Wow. 2012.

At some point I lost my blogging mojo.  It was not a good year for me keeping up with this blog.  I'm just going to put it behind me and move on.  And try to catch up?  I have a ton of reviews that I didn't do.  Some I wrote for other places but never posted here.  And some won't ever get done.  Let's face it, life happens, things get busy and I let things (like this blog) go.  We'll see how 2012 goes. 

To close out the year (although I still need to get to some reviews), here are the facts. 

I read 58 books this year.  I listened to one audio book which brings my total to 59.  That's not as good as last year but I'm not surprised. 

I did meet my goal of reading at least 25 books from my existing stash.  I more than met that goal, so that's awesome.  Of course I acquired more books than I read so that was kind of a waste.  So maybe my goal this year will be to read more and acquire less.  Probably won't happen but it could. 

I did update the listing of the books I read in 2011.  The link is here.  If I've written a review, the book will have a link that will lead there. 

My top 10 books this year are. . . (in no particular order)


1.  The Search by Nora Roberts
2.  Across the Universe by Beth Rivas
3.  The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
4.  If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster
5.  What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity
6.  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
7.  The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
8.  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (Audio Book)
9.  Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Okay, that was only 9.  I read a lot of good books this year but I'm having a hard time being "in love" with any of them.  Those top nine are probably the closest.  I really want to be obsessed with a book again.  I'm on the hunt.  Let me know of your obsessions.

I also joined a book club.  Yes, it's online so I still don't have to interact with real live people, but it's still a book club.  The first book was Frankenstein.  Okay.  Well then.  I had no idea the monster was such a chatty guy.  That book was completely unexpected.  I am very glad I read it but I'm never going to read it again. 

So that brings us to 2012.  Hooray!  I hope to fall in love with a good book this year.  I hope all of you do too.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

The Probability of Miracles is a very special book.  It made me cry which is always a good sign because it means I grew to love the characters.  The story is about Cam, a seventeen year old with cancer.  She’s been fighting and surviving for years until she receives the news that there isn’t anything more the doctors can do.  Medically, they’ve reached the bottom of the barrel.

Cam deals with the news in a typical Cam way.  She acts tough and strong.   Her mother decides to take Cam and her younger sister to a town in Maine that is known for it’s miracles.  Cam doesn’t believe in Miracles but she is charmed by the odd little town and quickly sets about making miracles for other people.  

This story is really, very lovely.  The characters are all fantastic and really feel authentic.  Wendy Wunder created a little town that I’d like to visit.  One where the sun rises and sets in the same place, dandelions are purple, and whales leap at the same time every night.  This story will make you wish for a miracle too.

Prophecy - The Fulfillment by Deborah Jaeger

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Prophecy - The Fulfillment, by Deborah Jaeger.  I thought it was a modern retelling of the virgin birth but I was slightly off in that assumption.  The story is actually about the second coming of Christ, but in a different way.

Jillian is a typical teenager.  After a breakup with her boyfriend, she learns that she is pregnant.  Not only is she pregnant, but she insists that she is a virgin.  It is difficult for her family to believe.  Even the doctors are baffled by the odd results to every medical test they can throw at her.  Things take an even odder turn as miracles start to occur.

At the same time that Jillian is going through medical testing, Stephen, a Biblical scholar, has begun to have prophetic dreams.  He understands that he is somehow to take Jillian away from the chaos and the danger that surrounds her.  He is to be her protector.

The story is exciting and very intriguing.  It's an interesting question to ask - what if the virgin birth were to happen today?  What kind of medical anomaly would occur with the Son of God?  While some of the scientific parts dragged, and the end seemed rushed, the book on a whole is very worth reading.  I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to anyone who has faith in miracles.

Review Blast! August Catch- Up Edition

I hate doing these quickie reviews but there comes a time when I realize I’m so far behind that I just need to get over 
myself and get it done.  So here you go. . .

Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen, was an excellent read.  The story was very real - nothing sci-fi, supernatural, or dystopian about it, which is rare with Young Adult novels these days.  The story was about a teenager, her sisters, and her attempt at holding her family together and deal with fall-out after a sexual assault led to rumors and misunderstandings.  This story tackles rape, anorexia, and depression amongst other themes.  It’s a heavy novel with a very real core.  Definitely worth reading.  I recommend it to older teens and adults of all ages.

Airhead, Being Nikki, and Runaway, by Meg Cabot, are the three books that make up the Airhead trilogy.  The story is very far fetched.  After an accident in a department store, Emerson wakes up to find her brain transplanted onto the body of a supermodel.  Emerson has to pretend to be Nikki while trying to remain herself.  The first book hooked me enough to keep reading but honestly I find them all a bit silly.  That darn Meg Cabot can always hook me into her stories, weird as they might be.  While I can’t wholeheartedly recommend them to adults, the target teen audience might enjoy the trilogy. 

I’m pretty well convinced that I’ve read Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, before.  It’s a familiar story.  That being said, I read it again and once again found myself caught up in one family’s courage to stay together through the worst possible time, and another family’s bravery to help them no matter the cost.  It’s always worth a read - or a re-read. 

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes is part of an ongoing series by Robin Jones Gunn.  The stories are stand -alone novels of women getting together and finding out more about themselves, and God, along the way.  In this installment, Summer heads to the Netherlands to meet her longtime pen pal Noelle.  The women had been great friends for years but had never met face to face.  Summer is escaping from a possible breast cancer diagnosis and Noelle is still running from a difficult relationship with her father.  As the two women share adventures, they learn that their friendship was meant to be and they both find healing.

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did.  I wanted a big, rousing, pirate tale.  Pirate Latitudes just didn’t hit the mark.  I think part of it was a mental block.  As someone who has written a few unpublished novels, I have to wonder if the late Michael Crichton really wanted this story to see the light of day.  For those unfamiliar, it was found on his computer after he passed away.  I’m not sure I would love it very much if my un-edited, un-polished manuscripts saw the light of day without my consent.  

That’s not to say the story was un-polished.  It was well written, obviously edited, and really was a complete story.  It just didn’t quite do what I wanted it to, which was to sweep me into the Caribbean and immerse me in a story.  This novel is fine as a pirate story but it wasn’t more than that.  It was just a story.  It didn’t stick with me.  It didn’t make me want to revisit the pirates again.  That’s what I wanted.  

I’m glad I read this novel.  I enjoyed parts of it very much and once the large cast of characters came together, the story had a nice flow.  But then it was over and I put the book away.  It’s worth a read and would be fun to read while cruising the Caribbean!

Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

Right up front I'll say that this is one of James Patterson's better books.  Honeymoon was both horrifying and intriguing.  While I wanted to know a little more about what drove Nora to be the way she was, I was still satisfied with the ending.

The story begins with Nora juggling a husband and fiance.  Through crafty computer skills and a little bit of luck, she manages to get wealthy off of these men, which in turns makes them expendable.  Nora has little regret as she ends their lives.  The story is also told from the perspective of John O'Hara, an FBI agent who is suspicious of Nora.  Despite his job and his knowledge of the woman, he becomes too close. 

I liked both the characters!  I know I'm not supposed to like a murderer but she was so matter of fact about it all.  I couldn't help but want to know what she would do next.  John was smart and sarcastic, which to me means he was quite lovable.  It was a quick and easy read that kept me reading to the end. 

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Okay.  I really like this book!  Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater is unique and yet comfortable all at the same time!  It's very much girl meets boy who isn't quite human, yet the story behind it all takes it all in a new and unique direction.

Shiver is the story of Grace and Sam.  Grace is a fairly typical high school student who is drawn to a wolf that lives in her woods.  That wolf happens to be Sam, a human for part of the year and a wolf for the rest.  When Grace finds the human Sam injured on her porch, they quickly fall in love.  It's not overly corny or overly romantic, it is just right.  Time is against the couple as the time is coming for Sam to become a wolf again.  They struggle against nature to stay together.

This is the first in what is so far a trilogy.  I'm anxious to start reading Linger, the sequel.  While this is definitely a young adult book, I know a huge number of adults who enjoy books in this genre.  If you are one of those people, you won't be disappointed.  I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and highly recommend it. 

Matched by Ally Condie

I had high hopes for Matched, by Ally Condie.  For the most part, they were met.  It's a bit of a formula now with one girl torn between two guys.  Fortunately the plot is different enough for the story to be interesting.  The story takes place in a future where everything is controlled.  People are told what activities they can choose from, what job to take, what to eat and how much, what to wear, etc.  Any step out of line, and there are problems.  Even death is controlled

The story starts with Cassia attending her Matching Ceremony.  At this formal dinner, she finds out who she is to marry.  To her relief, she is to marry Xander, her best friend.  Due to a glitch in data, she finds herself wondering if she was actually supposed to be matched to Ky.  She finds herself drawn to him and he begins to challenge the life she knows. 

The story moves quickly but, like many young adult novels, it doesn't have a clear ending.  It's a good thing there is a sequel coming!  It's really getting frustrating!  I didn't love the book like I wanted to, but it certainly kept me reading.  It's a solid young adult novel.

If You Were Here, by Jen Lancaster

For those who read my blog (anyone?), you'll know that I am a big fan of Jen's.  I'll read pretty much anything she writes, from her memoirs, to her blog, to her Twitter feed.  I jumped right into If You Were Here, right after it was released (I'm just late with the review).  This is Jen's first novel and it is just a ton of fun. 

Mac and Mia buy a house.  Not just any house, Jake Ryan's house.  If you are around my age and female, your heart gave a little thump at the mention of Jake's name.  Right?  Mac and Mia buy the house used in the movie Sixteen Candles.  Unfortunately the house has seen better days and can use some help.  It does have a panic room so that's a bonus.

The story is about a couple, a house, and their attempts to make it a home.  Anyone who has done construction on a home knows the things that can go wrong and in this book, it all goes wrong.  If You Were Here, is not a literary masterpiece but it's a hilarious look at real people and real situations.  It's typical Jen and if you love her, you'll love this.  It will make you laugh.

Behind the Gates, by Eva Gray

Behind the Gates, by Eva Gray, is the first in a new series for children, called Tomorrow Girls.  It looked interesting as it's a dystopian novel for kids, which as far as I know is fairly unique.  The young adult shelves are full of them but for ages eight - twelve, I don't see as many.

The story starts with Louisa and Maddie heading toward a special boarding school.  They anticipate freedom and activities, but they find that the school is very different than expected.  They are taught survival skills and have all of their electronics taken away.  Louisa loves it but Maddie wants to go home. 

The girls, along with some new friends, discover that things aren't quite what they seem and they begin to wonder about the school's intentions.  With the world at war, are they being taught survival for a reason?

The story ends just as the story gets going.  It will be interesting to continue the series eventually.  I enjoyed the book but was not blown away by it.  It will probably appeal more to its intended age group but I can see where kids might not be patient enough to wait for the second book.  It might be an idea to get the entire series!

Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

Don’t Breathe a Word, by Jennifer McMahon,  is a story that grips from the start.   The introduction of a missing child is one that strikes fear into anyone who has loved a child.  Lisa is missing and her brother, Sam, is just as much a victim.  He grew up always wondering what happened to Lisa, never knowing that the truth was very close.  

Phoebe, a broken woman herself, is in love with the now adult Sam.  They are planning a future together when Sam gets a call from someone who claims to be Lisa.  The story really gets going as deception and memories of literal fairy tales are brought to the forefront.

The novel is cleverly written.  We get to know Lisa and her story before she disappears.  She believes in fairies and her fairy king who will make her his queen.  Sam never does believe but when things start spiraling out of his control, he has to question the truth.   The twists and turns the story takes, kept me very interested and although the ending was disturbing, it made sense.  It’s definitely worth a read.

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

I have mixed feelings about The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb.  It’s the story of Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump Stratton, known to most as Vinnie or Mrs. Tom Thumb.  She was only thirty-two inches tall as an adult, having the condition known as proportionate dwarfism.  While Vinnie was in fact a real person, the story is a novel told from her perspective.

Vinnie’s small size does not mean she had a small personality.  Vinnie had plans to see the world and have everyone know her name.  When a “cousin” invites her to join his traveling show, she anticipates that she would be performing.  She had no idea her size was to be the show.  The story follows Vinnie’s life in show business, both at the beginning and later under contract with P.T. Barnum.  

I enjoyed the first part of the story a great deal.  I enjoyed Vinnie as a child and a young adult learning her way in a big world.  The story takes place in a fascinating time in history, so interesting that I found myself doing research into some of the people and places mentioned.   
 
I had trouble with the story when I started disliking Vinnie just a little bit.  Her marriage to Charles Stratton (General Tom Thumb) was never real to her and I felt that Vinnie became hard and cold after that.   Ms. Benjamin does an excellent job of story telling but I have to wonder if the real Vinnie was that hard or not.  I liked the innocent Vinnie a little bit more.   This is worth a read but I can't recommend it like I want to.

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book by Kristin Hannah.  I remember being a fan back in the 90’s so I’m not sure why I stopped reading her books.  The interesting thing is that I’ve collected several of her books over the last couple of years and just haven’t read them.  I’ll have to remedy that because I’m still a fan.

Night Road has two narrators.  The first narrator is Jude, the mother of twins Mia and Zach.  She’s a very involved mother who defines herself by her children.  When senior year begins, she knows that she has to take control of her kids, making sure they apply to the right colleges and get good grades.  She hates that they want to go to parties and cautions them about driving drunk.  She reluctantly loosens the reigns but she hates every minute of it.  

The second narrator is Lexi.  She’s a teenager who moves in with her aunt after a string of foster homes.  Lexi meets Mia the first day of high school and the two become best friends.  She becomes a part of Mia’s family even though things change when she starts dating Zach.  One night, after a party, things change for everyone.  

While the novel was sad and tragic, there was always a bit of hope.  Ms. Hannah created three dimensional characters with lovely hopes and dreams.  The story read like a saga.  I knew something bad would happen but I was shocked at the ramifications from one event.  It’s a story that will suck you right in and leave you a little worn out at the end.  I highly recommend it.

The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser

The Sweetest Thing, by Elizabeth Musser, is a story of friendship despite differences. It’s a story about how a life of faith can be tested and how a tragic loss can change a life, sometimes for the better.

Perri is a daughter of privilege. She grew up in Atlanta, in a community more or less immune to the depression plaguing the nation. At least that’s what Perri thought. Mary Dobbs is a teenager who has watched her family struggle her entire life. As the daughter of a pastor, she fully believes that God provides, because she’s experienced it in her daily life.

When Dobbs moves in with her aunt in Atlanta it is to give her the chance for a different kind of life. She meets Perri and after a family tragedy, becomes the one friend that Perri can really count on. The two girls experience highs and lows with Perri slowly growing in her relationship with Christ at the same time Dobbs begins to lose her faith, when old family secrets are revealed.

One lesson to take away from this book is that even in the darkest times, one little bit of God’s love, no matter what form it takes, can pull you out. I recommend this story to anyone who needs a reminder of that.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity

I thoroughly enjoyed What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarity. It is an extremely well written novel about getting second chances and a fresh perspective. The novel flowed easily, even with three different stories being told. The focus was on Alice but I was just as moved by Alice’s sister, Elisabeth, and her story.

The story is fairly simple. Alice hits her head during a spin class and when she comes to, she can’t remember the last ten years of her life. She believes she is pregnant with her first child while in fact she is a mother of three and is in the process of a messy divorce. The Alice who wakes up is very different from the Alice who went to the spin class that morning. She doesn’t remember her children and doesn’t know why she and her husband are separated.

What the author does so well, is make us, the readers, care for the “new” version of Alice. She’s naive and sweet. She is encouraging and not bitter. The “old” version was frazzled and angry. While she may have had her reasons, I couldn’t help but hope that she would never get her memory back. I’ll remember this story for many years and have already passed the book along to another friend. I’m sure she’ll love it too.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

I almost gave up on The Distant Hours, by Kate Morton.  It was moving slowly, I just wasn’t in the mood, and the book was too long.  That’s what I thought anyway.  I’ll tell you upfront that I am totally happy that I kept with the book.  It is long, and it does move at a slow pace, but everything fits and the story is satisfyingly wrapped up in the end, with most of the mysteries being resolved.  

The story begins with Edie discovering a part of her mother’s life that she had never known.  As a young girl, Meridith was evacuated to the countryside during World War II.  During this time frame, she lived at Milderhurst Castle with the odd trio of Blythe sisters.  The novel jumps time frames, with the modern focusing on Edie discovering the secrets of the house, the sisters, and the mystery revolving around Mr. Blythe’s famous novel, “The True History of the Mud Man”.  The flashbacks to the past are narrated by Saffy Blythe, her twin sister Percy, and the young Juniper Blythe.  

The author does a wonderful job of making Milderhurst come alive, both during the war and in more modern days.  Each sister has their own dreams and secrets and yet you can feel the fierce protectiveness they have for each other and as a reader you know they would stick together, through anything.  When all is finally resolved, it all clicks and makes so much sense.  While parts are disturbing, and I may have a few nightmares about the Mud Man, I really feel that the story was completely satisfying.  I definitely recommend it, even if it takes you a while to read!

Max by James Patterson

I just love the characters in the "Bird Kid" series by James Patterson.  Loving the characters does not mean that I love the books.  This is written with a big sigh.  The first couple of books in the series were good.  They kept my interest but the last few have really gone downhill.  The stories are more frantic, the dialogue is affected, and the plots are dull.  I can't even tell you much about the plot.  I am also pretty sure that I've written the same type of review for the last book in the series. 


Can I recommend the series?  Yes, to young teens or fans of the characters.  The are the only think keeping me reading.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Here’s a book that’s been around a while.  The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985 and I’ve been encouraged to read it several times.  Now that I’ve read it, I’m not all that sure what to think.  I did enjoy the book and I do think it was worth reading, it was just not quite what I expected.  I knew the basics of the plot but I didn’t know anything about the writing style.  Of course, it’s hard to anticipate a writing style for an author you’ve never read.  Even so, I was surprised.

The story is about Offred, a handmaid who’s sole purpose is to bear a child for the Commander and his wife.  She once lived a normal life and was married with a little girl.  When the world changed, politics changed, and the rules changed. She was separated from her husband and daughter, forced to enter the life of a handmaid.  Everything was controlled for her, she had no real freedom.  

While I enjoyed the story, I don’t know that I’d recommend it widely.  I’ve read a great deal of dystopian novels lately and I do think that the Handmaid’s Tale may have influenced several of them.  That being said, it’s a difficult story to read because we never truly get into the soul of Offred, not even enough to know her real name.  While I was able to form an image of her before everything changed, it didn’t always translate to the quiet woman that did her duty month after month.  Only towards the end when she was taking a few risks, did I feel like she was a whole person.  The bottom line is that the story is beautifully written and very thought provoking.  It’s worth reading if you haven’t already. 

The Beach House by James Patterson

The Beach House, by James Patterson, is one of his stand-alone novels that are not a part of any series.  I expected it to be a quick read, like many of his books are, and I was right.  It was quick and somewhat pointless.

Honestly?  I didn’t love the book at all.  I thought the premise was good but the end was pretty ridiculous.  Essentially the story is about a young lawyer trying to find out who killed his younger brother.  He goes to some pretty extreme measures to accomplish this task.  

I complain a good deal about Patterson’s books and yet I do continue to read them.  They are rarely satisfying and yet they keep me occupied when I need something quick to read.  If you are a fan, you might as well read it.  If you haven’t read his books, I wouldn’t start with this one.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places is the third book in a trilogy by Carrie Ryan.  The first book is The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  It’s a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.  The sequel, The Dead Tossed Waves, did not disappoint either and I’ve been anxiously awaiting the third book.  It was worth the wait.

The Dark and Hollow Places takes place pretty soon after the end of The Dead Tossed Waves.  The narrator is Annah, Gabry’s twin sister.  Annah is living in the Dark City by herself, waiting for Elias to return.   While trying to leave the Dark City to make her way back to the forest, in the hopes of finding her sister again, she sees Abigail (now Gabry) passing the other direction.  Annah fights her way back to the city and meets Catcher as well as eventually reuniting with both Elias and Gabry.  The four have to find a way to escape what is left of the Dark City while avoiding both the recruiters and the unconsecrated.  

A good deal of the first two books involve characters trying to make their way through the forest.  I kind of missed that in this book but subway tunnels took the place of the forest paths.  Like the two previous novels, the story moves along at a fast pace and it’s easy to get caught up and sucked in.  I love Ms. Ryan’s writing style and her characters.  There’s always an aspect of hope, despite a hopeless situation.  I know this was supposed to be a three-book series but I wouldn’t complain if there were another!  Or two or three.  I really enjoyed the entire series and I highly recommend all three.