I have decided it is time to enjoy the fourteenth installment of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. But, in order to get the most enjoyment out of that book, I am going to re-read the thirteenth first. That is why now is the time. I will have enough time to finish both books before my book club picks the next book.
I love love love these books and can't get enough. I savor every word and am always sad because they just go too fast. So I can stretch out the enjoyment of the new one if I re-read an old one first. It was just a matter of deciding how far to go back. I decided on just one, and am choosing Lean Mean Thirteen, in anticipation of reading Fearless Fourteen next. Yummy yum! I just can't wait to dive in!!
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Dark Rivers of the Heart
Last week, I picked this book off of my book shelf by process of elimination. I need to clear some of the books off my "unread" shelves. So I counted the number of books on them and chose a book off of the shelf that had the most books. Then I looked at the authors on that shelf. I had more books by Dean Koontz on that shelf than any other author, so I chose the oldest of those books. Stupid, I know, but I needed some method to help me narrow my choices.
I realized a few pages in that the story was familiar. I had read it before. My premonitions about what would happen next were too specific for it to be just a similar story line to something else I had read. I must have put that book on the wrong shelf when I unpacked them after our move. I must have read it a long time ago, because I couldn't remember the ending. The book had hooked me even though I knew I had read it before, so rather than put it on my "read" shelf, I re-read it. I guess that is a testament to how suspenseful and gripping Dean Koontz books can be.
Dark Rivers of the Heart was published in 1994 by Dean Koontz. I have found that normally Dean Koontz is good for a scary, supernatural thriller. This book was not supernatural in any way though. This was a legal/political thriller, with serial killers mixed in. It was excellent and had me hooked from the beginning, even though I had read it before. Dean Koontz gets political in this one, regarding our freedoms as Americans and the power that the government has. It is a book that makes you think about the realities of those freedoms and whether we are truly as free as we think we are. But most of all it is a fast paced thriller, a true page turner because you have no idea where Koontz is going to take you. This book didn't give me nightmares or make me afraid to read late at night alone, as his books sometimes do, but it was no less gripping.
There is an Afterward written by Koontz that explains some things about the political side of the book. Fact vs. fiction and what his beliefs are. Fascinating. Another one I would recommend.
Happy Reading!
I realized a few pages in that the story was familiar. I had read it before. My premonitions about what would happen next were too specific for it to be just a similar story line to something else I had read. I must have put that book on the wrong shelf when I unpacked them after our move. I must have read it a long time ago, because I couldn't remember the ending. The book had hooked me even though I knew I had read it before, so rather than put it on my "read" shelf, I re-read it. I guess that is a testament to how suspenseful and gripping Dean Koontz books can be.
Dark Rivers of the Heart was published in 1994 by Dean Koontz. I have found that normally Dean Koontz is good for a scary, supernatural thriller. This book was not supernatural in any way though. This was a legal/political thriller, with serial killers mixed in. It was excellent and had me hooked from the beginning, even though I had read it before. Dean Koontz gets political in this one, regarding our freedoms as Americans and the power that the government has. It is a book that makes you think about the realities of those freedoms and whether we are truly as free as we think we are. But most of all it is a fast paced thriller, a true page turner because you have no idea where Koontz is going to take you. This book didn't give me nightmares or make me afraid to read late at night alone, as his books sometimes do, but it was no less gripping.
There is an Afterward written by Koontz that explains some things about the political side of the book. Fact vs. fiction and what his beliefs are. Fascinating. Another one I would recommend.
Happy Reading!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral
I literally just finished Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish. This book was not what I expected. I thought it would be a fast, fun romp. Just goes to show you that you should not judge a book by it's cover. That doesn't mean that it was not a fabulous book...quite the contrary. This book will be added to my list of favorites. It is one that I will probably read again.
The book is beautifully written, and was a fun romp. But I found that it was not fast. Part of that was because I wanted to savor it. Part of that is because you have to pay attention when you are reading this book. It is a very intelligent and thought provoking book, that uses a lot of symbolism and imagery, and you can miss the point of some of it if you aren't paying attention. I found that I needed to slow down and let myself think about my own life and situation.
The characters are instantly likable and memorable, even the sub characters. The plot involves five women who have one friend in common that has passed away, Annie Freeman. She leaves them with instructions to spread her ashes in places, all across the country, that had significance to her. She has planned the adventure, made their reservations and all other arrangements. They are to figure out what to do with her ashes at each different destination. She trusts that, together, they will know what to do. At each destination they must figure out what made that place special to Annie through the people that they meet and the adventures that they encounter. The traveling funeral becomes a real living thing. It has a life of its own and along the way, the women meet people that will become life long friends and learn some very valuable lessons. Lessons that help them change their lives. I found that I needed to slow down, look at my own life and learn the lessons right along with the five women in the book. Which is exactly what Annie would have wanted!
I must caution the prospective reader not to pick this book up if you have an open wound from the loss, or potential loss, of a maternal figure in your life. There are several references to losing mothers, terminally ill mothers, sick and dying mothers that were very difficult for me to get through given that my mother is terminally ill with breast cancer. There were times that the ache in my chest was too much and I had to put the book down. That being said, it is a book that I think would help people heal that open wound, as long as it isn't too fresh. I think I may need to read this book again at that point in my life.
It is another one that I would highly recommend. I say that a lot...I love books and rarely find one that I wouldn't want to share. This is definitely one that should be on a must read list. And I can't wait to read another Kris Radish book.
Happy Reading!
The book is beautifully written, and was a fun romp. But I found that it was not fast. Part of that was because I wanted to savor it. Part of that is because you have to pay attention when you are reading this book. It is a very intelligent and thought provoking book, that uses a lot of symbolism and imagery, and you can miss the point of some of it if you aren't paying attention. I found that I needed to slow down and let myself think about my own life and situation.
The characters are instantly likable and memorable, even the sub characters. The plot involves five women who have one friend in common that has passed away, Annie Freeman. She leaves them with instructions to spread her ashes in places, all across the country, that had significance to her. She has planned the adventure, made their reservations and all other arrangements. They are to figure out what to do with her ashes at each different destination. She trusts that, together, they will know what to do. At each destination they must figure out what made that place special to Annie through the people that they meet and the adventures that they encounter. The traveling funeral becomes a real living thing. It has a life of its own and along the way, the women meet people that will become life long friends and learn some very valuable lessons. Lessons that help them change their lives. I found that I needed to slow down, look at my own life and learn the lessons right along with the five women in the book. Which is exactly what Annie would have wanted!
I must caution the prospective reader not to pick this book up if you have an open wound from the loss, or potential loss, of a maternal figure in your life. There are several references to losing mothers, terminally ill mothers, sick and dying mothers that were very difficult for me to get through given that my mother is terminally ill with breast cancer. There were times that the ache in my chest was too much and I had to put the book down. That being said, it is a book that I think would help people heal that open wound, as long as it isn't too fresh. I think I may need to read this book again at that point in my life.
It is another one that I would highly recommend. I say that a lot...I love books and rarely find one that I wouldn't want to share. This is definitely one that should be on a must read list. And I can't wait to read another Kris Radish book.
Happy Reading!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Sweet Memories
Okay, so I said I was going to read our next book club pick, but I knew that I would move through it too quickly and be left hanging before my book club's next meeting. So, I decided to pick up something else, that I would be able to complete in a week, so that then I could pick up my book club book with only five days or so until our meeting.
A friend had loaned me a bunch of books that she had read some time ago, and I try to work through them and my own bookshelf, intermittently. Sweet Memories by LaVyrle Spencer was among them. I do not typically like traditional romance books. It is not a genre that I care for. The books all seem to have the same theme or formula. Damaged girl, always pure, meets boy. Boy rescues girl in some way, whether it is from herself or from something or someone else. They fall in love and the girl's first time is so wonderful, end of book. Just change the names, setting and some of the circumstances. Sometimes the boy and girl like each other right away, sometimes they can't stand each other but underneath there are feelings...same old, same old. Usually reading such a book makes me angry. Why is the girl always damaged...why does she always need saving? Why is she always pure? Is there something wrong with a strong, normal girl who has had some romantic experience?
I have not read LaVyrle Spencer before. This romance did not disappoint. It was pretty much like all the others. The main character's issue was a new one...her body shape caused her to have inhibitions. Knowing someone personally who went through the same issue, this book was alternatively genuine and irritating. But I stuck with it. I have an obsession with finishing a book that I have started, whether or not I like it. I try not to give up; I try to see it through.
I suppose the book was entertaining, in the typical romance book fashion. Steamy scenes, lots of description, a frivolous read. It is not a book that evoked any emotion from me, other than the irritation at the plot line. It is not a book that I will remember for very long. But, it was a quick read that got me through, and the characters were likable enough. There is something to be said for that. And we all need a frivolous read every now and again. You would get terribly bored with meat and potatoes all the time. You need to throw in some candy every once and a while.
Happy Reading!
A friend had loaned me a bunch of books that she had read some time ago, and I try to work through them and my own bookshelf, intermittently. Sweet Memories by LaVyrle Spencer was among them. I do not typically like traditional romance books. It is not a genre that I care for. The books all seem to have the same theme or formula. Damaged girl, always pure, meets boy. Boy rescues girl in some way, whether it is from herself or from something or someone else. They fall in love and the girl's first time is so wonderful, end of book. Just change the names, setting and some of the circumstances. Sometimes the boy and girl like each other right away, sometimes they can't stand each other but underneath there are feelings...same old, same old. Usually reading such a book makes me angry. Why is the girl always damaged...why does she always need saving? Why is she always pure? Is there something wrong with a strong, normal girl who has had some romantic experience?
I have not read LaVyrle Spencer before. This romance did not disappoint. It was pretty much like all the others. The main character's issue was a new one...her body shape caused her to have inhibitions. Knowing someone personally who went through the same issue, this book was alternatively genuine and irritating. But I stuck with it. I have an obsession with finishing a book that I have started, whether or not I like it. I try not to give up; I try to see it through.
I suppose the book was entertaining, in the typical romance book fashion. Steamy scenes, lots of description, a frivolous read. It is not a book that evoked any emotion from me, other than the irritation at the plot line. It is not a book that I will remember for very long. But, it was a quick read that got me through, and the characters were likable enough. There is something to be said for that. And we all need a frivolous read every now and again. You would get terribly bored with meat and potatoes all the time. You need to throw in some candy every once and a while.
Happy Reading!
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