Liz's Reviews for 2008

 

My 2007 Reviews

My Blog, for the reviews since last year's SRP ended

 

Review 1: Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth (6 June) Review 2: Broken Moon by Kim Antieau (12 June) Review 3: The Host by Stephenie Meyer (12 June) Review 4: Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock (16 June) Review 5: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (16 June) Review 6: The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher (23 June) Review 7: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (23 June) Review 8: Pretty Face by Mary Hogan (23 June) Review 9: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, book 1) by Jim Butcher (25 June) Review 10: Fix by Leslie Margolis (25 June) Review 11: Slam by Nick Hornby (4 July) Review 12: Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell (4 July) Review 13: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr (7 July) Review 14: Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson (7 July) Review 15: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott (8 July) Review 16: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott (8 July) Review 17: Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, book 9) by Troy Denning (16 July) Review 18: No Choice But Seduction by Johanna Lindsey (16 July) Review 19: Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James (16 July) Review 20: Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle (16 July) Review 21: Persuasion by Jane Austen (19 July) Review 22: The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon (21 July) Review 23: No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 2) by Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughn (21 July) unpaged  Review 24: When It Happens by Susane Colasanti (23 July) Review 25: The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx and Ian Grittins (31 July) Review 26: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow (31 July) Review 27: Grim Tuesday (The Keys to the Kingdom, book 2) by Garth Nix (31 July) Review 28: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall (31 July) Review 29: Girl, Barely 15, Flirting for England by Sue Limb (2 August) Review 30: Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (2 August) Review 31: A Room With a View by E.M. Forster (5 August) Review 32: Sabine's Notebook: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues by Nick Bantock (5 August) Review 33: Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, book 4) by Stephenie Meyer (10 August) Review 34: The Golden Mean: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes by Nick Bantock (10 August) Review 35: Quakeland by Francesca Lia Block Review 36: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely Series, book 2) by Melissa Marr (13 August) Review 37: The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Rediscovered by Nick Bantock (15 August) Review 38: Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds by Nick Bantock (15 August) Review 39: The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Illuminated by Nick Bantock (15 August) Review 40: Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber Review 41: Wake by Lisa McMann (18 August) Review 42: Blood Roses by Francesca Lia Block (18 August) Review 43: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 1) by C.S. Lewis (18 August) Review 44: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson (21 August) Review 45: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (22 August) Review 46: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (24 August) Review 47: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (26 August) Review 48: Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 2) by C.S. Lewis (26 August) Review 49: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 3) by C.S. Lewis (28 August) Review 50: The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 4) by C.S. Lewis (28 August) Review 51: The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 5) by C.S. Lewis (29 August)   Review 52: The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 6) by C.S. Lewis (30 August) Review 53: The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 7) by C.S. Lewis (30 August) Review 54: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1 September)

 

Review 1: Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth (6 June)

333 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Mystery

 

A young artist's model has been murdered, and legendary wit Oscar Wilde enlists his friends Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard to help him investigate. But when they arrive at the scene of the crime they find no sign of the gruesome killing -- save one small spatter of blood, high on the wall. Set in London, Paris, Oxford, and Edinburgh at the height of Queen Victoria's reign, here is a gripping eyewitness account of Wilde's secret involvement in the curious case of Billy Wood, a young man whose brutal murder served as the inspiration for The Picture of Dorian Gray. Told by Wilde's contemporary -- poet Robert Sherard -- this novel provides a fascinating and evocative portrait of the great playwright and his own "consulting detective," Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

I liked this because I didn't have the mystery figured out ten pages in. I actually enjoy the puzzle of trying to figure out who did it and why. I can't let myself read too many mysteries in a row because they start to get predictable and that's no fun. The one things that bothered me about this was the way the author handled Wilde's indecency trail. There was a two page diatribe about how Wilde never corrupted anyone and  how the prosecution witnesses were paid. It's 2008, there is no need to for you to justify or defend what he did, as very few people today would think he did anythign wrong. I almost stopped reading at that point, but I'm glad I kept going. I also discovered that this is the first in a series of historical mysteries, and I hope Wilde continues to play a role in future books.

 

Review 2: Broken Moon by Kim Antieau (12 June)

183 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Her face scarred and honor "soiled" after a brutal levying of village justice, Pakistani teen Nadira has little left to lose--so when slave smugglers take her younger brother, she conceals her gender and goes after him. Her destination is an illegal camp for "camel kids," boys trained as jockeys in the dangerous sport of camel racing. There, she clings to the hope of reuniting with her brother while adapting, often creatively, to her terrifying new environment.

 

Though sometimes vague in its language, especially when describing violence, this author weaves a touching tale and one that I think is ultimately successful. The end was a bit rushed, but amazingly, I was ok with that. I would love to read other things by this authors, expecially Mercy, Unbound. 

 

Review 3: The Host by Stephenie Meyer (12 June)

619 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction

 

A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him.

 

My biggest prolem with this book was its length. At 619 pages it is WAY too long. The story takes a while to get going and when it does, sadly it gets lost in a lot of seemingly unnecessary twists and turns. I didn't even get a whif of the main plot line until around page 400, and that is just ridiculous. I was slightly disappointed with the ending, I didn't think it fit with the tone of the story, but it certainly left things open for a series or even a whole new series. Will I be reading them? I'm really not sure.

 

Review 4: Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock (16 June)

unpaged

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

This singular, magical volume invites readers to examine handmade postcards and open colorful envelopes as they eavesdrop on lonely London card-designer Griffin Moss and mysterious South Pacific islander Sabine Strohem. Sabine introduces herself to Griffin with a note congratulating him on a design on one of the postcards he illustrates--and alluding to an alteration he made during the creative process. Perplexed because he works alone and discusses his creative dilemmas with no one, he responds, begging her to enlighten him as to how she knew about the original design. In her next missive, she admits, "I share your sight," and their correspondence grows increasingly intimate.

 

I friend recommended this to me ages ago and I finally got around to it. Why did I wait so long? This was a wonderful and sweet story. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the other two books in the trilogy. I also loved examining the art and having to remove letters from their envelpes to read them. Reading a story told through letters is higly enjoyable, and this was no exception.

 

Review 5: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (16 June)

418 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Ask twenty people to define "family," and you'll get twenty different definitions. Ruby's definition of family is about to change, and she's not quite sure what that means. For years, Ruby and her mother moved from apartment to apartment. They lived in random places and cramped spaces above other people's garages. Finally, they find a little yellow house to rent. Ruby's mother, preferring to drown her sorrows in alcohol than deal with them head-on, made her daughter give her excuses to visitors, landlords, and bosses. The older Ruby got, the more her mother depended on her - and on substances. Ruby became used to her mom disappearing for a few days now and then. When a week turned into two, then three, then a month, Ruby knew her mom wasn't coming back. She went to work and school and lived alone for months before her landlords realized what was going on. With Ruby seven months away from her eighteenth birthday, child services stepped in. She is sent to live with her older sister, who hasn't seen her in ten years. Cora left for college and, according to their mother, never looked back. Now Cora has a successful career, a husband who is equally successful, and a gorgeous home, with a spunky little dog to boot. How can Ruby fit into this household, let alone into a new school that's posh and private? She's so sure that this could never be her home, her life, that she prepares to run away that very first night and go back to the little yellow house. Fate has other plans for her, and so does Nate, the boy next door.

 

I've read all of Dessen's books and they have all left me a blubbering mess. This was the first one that didn't have that affect on me, though I did tear up at the end. I liked the story but it just hit me differently than her other stuff. I think I would put it in third, behind Just Listen and Dreamland, two books that I absolutely loved. I've heard from other than this was not her best and I would deifnitely agree with that. I have one friend who found it prechy and I need to ask her about that. I'm curious as to where she saw that. Anyway, a good book and if it introduces more readers to the wonderful Sarah Desssen, so much the better.

 

Review 6: The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher (23 June)

148 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Alice and Jewel have been best friends since grade school. Together, they don’t need anyone else, and together they blend into the background of high school. Invisible. To Alice, Jewel is the opposite of invisible. Jewel is her best friend who goes to Indie concerts and art shows with her. Jewel scoffs at school dances with her. Alice is so comfortable around Jewel that she can talk to him about almost anything. But she can’t tell him that she likes the cool, popular Simon. And then Simon asks her to the school dance the same day that Jewel kisses her for the first time. Still, she can’t say no to Simon. He seems like the easy choice, the one she’s attracted to, the one she’s ready for. But will it mean losing Jewel? In a bright debut novel set against the lively backdrop of Seattle, Alice must learn the difference between love and a crush, and what it means to be yourself when you’re not sure who that is yet.

 

While I liked the premise behind this, I thought the execution was a little clunky. My favorite parts were when Alice was in glass blowing class and interacting with her new friends. The main relationships with Jewel and Simon seemed a bit boring and pedestrian to me, and I thought the ending was a cop-out. This happens way too often these days, and it makes me very sad. I did really like Alice's parents and her relationship with them. These are the kind of hip, cool parents that I've always wanted to have.  Can I get a book about them, please?

 

Review 7: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (23 June)

Series: Stephanie Plum, book 14

310 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

In her latest adventure,Stephanie inherits a high school gamer whose mother can't make bail. Throw in the kid's recently released uncle and the nine milion dolar bank job that landed him in jail, and we've got a plot. The usual cast of characters is back: Ranger, Lola, grandma Mazur, Bob, and Stephanie's long suffering mother. The new additions include a musical sensation, her stalker cousin, and adult gamer who ends up protecting Morelli's house. I loved the cast of supporting chracters here, but the plot was a bit pedestrain. I'm not even sure why I keep reading this series. At least they usually make me laugh out loud, sadly that was not the case here. Stephanie just need to make up her mind already so that Ms. Evanovich can lend her talents to some new characters and stop phoning in her "bestseller".

 

Review 8: Pretty Face by Mary Hogan (23 June)

210 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as more than a friend. Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there, under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore.

 

This was a very sweet book, though I was a bit disturbed at the start by the way her mother was portrayed. But then Haley went to Italy and the story picked up. Of course she finds her happiness and the slow paced Italian life-style is just what Haley needs to lose wieght and like herslef. It's a bit hokey, but it stil works for me. The descriptions of the Italian countryside defintely make this book for me. I need to get to Italy, and soon!

 

Review 9: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, book 1) by Jim Butcher (25 June)

322 Pages

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction

 

The offbeat Dresden Files is an expanding series of detective novels about Harry Dresden, a wizard with a consulting practice in modern-day Chicago. Harry's profession offers him little money, lots of mockery, the suspicion of his magical colleagues, plenty of danger, and not much income. It offers readers some unconventional detective work, whimsy, humor, and suspense. Here Dresden discovers that mobsters have enlisted occult forces for nefarious purposes.

 

I really liked the TV series that was based on these books so I was looking forward to reading the series. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked. Harry is endearing and I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.

 

Review 10: Fix by Leslie Margolis (25 June)

210 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Cameron, 18, and Allie, 15, have inherited their father's nose. However, thanks to their mother, Julie, an ex-model and former movie star, Cameron had her nose fixed three years earlier. She is thrilled with the results and contemplating breast augmentation. After years of being ridiculed by her peers, she was catapulted into the world of the beautiful and popular at her new school, Bel Air Prep. Allie, an avid soccer player, is not bothered by her appearance and already has self-confidence and friends. Still, now that she is 15, her mother insists on making appointments for her with the plastic surgeon, with little consideration of Allie's thoughts on the matter.

 

This was a sweet story with some great supporting characters. I wasn't sure at first whether I was going to like Cameron, but she won me over in the end. The one thing that bothered me was when Mulholland Drive was incorrectly identified as Mulholland Boulevard. I guess that's the danger of reading books set in the area where you live :)

 

Review 11: Slam by Nick Hornby (4 July)

309 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Sam is a disarmingly ordinary 15-year-old kid who loves to skate (that's skateboarding, to you and me). But then he is blindsided: his girlfriend gets pregnant, and he lands in the middle of his mum's nightmare (she had Sam when she was 16). This may sound like an old-fashioned realistic YA problem novel, but it's a whole lot more. Sam, you see, has a sort-of-imaginary friend: the world's greatest skater, Tony Hawk, whose poster Sam talks to when he has problems. And the poster talks back, maybe, or maybe Sam is just reciting quotes from Tony's autobiography. And is it really Tony who is "whizzing" Sam into the future for glimpses of what is to come? With or without Tony's help, Sam gives us the facts about his very eventful couple of years, but as he reminds us, "there comes a point where the facts don't matter anymore . . . because you don't know what anything felt like." Which is where Hornby comes in. We know exactly how Sam feels—even when he feels differently from the beginning of a sentence to the end—and it feels just right: a vertiginous mix of anger, confusion, insight, humor, and love.

 

By the end I really liked this novel,b ut I got frustrated with is several times along the way. I have serious issues with heavy foreshadowing and I thought there was a but much of it early on. I also thought Hornby was just going for the easy out with the plot and I was pleased when that turned out not to be the case. This is an author that I very much enjoy reading and I didn't want this to be an exception. I am pleased to say it was not. Now if I can just forget about how much I disliked How to be Bad.

 

Review 12: Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell (4 July)

404 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 

Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.

Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.

Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.

From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .

 

I've enjoyed reading Elizabeth Lowell's romantic suspense novels for years but lately I've noticed an annoying compulsion to show off all the research she's done, seemingly at the expense of the plot.  There was only one time in this book I felt that way, which was a huge improvement over the last one. This was a well paced story, and even though I figured out who the bad guy was about half way through, I still enjoyed the journey.  

 

Review 13: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr (7 July)

217 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

 

A lot of this story made me uncomfortable, but it was also touching and heartbreaking. The flashbacks were particularly hard for me to read, and not just because I was the fat girl who used to get picked on and had no friends. I wasn't sure how I wanted it to end, but I think it ened the only way that it really could. Sara Zarr seems like a gifted storyteller and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

 

Review 14: Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson (7 July)

323 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Clio Ford, 17, is an artist who has just landed a job at an art store that puts her right in the line of sight of her crush. Within minutes of landing this primo job, she learns that her mother has been awarded a fellowship that involves moving to Kansas for the summer; Clio will have to live with her father, whom she considers immature and selfish, on a yacht in Italy. Within pages, Clio is off on an excursion that involves her father (who is really working hard to make things right), his new girlfriend (an archaeology professor on a hunt), his girlfriend's daughter, a grad assistant, and her father's best friend. There is a secret shrouding this adventure. Through old letters that are found and snippets of conversation, readers figure out that the group is looking for something akin to the Rosetta Stone.

 

I was really worried that I was going to love this right up until the end, as was the case with Devilish. I am happy to say that was not the case here and that I actually liked the ending. Some of the stuff in the middle, the teen angst specifically, I could have done without, but I guess that's what I get for reading young adult novels. Really though, I'm not usually bothered by the teen angst themes, so I'm not sure why this one got to me. Anyway, my point is that this was a fun read and I want to know what happens next. Maybe we can petition her to write a sequel.

 

Review 15: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott (8 July)

282 Pages

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible. And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest. Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

 

My biggest problem with this book was that I hated the ending. I know that not everythign is supposed to end happy, but darn it, I want happy endings to my books. They are my escape and are not supposed to be realistic. Perhaps I should just stick to fairy tales. Bah. Up until the ending that I hated, I very much enjoyed this story and want to read more of this author's work. Actually the next book I picked up was by the same author and I liked it much more.

 

Review 16: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott (8 July)

217 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Bloom tells the story of Lauren, a not-so-popular high school junior who is dating the secretly celibate most popular boy in school. Without warning, Evan, the loner son of her distant father's former live-in girlfriend, returns to town and stirs up confusing emotions for Lauren, who once believed that a popular boyfriend was all she needed to secure happiness. Soon, she invents extra band-practice time as an excuse to avoid her boyfriend, her super-stressed best friend, and her empty house, and spends more time with the decidedly not celibate Evan. Lauren's inner conflict over her affair with Evan, and the various lies surrounding it, rings true, and the novel has enough drama to keep readers interested.

 

After my disappoinment with Perfect You, I was looking for Scott to redeem herself, and she more than accomplished that. I found this story charming, imaginative, and different from a lot of the other YA stuff that I have been reading lately. Perhaps it's time for a break from YA fiction so I'll appreciate it more when I come back to it. Though I've never carried on an affair, I very much identified with Lauren's reluctance to admit what was going on to avoid rocking the boat. Now I just need to get my hands on Scott's latest, Stealing Heaven.

 

Review 17: Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, book 9) by Troy Denning (16 July)

299 Pages

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction

 

No war can last forever. Now, in the long and punishing battle between the defiant champions of the New Jedi Order and the juggernaut that is the Galactic Alliance, the endgame is finally at hand. With so much lost–and nothing less than the course of the future still at stake–there can be no turning back. No matter the consequences. The rebel cause is losing ground under the twin blows of Admiral ***** ********’s assassination and the death of **** **** *********. At the same time, having gained the support of the Imperial Remnant and its ruthlessly efficient forces, the Galactic Alliance, with the extraordinary power and dark brilliance of newly ascendant Sith Lord Darth Caedus at its helm, may be unstoppable. Tormented and torn between the call of duty and the thirst for vengeance, Luke has searched the Force and beheld an unspeakable vision of the galaxy enslaved under tyranny more monstrous than even Palpatine’s. Now it seems that the last, best hope lies in mobilizing the scattered Jedi for one decisive search-and-destroy mission. The objective: eliminate Darth Caedus.

 

I started reading this book and was wondering why none of the action made sense and none of the background was helping me to catch up. It hadn't been that long since I read the last one, so I went back and tried to figure out what was going on. What I discovered is that the last book I read was the 7th in the series rather than the 8th. I'd skipped a book. No WONDER nothing was making sense. Instead of waiting to get my hands on the 8th book (it's got a long-ish hold list at the library and I decided not to buy it) I decided to press on. I went and found some basic spoilers for the 8th book and just picked the rest up from context. And I'll read the 8th book (Revalation) at some point to fill in the holes. After all the build up of this series I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the big battle. It seemed like the good guys won way too easily. Now I've seen the original movies many many times and I've never thought Luke making that shot to blow up the first Death Star was easy. But this was. I also didn't like some of the character arcs. I know no one is safe, but certain deaths seemed without purpose and wholly unsatisfying (a la Mace Windu). Even still, I'm sure I'll be reading the next series of Extended Universe books that is released, hoping that they bring me the pleasure that the first EU books did way back in the day. Heir to the Empire was just awesome.

 

Review 18: No Choice But Seduction by Johanna Lindsey (16 July)

346 Pages

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Historical Romance

 

After her mother died, vivacious Katey Tyler fled her dull Connecticut town, hoping to meet her relatives in England and find adventure and romance on a grand tour of Europe. She had no idea that her life-changing travels would have both in spades -- as well as danger and intrigue -- when she catches the eye of ship owner Boyd Anderson and inadvertently stumbles upon a high-stakes kidnapping. Then Sir Anthony Malory's young daughter is abducted from London's Hyde Park, her kidnapper mistakenly sends the ransom note to the home of Sir Anthony's brother, James. With James and his wife, Georgina, in the Caribbean, the demands are received by their houseguest -- Georgina's youngest brother, Boyd Anderson. Searching for the girl with Anthony, the notoriously hot-headed American sea captain fully intends to make the foolhardy villain pay. But he hardly expects to find exquisite Katey Tyler, recently a passenger on his ship, at the center of the plot!

 

I really don't know why I keep rading books that I know from the start are going ot annoy me. Way back when I devoured every trashy romance novel I could get my hands on, this was my favorite author. After that phase ended I continued to read her books. I've gotten annoyed more than once at the stupid stupid female characters, they are written as moronic twits. I really can't deal with that any more, so I am done. Even though this was the most recent book in a series I've enjoyed for years, I am still done. It was nice to revist old friends, but the stupid women outweigh even that simple pleasure. Several friends have been kind enough to recommend historical romances where the women are not moronic twits and I will have to check them out.

 

Review 19: Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James (16 July)

238 Pages

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Self-Help

 

St. James shows us how to reduce the clutter in our lives, from cleaning out our closets to canceling newspaper subscriptions. Full of hints and anecdotes, listening to this audiobook is the perfect way to help you map out a plan to un-complicate your life. St. James shares her wisdom and insight and explains exactly how to save time and energy and leave more room open for the things you really enjoy.

 

This was written in 1994, so some things are obviously outdated (such as get rid of your car phone), but even still I found it interesting and some things hit home more than others. Of course, acquiring another book probably goes very much against the decluttering of step 1, I'm totally ok with that.

 

 

Review 20: Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle (16 July)

346 Pages

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handsome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic. At least, most of them didn’t. Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But right as the inevitable season for "coming out" is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of a plot to gain control of the soon-to-be Queen Victoria. Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Persy learns that husband hunting isn’t such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.

 

I had some trouble getting into this story, but around page 75 or so I was hooked. mixing the magic wirld with the Victorian Era reminded me a lot of Sorcery and Cecelia, a book I very much enjoyed. This sotry centered mostly around Persy, but I would love to read more books about the other characters. That would make me very happy. And it was nicely set up for a sequal, so here's hoping.

 

Review 21: Persuasion by Jane Austen (19 July)

328 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Classic

 

It's been years since I read this. I've probably seen the 1995 movie version at least a dozen times since then and the more recent version twice. This summer I decided that I was going to reread some Austen and so I have. What struck me about my reread is that I had completely forgotten that a major plot point is different than in both movie versions. The way it unfolded in the book is much more subtle, so I can understand the reason for the change. I definitely had the movie plot in my read rather than Austen's novel. It definitely pays to go back and revist your favorites ever so often. Perhaps this is something I should do more often than every ten years. :)

 

Review 22: The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon (21 July)

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Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction Graphic Novel

 

After the destruction of Sunnydale and the conferring of Slayer powers on all the potentials, the struggle against evil is not over. Buffy has moved her band of slayers to Scotland and is continuig to fight the good fight. Xander is at her side, as is a still whiny Dawn. There are other slayers scattered around the globe fighting as well, most notably a group in Italy led by Andrew. Who is this new big bad, this Twilight? This is a great follow up to the tv show that I loved so much. Joss has done me proud.

 

Review 23: No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 2) by Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughn (21 July)

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Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction Graphic Novel

 

In this second part of the season, Faith is back and up to her old tricks. We also meet a rogue slayer who is being led down a path that can only mean bad things for her. Meanwhile Willow is being her adorably witchy self, and even Dawn was slightly less annoying. Unfortunately I didn't find the conclusion satisfying. Maybe I need to read it again and see if I missed something. But I loved examining all the frames for the non-dialog action.

 

 

Review 24: When It Happens by Susane Colasanti (23 July)

310 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Sara is searching for something real. It's the start of senior year, and the brainy and beautiful teen is determined that this will be the year she finds "it" -- that elusive little thing called love. She's been crushing all summer on Dave, who asked for her phone number at the end of junior year. She's been waiting for his call for months, stressing about her search not for just any boyfriend but the one who truly gets her, understands that she must make it into New York University, grasps the whacked-out relationship she has with her mom. She's got all her hopes wrapped up in Dave, not knowing that Tobey -- the slacker guy from art class who seems to care only about his band -- has spent countless hours crafting a plan to win her over.

 

While the plot seems ripped straight from a John Hughes movie, I really liked this. Sara was a real girl with real problems and I really identified with her. At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like the dual narrators (alternating between Sara and Tobey, thank goodness the chapters were set in differnet fonts to give the reader a clue that there was a change. I'm looking at you Jennifer Weiner for NOT doing this), I ended up really liking that I got to be inside both of their heads. I even bought Tobey's near 180. I am definitley wanting to see more from this author.

 

Review 25: The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx and Ian Grittins (31 July)

413 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

 

In one of the most unique memoirs of addiction ever published, Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx shares mesmerizing diary entries from the year he spiraled out of control in a haze of heroin and cocaine, presented alongside riveting commentary from people who were there at the time, and from Nikki himself. Then Mötley Crüe was at the height of its fame, there wasn't any drug Nikki Sixx wouldn't do. He spent days -- sometimes alone, sometimes with other addicts, friends, and lovers -- in a coke and heroin-fueled daze. The highs were high, and Nikki's journal entries reveal some euphoria and joy. But the lows were lower, often ending with Nikki in his closet, surrounded by drug paraphernalia and wrapped in paranoid delusions.  Here, Nikki shares those diary entries -- some poetic, some scatterbrained, some bizarre -- and reflects on that time. Joining him are Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Slash, Rick Nielsen, Bob Rock, and a host of ex-managers, ex-lovers, and more. Brutally honest, utterly riveting, and shockingly moving, The Heroin Diaries follows Nikki during the year he plunged to rock bottom -- and his courageous decision to pick himself up and start living again.

 

This was well written, and completely fascinating. Now I want to go out and get the companion soundtrack. I need me some Crüe. I'm all about behind the scenes stuff and this was maybe more than I ever wanted to know about what really went on. Nikki's ex girlfriend Vanity is now a minister and her comments were all labeled with Evangalist So and So. I laughed my butt off every time I saw this, and I really have no idea why. I can understand wanting to distance yourself from a part you are not proud of, but that seemed a bit excesive.

 

Review 26: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow (31 July)

206 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

 

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

 

I've known about Randy Pausch for a while and when a firend handed me his book to read, I was glad that I finally was going to get to know what everyone was talking about. I laughed, I cried, and really I was amazed by this man's outlook on life. If he can be optimistic, then I have no excuse.

 

Review 27: Grim Tuesday (The Keys to the Kingdom, book 2) by Garth Nix (31 July)

320 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Fiction

 

The second book in The Keys to the Kingdom series is another treat for young fantasy enthusiasts. The youthful hero, Arthur, has barely returned to normal life on Earth after saving the world on Monday. He awakens on Tuesday to the dreadful realization that he must return to the mysterious Kingdom, not only to restore balance in the crazy netherworld, but also to preserve his family and real life. Reader Allan Corduner enriches the saga of Arthur's weird challenges as he attempts to retrieve the Second Key from Grim Tuesday.  I was hoping this second book would be as good as the first and it was. Now I just need to get my hands on the rest of the series.

 

Review 28: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall (31 July)

262 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Fiction

 

This enjoyable tale of four sisters, a new friend, and his snooty mother is rollicking fun. The girls' father is a gentle, widowed botany professor who gives his daughters free reign but is always there to support or comfort them. Rosalind, 12, has become the mother figure. Skye, 11, is fierce and hot-tempered. Jane, 10, is a budding writer of mysteries who has the disconcerting habit of narrating aloud whatever is occurring around her. Batty, four, is an endearingly shy, loving child who always wears butterfly wings. The family dog, Hound, is her protector. The tale begins as the Penderwicks embark on a summer holiday in the Berkshire Mountains, at a cottage on the grounds of a posh mansion owned by the terribly snobbish Mrs. Tifton. Her son, Jeffrey, is a brilliant pianist, but her heart is set on him attending a military academy like her beloved father. The action involves Rosalind's unrequited love for the 18-year-old gardener, Skye's enmity and then friendship with Jeffrey, Jane's improvement in her melodramatic writing style, and Batty's encounter with an angry bull whom she rather hopefully calls "nice horsie." Problems are solved and lessons learned in this wonderful, humorous book that features characters whom readers will immediately love, as well as a superb writing style.  I know there are more adventures coming for the Penderwick girls and I am looking forward to reading about them.

 

Review 29: Girl, Barely 15, Flirting for England by Sue Limb (2 August)

248 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Jess Jordan is barely 15. Fred is her often-aggravating best guy friend; her father is a lonely bachelor; Flora is her gorgeous best friend, a constant liability; and Ben Jones is barely a twinkle in her eye. Into this innocent scene are dropped 30 or so helpless French exchange students. Jess and her mother are assigned to house Eduoard, a shy, awkward, and painfully English-deprived boy Jess’s age. To counter what Jess fears is Eduoard’s growing crush on her, Jess convinces her friend Fred to pose as her boyfriend, but he refuses to take their fake relationship seriously. Add a gorgeous, womanizing French student, an ill-fated camping trip in a student’s backyard, and Flora just being, well, Flora, and you have all the makings of an international incident. Will Jess be able to keep the peace, or even translate the whole debacle to the confused French students? The future of England is on the line. This is set before the other novles in the series and it was fun to see Jess acting just as zany as ever. I had to remember back to the first book, though, to remember what happened with Ben Jones.

 

Review 30: Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (2 August)

276 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Life isn't going well for high school student Elizabeth Clarry. Her absentee father just moved back to Australia from Canada for a year, and now he wants to spend "quality time" with her. She's getting anonymous love notes from a boy who refuses to tell her his name. Worst of all, her best friend has run away and joined the circus. In this funny, engaging novel-told as a series of notes and letters-Elizabeth deals with imperfect parents and romantic disappointments as well as tragedies large and small. Over the course of the story, she confronts everything from pimples and forgotten homework to the death of a pet and a suicide attempt by her best friend. Eventually, Elizabeth learns to stop obsessing over the flighty, thoughtless Celia and comes to appreciate her own gifts.  I loved the format of this book, and it made for an especially quick read. I don't think there is a sequel to this, but I would love to know more about what happened to Elizabeth.

 

Review 31: A Room With a View by E.M. Forster (5 August)

229 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Classic

 

Those ITV Rat Bastards! I loved the 1985 Merchent-Ivory film version of this book. I've seen it dozens of times and really just need to buy the DVD. So when I heard that ITV was making a new version I was pleased and I hoped it would live up to my expectations. Sadly, it did not. Well, it did, except for about 5 minutes. Whoever wrote the screenplay added a very disturbing plot twist that most definitely was not in the first film. I was so bothered by it that I decided to read the book to see which version was more faithful. Those ITV Rat Bastards! The disturbing twist was NOT in the book. WTF?

 

Review 32: Sabine's Notebook: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues by Nick Bantock (5 August)

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

I loved this second book and was sad when it ended. I need to go out right away and get the third one.  And then maybe gets the books that come after the original trilogy. Has anyone read the other books in the series? Do they live up to the originals?

 

Review 33: Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, book 4) by Stephenie Meyer (10 August)

754 Pages

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction (though I'm not sure that's where it belongs)

 

Usually I just go to Amazon for book summaries but this one is so much more than that, and I agree with it :)

 

It might seem redundant to dismiss the fourth and final Twilight novel as escapist fantasy--but how else could anyone look at a romance about an ordinary, even clumsy teenager torn between a vampire and a werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their happiness for hers? Flaws and all, however, Meyer's first three novels touched on something powerful in their weird refraction of our culture's paradoxical messages about sex and sexuality. The conclusion is much thinner, despite its interminable length. Everygirl Bella achieves her wishes quickly (marriage and sex, in that order, are two, and becoming an immortal is another), and once she becomes a vampire it's almost impossible to identify with her. But that's not the main problem. Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily--in other words, grandeur is out. This isn't about happy endings; it's about gratification. A sign of the times?

 

I had serious problems with most of this book. I didn't like the way It played out, I didn't like most of the story, and one of the character names was painful for me to read, nails on a chalkboard painful. Twilight was a wonderful book, and I should have stopped there. One positive things I can say is that was 754 pages I was expecting the book to drag in a few places and I'm hapy to report that was not the case. :)

 

Review 34: The Golden Mean: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes by Nick Bantock (10 August)

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

Bantock's bewitching trilogy, begun with Griffin & Sabine and Sabine's Notebook , ends with this characteristically curious installment. Once again, Bantock employs his singular brand of visual sorcery to create postcards, stamps and letters that ostensibly travel between two artists--Griffin, a Londoner who has just completed an around-the-world journey, and South Pacific islander Sabine, who insists she awaited his return in London, yet left no sign of her presence. As Griffin wonders whether he and his elusive soul mate occupy "parallel universes," Sabine worries that her telepathic connection to him grows "murky." Desperate to resolve their situation, they seek neutral ground on which to meet. Meanwhile, other questions arise about the nature of their bond. Griffin mentions the death of a woman he loved and receives two threatening postcards from a scientist investigating the "liaison." Bantock's imagery maintains its exoticism, with tantalizing allusions to his previous books, Jungian psychology, mythical ceremonies and the Tarot. If the fictional events here seem more melodramatic and slightly less profound than in earlier volumes, it's because readers know (almost) what to expect.

 

Though a bit cryptic, I loved this third book in the trilogy. Now I cant wait to get my hands on the follow-up books. This just seems like such an poriginal idea, the using of postcards and letters to tell a story that I can't help but be drwan to it.

 

Review 35: Quakeland by Francesca Lia Block

210 Pages

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

After enduring from afar a seemingly endless series of outside worldwide disasters-including 9/11 and the Asian tsunami-while living in earthquake-prone Los Angeles, a bereft Katrina experiences deep inner longings for some sense of permanence, meaning, and intimacy. A preschool teacher contemplating the unsettling challenges of her mid-life, she finds solace in the company of her dear friend Grace, and conflict in the arms of a narcissistic yoga instructor, Jasper.  In this intertwining series of emotionally charged stories, wistful characters weave together a dance of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, harmony and dissonance. Beautifully written, Quakeland speaks in a deeply stirring female voice to an unspoken sense of universal longing that seems quietly prevalent in these times. It is a brave, poetic work that acknowledges the pain and loss we live with every day, and offers hope-through art and through connection-of something more.

 

I kept forgetting as I was reading this that it was a series of short stories and when the focus switched characters it took me a which to switch too because I was so interested in Katrina's story. This collection was sweet and sad and full of life. I've been disappointed with several of Block's recent efforts, so I was pleased that did not happen here. I saw her read selections from this collection recently and it made those sections so much more alive for me. I really need to go to more readings. 

 

Review 36: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely Series, book 2) by Melissa Marr (13 August)

325 Pages

Rating 3.5 out of 5 Stars

325 Pages

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Torn up inside after her drug-dealer brother betrays her in the most horrible way, Leslie puts on a brave front with her friends, pretending her drunken dad isn't letting the bills pile up and hiding all her pain. Hoping to take back control over her body, she decides to get a tattoo, and picks out a special design at the tattoo parlor she often hangs out at. Unbeknownst to Leslie, that tattoo is the symbol of Irial, the king of the faerie Dark Court, designed to allow him to filter the unpleasant emotions that feed his court through her into him and his people. As Leslie finds her vision changing and her feelings shifting in unpredictable ways, Niall, a faerie of the Summer Court who has always admired her, steps in, hoping to help her and keep Irial away. He has his own tangled feelings about Irial, whom he once counted as a friend. But as Leslie sinks further under Irial's thrall, enjoying the escape from the hurt and fear she'd been living with, only she can decide when to pull away--or whether she would rather stay with him, after all.

 

To me this is not a Young Adult novel. The themes are dark and terrifying and definitely not for the age this is marketed to. I know the line between YA fiction and adult fiction has blurred recently, if there ever really was a distinction, but this one belonf firmly in the adult section. I actually liked this book, more than I liked the first book in the series, Wicked Lovely. I was able to identify with the main character here, and that was not the case with Aislinn in the first book. I hope this isn't the last book set in this world, but I do hope the stories lighten up a bit.

 

Review 37: The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Rediscovered by Nick Bantock (15 August)

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

With a fanciful combination of postcards and letters, author Nick Bantock takes you on a romantic and suspenseful tour of an imagined world. The Gryphon is the delightful follow-up to the wildly popular Griffin & Sabine trilogy. This sequel doesn't disappoint; it's as quixotic and cloaked in mystery as the trilogy, replete with similarly captivating foldouts and handwritten letters. Each illustration is intricately drawn with special attention paid to the tiniest details, like the faded postmarks on exotic stamps. Old-fashioned letters create an atmosphere of adventure, surrounding you with colorful images of ancient symbols. The correspondence between the four players flies off to real and mythical lands conjuring up dark forces and love affairs. It is impossible not to want to know what happens next.

 

And I do want to know what happens nedt. So I got all three books at the same time and read them all in one sitting.

 

Review 38: Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds by Nick Bantock (15 August)

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

This is the second volume in the new troilogy, the fifth in the series. Griffin and Sabine's old nemesis, Froletti appears and begins menacing Metthew and Isabella and the couple become more and more involved with Griffin and Sabine. Sabine communicates with Matthew while Griffin corresponds with Isabella, and they all seem well matched. But I still want to know why they are all bound together.

 

Review 39: The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Illuminated by Nick Bantock (15 August)

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Fiction

 

In this sixth and final installment in his popular Griffin & Sabine saga (divided into two trilogies), writer and illustrator Bantock creates another jewel box of a book, rife with intrigue, legend and mystery. The exquisitely designed text features the series' trademark postcards and letters, written by archeologist Matthew Sedon, his true love Isabella de Reims, and the mysterious Griffin and Sabine, who have infiltrated the young lovers' lives. Fetchingly sepia-toned and exotic, the illustrated missives are charged with equal parts passion and mythology. Although newcomers to the story may be baffled by references to events that occurred in the previous volumes, they will find much to enjoy in the lush design and seductive tale. The suspense builds as Isabella, abandoning her studies in Paris, travels by land closer and closer to Matthew in Egypt. There is a voyeuristic thrill to reading someone else's mail, and Bantock exploits it thoroughly. When Matthew and Isabella come together at last, their union is a bit too breathless (Isabella engulfs Matthew "in her creature senses"), but readers who have followed the characters this far will appreciate the fireworks.

 

This last installment ended a bit to quickly and easily for my taste but I still enjoyed it. And I love the postcard and letter devices.

 

Review 40: Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber

450 Pages

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction

 

I remember seeing a made for TV movie about Sybil with sally Field when I was in junior high and going through my fascination with multiple personality disorder. I read several true life stories at that time, including When Rabbit Howls,  and I thought I'd read Sybil as well, but when I started to read it not too long ago, nothing was familiar. I wonder what it is that I did read back then.  Another made for TV movie with Jessica Lange that aired earlier this year renewed my interest in the topic so I decided to pick up the book. It's disturbing, but fascinating as well.

 

It is impossible to say a book on such a sensitive and horrific issue as child abuse is a great book to read; in fact, this book is probably one of the most difficult ones to read that you will ever come across. Having studied psychology, it is a known fact that Multiple Personality Disorder(MPD) is associated with child abuse. The personality "splits" when the human psyche can no longer cope with the pain of abuse.  Sybil is a story of such abuse at the hands of a mentally disturbed mother - sexual, physical and emotional abuse prevail. Sybil is a true story based on one of the most severe cases of MPD and child abuse in history. Over a span of twenty years, it reveals the various "personalities" living within one woman. How one could even survive such atrocities is beyond belief. The time period of this story ends in the 40's. Today, research continues on this subject and much has been learned since Sybil's case, but one can never have enough knowledge.

 

Review 41: Wake by Lisa McMann (18 August)

210 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.  She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control. Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.

 

This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year and I can't wiat for the sequel, sadly it's not due until February of 2009. Part of what I liked about this story is that I couldn't see where it was headed. I don't like predictability and I'm glad that wasn't a problem here.

 

Review 42: Blood Roses by Francesca Lia Block (18 August)

129 Pages

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

This was a lovely collection of nine short stories. It touched on some of the dark themes that Block has used in the past that bother me, but I still enjoyed the collection overall. Block also uses supernatural themes and this followed with that as well. It was short and sweet and I think her fans will enjoy it.

 

 

Review 43: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 1) by C.S. Lewis (18 August)

206 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

I know the books in this series have been reordered since I read this as a child. Perhaps it's silly to read them in the old order, but it helps me hold onto those lovely childhood reading memories. This is a great little story and now I'm impatient to get on with the series. I'm trying not to be bothered by the women are weaker themes, so I'm focusing on the fun stuff, like the weapons from Father Christmas.

 

 

Review 44: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson (21 August)

264 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: YA Fiction

 

When she wakes up from a yearlong coma, 17-year-old Jenna Fox can remember nothing and must reconstruct her life and sense of self from what others tell her. But are they to be trusted? The people who claim to be her parents . . . well, ARE they? And what is the meaning of the strange, contradictory memories Jenna keeps having?

 

This was a fresh and original story that kept me interested and engaged from beginning to end. I wanted to find out what was going on with Jenna and I wanted to know how things would play out. I had it partially figured out before the truth was revealed, and I wasn't disappointed at all. This would probably be better classified as YA Science Fiction and I would love to see what else this author has written.

 

 

Review 45: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (22 August)

367 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Classic

 

A few months back I watched a new movie adapation of this novel and a few things were different than I remembered. Since I hadn't read the book in almost ten years, I didn't know what was part of the novel and what was part of Emma Thompson's excellent screenplay of the 1995 movie version. So I determined to read it again. Of course with the rereading, I couldn't remember what I wanted to clarify in rereading the book. I should have written in down. What the reread did make me remember is how much my heart breaks while reading it. Everyone is so unhappy for so long and there is so much suffering. Since this is Austen, everything turns out fine in the end, but I'm not sure it's worth all the heartache and heart break. And this fulfills another of my challenges. Hooray!

 

Review 46: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (24 August)

345 Pages

Rating: 4.25 Stars Out of 5

Genre: YA Fiction

 

Frankie has style. Panache. In the summer since her freshman year, she has grown into her “angular face, filled out her figure and transformed from a homely child into a loaded potato — all while sitting quietly in a suburban hammock, reading the short stories of Dorothy Parker and drinking lemonade.”Even to her family, “she was Bunny Rabbit. Innocent. In need of protection. Inconsequential.” But Frankie is anything but. The book starts with a confession of mis-deeds and then proceeds to lay out exactly what Frankie did to be writing a confession to the Headmaster. Frankie is a great character and I love the way her mind works. Sadly, the end of the book left me hugely dissatisfied. I desperatey hope there is a sequel, and soon.

 

 

Review 47: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (26 August)

323 Pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction (essays)

 

I was not a huge fan of Sedaris's last collection, but this one I found charming and heartfelt. He laid bare his soul and I loved every word. I laughed with him, I cringed for him, and I was a very happy camper. More of the same, please!

 

Review 48: Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 2) by C.S. Lewis (26 August)

238 Pages

Rating 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

As I was reading this I remembered that this was my least favorite of the series. There is way too much exposition and not much action. But I know things pick up again in the next book.  I'm really getting tired of writing book reviews by this point, sorry.

 

 

Review 49: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 3) by C.S. Lewis (28 August)

271 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

This is the longest of the Narnia boks and with all of Eustace's whining, I felt every single page :) But it was still a good story and I love Reepicheep.

 

Review 50: The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 4) by C.S. Lewis (28 August)

257 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

If my memoery is corrent, this is my favorite of the series. The underworld is a great setting and the giant's Autumn Festival is fantastic.

 

Review 51: The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 5) by C.S. Lewis (29 August)

 

241 Pages

Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Genre: Children's Classic

 

I found myself slogging through the first few books in this series, but the last couple have been fantastic. They just keep getting better and better. I hope this holds true for the last two.

 

Review 52: The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 6) by C.S. Lewis (30 August)

221 Pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

I few years ago, maybe 2002 or 2003, I decided to reread this series and started here, according to the new ordering scheme. This was the only one I managed to get through, and I was amazed on this recent read through how much I had forgotten. No wonder I don't remember much from that 4th grade read. This novel is a fun one, but I think it does belong at the end rather than at the beginning.

 

Review 53: The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 7) by C.S. Lewis (30 August)

228 Pages

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Children's Classic

 

 

Ah, here is where all that religious iconography that people were so up in arms about when the movie came out really shows itself. Aslan judges who gets into heave and the world ends. U yeah, that sounds like a thing or two that plays out in most Christian religions. I found myself getting frustrated toward the end with all the symbolism, and when the big reveal happened at the end, I was wondering why it took them so long to figure out out. But then I felt bad for Susan. Ah well ...

 

Review 54: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1 September)

522 Pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Genre: Classic

 

I love this story. It's just brilliant. I've seen the movie versions many times since I read the book last and I'd forgotten all of the wonderful things that did not make it into the screenplays. I do need to reread this more often.