Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

Visions of Sugarplums is a "between the numbers" edition of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.  This story takes place between books 8 and 9.  I was actually surprised that it advanced the series as I thought it was going to be more of a stand alone book. 

Stephanie wakes up one morning to find a strange man in her living room.  Fortunately, this is not an unusual situation for her.  She tends to have that problem regularly.  Diesel is something not quite human and that puts Stephanie more on guard than normal.  Stephanie's current case is to find a man named Sandy Claws (appropriate at Christmastime) and Diesel is trying to find him as well.

The story moves right along as the paperback is only around 160 pages.  There are a few developments regarding Stephanie's family but nothing much changes in her very mixed up love life. 

These books are all on the light and fun side which is a nice thing to read when life gets a little heavy. 

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

Hard Eight, by Janet Evanovich, is the eighth book in the Stephanie Plum series.  I've grown terribly fond of the characters after reading eight novels.  The books are easy to pick up and jump right in because I know what I'm getting into.  It's like going to a party where you know everyone!  No awkward moments. Some books in the series are pretty light and don't have much substance but I didn't find that with Hard Eight.

Hard Eight is one of the few books in the series where I really felt that Stephanie was in big trouble.  Stephanie started off trying to find a mother who had disappeared with her young daughter.  In the process she angered a very bad "business" man who made it his job to terrorize her.  And he terrorized her in some severely creepy ways.  There was also the very needed humor -especially with the introduction of Albert Kloughn.  Such a needy little guy!

Throughout the story, I was completely drawn in to see what was going to happen to Stephanie next.  It was actually pretty dark and scary.  This is definitely one of the better books in the series as far as suspense goes.  I really enjoyed it and look forward to continuing the series.

2 Quick Reviews

Almost done with my reviews for 2010. . . Just a few more.

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich is the seventh book in the Stephanie Plum series.  I do enjoy coming back to this series and hanging out with the characters for a few days.  In Seven Up, Stephanie is on the hunt for old Eddie DeChooch.  He's a slippery old guy who likes to shoot at Stephanie.  While looking for him, she has to locate her missing friends Dougie and Mooner.

It's a fun book, with a ton of humor and ridiculous situations.  It's exactly the kind of book to read when you just need to be entertained.  Plus there is the whole triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger.  It just gets more intriguing.

Sugar Cookie Murder, by Joanne Fluke is part of a series but unfortunately I haven't read any of the other books.  I don't think I will either.  While I found parts of the book to be fun, the rest was just a little boring and didn't hold my interest. I was also surprised that the whole second half of the book was recipes!  They do look good so I'm going to keep the book!

A Whole Bunch of Reviews!!!

I am behind in my reviews which is fairly typical for this time of year.  I looked at the past history and August is when the downward spiral begins.  In order to at least say something about each of the books I’ve read this year, I thought I’d do a quick post which includes short and simple reviews of a few books.  

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

This is a very sweet little story about a young girl, Zoe, with a desire to play the piano.  Not only does she want to play the piano, she wants to be a maestro!  So her dad buys her an organ.  She embraces her new instrument with as much enthusiasm as she can as she and her teacher prepare for her to perform in a competition.  The story is about how a family that doesn’t quite fit the ideal, is actually pretty perfect in their own way.  It’s very good and I highly recommend it.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Found is the first book in a series by Ms. Haddix and I was a bit disappointed that more of the story wasn’t resolved before the book ended.  I haven’t read the second book yet and I feel as if I still haven’t finished the book.  The story revolves around two friends who discover that they were both adopted and there is a big mystery surrounding where they came from.  I didn’t love the book and really can’t recommend it unless you plan to read the series.  

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

This is the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.  It’s a nice addition to the series and moves quickly.  Bill is missing and Sookie enlists the help of a werewolf, Alcide, to help her find him.  I love Alcide.  Honestly, I can’t remember all of the details but I remember the end and that Sookie stood up for herself.  Good for her. 

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Well, I read it.  All of it.  That’s about all I can say about this book.  At least it was a very fast read.  The book was silly, the characters were a bit manic, and the plot had holes.  I didn’t like it at all and don’t plan to continue the series unless the book falls in my lap and I have nothing better to do.

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich

Metro Girl is a fun, quick read that I really did enjoy.   Metro Girl introduces us to Alex “Barney” Barnaby, the daughter of a mechanic who knows her way around an engine.  She heads to Miami when her brother disappears and she’s determined to find him.  During her search, she meets Sam Hooker, a NASCAR driver who sets his sights on Alex.  The two get mixed up with interesting characters and head off into dangerous situations on their search.  If you are familiar with Janet Evanovich’s writing, you’ll recognize the formula in the Metro Girl books, but they are fun and worth a read if you are looking for something quick and entertaining.

The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich

The Grand Finale is a quirky, fun little piece of fluff.  Berry owns a pizza shop and hired three homeless ladies as delivery people.  The only problem is that they weren’t really cut out for deliveries, meaning Berry had to do it herself.  While out on a delivery, she climbs a tree to help a cat and of course falls out of the tree after getting a good look at a half naked man.  The man she was supposed to be delivering pizza for.  Jake falls hard for Berry and her trio of old ladies.   They form an odd little family with a very sweet happy ever after.  This is definitely a light read and there isn’t a whole lot of substance but sometimes it’s nice to not think so much. 

The Carousel by Richard Paul Evans

The Carousel, by Richard Paul Evans, is a sweet but heartbreaking love story.  While it was a quick read, I wouldn't say that it was enjoyable.  Mr. Evans seems to write in the same vein as Nicholas Sparks.  Lovely little stories of love and tragedy.  One needs to be in the right mood to enjoy the books.  In this case, I'm writing the review a couple of months late and honestly, I had to look back through the book to remember it.  Uh oh.

My quick review in my journal - which is always written on time - states:  "Sweet and sad.  I'm not sure what to think!  It was good, just slow."

See I thought it was a quick read but maybe it wasn't.  Or maybe I meant slow moving?  Either way, I was confused then and I'm confused now.  The story revolves around Michael and Faye.  Michael is working his way through law school while Faye was about to begin medical school, several states away from their home in Utah.  Faye and Michael are deeply in love but Faye's father does not approve of the relationship.  Impulsively they get married but keep it a secret as they are living separate lives in different parts of the country.   Family tragedy strikes, as well as a personal one for the couple.  They are torn apart and their relationship changes.  I won't tell you what happens.

I don't think that there is anything remarkable about the story.  It wasn't good and it wasn't bad, it was just a story.  If you need a quick (I think) read, you might consider picking up The Carousel.

Quick Reviews!

I get distracted easily.  I get very excited about something - like this blog - and am pretty faithful for a while but then something shiny passes by and I'm distracted.  Sooooo, to make a really long story short, I missed a few reviews and I'm not terribly motivated to go back in time for a few reviews.  I've decided to write a few quickies so that I don't feel the guilt and can move on to bigger and better things.  And more recent reads that are more fresh in my memory!  My mind ain't what it used to be. 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a fun, action packed children's novel.  I enjoyed it enough to buy the next few books in the series but not enough that I've already read them!  I wanted Percy Jackson to be more like Harry Potter but he isn't.  The books were very informational with regard to the Greek legends of Gods and Titans.  I found myself googling a few things just to get them straight in my head.  The premise is good and I do look forward to reading more.  Just not yet.

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich is the sixth book in the Stephanie Plum series.  I enjoyed this one a lot.  The characters are so wonderful and it's like an old friend when I pick up a book.  I admit that the plots get a little jumbled in my memory but each is unique.  This is definitely a series I will continue to read and enjoy!

 

Going Overboard, by Christina Skye is a fun romance.  There isn't anything wonderful about it, it's pretty standard boy meets girl fare.  I read it fairly quickly and even though the timeline was a little wacky for me, it was still worth finishing.  The end read like bad fan-fiction (triplets?  Really?) and that soured it a bit.  Not bad, not good, just okay for a beach read.

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

The Rocky Road to Romance, by Janet Evanovich, is a quick and breezy book.  It's full of fun characters and situations.  When Daisy starts working for Steve as a traffic reporter, she gets herself in all kinds of messes.  She struggles to find her footing in the job and when she witnesses something she shouldn't, she finds her life in danger.

If you are looking for a quick read with a cute story, you can't go wrong with this.

After by Amy Efaw

After, by Amy Efaw, is the story of Devon and what happens to her in the days after she gives birth in her bathroom and throws the baby in a dumpster. Before you turn away in disgust, consider that Devon is fifteen years old and has convinced herself that she wasn't pregnant. She's also a great student, star soccer player, and all around good girl. Does she belong in the juvenile court system, where she can have a clean record and the potential for a productive life after her sentence? She's being charged with attempted murder, was it premeditated or a reaction to a situation beyond her understanding?

My first reaction to Devon was anger. I was angry that she would do that to her baby. Eventually I realized that she never gave any thought to it being a baby. Certainly not her baby. I was angry that she was so lost in her own world that she couldn't grasp what was happening to her. I wanted to yell at her and tell her to listen! Pay attention! I couldn't relate to someone so distant, while faced with something so serious.

The beauty in this book is that as Devon begins to realize what happened to her and what she did, we - the readers - begin to realize why Devon reacted the way she did. We are given the information we want as Devon takes responsibility and remembers what happened. Her awakening out of denial is what makes us understand the why and how.

This is a book written for young adults and it is certainly appropriate for teens. The hard reality is that this happens all the time. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone. My only disappointment is that the Safe Haven program wasn't mentioned in the actual body of the story. It's a program that saves lives.

The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer

The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer took me by complete surprise. I anticipated a story about a proper young woman, working her way through life as a wet nurse. Well, that was her occupation but proper - maybe not. When I read novels based in Victorian England, I expect certain things. I expect characters with high morals, great expectations, and a fair bit of romance. I don't know why I expect that but I do.

The main character, and narrator, of The Wet Nurse's Tale is Susan Rose. She is hard working, chunky, and opinionated. You can hear her voice while reading and her character comes alive. She's quite the character. When her ordinary life takes a turn, the reader can see the determination in her spirit. She's a mother who would do whatever it takes to protect her child.

I wasn't sure what to think at the beginning of the book. I was a little worried that the book was going to be a bit too focused on breasts - as they were necessary for her occupation. I was distracted by short essays between chapters as I wasn't sure who or what the narrator was talking about at the beginning. There wasn't a great deal of story the first one hundred pages or so, more set up than anything. Once the main plot begins, it's a quick ride to the conclusion and it's a good ride. The novel is well written and the character will not leave me for a long while.

I recommend this book to those who like historical fiction and women's fiction. It is an adult book and due to language and mature subjects, it's not appropriate for young teens.

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans

The Sunflower, by Richard Paul Evans, is a really sweet book. I've never read his books before, thinking they were all sentimental Christmas books (and most are). When a friend loaned this book to me I had few expectations and all I was hoping was that it would go quick. It ended up being a lovely story that really made me think.

The story is about Paul and Christine, two people from different places who happen to meet in Peru. Paul is a doctor who gave up medicine (for the most part) to run an orphanage in Peru, near Cuzco. After a life-changing night in the emergency room, he left everything behind to travel in South America. When he made his way to Peru, he ended up staying and running the orphanage.

Christine is a woman who was recently dumped a few days before her wedding. Her ex-fiance decided after six years that he wasn't ready to get married. Depressed and unhappy, she is convinced by her best friend Jessica to go to Peru with her to work at an orphanage and school.

I won't give away the rest of the story, but it is a love story. There is a bit of adventure, hiking through the forest, catching crocodiles, and surviving a fall in Machu Picchu and Dengue fever. The story also opened my eyes again to the global community. Through the work that Paul does with the street children of Peru, we learn about the truly horrific things that happen to children in third world countries -and here in the U.S. to a point. It's shocking and sad but yet a reality. For some people this book might be a shock to learn what goes on; to others, like me, it's a reminder.

The next question is, what can we do? The author has and orphanage in Peru and has traveled the path of the book. I admire that a lot. As for me? What can I do? Money's tight, I can't afford to take time off work to go work in an orphanage. I can send a little money here and there to charity, but does that accomplish much? I'm going to give it some serious thought. What can I do? It will be interesting to find out.

Smitten by Janet Evanovich

I promised I would finish two books this weekend and I did. I went on a short business trip that left me lots of time to sit around the airport and read. Unfortunately I was accompanied by a cold and didn't feel all that great. My last layover pretty much consisted of me trying to conserve the few tissues I had and staring into space waiting for the flight to board. I hate being sick.

The first book to review is Smitten by Janet Evanovich. Cute! Ok, I think I use that word for all of her little romances but they really are. I enjoyed this one because there was a bit of a realistic situation.

A single mom buys a "fixer upper" and decides to try her hand at construction in order to learn how to fix her own home. She gets a job mostly out of pity and just her luck her boss is single, handsome, charming and drives a motorcycle! Lizabeth (I'm not sure what happened to her "E") fights her attraction to Matt because she is trying to make it on her own. She's also concerned what kind of an influenced the tattooed Harley rider might be on her boys.

Add Elsie (her goofy great aunt), a food obsessed dog, a neighborhood flasher, and a prissy ex-husband to the mix and you've got a fun story. Again, not a prize winner but all in all, a good way to pass the time.

Love Overboard

I sped through another quickie by Janet Evanovich. She'd better start writing those again, because I've only got a few left to read. Love Overboard was a fun one. It follows the same formula, but it had a good plot.

Stephanie is a former cop who takes on the roll of cook for a week long cruise on a sailing ship. She's just there for the week and she meets Ivan, the captain. He's everything a romance novel man should be, good looking, charming, funny, helpful, etc. . . I'm sure there were bulging biceps as well.

Ivan falls in love quite quickly and is determined to keep Stephanie in his life long after she leaves the ship. It's got a little bit of a ghost story, some wacky friends, and a sweet romance. Again, if you need a quick read, pick up any of the Janet Evanovich romances. Lots of fun.

Manhunt by Janet Evanovich

Ok, the title alone makes me giggle. Manhunt. Not a terribly subtle title, but a terribly cute book. Of these quickie romances, this one is my favorite so far. I love the pace of these books, which is fast. They are barely over 200 pages. That's nice after reading some big long books this year.

Manhunt is about a woman who trades her New Jersey condo for a cabin and hardware store in Alaska. She thought she got the raw end of the deal as her cabin didn't even have plumbing or electricity. Help comes in the form of a super hunky (and rich!) neighbor. Instant attraction and denial keeps the book moving along. She's looking for a husband, he's not looking for a wife.

It's a comedy at heart. There are no surprising twists or turns, but it will make you smile. You know just what's going to happen in the end but that's ok. It's fun to read how they get there.

Next up for me is another of these quickies. I'm biding time before the new Nora Roberts book The Pagan Stone comes out on Tuesday. It's the third in a trilogy, and I'm itching to get my hands on it.

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich

I finished Thanksgiving last night. I'm digging these quick Janet Evanovich books as bedtime books. They are light and fluffy and don't make my head spin when I'm trying to sleep. I'm glad I have several more to read. I'm also sharing them with my mother who is enjoying the quick reads as well. She's a much faster reader than I am so I have to stay a few ahead of her!

Thanksgiving is a cute book. It's one of the 9 fluffy romances that are being re-released. Thanks to a wayward rabbit, Megan Murphy, an artist, meets Patrick Hunter, a pediatrician. Sparks fly of course. When a young single mother leaves her baby boy with Patrick and who she thinks is "Mrs. Hunter", Meg and Pat are forced to work together to take care of the baby with their competing schedules.

The book takes place around Thanksgiving which is only a catalyst to get both families together to start planning the wedding. The only problem is Patrick isn't sure he's ready to get married and Megan doesn't want to get married. Ever.

It's not going to go on any "best of" lists but if you are looking for a book to read on the long drive to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner, this is a good one. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving a few weeks early!

Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich

First, let me get this out of the way. . . 13 more pages! I am almost done with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I couldn't be happier about that. I have full anticipation of finishing it tonight.

Ok, now for Back to the Bedroom. This was my bedtime book. I only read it at night if I had fulfilled my LOTR chapter requirement. It was my law. I didn't read every night either so it took me a while to read even though it was a relatively short book and a very fast read.

Janet Evanovich wrote nine short romances pre-Plum. She explains this at the front of all the re-released books that have been coming out at regular intervals. I think she realizes they aren't brilliant but that they are a fun quick read.

I've read at least two, possibly three of the nine and I have several waiting on the "To Be Read" shelves. I think I might read Thanksgiving next. It seems to be the time for that.

Back to the Bedroom is about a very busy woman, Kate, who has no time for anything beyond work and chores. Her neighbor, Dave is the exact opposite. He's got nothing but time and he's all about having fun. Obviously they are attracted to each other. When her house sustains damage in a freak incident, Kate and Dave get closer as he tries to help her out by hiring construction workers, and allowing her to stay with him.

Through a series of events, which are at best disjointed, the couple grow close, fall apart, grow close, fall apart, and eventually get their happy ending. It's not a great book. The plot is weak and the characters are cliche. That being said, if you are a fan of Evanovich, it's worth reading if you have the extra time. It was cute.

High Five by Janet Evanovich

I'm finally getting a chance to review the books I read on vacation. Yeah!

In reviewing High Five, I should address the rest of the Stephanie Plum series because I don't think I've ever reviewed any of them on this blog. I read the first book last summer on my Alaska cruise. I bought it for my mom as a Christmas gift because I thought she might like to start a new series and I wanted to read it too. My mom read it and really didn't care for it too much. I think her view jaded me a bit so I decided that I didn't really care for it either.

Until I left the book on the ship and couldn't stop thinking about it.

I started thinking that it was actually a pretty funny book. Morelli was just plain hot and really Stephanie is quite a character. Maybe I really did like the book! Yeah! I did like the book! I went out and bought Two for the Dough and Three to get Deadly. After reading book two, I really liked the series and requested the rest for Christmas. Now I'm picking my way through them, alternating between other books because I don't want to run out of Stephanie Plum books. That would be horrible. It's nice to have so many books in a series to look forward to.

High Five starts out with Stephanie trying to catch a little person who failed to appear at his hearing. This man happens to be quite irritated with her and it doesn't go well. She's also looking for her uncle who has disappeared. All the favorite characters are there. Grandma Mazur is always fun. She's one of the best characters in the series. Morelli is still hot, Ranger is still hot and I'm really anxious for Stephanie to pick her man. Lulu is the faithful friend as always. Stephanie manages to get one car blown up and another one stolen, so she's back with her Buick.

All in all, it's a fun read. There are many laugh out loud moments. Janet Evanovich has a way with her characters and since there are so many books to read, I look forward to reading them. Good book. Good series.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I just finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I really enjoyed it, although the middle dragged a bit. I thought it was beautifully written and truly a heartbreaking story. My only complaint is that I didn't care for most of the characters. I found I wanted more on Caroline and Phoebe, less on the Henry family. The beginning was completely gripping and the end was so emotional. This was one of the rare moments where I did skim, but it was usually during descriptions of Norah Henry, as I didn't care for her. At all. I did however love Paul at the end. I don't know how he managed to turn out as well as he seemed to. He was an intriguing character and I wish I knew more about him. I definitely recommend the book, despite my issues. I have to be objective right? I'm the reader, I'm entitled to my own opinion as are you. I should mention that I purposely didn't see the movie that was just on TV but I'll have to find it repeating at some point now that the book is done.

I'd love to hear what you thought of the book! Leave those comments and let me know.

Disclaimer: These reviews are strictly my own views. Don't blame anyone else if you don't like what I have to say. That goes for all posts to follow as well.