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

Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister by: Gregory Maguire

Review: This is not the enchanting story that Cinderella fans may be hoping to find.  Magic is very slight and only near the end.  However, the twisted take on this classic fairy tale is welcome.  A refreshing story through the point of view someone painted as the villain for ages is insightful.

     While reading this novel I kept thinking, this really could have happened.  Which tended to slow the book down a bit, at parts it was more like reading a historical bio than this revamped children tale that the world is very familiar with.  

Synopsis: The story of Cinderella but through the eyes of her step-sister (just in case the title did not give it away).

  

Review: 7

The Lost Symbol by: Dan Brown

Review:  Unlike Brown's other novels, this one both starts and ends slow.  Slow to the point where I can't believe I powered through it.  Brown rambles on and on at the end.  After all is said and done and the bad guy is dead there is still like 60 pages left where they go into depth about this 'lost symbol.'  Waste of time, why don't we just wrap it up in 10 pages or less once the adventure is over. Thanks Dan Brown. 

     Maybe it was high expectations from reading his other fast paced and exciting novels.  In this book though, I was unimpressed.  The Lost Symbol just does not pick up the momentum like the other Langdon novels.

Synopsis:  Robert Langdon is suddenly finds his old friend murdered.  This mystery pulls him into secret world surrounding the Masons.  Clues, puzzles, and the Lost Symbol are themes in this story.  And to be honest, I forget the rest.  I remember being bored and hoping for suspense. 

Rating: 2

The Devil Wears Prada by: Lauren Weisberger

Review:  A light quick read.  Very entertaining and hysterical.  Personally, I drew lots of parallels between Miranda and someone I work with, so it sucked me in a bit more.  To be far, no one is nearly as bad as Miranda.  At some points I was just awe struck that someone could be so selfish and inconsiderate.  It was amazing that just because this one woman was a genius fashion editor everyone else had to spend their time catering to her.  I can't believe any company would allow such a waste of company funds and resources would be spent just to appease this woman; that was the fictional part.  

Synopsis:  A young aspiring writer fresh from college, Andrea, stumbles across the 'dream' job assisting Miranda Priestly the chief editor of Runway.  Unfortunately for Andrea, Miranda is beyond impossible to please.  Miranda never gives enough information to accomplish any task, criticizes everything, and she demands the world. However, after one year with Miranda she can get you a job in any publication you want.  Andrea tries to stick out the job for her one year sentence, but the job immediately consumes her life and destroys her relationships.  One year begins to feel like a life sentence. 

Rating: 8

The Dead Room by: Heather Graham

Review: This is a different kind of ghost story, the spirits in this novel actually help the heroine.  The ghosts lead the archaeologist Leslie, to grave-sites and  even try to warn her or stop harm from befalling her. Also Leslie is not afraid at all of ghosts, she has learned to help them.  All very different concepts when you open a book you know will be suspenseful. 

     Overall, I would have to say that this book is only a mild suspense/mystery.  There is minimal danger and description of it.  I did think that I had predicted the entire book, but it was nice to be wrong.  I was surprised by the villian, and at how the book ended.  A good read for someone who doesn't want anything too scary or messy.

Review:  Leslie is an archeologist who's fiance was tragically killed in an accidental explosion, one that nearly killed Leslie as well.  She returns to the scene a year later and with a new ability to communicate with ghosts. Leslie begins working with Joe (the cousin of her dead fiance) on a case to help find prostitutes that have gone missing, in addition to working on a large dig near the place of the explosion.

     Leslie is desperate to connect with her lost love, Matt, and he is trying just as hard to break through to her as well. Strange 'accidents' begin to happen around Leslie and she struggles to find clues to lead her to the missing women. Matt is trying to help in his own way, and Joe feels the strong need to protect Leslie and find the missing girls.  With the help of some spirits the story unravels.

Rating: 7