Summer Book #13

The Color of Water by James McBride

This is the third, and last, book that a coworker gave to me when she retired this year. Considering that we didn't know each other that well, she was spot on in the books she gave me: I enjoyed all three.

In this book, the author tells not only his story, but the story of his mother, Ruth. His mother was white, and the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi. The author is her eighth child. His father was black. The author's parents married at a time when mixed marriages were illegal. Ruth was cut off from her family for marrying a black man. In fact, her family considered her dead.

The book tells of the author finding out who he is by finding about his mother's past.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Both Ruth and James led interesting lives.

Summer Book #12

Nevermore by James Patterson

This is the final book in the Maximum Ride series. Typically, it is up to Max to save the world.  This time is no different really, except that she doesn't have to do it until the very end. Most of this book has to do with Max examining her feelings about the men in her life.

First, there is Fang. She's known him forever, and they do everything together. The problem is, everything became too much for Fang, and he left the Flock a couple of books ago to try to figure things out. Then, there's Dylan. He was genetically created to be Max's perfect mate. Everything he does is for her.

Sadly, what this book boiled down to was who should Max choose? She makes her choice and I won't ruin it for you.

In a way, I am glad to see this series come to an end. Really, how many times and in how many ways is Max supposed to save the world? The whole premise has gotten old. Plus, the last couple of books have seemed to push the liberal agenda: global warming, overpopulation is going to cause the end of the world, etc. I don't buy into that stuff, and reading it really irritated me.

On the other hand, I will miss Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, Angel and Total. I have come to know and love them over the course of this series, and it will be sad to miss out on their adult lives.

Summer Book #11

Fallen by Lauren Kate

This book is described as fascinating and scary. It was fascinating to a degree, but scary not at all. Lame is more like it. There are four more books in this set, and I don't want to read any of them. There was so much potential here, and it was wasted.

Luce ends up at a reform school because she may or may not have been involved in the death of a classmate at her former boarding school.  She meets interesting people, befriends some of them, receives the ire of others, and becomes interested in two boys. One boy makes it obvious that he is into Luce.  That would be Cam. The other boy, Daniel, Luce feels she has a connection she can't describe, even though he wants nothing to do with her.

Turns out these boys, as well as most of Luce's friends, are angels. Some are good, some bad. There's a fight for good and evil, and people die. Luce escapes with Daniel's help. The end.

Not impressed at all with this. I spent $4 on it, and way too much of my time that I won't get back.

Summer Book #10

Inferno by Dan Brown

This is the fourth and most recent offering in the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown. Because it is part of a series, there are things that are "required" at this point to occur in the book. Robert will be solving a mystery involving symbols and art. There will be a gorgeous female sidekick. He will trust the wrong person. All of these were present in this one. I am not saying this makes Inferno a predictable and boring book, quite the opposite.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect from Inferno. I read DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons several years ago, when all the hubbub about the former was going on. I enjoyed both of those books immensely, and couldn't put them down. Then, a few years ago, The Lost Symbol was released, and I didn't enjoy it at all. Inferno was just as enjoyable as the first two in the series, I am happy to say.

Inferno begins, and we find Robert in Florence in a hospital because he's been shot. The doctor who helps him, Sienna Brooks, explains to Robert that his injury has caused temporary amnesia. This diagnosis is helpful because Robert has no idea why he's in Florence. Then, the person who is 'after' Robert shows up at the hospital, so Robert and Sienna flee. Sienna manages to get part of Robert's clothes, which includes a clue that Robert must solve.

This clue is a projection of a piece of artwork depicting Dante's hell. There are inaccuracies in the image, and Robert realizes that this must be why he is in Florence. Another mystery to solve. Robert and Sienna are being followed by soldiers in black, so they have that added stress while trying to solve this mystery. 

I should point out that 'the bad guy' who set up the mystery Robert is trying to solve is a huge fan of Dante's Divine Comedy, primarily Inferno.  And this guy is really bad; he wants to release a plague on the Earth to control the population.

Robert and Sienna traverse Florence, figuring out the pieces to the puzzle, which lead them to Venice and then Isanbul. Of course Robert solves the puzzle, but is it in time?

As I said, I enjoyed this book. In addition to the mystery aspect of the story, it has made me want to see Florence. I learned a great deal about the city, as well as being entertained.

Summer Book #9

The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

This was one that popped up on one of my many Facebook pages of Kindle books. I paid for this one, but it was less than $2. As usual, with these cheap or free books, you never know what you're going to get. Just because the blurb they give you sounds good, doesn't mean the book will be good. I guess that is technically true with any book. :)

This book is told in the present, or close to it (2010), as well as in flashback. The main character is Regina-Reggie-and when she was thirteen, a serial killer, Neptune, was terrorizing her town. This serial killer would kidnap a woman, on the second day, he'd deliver their severed right hand to the police station steps, and on the fourth day, kill her and display her body in a public place.

In 1985, Reggie's mother was the fourth woman taken. Her hand was found, but her body never turned up. In 2010, he mother turns up. Alive. Reggie goes home to be with her mother, but it doesn't take long for Neptune to be back to his old tricks. Reggie's childhood friend is his new victim.

The book tells the story of Reggie's life at age 13 to lay the groundwork to help solve the case. Honestly, the identity of Neptune was a surprise to me. Not who I expected at all. Great book though.

Summer Book #8

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown by Claire Ridgeway

Much like the other Anne Boleyn book I read recently, I already knew the information. I am practically kicking myself for reading two books about her, by the same author, so close together. What was nice about this one is that the author broke it down, day by day, so the reader knew what happened at the end of Anne's Boleyn's life.  In many ways, this was more informative than most Anne Boleyn biographies.

Something that irritated me though, were the times that the author would include quotes from the primary sources, but not bother to translate them into modern English. Rules of spelling, apparently, did not apply in the 16th century, so sometimes it was hard to make out the information that was being presented.

Not a bad book, but, as I said, I wish I hadn't read it right after the other one.

Summer Book #7

Second Honeymoon by James Patterson

In this current offering by Patterson, someone is killing people while on their honeymoon. First up, the son of a wealthy, New York businessman. The businessman wants to know who killed his son and his bride, so he hires John O'Hara, a currently suspended FBI guy.

O'Hara has problems of his own. The man who killed his wife in a drunk driving accident is getting out of prison soon, and he has been having homicidal thoughts about the guy. No worries; he's seeing a shrink for that.

In addition to that, there's a deranged, escaped lunatic who is on a mission to kill men named John O'Hara. He is doing this because a man named John O'Hara (namely our hero) killed his beloved sister. And I do mean beloved, as in sick, twisted, unnatural love.

Enter Sarah, who is on the John O'Hara case. They, Sarah and John, actually team up to solve both the cases.

I enjoyed this, but that's no surprise. There are twists and turns, and nothing is totally given away until it is supposed to be. Can't wait for the next one.

Summer Book #6

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What is it about books about the Holocaust that make them so good? Why are we (me) fascinated by these books? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I do know that I have never met a Holocaust related book that I didn't like. This was no exception.

Liesel Meminger is our heroine. At the beginning, her mother, her brother, and herself are on their way to Molching so that Liesel and her brother can be placed with a foster family. Honestly, I must have missed the why on that. On the way, Liesel's brother dies, and this is when Liesel "steals" her first book. She's only nine when this happens. Once she gets to Molching, she lives with the Hubermans, Hans and Rosa. Rosa is gruff, and Hans is loving. Liesel takes to him right away. Hans teaches Liesel to read, and comforts her when she wakes from nightmares.

Liesel is also friends with the neighbor boy, Rudy Steiner, the boy with the lemon colored hair. They get along well, play soccer together, and steal together. They steal mostly food and books. Most of the books are stolen from the mayor's wife, Ilsa.

A year or so after Liesel comes to live with the Hubermans, a Jew shows up on their doorstep.  The Hubermans take him (Max) in, honoring a promise Hans made long ago. Max lives in the basement, and despite being a Jew, he becomes like family to the Hubermans.

So much happens in this book, that there is no way for me to cover it all here. Just read it; it's so worth your time.

Oh, I almost forgot....the book is told from Death's point of view. This was a nice change of pace, and I think it made the deaths in the book hurt less. Read it, and you'll understand what I mean by that.