Category: Read in 2011

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, R, RATING, Read in 2011, Read-a-Long, SERIES

2011.44 REVIEW – Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Tara

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone
by J.K. Rowling

Copyright: 1997
Pages: 309
Rating: 5/5
Read: Aug 12 – Aug. 14, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 44
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility. All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley – a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry – and anyone who reads about him – will find unforgettable. For it’s there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him … if Harry can survive the encounter.

Review: This is the third time that I have read this book, it never ceases to amaze me. I am re-reading the series all over again as part of the Harry Potter Read-a-Long hosted by Pretty Deadly Reviews. In this first installment Harry finds out he’s a wizard. He has always known that he’s a little bit different from everyone else, strange things tend to happen around him when he gets angry. His early years have not been easy on him. His home life is about one step above abuse/neglect. He lives in a closet. His cousin is horrible to him. His aunt and uncle treat him like he’s such a burden. He never gets anything except Dudley’s hand-me-downs. He doesn’t have any friends. But all of this changes when he gets that invitation to study at Hogwarts. Suddenly, he has friends and is having the time of his life. But trouble always seems to find Harry, no matter where he goes, and it will be up to him and his new best friends, Ron and Hermoine, to keep a very valuable thing out of the wrong hands. I love this series and I’m so glad to be starting all over again!

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, O, RATING, Read in 2011, Review Book

2011.43 REVIEW – Untouchable by Scott O’Connor

Tara

Untouchable
by Scott O’Connor

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 374
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Aug 6 – Aug. 11, 2011
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly Count: 43
Format: E-Book
Source: Review Book courtesy of FSB Associates

Blurb: It is the autumn of 1999. A year has passed since Lucy Darby’s unexpected death, leaving her husband David and son Whitley to mend the gaping hole in their lives. Whitley – an 11-year-old social pariah known simply as The Kid – hasn’t spoken since his mother’s death. Instead, he communicates through a growing collection of notebooks, living in a safer world of his own silent imagining. As David continues to lose his grip on reality and The Kid’s sense of urgency grows, they begin to uncover truths that will force them to confront their deepest fears about each other and the wounded family they are trying desperately to save.

Review:  I received a copy of this e-book courtesy of Leyane Jerejian at FSB Associates. I was intrigued by the blurb of this book. If I was to explain the premise of this book in three words it would be this: everyone grieves differently. The story revolves around a husband and son who lost their wife and mother the previous year. Her death was definitely an unspoken topic in the house. For the husband, who works nights for a company that cleans up the scene after a person has died, he can’t seem to handle what really happened. He doesn’t know how to handle The Kid. You can see this through the elaborate descriptions of his time at work. I’m not sure that Lucy’s death was ever talked about by David after he told his son and co-worker, Bob, about what happened. I think he just blocked it out. At the same time, the reader also gets a peek into the life of Whitley, or The Kid, as he is known throughout the book. The Kid has made a decision to not speak again. He seems to think that by giving up this form of communication, it will bring his mother back to him. He can’t seem to grasp the reality that she is gone. He wants to really believe that she’s just on vacation and that she will be back. I think part of this stems from the fact that he can’t talk to his father about it. This book was definitely unlike anything that I’ve ever read before. But I think it would be a book that would really hit home with anyone who has lost someone close to them. For me, it was the unexpected death of my grandfather when I was 12. He was the first person really close to me that I lost. I remember being absolutely numb. There was never much discussion about it after the funeral. It wasn’t that it was avoided or taboo in my house, it was just that everything was still too raw to talk about it at the time. Fourteen years later we have wonderful memories of him and we talk fondly of him quite a bit, so it’s like I said, everyone grieves differently. This book shows that. I would definitely recommend this book.

3.5/5, A, AUTHOR, Book Review, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2011

2011.42 REVIEW – William and Kate: A Royal Love Story by Christopher Andersen

Tara

William and Kate: A Royal Love Story
by Christopher Andersen

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 301
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Aug 6 – Aug. 10, 2011
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly Count: 42
Format: Print
Source: Library Book

Blurb: Theirs was destined from the start to be one of the most celebrated unions of the twenty-first century: he, the charismatic prince who would someday be crowned king of England; she, the stunningly beautiful commoner who won his heart. Prince William and Kate Middleton defied all odds to forge a storybook romance amid the scandals, power struggles, tragedies, and general dysfunction that are the hallmarks of Britain’s Royal Family. In the process, they became the most written about, gossiped about, admired, and envied young couple of their generation. Yet for most of their nearly decade-long affair, William and Kate have remained famously quiet and kept their royal relationship a tantalizing mystery. For many, William and Kate’s union represents an opportunity to recapture the magic – the compelling and complicated legacy – of his beloved mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Part glittering fairy tale, part searing family drama, part political potboiler, part heart-stopping cliff-hanger, theirs is, above all else, an affair to remember.

Review: I got this one from the library on a whim. I have read two previous Christopher Andersen books about the royal family – After Diana and Diana’s Boys. To be completely honest, I was a little disappointed with this book. First of all, it started out great. I loved reading a little bit of background about William and Kate as they grew up. As the book continued on to the part where they met at St. Andrew’s the book continued to fascinate me. Then there was a very long section that goes into detail about William and Harry’s military careers. I understand that to a degree this is an important part of the story – but it was a little on the boring side. I found myself wanting to skip over entire paragraphs, actually the entire chapter. The actual information about the engagement announcement was whittled down to a few pages. There was no mention about the wedding itself. And then I found out that this book had actually come out before the wedding!  That explained a lot of things, why the ending was rushed, why there was so much build up with very little fanfare at the end. Most of the information that was in the first three-quarters of the book could have been written 3 years ago with a small chapter about the engagement coming right on the heels of the official announcement. I don’t know that this is how it happened, but after reading the book and realizing what the publication date was, it made me wonder. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for, I suppose.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, Maggie O'Dell, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.41 REVIEW – Hotwire by Alex Kava

Tara

Hotwire
by Alex Kava

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Aug 5 – Aug. 7, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 41
Format: Print
Source: Library Book

Blurb: On a crisp fall evening in western Nebraska, what started as a group of kids filming their drug-induced party ends in an explosive light show, leaving the victims apparently electrocuted, with odd scorch marks being the only evidence. While Maggie tries to make sense of what is real and what is hallucination, she realizes that the surviving teens are being targeted and systematically eliminated. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Army Colonel Benjamin Platt is at the scene of a deadly outbreak, desperate to identify the pathogen that has infected children at a Washington, D.C., elementary school. Despite the miles that separate them, the two cases collide as Maggie and Platt uncover secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the remote Midwest landscape.

Review: I was a little hesitant about this book since I was a little bit disappointed in the last book (Damaged). That being said I’m a little on the fence on this one overall. First of all, I should start out by saying that I really do enjoy this series, I like Maggie’s character. I especially like that we’re starting to see the possibility of some romance in her life. But this book and the previous book haven’t been as great as the other previous books were. There seems to be less profiling for Maggie (and that’s what her job description is!) and I honestly loved that aspect of the series. There were two storylines in this book that were supposed to be connected … but seriously, the connection required quite a bit of imagination if you ask me. The way that the two storylines were connected would not have been the way I would have connected them. But again, this is just my opinion. As I stated in my review for Damaged, the ending to this book felt a little rushed as well. Once again I felt the story being built up and up only to be wrapped up in 10 pages. I don’t know. Like I said, I’m a little on the fence. I enjoyed it, but if I was just picking this book up without having read the others first, it probably wouldn’t be a series I would continue with.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, O, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.40 REVIEW – Closer than Blood by Gregg Olsen

Tara

Closer than Blood
by Gregg Olsen

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 412
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: July 31 – Aug. 4, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 40
Format: Print
Source: Purchased new

Blurb: The first victim was easy. No one ever suspected the victim had been murdered. The crime long buried, the dark passions guiding the killer’s hand are still alive. But the need for revenge cannot be denied. Only one person can stop the killing. Only one person can identify the killer. Only one person knows the face of death – is as close as the face in the mirror…

Review: Mr. Olsen never fails to impress me. I have read all of his fiction novels so far and have enjoyed every single one of them. The amount of evil he can come up with is amazing to me. Tori, one of the twins in this book … wow, what a character, is all I can say. The storyline was interesting and there was a very interesting twist that came out of left field for me! I simply can’t say enough good things about this book – for sure pick this one up!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jack Daniels, K, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.39 REVIEW – Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath

Tara

Whiskey Sour
by J.A. Konrath

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 276
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 28 – July 30, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 39
Format: Print
Source: Purchased online from Powell’s in 2010

Blurb: Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is an insomniac Chicago cop with a train wreck of a personal life and a stalker bent on adding her to his murder list. Join Jack, her binge-eating partner, a sleazy PI, and two very stupid FBI agents on a wild hunt for the Gingerbread Man – a killer who makes Hannibal Lecter look like Huck Finn.

Review: I purchased this book online in 2010 from Powell’s. I went on this binge where I was gathering up some new series’ to start. I hate to admit that I let this one sit on my shelf for as long as I did. And honestly, I only read it when I did was because it is part of a large trade I have going with a fellow member of the Yahoo group MysteryBookSwap. That being said, I found this book to be hilarious. I’m already looking for the second in the series, Bloody Mary. I don’t think that there’s any other character quite like Jack Daniels in any book I’ve ever read. She’s believable, humorous, serious and likeable all at the same time. The storyline was really enjoyable, the bad guy was interesting, the supporting characters are good. I’m definitely glad that I read this book and I’m really looking forward to reading more in this serious. I would highly recommend this book.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, Review Book, U-V-W

2011.38 REVIEW – Lonely Deceptions by D.R. Willis

Tara

Lonely Deceptions
by D.R. Willis

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 193
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: July 25 – July 27, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Reading Challenge; TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 38
Format: Print
Source: Review Copy

Blurb: After Nick accidentally overhears a conversation between Lou Evans – his boss and owner of Lou-Paul Machine Shop – and a mysterious person, he unwittingly becomes a pawn in a game of international proportions. When Lou gruffly asks him to take possession of prototype blueprints, Nick has no idea that the blueprints contain a dark secret – a secret with the potential to kill. Combined with unwanted attention from a local police officer as well as a skeletal, dangerous former FBI agent, Nick’s normal life is suddenly not that at all, and no one can guarantee his safety – not even the beautiful FBI agent who has been assigned to the case. Lou may not be who he says he is, and, unfortunately for Nick, his downfall may be that he is the best machinist around and the only one Lou can count on to help him carry out a perilous mission.

Review: I received this copy to review courtesy of Hannah at BohlsenPR. Overall I thought the book was good, but there were some weird spots for me. First, I felt as if the beginning was slow and confusing. It took nearly 60 pages before I started to understand what was going on. And then at the end, when the big secret was revealed, I wasn’t all that impressed. I suppose I was expecting it to be a bigger conspiracy by the way it was played up throughout the entire book, either that or I missed something. That being said, the middle of the book was really good. I felt that this had the best writing, the best storyline and the best character development. This book read as if it could be the first in a planned series. I’m not sure what the plans are for this author, but I feel as if a second book in this series could definitely answer some questions that I had. My curiosity would lead me to want to read another book with Nick Davis as the main character. But like I said, I’m not sure that there is a plan for a series, the ending just left it open for the possibility. Overall, I would recommend this book as it was an enjoyable read.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.37 REVIEW – The Chancellor Manuscript by Robert Ludlum

Tara

The Chancellor Manuscript
by Robert Ludlum

Copyright: 1977
Pages: 438
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 21 – July 24, 2011
Challenge:  Take a Chance Challenge 3
Yearly Count: 37
Format: Print
Source: Bookmooch point

Blurb: DID J. EDGAR DIE A NATURAL DEATH? . . .  OR WAS HE MURDERED? Inver Brass-a group of high-minded and high-placed intellectuals who see a monstrous threat to the country in Hoover’s unethical use of his scandal-ridden private files.  They decide to do away with him-quietly, efficiently, with no hint of impropriety.  Until best-selling thriller writer Peter Chancellor stumbles onto information that makes his precious books like harmless fairy tales.  Now Chancellor and Inver Brass are on a deadly collision course, spiraling across the globe in an ever-widening arc of violence and terror.  Hurtling toward a showdown that will rip Washington’s intelligence community apart-leaving only one damning document to survive . . .

Review: I chose this book solely for a challenge. Honestly, it’s not even a book that I had ever heard of. But when I was looking over my choices to fulfill this section of the challenge, this book immediately stood out for me based on the blurb. This was my first time reading a Robert Ludlum book, although I have 4 or 5 of his already on my shelves. But the description of this book immediately sucked me in. I like conspiracies. I don’t necessarily believe in them, but I enjoy them immensely in books, movies and television shows. That said, this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed it, but it’s not something that I will remember a year from now. The ending was long and drawn out in my opinion. It probably could have been wrapped up in about 10 pages and yet it dragged on for a good 30 or 40 pages. I felt as if Mr. Ludlum was a little long-winded in places that weren’t really necessary. Of course, this goes back to my preferences, it’s just not something that I like in books. However, this doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the book. I actually did enjoy it quite a bit, it was a fun and interesting read. The beginning was a little slow, but the last two-thirds of the book flew by. I would definitely recommend this book and I will for sure be reading more Robert Ludlum in the future.

4/5, 87th Precinct, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, Random Book Discussions, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.36 REVIEW – Cop Hater by Ed McBain

Tara

Cop Hater
by Ed McBain

Copyright: 1956, renewed 1984
Pages: 236
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 17 – July 20, 2011
Challenge:  TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 36
Format: Print
Source: PaperBackSwap point

Blurb: Swift, silent, and deadly – someone is knocking off the 87th Precinct’s finest, one by one. The how of the killings is obvious: three .45 shots from the dark add up to one, two, three very dead detectives. The why and the who are the Precinct’s headaches now. When Detective Reardon is found dead, motive is a big question mark. But when his partner becomes victim number two, it looks like open-and-shut grudge killings. That is, until a third detective buys it. With one meager clue, Detective Steve Carella begins his grim search for the killer, a search that takes him into the city’s underworld to a notorious brothel, to the apartment of a beautiful and dangerous widow, and finally to a .45 automatic aimed straight at his head.

Review: This is the first book in the 87th Precinct series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it is definitely a different read than what I’m used to. I don’t read a lot of books that are this old, some of the slang terminology was a little difficult to follow and the police procedures are way different from anything that goes on today. For example, a person being “heeled” was (as best as I could figure) akin to “packing heat”. Little things like that made the book a little different for me. The storyline was interesting, and the bad guy in this book, well I had it completely wrong. I enjoyed this one and I will more than likely read the next book eventually.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.35 REVIEW – Shelter by Harlan Coben

Tara

Shelter
by Harlan Coben

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 304
Rating: 5/5
Read: July 16 – July 17, 2011
Challenge:  TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 35
Format: Print (ARC)
Source: LibraryThing EarlyReviewer copy

Blurb: After tragic events tear him away from his parents, fifteen-year-old Mickey Bolitar is sent to live with his estranged uncle Myron. For a while, it seems his train wreck of a life is finally improving – until his girlfriend, Ashley, goes missing without a trace. Unwilling to let another person he cares about walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley’s trait into a seedy underworld, revealing a conspiracy so shocking it will leave him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

Review: I received this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben. His stand alones are great. I’ve only read one of the Myron Bolitar novels, but since Myron takes a backseat to his nephew Mickey in this book, it didn’t affect anything. This is a young adult novel, but Mr. Coben doesn’t hold much back. The situations that Mickey finds himself in are interesting. His friends are funny and well-rounded. Ema is especially intriguing – there’s something about her that we don’t know about yet, but it has made me very interested in finding out more about her character. Spoon provides some great comedic relief in just the right places. Mickey’s character is very real because he is dealing with some very real events in his life – his dad is dead and his mom is a junkie. Any fifteen-year-old kid is going to struggle with that situation, but Mickey seems to deal with it as best as he can. Overall, I’m very interested in this series, I think that Mr. Coben has started a new series that could really grow into something great. It will attract young adults and his faithful adult readers as well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This book will be released in September, 2011.