Book 26 of 2011 -- Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen by Lauren Kate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this YA book about a fallen angel and the girl he has loved and lost over and over and over. It was interesting enough to make me want to read the next one in the series to find out what happens with this group of fallen angels.

Synopsis:  There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.


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A to Z Reading Challenge

Read a book for each letter of the alphabet. Should be pretty easy. Titles that begin with articles (A, an, the) won't count, I'll skip to the next word in the title. It should be interesting and fun.

A        The Art of Keeping Secrets  by  Patti Callahan Henry
B        Beastly  by Alex Flinn
C        The Cracker Queen  by Lauretta Hannon
D        Devil Bones  by Kathy Reichs
E         The Edge of Sleep  by David Wiltse
F         Flesh and Bone  by Jefferson Bass
G        The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Steig Larsson
H        The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins
I          I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
J
K
L        Lucia, Lucia  by Adrianna Trigiana
M      Murder List  by Julie Garwood
N       The Ninth Judgement  by James Patterson (Maxine Pareto)
O
P        Pretties  by Scott Westerfeld
Q
R         Room  by Emma Donoghue
S         The Straw Men  by Michael Marshall 
T         Total Recall   by Sara Paretsky
U         Uglies  by Scott Westerfeld
V
W        Wild Fire  by Nelson DeMille
X
Y
Z

Book 25 of 2011 -- The Straw Men by Michael Marshall

Straw Men by Michael Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis: This book brings two different stories that seem to be totally unrelated, but we know that they are going to converge at some point.
Ward Hopkins returns home to Montana after his parents die in a car crash to find a note hidden in his dad's chair that reads "We're not dead". His buddy Bobby Nygard, a CIA agent helps him unravel his history and uncover a group called "The Straw Men".
John Zandt, a former police detective is looking for "The Upright Man" who has abducted 5 teenage girls (the 4th being his daughter). His former lover, FBI agent Nina Baynam thinks he may be onto something, and is working outside the agency with him.
As these two stories are told we also discover a tall blonde man who turns up at the sites of seemingly senseless massacres around the world. How do these all come together.
It was a little slow to get into this book, and I didn't envision how these stories could come together. There were hints and the way the author brought them together was exciting and made for a good thriller. I didn't realize that this was the first in a series, and will most definitely be putting the next one on my hold list at the library. If you like sick shit and serial killers, this book will be right up your alley!


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Book 24 of 2011 Duma Key by Stephen King

 Duma Key by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Becky, Darci and Casey...I finally read this and wish I hadn't waited so long! I loved it. It is not the type of book I usually read, but that's why I think I liked it so much. That Stephen King surely has a fucked up imagination! This was one CRAZY book. I want more! I need to know about Jack! I didn't like what happened with Wireman and I want to know what happened with the storm!!! And y'all were so right, I'll forever more think of the house on our beach as Big Pink. Thanks for insisting again this year that I needed to read this one. It was so worth it.


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Book 23 of 2011 -- Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was Beauty and the Beast re-written for YA. I've gotten so used to absolutely wonderful YA books (after reading The Hunger Games trilogy) that this one was a slight disappointment. It wasn't as fully developed as I wanted it to be, but I'm not sorry that I read it. Don't rush out to buy it, but if you already have it laying around, go ahead and read it.


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Today is Wednesday

And it's been one hell of a week so far. Returned home on Sunday from a wonderful weekend at the beach. Can I just say that Gulf Shores is beautiful. I love it in late April/early May before all the crowds descend.
 On the way home I got a call from my son. (He and his girlfriend and their dog and cat moved home from college while I was away and that's a story for another day!). The bathroom was flooding. YUCK! Not the best thing to return to. The plumber arrived early Monday morning. $1600 and 8 hours later we were finally back to flushing. I guess I can't complain. The septic tank is 20 years old and has never been pumped  and I've never had a problem. Hope it's good for another 20 years!
The rest of the week should be a breeze. Of course, Friday is field day at school, so I'll be hot and tired by days end. But it's all about the kiddos and they will have a BLAST!

Cousins Weekend

Just got home from our 2nd annual cousins trip to Gulf Shores, AL. Shiloh House in Ft. Morgan is awesome. Only 9 of us made it this year, but it was so much fun. There was much talking, laughing, drinking and eating. A few tears when we were leaving, but promises to do it again next year. Hoping that our girls who were missing are able to make it next year.

A to Z Reading Challenge

Read a book for each letter of the alphabet. Should be pretty easy. Titles that begin with articles (A, an, the) won't count, I'll skip to the next word in the title. It should be interesting and fun.

A        The Art of Keeping Secrets  by  Patti Callahan Henry
B
C        The Cracker Queen  by Lauretta Hannon
D        Devil Bones  by Kathy Reichs
E
F         Flesh and Bone  by Jefferson Bass
G        The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Steig Larsson
H        The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins
I          I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
J
K
L        Lucia, Lucia  by Adrianna Trigiana
M      Murder List  by Julie Garwood
N       The Ninth Judgement  by James Patterson (Maxine Pareto)
O
P
Q
R         Room  by Emma Donoghue
S
T         Total Recall   by Sara Paretsky
U
V
W        Wild Fire  by Nelson DeMille
X
Y
Z

Book 22 of 2011 9th Judgement by James Patterson

The 9th Judgment by James Patterson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

the best thing I can say about this book is that I enjoyed finishing it up while laying on the beach watching the waves and feeling the gulf breezes.
too many coincidences and not enough meat in this one. Hope #10 is better. If it isn't, I'll probably give up on this series.


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Book 21 of 2011 -- Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a YA book with a supernatural twist, that doesn't involve vampires or werewolves! This go round, we encounter Nephilim, Fallen Angels, and Guardian Angels. It took a good portion of the book to get me interested and excited. I thought the beginning and middle were a little slow and maybe could have used a little more background. But, more background may have made it even slower. Doesn't matter, I stuck with it and was glad I did. Looking forward to book 2 to see how Nora, Patch, and Vee carry on.


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