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Monday, October 31, 2011

Eden

EdenEden by Keary Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The human race has nearly been destroyed by a scientific attempt to heal disease and illness through cybernetics. Those who have been able to hide from the Fallen (the infected who've essentially become robots) struggle everyday to survive.

Eve is among the remaining humans. "While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of."

A very creative story with enjoyable characters. I had no idea who Eve would chose until she made her decision.

Self publishing seems to lend to more typos and grammatical errors than novels traditionally published, but Keary has made lots of improvement in both areas.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune  (Heroes of Olympus, #2)The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly I did not.

Don't get me wrong, it was good. Some parts were laugh out loud funny, and the new characters in this book were great. But, I was expecting it to flow with book one of this series, and although it comes together (sort of) at the end, those great new characters weren't in this book.

If you didn't get enough of Percy Jackson in Riordan's other series about Percy, then you'll probably love this book. If you were hoping for Jason to play a role, you'll be somewhat disappointed.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Maid to Match

Maid to MatchMaid to Match by Deeanne Gist

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this Kindle eBook for free on Amazon the other day, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.

The story follows two Vanderbilt servants. Tilly is aspiring to become Mrs. Vanderbilt's lady's maid, and Mack is working there to earn money quickly to get his younger sister out of an orphanage. There is an instant attraction between the two; however, Tilly fights it because a relationship doesn't fit into a lady's maid's lifestyle.

The glimpse into the Vanderbilt lifestyle was very interesting. Certain aspects were created for the novel, but the author definitely did her research.

The overall story was very entertaining, and the characters were enjoyable. The romance was great too.

A quick read that has me curious about Deeanne Gist's other books.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Book Thief

The Book ThiefThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My mind is still whirling from this novel. The subject (World War II) is not one that I like to dwell on, because I can't understand why so many people went along with Adolph Hitler. Or why, even today, so many people hate groups of people (like Muslims or Hispanics). Even if a person doesn't believe that we are all children of God, how can they not understand that each person deserves a chance? People should not be judged based on others of their faith or ethnic background. I'm not a fan of war, and the hatred (and power seeking) that is behind it.

I'm pretty sure this is the only book I've ever read where Death is the narrator. Being WWII, he is quite busy. While collecting a soul in Germany, Death takes notice of a young girl that shouldn't be on his radar. He tells us her story, and it's very interesting.

I'm a little at odds with myself, because I found Death to be likeable. But, then again, Death was just doing his job. He wasn't the killer, just the collector. And, he always carried the children's souls in his arms.

The way the story was told was very unique. Not just that it was told by Death, but that Death gave spoilers. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. At least one of the spoilers bothered me because I really wanted something to happen, but I knew that it wasn't going to.

The events in the story weren't told sequentially. I typically don't love jumping around, but it was ok here. I also am not a fan of swearing, but I guess it didn't really bother me in this book because for the most part it was in German.

All in all, I was moved by this story. I am happy for the goodness in people.

Monday, October 24, 2011

While We're Far Apart

While We're Far ApartWhile We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While We're Far Apart was a very satisfying read. Not only is the story good, but I actually learned. Historical fiction, when done well, is my favorite (assuming there is at least a little romance thrown in). ;)

The story takes place in New York during World War II. I hadn't thought much about the prejudices against Jews in the US. And, I learned about efforts at home and abroad to help those suffering that I hadn't heard about before. I was surprised that I'd never learned about Raoul Wallenberg in my history classes.

At times the story moved pretty slowly for me, but it seemed appropriate for the time. Life at home must have dragged at times while loved ones were away.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The List

The ListThe List by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally got my hands on a copy of Melanie Jacobson's The List (thanks Tarah). This is a "mind candy" book that you can finish in one sitting (although it might mean reading until 2 AM).

Ashley made a list of 25 things to do before she gets married. In the past six years she has made a lot of progress on The List, but with graduate school starting in the fall, she decides now is the time to cross Surfing and Summer Fling off. She's beautiful and smart, and knows how to get what she wants. But, will love get in the way of her life plan?

Melanie's writing is very entertaining. The LDS Singles setting was hilarious (and real). It flowed, and wasn't preachy at all. I loved the characters, and even though one of the surprises to Ashley was pretty obvious, I mostly liked how it played out.

It was also fun to see similarities to some of my past silly relationships.

I'm looking forward to reading Melanie's latest novel, Not My Type.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Unwind

Unwind (Unwind, #1)Unwind by Neal Shusterman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow! I was sucked into Unwind and didn't want to put it down.

Set in the future, the resolution to our Second Civil War is "The Bill of Life". It "states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively 'abort' a child . . . on the condition that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end." Every part of the child becomes part of a donor pool.

What a horrible concept! I can't even imagine how it would feel to have your parents sign the order to have you unwound. Sorry kid-we just can't handle you anymore, so we're washing our hands of you. Hopefully the many others who get pieces of you will use them better than you did.

Ack!

At least many kids don't just take their fate. They run away, and some even fight the system!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Letters for Emily

Letters for EmilyLetters for Emily by Camron Steve Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Letters for Emily tells a touching story about familial relationships, and the importance of communication.

Grandpa Whitney leaves mysterious poems to his favorite granddaughter, that when solved give passwords to letters he wrote for her. The letters offer advice, and help his children understand their father.

An enjoyable read. I didn't devour it, but I liked it (other than the few swear words included in the book).

Friday, October 7, 2011

Passion

Passion (Fallen, #3)Passion by Lauren Kate

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Luce and Daniel have a very complicated relationship. They have been soul mates since the beginning of time, but a curse keeps them apart. In Passion, Luce is on a dangerous journey through time to discover the truth about their relationship and the curse. Daniel is always one step behind, just missing her everywhere he goes.

I liked the glimpses of history as Luce traveled back in time. And, I was happy to learn the secret behind the cursed relationship.

Passion was very different from the previous two books in the Fallen series. I missed the supporting characters that were so prominent in the other books, and the pace was slow. It didn't help that I thought this was the final book in the series. Had I realized it wasn't the end, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Slump

I am struggling to find a good book to devour. The last few I've checked out just aren't doing it for me.

One of the books is by Carol Higgins Clark. I've never read any of her books; in fact, I just heard about her last week. Two people told me that she isn't as good as her mom (Mary Higgins Clark). I think I've only read one Mary Higgins Clark (and, I ended up skipping to the end because it was uber creepy), but I think hearing this may have affected my feelings on the book.

Has anyone else read any of Carol's books? Is it just me, and my allergy induced fog, or is her writing bad? A big distraction could be that my library only had large print editions. Is the larger font making the dialogue seem worse than it really is?

Sorry Carol, but I think seven chapters is all I'm going to give you. I wish you the best, really I do.

I need to find a good book to read. I'm typically in the mood for what my sister calls "mind candy". I think this is the same type of book that I refer to as "fluff". Whatever it is, it's easy to read, and doesn't take much mind power to do so.

Any suggestions?