James Patterson Bookshots: French Kiss with Richard DiLallo
One drawback to some of these bookshots is that the stories are not complete. What I mean by that, with this one in particular, is that the story jumps around and seems to leave things out.
Detective Luc Montcrief is working for NYPD. He is a detective from Paris, who solved a big case that made him somewhat sought after. He has a fantastic partner, Maria Martinez, who is killed while posing as a prostitute while she was on loan to the vice department.
Then, he is assigned a new partner, K. Burke, to help solve Maria's murder. While working that case, Luc's longtime lover, Dalia, is murdered. Luc puts two and two together and realizes that there is a connection in these murders of women he loves. So he and K. Burke go to Paris to try to figure things out by looking at his prior cases. While there, Burke is attacked.
So many details left out, but still a decent story. If I hadn't set a crazy/stupid goal for myself, I likely would not have ever read this. Am I a better person for having read it? No. I did meet my goal of reading more books in 2016 than I did in 2015, so that's something.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
The Book That Ties With 2015
James Patterson Bookshots: $10,000,000 Marriage Proposal
Ok. This is stupid, but I couldn't imagine reading fewer books in 2016 than I did in 2015. So, even though I started a book in the wee hours of this morning, I decided to pick up and read a couple of short ones so I'd have one book more for 2016. It's all about growth, right?
Anyway, these book shots are kinda cool. This is the second one I have read, and they can be knocked out in about an hour. Perfect for meeting your year end reading goals when you fall short. Ha.
This one is about a guy who puts up a billboard in Los Angeles, offering $10,000,000 to have a woman marry him. Sketchy, no? Anyway, this follows three women who answer the billboard. Suze, who is gorgeous and super successful. Janey, who is chronically late for everything, who just lost her job. And Caroline, who works with kids to keep them out of jail, and lives with her mother.
These three women go on a series of interviews with people who aren't the mystery man to determine if they are the perfect match for him.
Yes, he does choose someone. Yes, it is one of these three. To find out which one, read the bookshot.
Ok. This is stupid, but I couldn't imagine reading fewer books in 2016 than I did in 2015. So, even though I started a book in the wee hours of this morning, I decided to pick up and read a couple of short ones so I'd have one book more for 2016. It's all about growth, right?
Anyway, these book shots are kinda cool. This is the second one I have read, and they can be knocked out in about an hour. Perfect for meeting your year end reading goals when you fall short. Ha.
This one is about a guy who puts up a billboard in Los Angeles, offering $10,000,000 to have a woman marry him. Sketchy, no? Anyway, this follows three women who answer the billboard. Suze, who is gorgeous and super successful. Janey, who is chronically late for everything, who just lost her job. And Caroline, who works with kids to keep them out of jail, and lives with her mother.
These three women go on a series of interviews with people who aren't the mystery man to determine if they are the perfect match for him.
Yes, he does choose someone. Yes, it is one of these three. To find out which one, read the bookshot.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Stupid High School Traditions
The List by Siobhan Vivian
Let me just start by saying how happy I am that the list in this book does not exist in the high school where I teach. Of course, there are class favorites, Homecoming Court, etc, but nothing to the extent of this. I'd like to believe that if there were, we'd nip it in the bud.
This book takes place over the course of the week before Homecoming at Mount Washington High, located somewhere in the United States. For many years, during this particular week, a list comes out, indicating the prettiest girls in each class, as well as the ugliest girls in each class. No one knows who makes this list, but everyone knows it's the "official" list because in the bottom corner, the school seal (that has been missing for years) is embossed on the papers. Typically, the senior girl who is named the prettiest becomes the Homecoming Queen.
In the freshman class, Abby is labeled the prettiest. Unfortunately, she thinks that's all she is. She has a very intelligent older sister, who while not pretty, Abby feels like she lives in her shadow. Ugliest freshman is Danielle, a swimmer. She's not really ugly, though the reader won't know why she is chosen until the end of the book.
The sophomore class gives us Lauren, a girl who was recently homeschooled but genuinely nice as the prettiest. The ugliest girl in that class is Candace, who is actually very pretty, but apparently mean. You know what they say about being the prettiest person, but if you are ugly on the inside, you're just ugly? That's what's in play here.
For the junior class, there's Bridget, prettiest, who stops eating and throws up her food in an effort to make herself smaller. She doesn't think she's pretty, and this list has caused many problems for her. Then there's Sarah. Sarah is labelled as ugly, and she embraces it. The day the list comes out, she has a friend write UGLY on her forehead in permanent marker. She also decides not to bathe, brush her teeth, change clothes (including underwear), etc as a personal protest. She figures why not give the people what they want.
Last is the senior class. Margo, whose older sister was prettiest the year before, is labelled prettiest this year. This isn't her first year on the list, as she made the list as a freshman too. Margo is a cheerleader, and thinks this is her year. The girl chosen as ugliest has been on the list before too--every year of high school she has been the ugliest girl in her class. She also used to be Margo's best friend. This girl is Jennifer, and some of Margo's closest friends try to make things better for Jennifer, including getting people to vote for her for Homecoming Queen.
This book shows what each girl goes through during the week leading up to Homecoming. It shows how this list changes them. The reader also finds out who was responsible for the list. Interesting read, but, again, I am glad we don't deal with this crap at my high school.
Let me just start by saying how happy I am that the list in this book does not exist in the high school where I teach. Of course, there are class favorites, Homecoming Court, etc, but nothing to the extent of this. I'd like to believe that if there were, we'd nip it in the bud.
This book takes place over the course of the week before Homecoming at Mount Washington High, located somewhere in the United States. For many years, during this particular week, a list comes out, indicating the prettiest girls in each class, as well as the ugliest girls in each class. No one knows who makes this list, but everyone knows it's the "official" list because in the bottom corner, the school seal (that has been missing for years) is embossed on the papers. Typically, the senior girl who is named the prettiest becomes the Homecoming Queen.
In the freshman class, Abby is labeled the prettiest. Unfortunately, she thinks that's all she is. She has a very intelligent older sister, who while not pretty, Abby feels like she lives in her shadow. Ugliest freshman is Danielle, a swimmer. She's not really ugly, though the reader won't know why she is chosen until the end of the book.
The sophomore class gives us Lauren, a girl who was recently homeschooled but genuinely nice as the prettiest. The ugliest girl in that class is Candace, who is actually very pretty, but apparently mean. You know what they say about being the prettiest person, but if you are ugly on the inside, you're just ugly? That's what's in play here.
For the junior class, there's Bridget, prettiest, who stops eating and throws up her food in an effort to make herself smaller. She doesn't think she's pretty, and this list has caused many problems for her. Then there's Sarah. Sarah is labelled as ugly, and she embraces it. The day the list comes out, she has a friend write UGLY on her forehead in permanent marker. She also decides not to bathe, brush her teeth, change clothes (including underwear), etc as a personal protest. She figures why not give the people what they want.
Last is the senior class. Margo, whose older sister was prettiest the year before, is labelled prettiest this year. This isn't her first year on the list, as she made the list as a freshman too. Margo is a cheerleader, and thinks this is her year. The girl chosen as ugliest has been on the list before too--every year of high school she has been the ugliest girl in her class. She also used to be Margo's best friend. This girl is Jennifer, and some of Margo's closest friends try to make things better for Jennifer, including getting people to vote for her for Homecoming Queen.
This book shows what each girl goes through during the week leading up to Homecoming. It shows how this list changes them. The reader also finds out who was responsible for the list. Interesting read, but, again, I am glad we don't deal with this crap at my high school.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Ramifications of a School Shooting
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
After I finished the book I was reading last night, I realized that, save for my Kindle, I was out of books to read. How did I let that happen? My Kindle is in my bedroom, and I didn't want to disturb my husband and one of the dogs to get it. So, I did the next logical thing: I went to my daughter's room to see if she had anything I hadn't read yet. She came through in fine style, despite trying to get me to read the Alice in Zombieland books. This was one of the three she loaned me.
I have read books by Jennifer Brown before. The first one of hers that I ever read was Thousand Words, which, if you read my blog post about it a couple of years ago, you know I think every teenager should read. My own has read it at least three times. Anyway, the point is, I knew this one would be good.
The story centers around Valerie. She and her boyfriend, Nick, had a hate list, which is exactly what it sounds like-a list of people they hated. For Valerie, it was more cathartic than anything else; she would put someone's name on the list if they hurt her or pissed her off in some way. For Nick, it was much more than that; it was a list of people to kill. Which is exactly what he did. He shot fellow students in the commons area of his high school. He shot a beloved teacher. He even shot Valerie before turning the gun on himself.
People thought that because Valerie helped make the list that she was in on the whole thing, but that wasn't the truth. Unfortunately, people will believe what they want to believe, what fits their agenda.
In the days after the shooting, Valerie finds herself in the hospital, recovering from her gunshot wound. Then, because everyone seems to think she is suicidal, she spends a couple of weeks in the psych ward. After that, she is released to her parents' care, and begins to see a psychiatrist. At the beginning of the next school year, Valerie goes back to her high school to try to move on with her life.
Things aren't so great for her. Her former friends want nothing to do with her. Those who were shot but didn't die didn't want to be in the same school with her. She becomes even more isolated than she ever was before. But then there is Jessica. Jessica was horrible to Valerie before the shooting. She was even on the hate list, but the day of the shooting, the bullet that hits Valerie is the bullet that was meant for Jessica.
Valerie has a hard time believing that circumstances changed Jessica. This is mainly because people still blame her--including her own parents. Valerie just has to make it through the school year, and then she can be away from all of this. Can she do it?
This book achieved something that seldom happens when I read--I cried. My heart ached for Valerie and all she went through. I think we forget that there are other victims of school shootings than those who are actually shot: the ones who loved the shooter and are left behind. This book shows that in a way that is real and relatable.
I highly recommend this one.
After I finished the book I was reading last night, I realized that, save for my Kindle, I was out of books to read. How did I let that happen? My Kindle is in my bedroom, and I didn't want to disturb my husband and one of the dogs to get it. So, I did the next logical thing: I went to my daughter's room to see if she had anything I hadn't read yet. She came through in fine style, despite trying to get me to read the Alice in Zombieland books. This was one of the three she loaned me.
I have read books by Jennifer Brown before. The first one of hers that I ever read was Thousand Words, which, if you read my blog post about it a couple of years ago, you know I think every teenager should read. My own has read it at least three times. Anyway, the point is, I knew this one would be good.
The story centers around Valerie. She and her boyfriend, Nick, had a hate list, which is exactly what it sounds like-a list of people they hated. For Valerie, it was more cathartic than anything else; she would put someone's name on the list if they hurt her or pissed her off in some way. For Nick, it was much more than that; it was a list of people to kill. Which is exactly what he did. He shot fellow students in the commons area of his high school. He shot a beloved teacher. He even shot Valerie before turning the gun on himself.
People thought that because Valerie helped make the list that she was in on the whole thing, but that wasn't the truth. Unfortunately, people will believe what they want to believe, what fits their agenda.
In the days after the shooting, Valerie finds herself in the hospital, recovering from her gunshot wound. Then, because everyone seems to think she is suicidal, she spends a couple of weeks in the psych ward. After that, she is released to her parents' care, and begins to see a psychiatrist. At the beginning of the next school year, Valerie goes back to her high school to try to move on with her life.
Things aren't so great for her. Her former friends want nothing to do with her. Those who were shot but didn't die didn't want to be in the same school with her. She becomes even more isolated than she ever was before. But then there is Jessica. Jessica was horrible to Valerie before the shooting. She was even on the hate list, but the day of the shooting, the bullet that hits Valerie is the bullet that was meant for Jessica.
Valerie has a hard time believing that circumstances changed Jessica. This is mainly because people still blame her--including her own parents. Valerie just has to make it through the school year, and then she can be away from all of this. Can she do it?
This book achieved something that seldom happens when I read--I cried. My heart ached for Valerie and all she went through. I think we forget that there are other victims of school shootings than those who are actually shot: the ones who loved the shooter and are left behind. This book shows that in a way that is real and relatable.
I highly recommend this one.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Avoid the Popular Girls
The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Another book I purchased last week for $5.50. I figured if it was good, it was a steal; if it was bad, it didn't break the bank. It wasn't bad.
Sofia is new in school. She's an Army brat, so she moves around a lot. Because she moves around a lot, she doesn't have many friends. On her first day, she meets Brooklyn and Charlie in the lunch line. She likes them immediately. Shortly after that, she meets Riley, a popular girl, who lets Sofia into her circle. Alexis and Grace are part of that circle.
Riley, Alexis, and Grace try to convince Sofia that Brooklyn is evil, and Sofia can't see it. She does agree to try to find out what it was that made Brooklyn change, however. One night, Sofia goes to a party at Brooklyn's, and sees Brooklyn hooking up with Riley's boyfriend. Sofia thinks she is doing the right thing by telling Riley what a skeeze her boyfriend is, and Riley says that it's Brooklyn's fault and that they need to help Brooklyn to change her ways.
That in no way prepares Sofia for what Riley has in mind. Riley truly believes that Brooklyn is possessed by evil, and decides that she and her friends need to exorcise her. Let's just say that this "exorcism" gets way out of hand.
Some of the details are a bit graphic, but I found I couldn't put this down. I HAD to know what happened next. This is also another quick read. I did it in less than five hours. I liked it well enough that I will read the sequel that is out now, and the prequel that comes out this summer.
Another book I purchased last week for $5.50. I figured if it was good, it was a steal; if it was bad, it didn't break the bank. It wasn't bad.
Sofia is new in school. She's an Army brat, so she moves around a lot. Because she moves around a lot, she doesn't have many friends. On her first day, she meets Brooklyn and Charlie in the lunch line. She likes them immediately. Shortly after that, she meets Riley, a popular girl, who lets Sofia into her circle. Alexis and Grace are part of that circle.
Riley, Alexis, and Grace try to convince Sofia that Brooklyn is evil, and Sofia can't see it. She does agree to try to find out what it was that made Brooklyn change, however. One night, Sofia goes to a party at Brooklyn's, and sees Brooklyn hooking up with Riley's boyfriend. Sofia thinks she is doing the right thing by telling Riley what a skeeze her boyfriend is, and Riley says that it's Brooklyn's fault and that they need to help Brooklyn to change her ways.
That in no way prepares Sofia for what Riley has in mind. Riley truly believes that Brooklyn is possessed by evil, and decides that she and her friends need to exorcise her. Let's just say that this "exorcism" gets way out of hand.
Some of the details are a bit graphic, but I found I couldn't put this down. I HAD to know what happened next. This is also another quick read. I did it in less than five hours. I liked it well enough that I will read the sequel that is out now, and the prequel that comes out this summer.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Don't Do Drugs
Survive the Night by Danielle Vega
Saw this at Target last week for $5.50, read the blurb and thought "Why not?" Good call, but holy cow.
This was a fairly quick read. I say that because I read it in 5 1/2 hours. I was hoping for a different ending, but I'll survive.
Casey is recently home from rehab. Initially, she got addicted to pain pills after jacking up her knee in soccer. A misfit from school named Shana helped to lead her on this path. It started with the oxy, but also encompassed things like meth, heroin, and ecstasy. That's why she went to rehab, although she told people she had a bad reaction to the pain meds.
Anyway, she starts out at a slumber party with her friends from the soccer team, the ones who more or less abandoned her when she was injured, but Shana and her other friends show up and whisk her away to New York City. First, they go to an underaged club to watch Casey's ex-boyfriend perform with his band. While there, some freak invites them all to a Survive the Night rave in the tunnels. Shana decides that they need to go.
So they go. They group is Shana, Casey, their friends Aya and Julie, Casey's ex, Sam, and Sam's bandmate, Woody. They end up in this giant party underground in New York. Shana, being the unsavory character that she is, spikes Casey's drink, and Casey starts to see things. One of those things being a disemboweled Julie. When Casey gets back to the group, they go looking for Julie. They find her, but in a different area than where Casey originally sees her. Yes, she is dead and disemboweled.
They try to leave the tunnels because by this time, the rave has broken up and everyone has disappeared. Unfortunately, the manhole cover where they came in no longer opens. They're stuck. They get lost in the tunnels. They are attacked by rats. They trudge through waist high water. They are attacked by some monster with tentacles. Everyone except Casey dies. Because of this, I thought the whole book was a dream in rehab, but it wasn't. How much of this was real to her, we'll never know because they found ecstasy in her system, hence the title I gave this post.
Seriously, if you learn nothing from this book, I hope you get this out of it: don't do drugs, and watch who you trust. Perhaps if Casey hadn't been so trusting of her "friend" Shana, her life wouldn't have come to this.
Saw this at Target last week for $5.50, read the blurb and thought "Why not?" Good call, but holy cow.
This was a fairly quick read. I say that because I read it in 5 1/2 hours. I was hoping for a different ending, but I'll survive.
Casey is recently home from rehab. Initially, she got addicted to pain pills after jacking up her knee in soccer. A misfit from school named Shana helped to lead her on this path. It started with the oxy, but also encompassed things like meth, heroin, and ecstasy. That's why she went to rehab, although she told people she had a bad reaction to the pain meds.
Anyway, she starts out at a slumber party with her friends from the soccer team, the ones who more or less abandoned her when she was injured, but Shana and her other friends show up and whisk her away to New York City. First, they go to an underaged club to watch Casey's ex-boyfriend perform with his band. While there, some freak invites them all to a Survive the Night rave in the tunnels. Shana decides that they need to go.
So they go. They group is Shana, Casey, their friends Aya and Julie, Casey's ex, Sam, and Sam's bandmate, Woody. They end up in this giant party underground in New York. Shana, being the unsavory character that she is, spikes Casey's drink, and Casey starts to see things. One of those things being a disemboweled Julie. When Casey gets back to the group, they go looking for Julie. They find her, but in a different area than where Casey originally sees her. Yes, she is dead and disemboweled.
They try to leave the tunnels because by this time, the rave has broken up and everyone has disappeared. Unfortunately, the manhole cover where they came in no longer opens. They're stuck. They get lost in the tunnels. They are attacked by rats. They trudge through waist high water. They are attacked by some monster with tentacles. Everyone except Casey dies. Because of this, I thought the whole book was a dream in rehab, but it wasn't. How much of this was real to her, we'll never know because they found ecstasy in her system, hence the title I gave this post.
Seriously, if you learn nothing from this book, I hope you get this out of it: don't do drugs, and watch who you trust. Perhaps if Casey hadn't been so trusting of her "friend" Shana, her life wouldn't have come to this.
A Modern Sherlock Sequel
Lock and Mori: Mind Games by Heather Petty
Picking up almost exactly where the last book left off, we find Lock and Mori in a little bit of a pickle. Mori's father is in jail for crimes he committed, but there are people who believe he is innocent and are trying to blame Mori. It's a mess. People trying to kidnap her brothers, he father making threats, people showing up dead on her doorstep, people attacking her in her own home, etc.
Needless to say, there was a ton of action going on in this. And the end! Holy cow! How am I supposed to wait a year for the next one? Way to leave me hanging.
Sorry this is short, but I can't in good conscience go into too much detail without giving away what happens in this book as well as its predecessor. Just read them!
Picking up almost exactly where the last book left off, we find Lock and Mori in a little bit of a pickle. Mori's father is in jail for crimes he committed, but there are people who believe he is innocent and are trying to blame Mori. It's a mess. People trying to kidnap her brothers, he father making threats, people showing up dead on her doorstep, people attacking her in her own home, etc.
Needless to say, there was a ton of action going on in this. And the end! Holy cow! How am I supposed to wait a year for the next one? Way to leave me hanging.
Sorry this is short, but I can't in good conscience go into too much detail without giving away what happens in this book as well as its predecessor. Just read them!
Saturday, December 24, 2016
A Modern Take on a Classic Detective Team, I Think
Lock and Mori by Heather W. Petty
This is one of two books I received in my December Lit-Cube, the theme of which was Sherlocked. As best I can tell, this is a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but as I have yet to read any of those, I can't be 100% sure on that. A little Googling helped me to make some sense of characters besides Holmes and Watson, the latter of whom doesn't play much of a part.
Our protagonist in this case is one James "Mori" Moriarity, who is the daughter of a police detective in London. Roughly six months prior to the events in this book, Mori's mother passes away from cancer. This is important because Mori's dad has taken her death hard, and lashes out, to put it mildly, on his four children. The other police turn a blind eye to this, which I have a huge problem with, for the record.
One day, during a fire drill, Mori is asked to summon Sherlock "Lock" Holmes from his basement lab at school during a fire drill. A rather awkward meeting occurred, but something clicked because they became fast friends. Not long after this, a man is murdered in Regency Park, and Lock feels that the local law enforcement are inept, so he and Mori decide to solve the crime.
At first, Mori thinks this is just a game, but as time goes on, she finds that it is much more than that, and she is involved, whether she wants to be or not. Mori uncovers some secrets that may be best left hidden that involve her mother. Luckily, she knows what she has to do with them.
Going into this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I am reasonably familiar with Sherlock Holmes, even though I haven't read the books, but I wasn't sure if I would need to have read the original material to enjoy this one. As it turns out, I didn't. This was a fun read, and I can't wait to dive into the second book I received in that box, as it is a sequel to this one. Should I like it as well, and there are more books in the series, I will have to make efforts to obtain them.
This is one of two books I received in my December Lit-Cube, the theme of which was Sherlocked. As best I can tell, this is a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but as I have yet to read any of those, I can't be 100% sure on that. A little Googling helped me to make some sense of characters besides Holmes and Watson, the latter of whom doesn't play much of a part.
Our protagonist in this case is one James "Mori" Moriarity, who is the daughter of a police detective in London. Roughly six months prior to the events in this book, Mori's mother passes away from cancer. This is important because Mori's dad has taken her death hard, and lashes out, to put it mildly, on his four children. The other police turn a blind eye to this, which I have a huge problem with, for the record.
One day, during a fire drill, Mori is asked to summon Sherlock "Lock" Holmes from his basement lab at school during a fire drill. A rather awkward meeting occurred, but something clicked because they became fast friends. Not long after this, a man is murdered in Regency Park, and Lock feels that the local law enforcement are inept, so he and Mori decide to solve the crime.
At first, Mori thinks this is just a game, but as time goes on, she finds that it is much more than that, and she is involved, whether she wants to be or not. Mori uncovers some secrets that may be best left hidden that involve her mother. Luckily, she knows what she has to do with them.
Going into this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I am reasonably familiar with Sherlock Holmes, even though I haven't read the books, but I wasn't sure if I would need to have read the original material to enjoy this one. As it turns out, I didn't. This was a fun read, and I can't wait to dive into the second book I received in that box, as it is a sequel to this one. Should I like it as well, and there are more books in the series, I will have to make efforts to obtain them.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
A Quick Revisit
James Patterson Bookshots: Cross Kill
I was at CVS the other day, waiting for a prescription to be filled. While waiting, I took a look at their pathetic reading section. This novella caught my attention. Patterson has been doing the bookshots for several months now, but I haven't bothered with them until now. I was an avid reader of Patterson until about two years ago. This was the first of his that I have read in ages.
I was drawn to this bookshot because it was about Alex Cross, my favorite Patterson character. It also revisits some of Patterson's earlier Cross books.
In this novella, Alex and his best friend and partner, John Sampson, are working at a soup kitchen that Alex's NanaMama endowed with some lottery winnings. While there, shots are fired. When Cross and Sampson go to investigate, Cross is shot in the chest and Sampson in the head by a man that looks like Gary Soneji, an earlier criminal that Cross saw die.
Cross was wearing a bulletproof vest which saved his life. Sampson wasn't so lucky, and ended up in the ICU, in a medically induced coma. Cross is working to find out who shot Sampson, as Soneji has been dead ten years. This is really messing with Cross.
Cross finds out there are several Soneji fans who'd like to see him dead, but Cross is able to solve the case, like only he can.
I was at CVS the other day, waiting for a prescription to be filled. While waiting, I took a look at their pathetic reading section. This novella caught my attention. Patterson has been doing the bookshots for several months now, but I haven't bothered with them until now. I was an avid reader of Patterson until about two years ago. This was the first of his that I have read in ages.
I was drawn to this bookshot because it was about Alex Cross, my favorite Patterson character. It also revisits some of Patterson's earlier Cross books.
In this novella, Alex and his best friend and partner, John Sampson, are working at a soup kitchen that Alex's NanaMama endowed with some lottery winnings. While there, shots are fired. When Cross and Sampson go to investigate, Cross is shot in the chest and Sampson in the head by a man that looks like Gary Soneji, an earlier criminal that Cross saw die.
Cross was wearing a bulletproof vest which saved his life. Sampson wasn't so lucky, and ended up in the ICU, in a medically induced coma. Cross is working to find out who shot Sampson, as Soneji has been dead ten years. This is really messing with Cross.
Cross finds out there are several Soneji fans who'd like to see him dead, but Cross is able to solve the case, like only he can.
TAYSHAS #11
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
The TAYSHAS list was released on December 1, and it turns out that ten of the books I read this past summer made the list. This one I had on hold on Overdrive for a week or so, but when I saw it at Target, I decided I was tired of waiting my turn, and just bought it.
I really wanted to read this because the description said it was for fans of Girl, Interrupted and The Bell Jar, two books I enjoyed immensely. This did not disappoint.
Charlotte "Charlie" Davis is a cutter. At the beginning of the book, she is in a mental facility. She tried to kill herself while living in a sex house, and a couple of her friends found her. This is a girl who lived on the streets after her mother kicked her out, and had a rough life. The mental facility saved her. She was there for a few weeks, but then the money ran out, so she was released to her mother's custody.
Unfortunately, Charlie's mother didn't want her to come home, so she gave her some money, and Charlie moves to Arizona to be with one of her friends, a guy named Mikey. Charlie has feelings for Mikey, which he does not return.
Charlie finds a job washing dishes at a coffee shop, as well as a room to let. She is managing to keep from cutting. She meets a man who is all wrong for her, who mostly uses her to buy him drugs. He is the beginning of her undoing.
I am fascinated by "broken" people, so this book was right up my alley. I found myself just wanting to grab Charlie and hug her. I wanted to help her to be better. This one was so worth my time.
The TAYSHAS list was released on December 1, and it turns out that ten of the books I read this past summer made the list. This one I had on hold on Overdrive for a week or so, but when I saw it at Target, I decided I was tired of waiting my turn, and just bought it.
I really wanted to read this because the description said it was for fans of Girl, Interrupted and The Bell Jar, two books I enjoyed immensely. This did not disappoint.
Charlotte "Charlie" Davis is a cutter. At the beginning of the book, she is in a mental facility. She tried to kill herself while living in a sex house, and a couple of her friends found her. This is a girl who lived on the streets after her mother kicked her out, and had a rough life. The mental facility saved her. She was there for a few weeks, but then the money ran out, so she was released to her mother's custody.
Unfortunately, Charlie's mother didn't want her to come home, so she gave her some money, and Charlie moves to Arizona to be with one of her friends, a guy named Mikey. Charlie has feelings for Mikey, which he does not return.
Charlie finds a job washing dishes at a coffee shop, as well as a room to let. She is managing to keep from cutting. She meets a man who is all wrong for her, who mostly uses her to buy him drugs. He is the beginning of her undoing.
I am fascinated by "broken" people, so this book was right up my alley. I found myself just wanting to grab Charlie and hug her. I wanted to help her to be better. This one was so worth my time.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
A Sequel Jane Austen Would Have Loved
The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennet by Kate Rorick and Rachel Kiley
As I've said many times before, I love Austen's Pride and Prejudice. What I don't usually mention is how much I dislike Mrs. Bennet and Lydia Bennet in Austen's story. This book certainly redeems Lydia for me.
I bought this because I adored The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. I wasn't ready to leave the world of these modern day Bennets, and I didn't have to.
Lydia is the youngest Bennet daughter. She's flighty, doesn't always think things through, and spends more time having fun than focusing on real life. Because of this, it's not really a surprise that she was duped by George Wickham. But Lydia is trying to come back from this.
She is seeing a counselor, and this has made her think that psychology would be a good major for her. So, the plan is for her to take the last two classes of her associate's degree, then move to San Francisco with cousin, Mary, so she can transfer to a four year college. Too bad Lydia gets in the way of Lydia.
But, Lydia is not down and out. She is finding a way to find herself, this time, without her big sisters there to help her every step of the way. I think this is why I loved Lydia--because she was forced to grow up and find herself.
Do yourself a favor, and read this.
As I've said many times before, I love Austen's Pride and Prejudice. What I don't usually mention is how much I dislike Mrs. Bennet and Lydia Bennet in Austen's story. This book certainly redeems Lydia for me.
I bought this because I adored The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. I wasn't ready to leave the world of these modern day Bennets, and I didn't have to.
Lydia is the youngest Bennet daughter. She's flighty, doesn't always think things through, and spends more time having fun than focusing on real life. Because of this, it's not really a surprise that she was duped by George Wickham. But Lydia is trying to come back from this.
She is seeing a counselor, and this has made her think that psychology would be a good major for her. So, the plan is for her to take the last two classes of her associate's degree, then move to San Francisco with cousin, Mary, so she can transfer to a four year college. Too bad Lydia gets in the way of Lydia.
But, Lydia is not down and out. She is finding a way to find herself, this time, without her big sisters there to help her every step of the way. I think this is why I loved Lydia--because she was forced to grow up and find herself.
Do yourself a favor, and read this.
Not Quite Up to Par with Unwind
Unstrung: an Unwind Story by Neal Schusterman
I read this because it indicated that it told the story of Lev between his adventures with CyFy and when he shows up at the airplane graveyard. Technically, this is true, but this is not so much about Lev as it is about Wil.
Lev ends up on a reservation. He becomes friends with Wil, a guy about his age who has an amazing gift for music. Wil is tasked with playing the music for his grandfather to die to. He doesn't want to, but he does it anyway.
One day, some bad dudes come onto the reservation to kidnap kids of age to be unwound. These people, the Native Americans, don't believe in unwinding, so there's now a bounty on the head of these kids. To save his friends, Wil volunteers. He becomes unwound. Lev is sad. The end.
Seriously, this happened in less than fifty pages. I wish I'd left well enough alone.
I read this because it indicated that it told the story of Lev between his adventures with CyFy and when he shows up at the airplane graveyard. Technically, this is true, but this is not so much about Lev as it is about Wil.
Lev ends up on a reservation. He becomes friends with Wil, a guy about his age who has an amazing gift for music. Wil is tasked with playing the music for his grandfather to die to. He doesn't want to, but he does it anyway.
One day, some bad dudes come onto the reservation to kidnap kids of age to be unwound. These people, the Native Americans, don't believe in unwinding, so there's now a bounty on the head of these kids. To save his friends, Wil volunteers. He becomes unwound. Lev is sad. The end.
Seriously, this happened in less than fifty pages. I wish I'd left well enough alone.
Should've Stayed an Ebook
Beauty-Everland Ever After by Caroline Lee
This was in my October Lit-Cube. We were supposed to be thrilled that this book was printed just for subscribers. However, like the title of this post indicates, it should have stayed as ebook. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in Wyoming.
Arabella is twice widowed, with a ten year old son named Eddie. She runs the bookstore/library. A new, mysterious man moves to town. He is missing his eyes, and is scarred. Arabella sets quite a store on beauty, and Vincenzo, aka new guy in town, doesn't think she will ever see beyond that.
However, Vincenzo realizes some things, and rather than try for happiness, decides to leave town. He doesn't.
Boring as all get out.
I was so disappointed by this book. Belle is my favorite Disney princess, and this retelling makes her shallow. I just couldn't reconcile myself to this.
This was in my October Lit-Cube. We were supposed to be thrilled that this book was printed just for subscribers. However, like the title of this post indicates, it should have stayed as ebook. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in Wyoming.
Arabella is twice widowed, with a ten year old son named Eddie. She runs the bookstore/library. A new, mysterious man moves to town. He is missing his eyes, and is scarred. Arabella sets quite a store on beauty, and Vincenzo, aka new guy in town, doesn't think she will ever see beyond that.
However, Vincenzo realizes some things, and rather than try for happiness, decides to leave town. He doesn't.
Boring as all get out.
I was so disappointed by this book. Belle is my favorite Disney princess, and this retelling makes her shallow. I just couldn't reconcile myself to this.
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