House Rules by: Jodi Picoult

Review:   This book gave many different perspectives into the sudden death a grad student who was tutoring a young man with Aspergers.  I couldn't help but skip ahead to the end;  I just couldn't tell if Jacob killed his tutor Jess or if someone else did.  Picoult puts the answer in front of your eyes but its all the perspective changes that make the answer so hard to see.  Once you start its hard to put down.  The characters are all wonderfully written and well thought out, and each point of view is addicting.

    There is also the added ingenuity of having a murder suspect with an autistic disorder.  Asperger's separates Jacob from other murder suspects with his tics and lack of emotional response.  He is also a genius when it comes to forensic science and knows more than most of the police department.  Its an eye opener for readers who are unfamiliar with the disorder.

Synopsis:  When the body of Jess Oglivy is discovered near her house the prime suspect ends up being Jacob, an eighteen year old boy with Asperger's.  Jacob can't make eye contact with people, can't express emotion, and hates the color orange.  Forensic science is his passion and he will have a meltdown if he misses the 4:30 showing of Crimebusters. He finds himself on trial for this murder, yet he never quite grasps that his future is on the line.  Jacob is the key to this mystery, but its up to his family, lawyer, and the police to piece together what really happened to Jess.

Rating: 8

Safe Haven by: Nicholas Sparks

Review:  Of course this book is predictable, just like the majority of Spark's novels.  This plot, however, has more suspense in it, along the lines of The Guardian by Sparks.  The ending was change from his usual writing; Spark's skips the lovesick tragedy and goes for a thrilling edge of your seat ending. Safe Haven was a fast and captivating read. It was refreshing reading something more dangerous from such a romantic writer.  Although it is still a mild violence but after all it is Nicholas Sparks and not Lisa Gardner writing the story.

Synopsis:  A woman moves to a small town to escape her past.  After slowly adjusting to life in a quiet town she begins to feel safe and let her guard down.  She becomes friends with the widowed shop owner who quickly pieces together her secret.  An abusive husband still desperate to track his wife down and prevent her from ever leaving him again.  Soon things begin to unravel as the psychotic husband learns her whereabouts.

Rating: 8

Assholes Finish First by: Tucker Max

Review:  Max's first book was hilarity from beginning to end (see review for I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell), maybe it was high expectations, but I was disappointed.  Tucker Max is still the sex crazed, arrogant, binge drinker but this collection of his stories just didn't do it.  I re-read his first book earlier this year and still was laughing so hard I nearly wet myself, but not with this new book.

     Basically, Tucker Max is 35 now and his stories of debauchery are hysterical, but when  performed by someone in their 20's.  At 35 I find his shallow life style sad and pathetic.  I am 25 and I love to go out but I don't still do the things I did when I was in college. Most of my friends are settling down and getting married and think I'm an alcoholic. 

     Also another probable reason for the lack of laughs may be due to the fact that his first book was so funny yet this new book did have stories from before the first book was published.  So basically, these stories did not make the cut for his first book, so he saved them for his second? There was clearly good reasons for not putting them in the first book.  Although with that book being a best seller who wouldn't want to write #2 knowing people would buy it because the first one was so awesome. 

     I did enjoy that Max took the time to write about two different relationships he was in.  It was surprising to see this different side of him.  Also I did appreciate the end where he realizes that he is being used for sex.  I made this connection very early on and wondered if Max ever would admit it.  Because of these two parts I am glad I finished the book. Plus its a simple read and didn't take much time.

Synopsis: Check out my review of his first book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.  Its pretty much the same except the stories are not nearly as ridiculous (except the TuckerFest story because that is crazy).

Rating: 5