AUTHOR – Page 58 – Tales of a Book Addict

AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2008

The Witness by Sandra Brown

September 26, 2008July 21, 2009 Tara

The Witness
by Sandra Brown

First Line: The infant’s mouth sucked as his mother’s breast.

When Kendall Deaton pulls herself and her baby out of a wrecked car, she does what any caring person would do: she saves the man she was riding in the car with. But when she gets to the hospital she realizes that she cannot under any circumstances reveal her true identity and that the accident just might have been a blessing in disguise. Having been the public defender in Prosper, South Carolina the past couple of years she never would have imagined what she would stumble upon while out in the woods trying to locate her husband so that they could make up after a horrendous fight. As a mother who only wants to protect her baby’s life, she is forced to become a reluctant witness against some of Prosper’s most powerful men. The only question is whether Kendall will make it out alive or if someone will track her down and silence her forever.

Okay, this book got my attention pretty quickly. It really picked up pace about halfway through. But I’m going to be honest here, the ending was really strange. And I’m talking about coming out of left field strange. But overall I really enjoyed this book a lot and I really recommend it to others as well!!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, Read in 2008

Black Creek Crossing by John Saul

September 26, 2008July 21, 2009 Tara

Black Creek Crossing
by John Saul

First Line: It was the cold that awakened her, a cold that crept first into her sleep, curling its fingers around her subconscious, making her feel as if she were walking through the woods on a winter night.

Thirteen-year-old Angel Sullivan is excited when she learns that her family will be moving into a really cool old house in Roundtree, Massachusetts. She sees it as a way to start over at a new place. But when she is once again socially shunned, she is just beside herself. But when she meets Seth Baker, a fellow outcast, her whole world is turned upside down. After some weird happenings in her house, Angel and Seth set out to figure out what really is going on with the house at Black Creek Crossing. And that they will find is far more scarier than anyone in town ever thought possible.

You know, this book had great potential in my opinion. It was a little slow but then it started to pick up pace and I began to get really excited about it … until the end. Yeah, the ending was not what it could have been. In fact it was slightly disappointing. And unfortunately I was not the only one who felt that way, my grandmother read this book a few months back before giving it to me and she told me she was disappointed in the ending as well. I’m curious to know what others felt about this book. This is my first time ever reading John Saul – is this a book that just wasn’t as good as all of his others or what?!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, O, Read in 2008

One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien

September 16, 2008July 21, 2009 Tara

One Last Scream
by Kevin O’Brien

First Line: She turned the key in the ignition, and nothing happened, just a hollow click, click, click.

Twelve women disappear and eleven years later there is still no closure to those disappearances. Amelia Faraday is a beautiful young women who is having blackouts. And she fears that she is responsible for the deaths of some of her close family members during those blackouts. It will take Amelia and her therapist before she can really find out what is really going out during those lost times.

I really enjoyed this book! It was really a great read! This is the second O’Brien book that I have read, the first one I read a long time ago but I still remember enjoying it as well. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more Kevin O’Brien. I highly recommend this book!!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, Read in 2008

The Shining by Stephen King

September 16, 2008July 21, 2009 Tara

The Shining
by Stephen King

Copyright: 1977
Pages: 464
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Sept. 2-8, 2008
Challenge: 1% Well-Read Challenge, Book to Movie Challenge, Celebrate the Author Challenge,

First Line: Jack Torrance thought: Officious little prick.

Jack Torrence’s life has been turned upside down by an incident at the school that he used to teach at. Now living in Colorado with his wife and son, the family is struggling. So Jack decides that the family will move into the Overlook Hotel during the winter and be the caretakers. But the Overlook Hotel has some secrets of its own….

This book was okay, I think I enjoyed it a lot better the first time I read it, which was more than 5 years ago. But it was still classic King and I enjoyed it.

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, Read in 2008

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

September 7, 2008July 21, 2009 Tara

New Moon
by Stephanie Meyer

First Line: I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmares, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can’t make your body move fast enough.

Bella Swan’s live is turned upside down when her one true love, Edward Cullen, and the rest of his family abruptly leaves town after a little incident at Bella’s birthday party. Edward feels horribly guilty and feels like it would be best if his family was not around Bella anymore and would no longer be a danger to her. But his absence absolutely breaks Bella. She mopes around the house, barely eating, barely talking, ignoring her friends, studying her schoolwork to the point of exhaustion. Her father, Charlie, simply doesn’t know what to do for her. But when Bella realizes that he wants to send her to live with her mother in Florida, she appears to break out of her trance. She begins to start interacting more with her school friends. And she becomes incredibly close with Jacob Black. But Jacob is falling in love with Bella. And Bella loves Jacob to a point – she needs him to be able to function, but she is still obsessed with Edward, she’s just learning how to hide it better. But Jacob has his own secrets to keep. Who would have thought that Bella, girlfriend of a vampire, would become best friend to a werewolf?! But in the end, it will be Edward that needs Bella to save him and it will take her all the way to Italy to do so.

Okay, the first part of this book almost made me sick. It was disgusting how whiny and obsessed Bella was with Edward’s leaving. Hey, I was a teenage girl and I had my heart broken once, but I didn’t stop functioning completely like Bella did. It really got on my nerves. So much so that I almost gave up reading. But I stuck with it and I was glad that I did. The ending was great, and I’m looking forward to the third in this series, I’ve already put my name in line at the library for it!!

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, E, Fiction, Read in 2008

All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison

August 29, 2008August 13, 2009 Tara

All the Pretty Girls
by J.T. Ellison

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 411
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Aug. 27-29, 2008
Challenge: Initials Reading Challenge, Suspense & Thriller Challenge – Serial Killer subgenre

First Line: “No. Please don’t.”

When a local Nashville girl is killed by a sadistic serial killer, Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin find themselves working together to catch the “Southern Strangler.” Up-an-coming TV reporter Whitney Connolly is absolutely positive that The Southern Strangler is her ticket to the big times. She is being contacted by the Strangler. But she has no idea just how close the story is to herself. When the killer starts to spin out of control, Taylor and John have no idea where this case will take them, what it will uncover and how awful the truth actually is.

This book was really good! I thought that it had a slightly slow start, but once I got about 100 pages into it it really picked up and was an awesome read!!! This was a fantastic debut for Ellison, and I look forward to her book for many years to come!!

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Read in 2008

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

August 28, 2008August 13, 2009 Tara

Darkly Dreaming Dexter
by Jeff Lindsay

First Line: Moon. Glorious moon.

Dexter Morgan is not your average everyday man. He may be funny, charming and intelligent. But there’s another side of Dexter that you would not want to meet in a dark alley. He is a killer. If you receive a visit from Dexter, it is because you have done something that is repulsive enough to merit your death. When his sister, Deb, becomes intrigued by a serial killer preying on hookers in their city of Miami, she comes to Dexter to help her figure this killer out. But Dexter really isn’t sure he wants to catch this murderer, but rather find him so he can begin to understand him because there’s something about this guy that reminds Dexter of himself….

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t really impressed by this book. It was really funny in quite a few spots. But overall, I didn’t really like it at all. I don’t think I’ve ever really read a book that included a character quite as unique as Dexter, but I doubt I’ll be continuing this series.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Eve Dallas, Fiction, R, Read in 2008, SERIES

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

August 28, 2008August 27, 2009 Tara

Glory in Death
by J.D. Robb

First Line: The dead were her business.

Beautiful and successful women are being brutally murdered. Their numerous business contacts and lovers provide Eve Dallas with a very long list of suspects. Unfortunately, Roarke is also on that list. For Eve she wants to trust the man she shares her bed with but her profession makes her investigate into areas that she wishes she could just live untouched. Once again murder will come between Eve and Roarke, but in the end, Eve will ultimately get the man and the murder suspect.

This book was MUCH better than the first in the series (Naked in Death). I read this one very quickly and enjoyed every minute of it!! I love the romance sprinkled throughout the mystery. I’m so glad that I’m finally getting around to this series and so glad that I have so many more books ahead of me 🙂

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, Read in 2008

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

August 24, 2008August 13, 2009 Tara

Twilight
by Stephanie Meyer

First Line: I’d never given much thought to how I would die – thought I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

Isabella (Bella) Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father. She meets Edward Cullen, and is instantly mesmerized by his perfection. Until Bella moves into town, the Cullen family is able to keep their distance from the rest of the students. But Edward and Bella are drawn to each other for some reason. And Bella will not rest until she knows Edward’s secret. But Bella doesn’t immediately realize that there is a reason why the Cullen’s keep to themselves and that by wanting to get to know Edward she is putting herself and her loved ones at risk.

Okay, I’m going to be honest here, this is not my usual type of book. I have *NEVER* read a vampire book simply because I never thought I would enjoy one. And really other than the Harry Potter books (of which I’ve only read 1,4, & 5) I’ve never read very much young adult. But I have to say it, I absolutely LOVED this book! I was hooked on it and enjoyed it soooo much! I’ve already put myself on the waiting list for the second in the series at the library and can’t wait until I get to read it!!! I highly recommend this book!

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2008

Judge & Jury by James Patterson

August 22, 2008August 13, 2009 Tara

Judge & Jury
by James Patterson

First Line: My name is Nick Pellisante, and this is where it started for me, one summer out on Long Island at “the wedding of weddings.”

Aspiring actress Andie DeGrasse ends up as a juror in one of the biggest trials in quite some time. Mafia boss, Dominic Cavello, aka “The Electrician,” is connected to hundreds of horrendous crimes. But he’s not going to go down without a fight. Senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante has spent more than a few years tracking down Cavello and putting together the evidence for this case. He’s convinced that Cavello will try something in order to get out of this. And indeed he does, not once but twice. And it will be Nick and Andie that have to team up in the end to finally catch Cavello once and for all.

This book was just okay for me. It wasn’t spectacular. It was typical Patterson – it read quickly and somewhat kept my interest. I definitely prefer it when Patterson is the sole author. But this one was still good and suspenseful but the ending was just a little too neat and tidy in my opinion. It was just okay.

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