wasn't all that great, it was good but not great.

Now on to the good things.  The descriptions of Tamerisk are great. You get pulled in and visualize this fantasy world with great detail. It was fun to visualize these unique colors and animals that were in this other world. Who wouldn't want to live in a world that smells like chocolate?! Plus, Becky was a great character. She was smart and funny and I sympathized with her. I felt for Chris, Becky's father. As a mother, I couldn't imagine the things he went/is going through.The last bit of the book was the best. I think Aronica handled it perfectly. I will admit I shed a little tear. It was a perfect end to the story.

It wasn't the best fantasy I have read but it was heartwarming and sweet.

3 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE: Blue

There is also a prequel Blue that I have not read yet but you can check it out here: Until Again: Prequel Novella to BLUE

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski

The story of Chauncey Gardiner--Chance--an enigmatic but distinguished man who emerges from nowhere to become an heir to the throne of a Wall Street tycoon, a presidential policy advisor, and a media icon.

At only 140 pages, this was a very quick read but fun.

Chance was sheltered from the outside world his entire life. He never left the house of his employer except to tend the garden in the backyard. He cannot read or write and spends his off time watching TV. When his employer dies he is left homeless and thrust into the outside world. After an accident and a few gardening metaphors he is thrust into America's financial and political society.

I found this book incredibly humorous. I loved the irony of the entire situation. How someone who knows nothing and says very little can rise to fame all because of assumptions and media perception.

Kosinski's writing is simple and to the point which made it very easy to read. The subject matter is relevant probably more today than it was when it was written in 1970. I think it's nearly impossible to read this book and not insert a politician from your life. It makes you think about politics and media.

Being There would be a great book for a book club. So many discussions could come out of this book.

4 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:  Being There

The Girl Who Couldn't Say No by Tracy Engelbrecht

A sharp, occasionally shocking, memoir that will change how you look at teenage mothers, The Girl Who Couldn't Say No is told with frank South African humour and refreshingly mature insight. Tracy Engelbrecht tells the story of how she came to find herself pregnant at 15, and how she coped with pregnancy, birth and homework.An eye-opener for teens and their parents alike, as well as a message of hope, empathy and respect for those who have experienced a teenage pregnancy.

Tracy got pregnant at 15. As with all teenage mothers, she struggled through all the hardships motherhood brings with it. This is her story of how she got through it and more.

Engelbrecht's humor and wit drew me into the book. I loved her wit and her sense of humor. There was, also, quite a bit of profanity in the book but it all belonged there. That was Tracy's personality and it gave you a real sense of her. As a mother, I found her insight on motherhood hilarious. I laughed out loud on several occasions, especially when describing toddlers, since that is the stage my children are in right now.

The first 2/3 of the book, I was really into. I loved reading her thoughts on what was going on in her life. It was all interesting. The last 1/3 dragged for me, though. I had a hard time getting through it. I don't know if I can pinpoint why, maybe it was the way she rambled off subject for pages at a time, though that happened through the whole book. Maybe it was the subject matter or the slight repetitiveness. I'm not sure. Either way, I didn't like the last part of the book. Plus my American brain shuddered every time I read the word "learnt". But her humor was still there.

It was a quick and funny read that fell kind of flat at the end.

3.5 out of 5 stars

This is another book that is only in e-book format.

BUY IT HERE: The Girl Who Couldn't Say No: Memoir of a teenage mom

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.

I have wanted to read this book for a very long time. I'm actually a little upset it took me so long to get to it. It is a great book.

Clare meets Henry when she is just 6 years old. Henry meets Clare when she is 20 years old. Henry has chrono-displacement disorder, in laymen terms, he is a time traveler.

I really liked this book. Niffenegger took time travel and made it believable. She made it a disease, something completely uncontrollable. And the love story was epic. It truly was. A love that defies time and space. I fell in love with both characters almost immediately. I got pulled in by the story and lost track of time on many occasions. I loved how it was all laid out. I loved the foreshadowing and how she told the story almost chronologically but included Henrys time jumps also.

I did have a few problems with it though. Niffenegger went into such incredible detail about so many completely useless things. She could go on and on about the food they were eating or grocery lists. I found it incredibly irritating. Also, some of the language that was interspersed throughout seemed unnecessary at times, almost inappropriate (this is coming from someone who swears like a sailor).

I loved the movie adaptation of this and I think that took a toll on how I perceived the book. I had such a romanticized idea about this story because of the movie that the book kind of fell flat in that aspect. I tried to keep it separate as much as possible but the movies is one of my favorite romantic movie, so it was a bit difficult.

All in all, this is a great book. Worth the read.

4 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:

You Might Be A Zombie And Other Bad News by The Editors of Cracked.com

You're going to wish you never picked up this book.
Some facts are too terrifying to teach in school. Unfortunately, Cracked.com is more than happy to fill you in:
* A zombie apocalypse? It could happen. 50% of humans are infected with a parasite that can take over your brain.
* The FDA wouldn't let you eat bugs, right? Actually, you might want to put down those jelly beans. And that apple. And that strawberry yogurt.
* Think dolphins are our friends? Then these sex-crazed thrill killers of the sea have you right where they want you.
* The most important discovery in the history of genetics? Francis Crick came up with it while on LSD.
* Think you're going to choose whether or not to buy this book? Scientists say your brain secretly makes all your decisions 10 seconds before you even know what they are.

I loved this book. It was funny, inappropriate and at time disturbing. It was a very fun read!

You Might Be A Zombie is a compilation of articles from the editors of cracked.com. It is full of little known facts mixed with the undeniable humor and wit of the writers. Some of them are a bit gross or disturbing such as, "The five most horrifying bugs in the world" or "Five horrifying food additives you've probably eaten today". Others I found incredibly fascinating, like the origins of fairy tales (the story of Sleeping Beauty was not originally as sweet as Disney portrayed) and all of the facts about the human brain.

After reading this book you will be full of knowledge that you will want to share with everyone you know, maybe just to feel smarter than them.

I highly recommend this book.

5 out of 5 stars


BUY IT HERE: You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News: Shocking but Utterly True Facts


Have you visited cracked.com yet? If not you should. It will give you even more hilarious lists to entertain you.

The House of Special Purpose by Colin Falconer

For years no one knew what happened to Czar Nicholas and his family after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It was decades before the whole truth came out.

The deadly account of what happened to them in Ekatinerberg, in the House of Special Purpose draws on eyewitness accounts and is told from the point of view of Anastasia, the Czar's youngest daughter. The facts are so ghastly - and so farcical - they defy belief.

The story brings to vivid life the events of the last months of the Romanovs and is the prequel to Colin Falconer's best selling novel: Anastasia.

How was it possible for any of the children to have survived?

You won't believe the answer; except that it's all true.

The story starts with the Romanov children on a train in Siberia. They are on their way to their new "prison", as Anastasia calls it, The House of Special Purpose. The story accounts the last 2 months of their captivity and, subsequently, their lives.

Falconers writing is very good. He keeps you engaged in the story. The only thing I did not like about the story were the quotes in the beginning of the chapters. Not only does he not credit them to anyone, which makes me think they are the work of his imagination, but they are very cruel. I have read enough about Anastasia to know that, yes, she was a bit of a mean child and liked to make fun of others but she was still a child. Some of the things said about her were far more cruel than any of her actions I have heard about.

I did like how he ended the book. It leaves it up to your imagination and assumptions of what really happened to Anastasia.

Overall a good book and very quick read.

3.5 out of 5 stars

It seems that this is only out in e-book format but you can find it many places on the internet. Here is the link to the Kindle version on Amazon.

BUY IT HERE: THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

In this wry take on the post-apocalyptic horror novel, a pandemic has devastated the planet. The plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead.
Now the plague is receding, and Americans are busy rebuild­ing civilization under orders from the provisional govern­ment based in Buffalo. Their top mission: the resettlement of Manhattan. Armed forces have successfully reclaimed the island south of Canal Street—aka Zone One—but pockets of plague-ridden squatters remain. While the army has eliminated the most dangerous of the infected, teams of civilian volunteers are tasked with clearing out a more innocuous variety—the “malfunctioning” stragglers, who exist in a catatonic state, transfixed by their former lives.
Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams work­ing in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world.
And then things start to go wrong.

I had heard great things about this book and was excited to read it. I love a good zombie book. Unfortunately, this was not a good zombie book. I just didn't get it.

Zone One is an area of Manhattan. The Marines have come and gone, cleaning up the hoards up zombies in the city. "Mark Spitz" is a sweeper. With his team, he goes through every inch of the city and cleans up the straggling undead, in hopes that they can re-inhabit the city soon.

Whiteheads writing, in this novel, just didn't work for me. He rambled on and went off the story line, if you can call it that, repeatedly. He went into a lot of detail but most of it was worthless. Because of this writing style, the book was very confusing. I had a hard time figuring out what was going on. I, also, didn't feel anything for the characters.

The few times Whitehead stuck to the story for more than a paragraph, you could glimpse the good writer he is. These parts were few and far between, though.

I have heard people say that Zone One was terrifying. I just can't see that. There were a few scenes with the zombies that I really enjoyed, the only parts of the book I did enjoy actually, but I wouldn't call the book terrifying or even scary.

I really struggled to finish this book. Eventually, I just started scanning paragraphs because most of the story was so dense.

If you are looking for a good post-apocalyptic zombie story, I would wait for the next one.

2 out of 5 stars.

BUY IT HERE: Zone One: A Novel

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart - and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed - a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city - a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known...

Neil Gaiman has a way with words. He creates worlds unlike any other with his amazing imagination. He captivates you with incredible descriptions. 


The story introduces you to London Below, a network, below London, for the people who have "slipped through the cracks". It is a magical, eerie world that seems so much like our own, only a few centuries behind.  Filled with criminals, rats and filth, it is a unique backdrop for an intriguing story.


Neverwhere is filled with memorable characters. It made me almost wish that this were a series of books so you could get to know the characters better. Richard is well developed and you get to watch him grow throughout the story but I wanted more of Door, Hunter, Marquis de Carabas and even Old Bailey or Islington. I would have loved to see them more in depth, but I appreciate that Gaiman stuck with mainly Richards story, as to not overwhelm the reader. I do have to say that Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar are by far 2 of the best characters I have read about in a long time.


There were a few flaws. Some of the story lines seemed to be going somewhere but really just fell out of sight, and there were quite a few predictable parts. Overall, though, this was a great book.


I recommend it.


4 out of 5 stars


BUY IT HERE: Neverwhere

Looking For The Summer by Robert W. Norris

 David Thompson is a former Vietnam War conscientious objector in Paris on a quest to find himself in the early days of 1977. When he befriends an Iranian and an Afghan and is invited to return with them to their countries, his quest slowly becomes a descent into his own private hell. Interspersed with a multitude of characters whose religious, philosophical, and political opinions influence David greatly in his search, "Looking for the Summer" is a remarkable adventure story of a man about to lose his youth and find his true self in ancient lands

I didn't like this book. I was hoping I would, I love learning about different cultures and religions. The writing was boring and the story was bland, though. I'm happy I didn't spend any money on this book.

David is wandering around Europe and Asia trying to find himself after being released from jail for refusing to fight in Vietnam. He is trying to figure out what his beliefs really are.

I didn't care for any of the characters. None of the people David meets on his journey are memorable, neither is David.

Aside from the long winded spiels about religion and politics, nothing really happens in the book. David goes from place to place and talks with people. That's about the gist of it.

This book could have been a great travel log of the time and area, if only it were written differently.

1 out of 5 stars

While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin

In an unassuming apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, three lives intersect as the reality of war invades each aspect of their lives. Young Esther is heartbroken when her father decides to enlist in the army shortly after the death of her mother. Penny Goodrich has been in love with Eddie Shaffer for as long as she can remember; now that Eddie's wife is dead, Penny feels she has been given a second chance and offers to care for his children in the hope that he will finally notice her and marry her after the war. And elderly Mr. Mendel, the landlord, waits for the war to end to hear what has happened to his son trapped in war-torn Hungary. 
But during the long, endless wait for victory overseas, life on the home front will go from bad to worse. Yet these characters will find themselves growing and changing in ways they never expected--and ultimately discovering truths about God's love...even when He is silent.

I don't normally read Christian literature for personal reasons but I liked the premise of the story so I picked it up. I liked it but I also struggled with it a bit.

The story bounces between 3 main characters. Penny, a 24 year old who works at the bus station and lives with her older, overbearing and protective parents. Esther is 12, has lost her mother, and lives with her father and little brother Peter. Jacob Mendel is their landlord who lost his wife and is awaiting word from his son who is in Hungary during the war. When Esther and Peters father decides to enlist in the Army Penny steps forward and offers to take care of the children in his absence. Then all their lives intertwine and change more than they could have ever imagined.

In the beginning I really disliked Penny. She was mousy, naive and slightly annoying. Throughout the story, though, you get to watch her grow into a confident, beautiful woman. I loved her transformation. I really loved the other characters right from the start. You can feel all the pain Esther, Peter and Mr. Mendel are feeling.

The book is well written and the characters are well developed. The history part of the book is fascinating. I have always been drawn to all things WWII and Austin portrayed life on the home front beautifully. She weaves the stories together seamlessly and it is great to see the growth in all the characters. The ending was nice and happy too.

'Far Apart' has a very religious base to it. In the case of this book it is handled with the Jewish religion rather than Christian. It isn't an 'in your face' religious book but it is there a lot. I didn't mind it though and normally I would.

There, of course, were flaws. The story was slow and dragged at times. There was a lot of repetition too. Plus, with as slow as the story was at times the ending seemed rushed and a bit predictable.

It was a good story and well written. Not fantastic but I would recommend picking it up if it piques your interest.

3.5 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:  While We're Far Apart

The Art Student's War by Brad Leithauser

The year is 1943. Bianca Paradiso is a pretty and ambitious eighteen-year-old studying to be an artist while her bustling, thriving hometown turns from mass-producing automobiles to rolling out fighter planes and tanks. For Bianca, national and personal conflicts begin to merge when she is asked to draw portraits of the wounded young soldiers who are filling local hospitals. Suddenly she must confront lives maimed at their outset as well as her own romantic yearnings, and she must do so at a time when another war—a war within her own family—is erupting.

After reading this book, I can honestly say, I have no idea what it's about. It made no impression on me whatsoever.

There is a girl named Bea and she is an art student. Her family is melodramatic and they live in Detroit during World War Two. Bea paints portraits of wounded soldiers.

That's it. That is all I got from it. Other things happened but I just stopped caring at that point.

 The main character is uninteresting, unrelatable, narcissistic and shallow. The story is more about the trivial things her family goes through then about the war or the fact that she paints the soldiers. Leithauser's writing is trite. I found myself thinking, "I've read this before," several times throughout the story. If he would have cut out the parts that were repeated the book would have been at least 100 pages shorter.

I am actually mad I wasted my time on this book. I could have been reading something much more interesting.

Don't waste your time.

1 out of 5 stars

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

I have a slight obsession with all things zombie apocalypse so I was very excited to read this book. I can see why this book got the attention and praise that it got but it didn't entirely work for me.

The story takes us around the world 10 years after World War Z ends. It is a collection of interviews of survivors and their tales, taking us from the first zombie case, through the "Great Panic" and all the way through the end of the war against the undead.

Brooks came up with a unique and intriging way to write a zombie book. With the craze about zombies and vampires you have to write a story that sticks out. This one definitely does stick out because of the style it is written in but it falls short in the writing itself.

WWZ is more a collection of stories than anything else. There is no flow between the stories, nothing ties one to another. Yes, they are all about the war on zombies but that is where the comparison ends. There are a lot of characters throughout the book but not one of them has any depth. There are just too many, there is no way to get a feel of who the people are. They tell their story then BAM on to the next one. Some of the stories do end up pulling you in but most are completely forgettable.

The biggest flaw in the book for me is that even though there are so many characters telling you their stories, they all have the exact same voice. You cannot tell the difference between a grunt talking about his time in the field and a young woman who fled to the north with her parents. There are a few exceptions to this, such as the traumatized woman with the mind of a 4 year old, but they are far and in between.

The story, also, lacks a scare factor and those scenes that terrify and cause tension that you expect in zombie books. Again, there are some exceptions to this but not many.

It is a very interesting read. Great idea and great imagery plus there are a lot of underlying issues throughout that make you really think about the world, the government and social status. There is a lot lacking in the book too. It's a good book just not a great one.

3 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War