Finger Lickin' Fifteen is the latest in the Stephanie Plum series, by Janet Evanovich. What more can I say that this book was laugh out loud funny and a great addition to the series. Evanovich did it again! This book is everything a Stephanie Plum fan would want, and made me laugh so hard that I couldn't read through the tears!
I can't give it all away, so I am going to have to be brief. Lula witnesses a murder, Stephanie has to help Ranger with some break-ins, catch her skips, and help Lula catch the murderers so that they stop trying to kill her and she can collect the reward. There is murder and mayhem, barbeque recipes to develop, dangerous closeness with Ranger and complications in Steph's relationship with Morelli. Grandma Mazur plays a decent role in this one, too, and Steph's mom is trying to set Steph up with men. Steph and Lula are working closely together which leads to all sorts of sticky situations. All of that combined make this novel one wild, hilarious ride.
I don't know how Janet Evanovich can come up with so much hilarity in one novel. But what is more amazing is that she does it over and over again. I finished this book in a day and now I have to wait another year before the next one comes out! Highly recommend this one, even if you are new to the Plum series. Great book, easy read and gives you some belly laughs that everyone could use now and again!
Happy Reading!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, was our latest Book Club pick. Surprisingly, not one of us had read it (one of our rules on our selections is that no one can have read it before). Upon picking the book, I expected it to be a heftier volume. It is not as long as I thought it would be; my version was just over 350 pages. I thought that it might take us the better part of the summer to read it, but I finished it in just a couple weeks.
The book is set in the English countryside, around the turn of the nineteenth century. It gives a good look into what life was like then. This is an aspect of the book that I found fascinating. The way people related to one another, the customs and the way the relationships were formed and maintained was very interesting. Typically, I am not interested in books with this setting, but I found that this book was the exception to that.
The genre of the book is definitely romance. Originally, I thought that if it were written in modern times it might be considered fluff. However, after finishing the book, I can truly appreciate the depth that Austen added to the romance. This book was also a statement of the times in which it was written.
Austen does a remarkable job with her character development. The characters are created in such a way that the reader has feeling for them, whether positive or negative. The reader begins to hope for the characters, and to feel with them. At least, that is how I felt when I read the book. The main character, Elizabeth Bennet, is a wonderfully strong woman who defies the times by speaking her mind more often than is deemed appropriate. But at the same time, she is vulnerable, making her a heroine that the reader can instantly like and identify with even though the setting is so far removed from our own.
By the end of the book, I was rooting for Elizabeth and her sister, Jane. As I have said before, any author that can evoke an emotion has done his/her job. In this book, Jane Austen made me care about her characters. There is something to be said for that considering that I don't typically prefer novels written in this era or even this genre. Austen has made me reconsider that, and has made me a fan. I would recommend this book, as long as you can read through the language barrier. Being written in 1796 and published in 1813, the language is very different and I needed to concentrate to get the gist of what was being conveyed. This is the only Jane Austen novel I have read, but I plan on picking up another of her novels in the future.
Happy Reading!
The book is set in the English countryside, around the turn of the nineteenth century. It gives a good look into what life was like then. This is an aspect of the book that I found fascinating. The way people related to one another, the customs and the way the relationships were formed and maintained was very interesting. Typically, I am not interested in books with this setting, but I found that this book was the exception to that.
The genre of the book is definitely romance. Originally, I thought that if it were written in modern times it might be considered fluff. However, after finishing the book, I can truly appreciate the depth that Austen added to the romance. This book was also a statement of the times in which it was written.
Austen does a remarkable job with her character development. The characters are created in such a way that the reader has feeling for them, whether positive or negative. The reader begins to hope for the characters, and to feel with them. At least, that is how I felt when I read the book. The main character, Elizabeth Bennet, is a wonderfully strong woman who defies the times by speaking her mind more often than is deemed appropriate. But at the same time, she is vulnerable, making her a heroine that the reader can instantly like and identify with even though the setting is so far removed from our own.
By the end of the book, I was rooting for Elizabeth and her sister, Jane. As I have said before, any author that can evoke an emotion has done his/her job. In this book, Jane Austen made me care about her characters. There is something to be said for that considering that I don't typically prefer novels written in this era or even this genre. Austen has made me reconsider that, and has made me a fan. I would recommend this book, as long as you can read through the language barrier. Being written in 1796 and published in 1813, the language is very different and I needed to concentrate to get the gist of what was being conveyed. This is the only Jane Austen novel I have read, but I plan on picking up another of her novels in the future.
Happy Reading!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers
Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers is a young adult novel by M.E. Kerr. My 9 year old son read it and really liked it. He asked me to read it, too. He knows how I love to share books with friends, so I was very touched that he wanted to share one with me.
Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers is a novel about the animals kept at an animal shelter named Critters, and their human companions. The animals are the main characters, with dialogue between them and access to their thoughts and dreams, since it is written from their perspective. The story was cute, and very sweet. It takes place at Christmas time, and the animals go on some interesting adventures with the Critters volunteers and potential new families. There is the ever present Dog Catcher that needs to be avoided. This element added a little suspense to the story line. The characters, both animal and human, are lovable and entertaining. The ending leaves the reader satisfied.
Throughout the book, the author exposes a young reader to new vocabulary and definitions, as well. Reading this as a parent, I appreciated that. The child reading this book learns something along the way. The language used is appropriate for any age and I would estimate the reading level to be around advanced second grade to third grade.
Language and reading level aside, it is a fun book for kids, which is important to foster a love of reading. Happy Reading!
Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers is a novel about the animals kept at an animal shelter named Critters, and their human companions. The animals are the main characters, with dialogue between them and access to their thoughts and dreams, since it is written from their perspective. The story was cute, and very sweet. It takes place at Christmas time, and the animals go on some interesting adventures with the Critters volunteers and potential new families. There is the ever present Dog Catcher that needs to be avoided. This element added a little suspense to the story line. The characters, both animal and human, are lovable and entertaining. The ending leaves the reader satisfied.
Throughout the book, the author exposes a young reader to new vocabulary and definitions, as well. Reading this as a parent, I appreciated that. The child reading this book learns something along the way. The language used is appropriate for any age and I would estimate the reading level to be around advanced second grade to third grade.
Language and reading level aside, it is a fun book for kids, which is important to foster a love of reading. Happy Reading!
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