Hero by Perry Moore

I didn’t read Hero, I listened to the audio book, and I loved it.  Thom Creed is a super hero.  His powers are new, not quite controlled, and he is on probationary status with The League.  He’s also gay and a teenager.  All those things mixed together cause a bit of angst.  

I love superheroes and I think that Thom makes a great addition to the genre.  He’s growing and learning, becoming more powerful all the time, and is scared to tell his father that he’s gay.  He’s so absolutely human.  He wants his father’s approval so badly and I think many of us can relate to that feeling.  

The book is emotional, hilarious, and exciting.  Pretty much everything that a good book needs.  I definitely recommend Hero highly.  Just a note, it’s a young adult book but really should be read by older teens.  The language can be raw at times and there is one scene that might not be appropriate for younger readers - even though it’s very tame.  

I’d like to mention that the audio book was read by Michael Urie and he did a fabulous job. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

I'm just so sad that this series is over.  Maybe Ms. Roberts can write a book about Mrs. G!  She's due a wedding of her own.  Anyway. . . Happy Ever After is the fourth book in the Bride Quartet.  It isn't my favorite of the series but I still enjoyed it very much.  It was nice to read just a good romance with very little conflict, just love.

I've grown to care for the gals at Vows and it was nice to at least get one wedding (Mac and Carter's) in this book.  I want one more book so that I can read about the other weddings!  In Happy Ever After, Parker continues to be grumpy at Mal and Mal continues to pursue Parker.  It's a match made in heaven.  If you've read the other books in the series, you've already met Mal and probably already figured out that he's perfect for the extremely organized Parker.  He messes with her life just enough to make it interesting.

The whole series is just romantic and fluffy.  If you like Nora Roberts, you've probably already picked up this series, but if not, I do recommend it.  They make you want a happy ever after of your own.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Heart of the Matter, by Emily Giffin is one of those books that is completely frustrating and yet completely readable. The story is a triangle of sorts, two women, one man.

Tessa and Nick have been married for years, with two small children. By all accounts, they have a satisfying, happy marriage. Nick is a surgeon and works odd hours, something the family is used to. When Nick meets Valerie, the mother of a young boy in his care, he is instantly attracted.

The reader is treated to two views. We see the story through Tessa's eyes as she begins to doubt her husband's faithfulness. We see the story through Valerie's eyes as a woman who is falling fast for the good looking doctor. Personally, I liked both women. That's what made it all so difficult. I also kind of liked Nick despite him being a cheating husband.

I've read a few other books by Emily Giffin and recognized some of the characters from past books. I always enjoy those little connections. Heart of the Matter is a solid read with believable characters and a believable situation. I recommend it

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I'd been wanting to read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett for a while.  I was fortunate to have a co-worker loan me a copy and that gave me a good excuse to jump right on it!  I wasn't disappointed.  I was hooked from the beginning.

Abilene is the narrator of the first chapter and she sets the tone with absolute love for the child she is raising and frustration -maybe even disgust- for the little girl's mother.  Abilene is a black woman, a maid, living in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960's.  The Civil Rights movement is just beginning to take form but in Jackson people are stubborn and don't want change, let along integration.

Another narrator is Minny, a mother of four.  She is a maid with a fast tongue who gets herself in trouble with the ladies she works for.  When she gets a job working for the odd Celia Foote, she is secure in her paycheck but terrified that what she did to a former employer's daughter will come back to haunt her. 

The third narrator is Miss Skeeter, a white woman.  She was raised by a black maid and was extremely close to her.  When Miss Skeeter returns from college to find that Constantine has moved away without a goodbye, she starts to think of the stories of these women, who wait on her and her friends.  She is motivated to write their stories.  It's a risk for her and for the women who share their lives with her.

I was born in the 1970's, raised in California, and I'm white.  I can not relate in the slightest to what it must have felt like to be told to use a separate bathroom because of skin color.  Despite not living any part of this story, I was still moved by the book.  I was struck by the fear.  The women who told their stories to Miss Skeeter were terrified of getting caught.  They were afraid for themselves, and their families.  It was shocking and horrible.

The book is wonderful.  It opened my eyes.  I highly recommend it.

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 Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I can't believe I waited so long to review this book.  I think I was mentally writing it while reading.  And yet, I didn't do it.  I lost my blogging mojo.  Again.  I think it's coming back.  I just needed to jump in and do it.  Anyway. . .

The Hunger Games blew my mind.  I haven't felt such intense love for a book in a really long time.  2010 has been a very good reading year for me.  The story is an odd combination of Gladiator, Survivor, and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery".  Katniss is a teen-aged girl who is forced to compete in The Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death.

The whole concept of this book is horrific.  How can teens be asked to kill or be killed?  How can people sit around and watch this on their TV all day, every day.  Why doesn't anyone see that this is so wrong?  Those were my first thoughts when I started reading.  Fortunately the book isn't about killing or blood-lust.  It's about survival.  Katniss just wants to survive and she will do anything for that to happen.  The odds are against her.

I guarantee you'll get caught up in this book.  I couldn't put it down.  I can't wait to read the sequel!  This is a young adult book but I would say it's best for older teens because of the subject matter.   And you adults?  Read it!  You won't be disappointed.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I've got a good book to review for you today! Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, is a great new young adult book. At first glance I expected to compare it to Twilight. A mysterious biology partner, danger, romance. Sound familiar? Once you get going, it won't. Hush, Hush is a slightly supernatural thriller that is still based in the real world. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Nora is a high school student who lives a fairly normal life. She is very independent as her mother works away from home a great deal. Her father was murdered a year before the story starts. When she is paired with the mysterious Patch in her biology class, she is immediately torn between interest and fear. When Nora starts experiencing unexplained threats on her life, she finds herself turning to Patch, even though she suspects he is behind some of it. As the pieces fall into place she discovers that the reality of Patch is far beyond what she could have ever expected.

Once the action starts, the book moves very quickly. I wanted to keep turning the page to find out who or what exactly Patch was and who wanted to kill her. I found the truth to be very intriguing and different from other subjects I've read before. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, romance and a bit of supernatural mystery. As it's written for young adults, it is appropriate for teens and up. Enjoy!

Hush, Hush is set to release in October.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. I purchased it last spring - right before I broke my arm. It quickly became apparent that reading a hardcover - and a big hardcover at that - was not going to be possible with only one good arm. I tried. I propped it on my cast, tried putting it on my lap, and finally just gave up. It went back on the shelf and paperbacks became my friends.

I'm very happy to say that I finally read it. Guess what? I loved it! It took me about 50-75 pages to really "get it" but after that I just sailed along.

The Host take place here on Earth but an Earth that has been overtaken by an alien species. They are a parasitic species, they need hosts. Here on Earth, it's human hosts. The story is about one of those aliens - called souls - who is implanted into a human named Melanie. What they don't expect is that Melanie doesn't leave. Her spirit is still very present in the body. As the soul, Wanderer, attempts to assimilate to life in a human body, Melanie convinces her to try to find her family.

It sounds confusing, and at first it was. By the end, it all makes sense. Trust me on this. While it sounds like a science fiction book, it's really not. It's a book about humanity, love, and friendship. I found it disturbing at times, but in a good way. How do I as a human, want Wanderer, the parasitic alien, to succeed? I liked Wanderer and wanted a happy ending for her.

This is Stephenie Meyer's first book for adults that has nothing to do with the Twilight series. That being said, it's appropriate for teens in my opinion. There isn't any bad language and the love scenes are very chaste. I would recommend it for anyone who likes to look at the world in different ways.

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.

High Noon by Nora Roberts

I'll read almost anything Nora puts out -at least her new stuff. I started reading her several years ago at the recommendation of my aunt. I'm so thankful. She consistently entertains with her trilogies and mystery romances. I finished High Noon on June 22, 2008, right before I started this blog.

In High Noon, the characters are wonderful. Phoebe is a strong single mother, who also happens to be a hostage negotiator. She is driven to keep her family safe after a turbulent childhood which left her mother confined to the house because of fear. She doesn't have much time for dating as her daughter always comes first in her life.

Duncan meets Phoebe during a crisis with one of his employees. He is wealthy yet down to earth. He works hard yet has a sense of humor and fun which he shares with his best friend's family. He's drawn to Phoebe immediately and sets about trying to get to know her better.

Phoebe is threatened by one of her fellow police officers and then strange warnings are left at her home. Someone is out to get her and make her pay for a mistake they think she made in the past. She and Duncan try to make connections while keeping their families safe. It comes to a head in a hostage situation where Phoebe's extensive training is tested.

I really enjoyed this book because I felt the characters were very real, very normal. The conversations between Phoebe and Duncan could have happened to any couple across the world. The plot was great but the characters made this book. The only thing it lacked was some sort of epilogue to tie it all up.