Something Borrowed by: Emily Giffin

Review: Currently, I am the maid of honor in a wedding and could not resist reading this book.  I couldn't put it down; it is a quick and easy read so I wasn't holding onto it for too long.  When you read the synopsis you think, how could any MOH do that to her best friend! I was appalled, but then at the end of the book you really feel for the main character.  This book really shows the reader that there are two sides to every story and not everything is as cut and dry as you want to believe. 

Synopsis:  On the night of her 30th birthday, Rachel suddenly finds herself in bed with a man who is not only engaged, but she is the maid of honor in the wedding.  Rachel has always followed the rules, went to a good college, never had one night stands, and was a solid friend.  She doesn't know how to process what she did to her best friend, Darcy and soon she finds herself falling in love with Dex, the fiance.  The feelings are mutual and Rachel becomes torn between the most powerful love she has ever experienced and a lifetime love for her best friend. 

Rating: 8

The Alchemy of Stone by: Katerina Sedia

Review: A weird, uninteresting book.  I should have stopped reading it but I persisted.  At one point a machine and a man have intercourse; I thought to myself "Why am I still reading this?"  The book made no sense either.  The main character is a very advanced automaton, yet they live in a town where carriages are pulled by giant lizards and orphans are molded into deformed creatures to work in the mines.  They don't have machines to do this, but they have robots that can mimic human intelligence? Really? The didn't invent automated vehicles first?!

Synopsis: Maddie is a free automaton and an alchemist.  Her master is a mechanic and also holds the key to her 'heart' which needs to be wound for her to continue to function.  There is civil discourse in the city between the Gargoyles, Mechanics, and Alchemists.  Maddie finds herself in the middle of all this. 

Review: 0

The Nanny Diaries by: Emma McLaughlin & Nichola Kraus

Review:  When I picked up this book I had very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised when I couldn't put it down.  The Nanny Diaries is a hysterical and emotionally captivating read. McLaughlin and Kraus have a different writing style, and I personally loved it.  They write out there thoughts in the way I imagine I would if I were to ever write something bigger than a blog.  Its that style of writing that makes the reader laugh out loud.

Synopsis (Spoiler Alert):  A broke college student living in NYC takes a nanny position with a rich family on Park Ave.  Nanny quickly learns that Mrs. X takes no real part in her childs upbringing despite the fact that Mrs. X does not work, cook, or clean.  Nanny is at her constant beck and call.  Nanny and the child, Grayer, have a rocky start but soon form a tight loving bond.  As the marriage of the Xe's begins to crumble Nanny is pulled in.  The ending is horribly depressing.

Review: 9

For One More Day by: Mitch Albom

Review:  A quick, easy, touching read. This book really make the reader contemplate their relationship with their mothers.  It puts a perspective on life and how the ones you love can really make all the difference. It only takes a few hours to read and it will make you think about your loved ones and the effects they have on your life.

Synopsis: Chick Benetto was a washed up sports player with an alcohol problem. His wife leaves him and his daughter doesn't even invite him to her wedding. Chick's failed attempt at suicide results in him spending one more day with his deceased mother.  She takes him to several appointments with people from the past.  She shows Chick just how much she loved him and everything she did out of love.  Her story becomes his story and when he survives he treats life like the wonderful gift that it is.

Review: 7

The Lucky One by: Nicholas Sparks

Review: A much more upbeat and unusual love story for Spark's, and the ending isn't as tragic as many of his works.  Besides the more positive ending, Spark's deviates from his usual writing.  Instead of the two characters falling madly in love in two weeks, Thibault and Elizabeth actually take the time to get to know each other.  These two differences are what made me really appreciate the story, more than almost all of Spark's novels. The concept was a bit too far fetched, but it is still fiction.

Synopsis: Thibault is a marine fighting abroad in the war, when he comes across a photograph in the desert.  He picks it up and tries to find the owner, after no one claims it for some reason he holds onto this picture of a woman he has never met.  Thibault begins to beat the odds and miraculously survive in numerous fatal scenarios. One of his comrades tells him that this picture is what is saving his life.  After his time in the Marines is up, Thibault returns to the states and begins to search for this girl.

     After walking across most the of country he finds Elizabeth, sister to a deceased Marine.  He begins working right next door for her grandmother's kennel.  Slowly he gets to know Elizabeth and her son, and all too soon, her insane ex husband who is also a police officer.  Elizabeth's exhusband is not ready to give her up to this stranger, and seeks to rid the town of Thibault.

Review: 9

Lucky by: Alice Sebold

Review: This book is based upon a life changing traumatic experience, but after you get past the horrible incident it becomes quite dull.  I feel awful for what this woman experienced, no one should have to go through that.  The true story of a rape that took place near the Syracuse University campus was what prompted me to pick up the book.  It did make me realize how long and strenuous the after math of a rape can be, especially for the rare few who want to convict their attacker. But the long drawn out way it was written was hard to get through.  I felt that there was a lot of unnecessary parts about the detailed legal aspects, which caused me to lose interest. Kind of like reading the dull parts to Law & Order: SVU.  It was still a decent real look into how someone copes when something life changing and horrible happens.  I will always remember this book.

Synopsis:  A young college girl is raped on her walk back home one night.  She eventually sees her rapist on street near the school and he is finally apprehended.  The book then details the legal process. Also the horrible ordeal this girl was put through as well as her healing process. As it may be expected, she has issues with men after;  she also has an issue with drugs. She appears overcomes them and write this memoir of her experience.

Rating: 6

The Neighbor by: Lisa Gardner

Review:  In the beginning I found this book to be a bit mellow compared to Gardner's other works. However near the middle I started making connections to another book by Gardner, one of my favorites of hers.  That idea drew me right in.  Being a huge fan of Gardner's I have read everything she has written, but not realizing most of them had an order I read whatever one I could get my hands on at the library. The Neighbor is one of her newer books and I had read everything else prior to picking up this book, thank God! It was amazing when the light went on in my head and I made that connection.  That made me appreciate the book on a whole new level. 

   For those of you interested, read Say Goodbye first.  Say Goodbye was terrifying and one of my favorites (that review will come another time though). I highly recommend reading these books, although honestly, I recommend everything by Lisa Gardner. 

Synopsis:  A wife suddenly goes missing from her home, and the only person who was there is her 4 year old daughter.  The husband becomes a prime suspect as he begins to hide evidence and doesn't seem to want to help police officers find his wife.  On the outside they look like the perfect couple, but Detective DD Warren begins to pull at the threads unraveling more than she ever dreamed possible.

Rating: 9

Deception Point by: Dan Brown

Review: Although not nearly as well known, Deception Point was one of my favorite of Brown's books.  The storyline is fast paced from the beginning and doesn't stop til the end.  Also this book doesn't have the strong ties to religion like some of Brown's more famous books; a point that I greatly appreciated in Deception Point.

    Instead Deception Point brings the reader to think about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. However, that short lived idea bubble is popped and the reader is given nothing but suspense as a plot to sabotage NASA is revealed.  

Synopsis:  A colossal meteorite is found buried deep in the Milne Ice shelf, Rachel Sexton of the National Reconnaissance Office is asked to go and confirm the findings.  Once she arrives she quickly realizes why this meteorite was so important, it contains fossils of extraterrestrial creatures.  This discovery will be huge for NASA, especially with the new politicians argument being to severely cut funding and open space travel to the public.  A finding of this magnitude will renew the peoples faith in NASA and crush this political battle.  

   But something is off with these findings; a small group of scientist and Rachel discover that this meteorite is a fake.  Their lives are now in danger as they race to contact the President of the United States and warn him before he can go public with this information.  The fate of NASA, the Presidential election, and Rachel's life all depend on how fast she can inform the President and find out who is behind this sabotage.

Review: 9

Percy Jackson & The Olympians by: Rick Riordan

Review:  This series was a very creative and enchanting story for young adults.  An easy read for any over the age of 14, but still a fun adventure for all ages.  I greatly enjoyed this series; although I did wish that Percy Jackson was older at least to make me feel better about myself for reading a kids book. But I've read them more than once (not like it took long) and still love it. After reading it through for the second time I did feel that it was just a bit too easy.  There are parallels to Harry Potter (my favorite YA series, still waiting to review that one) and that can be a bit annoying.     

      However, Riordan's concept was original and I loved the fact that it was based on ancient Greek religion.  Riordan does what J.K. Rowling did (although not nearly to the same extent) and create a world.  He draws inspiration from ancient Greece, yet he makes it his own.

Synopsis:  Percy Jackson is just your average kid with ADD and mild dyslexia, and trouble seems to follow him everywhere.  Well, that's how it seems until Percy learns the truth; he is a demi god.  His mother is an average mortal woman, and his father is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Percy begins his training at Camp Half Blood, and learns that his father is one of the Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, all of whom made a pact not to have anymore children.  Throughout the series Percy and his friends battle fabled monsters such as Medusa and the Hydra.  Percy befriends some Gods and makes enemies of others. All five books lead up to a choice Percy will have to make.  He is the half blood of the prophecy and the fate of the Gods rest in his decisions.

Review: 8

Jurassic Park by: Michael Crichton

Review:  Lots of scientific mumbo jumbo threatens to overwhelm the reader, but just when you are about to lose interest Crichton pulls you back in with something exciting and suspenseful.  If the science portion would have been shortened it would have been much better (and faster).  Its easier to get past the slow parts if you've seen the movie because you know that more adventure is coming.

Synopsis:  Scientists discover a way to extract dinosaur DNA from fossil, and actually bring back many varieties of dinosaurs.  Looking to capitalize on this idea, a theme park is created on a remote island.  Specialists are called in to take a tour and be the first to experience Jurassic Park when things awry.  A power outage allows many of the dinosaurs to escape their habitats, soon everyone is fighting for survival and a way off the island.

Review: 4

Dear Catastrophe Waitress by: Brendan Halpin

Review: When I opened this book I expected a cute, predictable love story; it was definitely cute but not as predictable as I expected.  I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed a storyline like this.  Halpin does a great job of developing his characters, which I feel certain authors (especially romance authors) don't take the time to do.  This is what makes the difference, each of the main characters experience so much in their separate lives and then they finally meet. The character development makes the reader wonder, if they had met when they were in their teens would it have worked?  The trials and tradegies the characters experience shape them into who they become as adults, this is such a foreign concept in love stories.

Synopsis: Mark meets his first girlfriend in college, and falls madly in love with her.  They each have experienced the loss of a loved one and Mark feels that it is something they can bond over.  His girlfriend pursues a career as a punk rocker and creates a hit song called "the Two Minute Man."  Mark becomes infamous at college, this song ruins his dating life as it becomes a chart topper.

     Philippa is living with her father in London at the time and dating a loser singer, who only uses her for money and sex.  Philippa decides she is going to end it, how ever before she does her boyfriend catches her cheating on him.  He writes his own chart topping song called, "Philippa Cheats."  After making her life a nightmare in the UK she moves back to the states.

     Years go by and both Mark and Philippa experience even more challenges from relationships.  That is until the day that they finally meet.

Review: 9

Dog On It by: Spencer Quinn

Review:  Dog on it is a funny, cute story. Its a quick read, and provides a good view of the world through a dog's eyes. You fall in love with the dog quickly, and laugh. Dog owners would really appreciate this book, because it really puts a voice to a dog's thoughts. It can be a bit repetitive, but that's because of the dog's memory.

Now clearly, unrealistic story, but besides that this dog is both extremely smart and stupid at the same time. I feel that Quinn did not put a lot of research into it. The dog in the story, Chet, just barely failed out of the canine academy, yet there will be times when he doesn't stay when he is told to, or is doing something he shouldn't, etc. I have actually interacted with a dog that just barely failed out of whatever school dogs go to to become helper dogs. And honest to God if you told this dog to stay, it stays until told to move. I'm talking hours if the dog is forgotten. But most people don't have this knowledge and wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but it bugged me occasionally.

Synopsis:  Chet helps, his private investigator owner, Bernie sniff out the disappearance of a missing girl.  Chet's prime suspects are Prince, a cat owned by the girls father and a parrot owned by the mother. However unlikely his suspects are, Chet does find where the girl is now its just a matter of remembering and getting Bernie to understand.  

Rating: 6

Message in a Bottle by: Nicholas Sparks

Review: By far my least favorite Nicholas Sparks book, it was painful to get through.  The concept had the potential to be adorable and sappy, yet Message in a Bottle was an unrealistic tragedy.  Sparks has had a lot of books that I have enjoyed, so I recommend just skipping this one and pick up The Notebook, The Lucky One, or almost any other book Sparks' has written.

Synopsis (Spoiler Alert): While on vacation a woman finds something, (I bet you can guess) a message in a bottle.  After some research Theresa unearths a couple other letters and magically pieces together enough to go and find the man who wrote these love letters. They meet, and here's a shock, he's single too and her age. They fall in love in a two week span. After a long distance relationship and a fight, he dies.

Review: 0

The Green Mile by: Stephen King

Review:  Let me preface this review by saying that I did see the movie first, which I normally read the book first.  This book followed the movie very well, way better than most book to movie translations.  I was quite impressed because I still love the movie and I now love the book.  The Green Mile will fill the reader with a sense of awe and wonderment.  It will touch your heart and leave you in tears.  And John Coffey really teaches you that you cannot judge based on appearances.

Synopsis:  Paul Edgcombe has been working the Green Mile for years.  He has walked many of the worst convicted killers down that hall, the last steps they will ever take, towards "Old Sparky."  When he meets John Coffey, a giant of man, who thinks like a child and is afraid of the dark.  Coffey has been convicted of heinous crime, and says nothing about his innocence or his guilt.          

         Miraculous things begin to happen around Coffey and on the Green Mile. Edgcombe will soon be faced with the choice of believing what should be or believing what he sees.  The truth John Coffey shows him will change his life forever.

Rating: 9

Smashed by: Koren Zailckas

Review:  For a story about a young girls struggle with alcoholism it almost brought me to drink.  It was painfully slow.  The only thing that kept my interest was that this girl attended Syracuse University, where I am also an alum.  So I knew what bars she was talking about even without her being able to say their names. Other than that I probably should have called it quits on this one, but I pushed through hoping it would pick up.  Instead I wasted my time and money reading about a girl who did nothing but get wasted.

Synopsis: Girl starts drinking at 14, attends SU where it gets worse, graduates, and quits drinking. Boring. 

Rating: 0

The Help by: Kathryn Stockett

Review:  This isn't a book I would normally have picked up to read, but after joining a book club this was what everyone was reading.  I was surprised when I absolutely loved it; I couldn't put it down.  Stockett takes the reader through all emotions;  its suspenseful, funny, enraging, uplifting, and heart breaking.  

    The Help brings the reader directly into Jackson, Mississippi during segregation.  You really feel what the characters are experiencing.  Its an eye opener for younger people  who didn't experience segregation.  Although, I cannot help but draw parallels to the way homosexuals are being treated today.  Its appalling that in 2010 there are still people who are not allowed to marry someone they love.  Just like not so long ago when it was illegal to have interracial marriages.

Synopsis:  After graduating from college, and not managing to nail down a husband 22 year old Skeeter doesn't know what to do with her life.  She moves back home to Jackson, Mississippi during a time when segregation is at its peak.   She aspires to become a writer but needs something controversial to write about. She decides to start interviewing the black maids who work for white households.  These maids raise their children for them, and once these children grow up they cycle repeats.

     Abigail and Minny are two black maids who agree to help Skeeter, at great personal risk to themselves.  They each have their stories to share about the different abuses they have witnessed or have experienced first hand.  A young black man in the community was beaten with a tire iron just for accidentally using the white bathroom. Another young maid was forced to use "special" soap when she washed, it was actually undiluted bleach.  These are just the side stories Minny and Abigail tell, knowing that a fate much worse than a tire iron will happen if they are found out telling the truth.

Rating: 10 

The Perfect Husband by: Lisa Gardner

Review: I am a huge fan of Lisa Gardner and have read all her books, this one is an older one and it was terrifying!  I couldn't put it down. Gardner's imaginative thriller has you on the edge of your seat. Don't read this Gardner book before bed or you won't sleep and if you do, expect nightmares.

Synopsis:  Tess married the man of her dreams, a well respected cop who rescued her from her abusive father.  Quickly Tess learns she is married to an even more abusive, totally psychotic man.  Scared for her life Tess helps get him convicted of ten brutal murders.  Constant fear is all Tess knows even with her husband locked up.  Her cunning husband manages to escape and begins to hunt Tess down.  Tess finds help from an ex-marine and an FBI profiler, as the manhunt spins out of control and the bodies keep piling up. Tess turns from the prey to the predator because she knows the only way for her to live is for her husband to die.

Rating: 8

Escape by: Carolyn Jessop

Review:  This is an eye opening non-fiction book about a woman born into the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints (FLDS), which is a polygamist sect in Arizona.  Jessop provides an inside look into the practices of this cult.  This book read like fiction, I could not put it down.  The whole time I kept having to tell myself that this really happened and this cult still exists today.  Jessop escaped in 2003, that is only seven years ago.

Synopsis:  At the age of 18 she is married off to a man who is 32 years her senior.  Several of his daughters from his other wives were in Jessop's high school class.  This book shows the abuse and discrimination practiced in this cult and preached as the only way to find salvation.  

     Jessop goes on to have eight children by her husband, one of the children is severely disabled and needs constant care.  The new profit for FLDS begins to make some drastic changes to the community while preaching about the apocalypse, and Jessop realizes it is time to get out. Determined to leave with all eight of her children and maintain custody of them.  Her husband and his wives are all against her.  She leaves with no money and barely enough gas to get out of town.  From there it only gets worse for Jessop. 

Rating: 10

The Wicked Series by: Gregory Maguire

Review: Wicked was a long slow read, Son of a Witch really picked up and had some interesting story lines, slows right back down for A Lion Among Men.  The fourth book has yet to come out, but the third ended with such a cliff hanger I'll push through it.  I've invested this much time into the series I have to see how it plays out.  

      What slows the series down is that the reader anticipates more magic, compared to the subtle undertones that Maguire uses.  If you read any other Maguire books you will find that this is how all of his books are.  However, this series was painful compared to the other works of Maguire's that I have read.

Rating: 4

The Twilight Saga by: Stephenie Meyer

Review (spoiler alert): The Twilight Saga is to books what The Jersey Shore is to television.  Addicting but has no real value to your life.  Don't get me wrong I read all the Twilight books and enjoyed them, I even re-read them multiple times.  I also watch Jersey Shore re-runs, it doesn't make it any better.  

    For those of you who think this is a book about vampire and werewolves, let me set the record straight, this is a LOVE story that happens to include vampires and werewolves. The main character Bella is an unintelligent, uncoordinated, normal mortal girl.  Her boyfriend is an overbearing, sometimes pretentious vampire who is desperately in love with her.  She also has a werewolf who is desperately in love with her, and the more I read this series I couldn't help but think WHY?? How does this idiot girl have two mythical men fighting for her? I'd have been shocked if she had one normal mortal boyfriend.

    Once I get past the obnoxious Bella Swan the series was compelling and addicting.  Very quick reads and fast paced.  The beginning of New Moon drags a bit but other than that it keeps the reader gripped to the pages.  Only in Breaking Dawn does Meyer flex her creative talents when showcasing a varying degree of vampire special skills, the other three books lack imagination.  I still could not get over the fact that in Breaking Dawn, Meyer brings vampires from all over the world to battle the Volturi and they use their words, there is no battle, no blood is shed. What a waste!

Synopsis:  Bella Swan is an average high school student living in, the always rainy small town, Forks with her father.  She soon meets some strange, beautiful people in her high school.  One of them stands out to her; they are drawn to each other.  Soon Bella learns the truth that Edward Cullen is a vampire, yet he abstains from drinking human blood.  They quickly fall madly in love.  Throughout the books there are dangers that threaten Bella's existence and the existence of those around her both humans and vampires.  Bella also become acquainted with the werewolf pack that lives on the reservation.  Soon the werewolves and the 'vegetarian' vampires team up help protect Bella, Forks, and their own families.

 

Rating: 9

The Hobbit by: JRR Tolkien

Review:     An enchanting precursor to the Lord of the Rings.  This book captivates the reader from the start, the adventure begins almost immediately and doesn't relent until the end.   It is a fast read and  written for a younger crowd, but all ages will appreciate it. 

Synopsis:   Bilbo Baggins is quiet, respectable hobbit minding his own business in the Shire when he greets an old man walking past his house.  This old man is a wizard named Gandalf the Grey, and Gandalf deems that Bilbo is to be the fourteenth person for an adventure.  Bilbo has no idea of the wizards plans until the next day thirteen dwarves show up on his doorstep.  The dwarves tell a tale of an old city, gold, and a dragon.  The next day they set off to slay the dragon and take back their treasure.  The road is perilous, especially for a hobbit used to more than just three square meals a day and a cozy bed every night.  Bilbo and the dwarves face trolls, goblins, elves, and other terrible creatures on their way to face the great dragon, Smaug.

Rating: 10

Introduction

  As an avid reader I decided to start a blog to write my own reviews or synopses on books that I've read.  I mainly enjoy fiction books, but the occasional non-fiction is thrown in.  I try to have an eclectic book taste when reading, so I have read varying books from Dear John by Nicholas Sparks and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.  

Warning: There may be spoilers in some of the reviews, so read with caution.

Rating Scale (0 to 10): 0 is a waste of time and I should have stopped reading at some point, most of these probably won't make my blog; unless it was so bad I feel the need to warn those who may read this. 10 is an absolute favorite and a fantastic read; also a 10 is very hard to attain so they are rare, they will most likely crop up  a lot while i get my blog going, because I want to review my favorites.  9 is really the best most books can hope to achieve.