Miscellaneous Ramblings

Tagging Fun!

Tara

So, I saw this at Random Ramblings and since she tagged everyone, I thought I would join in 🙂

The Rules

1) Accept the tag and link to the tagger at the beginning of your post.
2) Answer the questions honestly in your post by listing four things.
3) Pass on the love by picking four other people to tag and listing them at the bottom of your post. Notify them that you tagged them.

4 random things that are in my handbag
1. ink pens – lots of them, I’m like obsessed!
2. chapstick
3. gift cards that I still have from my birthday … in July…
4. chewing gum – i never leave home without my orbit!
 
 4 favorite things in my bedroom
1. my book shelf
2. my bed – we got new bedroom furniture last year for my birthday and I still love it!
3. my alarm clock with a GREAT snooze button 🙂
4. the mini light that i use to read a book while my husband sleeps
 
4 Things on My Desk
1. my husband’s old computer that doesn’t work anymore
2. dust
3. post-it notes
4. nail polish, for some odd reason
 
4 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Do (but haven’t yet)
1. go to Egypt
2. go zip lining …. going to be doing this in Alaska next May though!
3. go to a U of I basketball game (and I’m not even a huge Illini fan, just would love to go once)
4. sky dive … but not sure if I’ll ever come up with the guts to do it
  
4 Things I Enjoy Very Much At The Moment
1. buster the westie 🙂
2. reading
3. college basketball
4. spending time with my husband
 
4 Things You Don’t Know About Me
1. I have OCD about certain things.
2. I prefer quiet nights in
3. I am not a creative person …
4. I watch too much TV
 
4 Bloggers I am Tagging
Anyone who wants to join in 🙂
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, G, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: The Fun of Dying by Roberta Grimes

Tara

The Fun of Dying: Find Out What Really Happens Next!
by Roberta Grimes

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 149
Rating: 4/5
Read: Oct. 8-15, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 55

From the back of the book:

If you wonder whether death ends life, how it feels to die, or what heaven might be like, this book is for you. If you worry about a lost loved one or fret about the death of a pet, all the answers to your questions are here. And if you are afraid of death, if you worry that your life has no meaning, or if you have given up on religions, then let this book ease some of your fears while it brings new meaning to your life. Nothing written here is based on the teachings of any religion. Instead, this book draws on more than a century’s worth of evidence to explain in detail how death feels, how it happens, and – most importantly – what comes next. Accounts of near-death experiences are just a small part of the afterlife evidence. A lot of the best death-related evidence was produced in the first half of the 20th century, and it has been ignored ever since by mainstream science and mainstream religions. When it is put together with more recent discoveries, it tells a consistent and amazing story. The Fun of Dying is a complete account of how dying feels and what comes next. Read it, learn the truth, and apply its lessons so you can enjoy your best life forevermore!

I received this book courtesy of Megan Renart at Phenix & Phenix Publicists. This was a quick and easy read, while I didn’t really agree with some of the points that the author made, overall I felt as if it was an interesting read. I haven’t read a lot of books regarding this topic so it was definitely a new learning experience for me. I’m not very religious, so my thoughts in regards to what happens after death are kind of vague. I personally liked the fact that the author made it perfectly clear early on in the book that she is not an “expert” in this field, that she has a career other than studying death (an attorney). I feel like that fact made this book just that much more readable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about death and what happens afterward.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Predator by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Predator
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 456
Rating: 4/5
Read: Oct. 10-14, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Finish that Series Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 54

First Line: It is Sunday afternoon and Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in her office at the National Forensic Academy in Hollywood, Florida, where clouds are building, promising another thunderstorm.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is now freelancing with the National Forensic Academy in Florida when a new case comes her way. With the help of her team, Pete Marino, Benton Wesley, and her niece, Lucy, they will uncover a trail of surprising clues. Two sisters have gone missing, and the clues are confusing. Someone is trying to point Kay in a particular direction regarding this case. While another killer, one safely behind bars and involved in a psychiatric study with Benton, tries to send Kay in another direction. One by one, connections will be made and all leads will point to the psychopathic mind of a jailed serial killer’s mind.

I enjoyed this book … until the ending (or lack thereof). I suppose the next book in this series will begin where this one abruptly left off. There were quite a few unanswered questions in this book. Overall, though, I thought that this book was a lot better than the past couple of books in this series, but it’s still not nearly as good as the earliest book in this series.

Challenge Wrap-Up, READING CHALLENGES 2010

Unfinished Challenge – Countdown Challenge 2010

Tara

Countdown2010

So, I didn’t finish this challenge. I had really hoped that I would be able to get this one done, but I just couldn’t. And I’m not sure why I didn’t finish it, it’s not like I didn’t have enough books to read that would fulfill this challenge. Oh well, here’s what I did read for this challenge:

2010 (complete)

  1. The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello
  2. Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy
  3. Victim Six by Gregg Olsen
  4. The 9th Judgment by James Patterson
  5. Never Let You Go by Erin Healy
  6. The Alexandria Letter by George R. Honig
  7. Damaged by Alex Kava
  8. Death on the D-List by Nancy Grace
  9. 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan
  10. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

2009 (completed)

  1. Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
  2. Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak
  3. The Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace
  4. The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson & Martin Dugard
  5. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
  6. Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz
  7. Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox
  8. Conflicts with Interest by Michael Ruddy
  9. 18 Billion by Jack Gresham

2008

  1. The Aztec Heresy by Paul Christopher
  2. Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
  3. Exposed by Alex Kava
  4. Final Breath by Kevin O’Brien
  5. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

2007

  1. The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori
  2. The Dying Game by Beverly Barton
  3. The Next Killing by Rebecca Drake
  4. Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

2006

  • Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass
  • The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen
  • The Black Sun by James Twining
  • The Collectors by David Baldacci

      • 2005 (completed)

      1. Michelangelo’s Notebook by Paul Christopher
      2. The Double Eagle by James Twining
      3. No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark
      4. The Camel Club by David Baldacci
      5. The President’s Assassin by Brian Haig

      2004

      1. London Bridges by James Patterson
      2. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen

      2003 (completed)

      1. The Murder of Laci Peterson by Cliff Linedecker
      2. The Sorority: Eve by Tamara Thorne
      3. The Sorority: Merilynn by Tamara Thorne

      2002 (completed)

      1. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson
      2. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

      2001 (completed)

      1. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
      4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Jane Rizzoli, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

      REVIEW: Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

      Tara

      Ice Cold
      by Tess Gerritsen

      Copyright: 2010
      Pages: 322
      Rating: 4.5/5
      Read: Oct. 6-9, 2010
      Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Finish that Series Challenge
      Yearly Count: 53

      First Line: She was the chosen one.

      Maura Isles goes to Wyoming for a medical conference. There she meets a man that she went to college with and she makes a split second decision to go skiing with him, his daughter and two of his friends. That uncharacteristic decision will put her life at risk. Getting lost a snowstorm, they end up in a place called Kingdom Come. And Kingdom Come is not somewhere they want to be, it’s an abandoned village with some strange clues left behind. Several days later Jane Rizzoli, back in Boston, receives word that Maura’s charred body has been found in a mountain revine after a terrible car accident. Jane is determined to find out exactly what happened to her friend, but the investigation that she becomes involved in out in Wyoming will prove quite interesting. There are some people who will do anything in order to keep the truth about the people who used to reside in Kingdom Come, but Jane just can’t let things go.

      This is the most recent installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I must say, though, that there were some spots in the book that were just unbelievable to me. And I’m very interested to see what the next book in this series will bring based on the ending of this book. I have really enjoyed catching up with this series, and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great read!

      4.5/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, The Camel Club

      REVIEW: The Collectors by David Baldacci

      Tara

      The Collectors
      by David Baldacci

      Copyright: 2006
      Pages: 511
      Rating: 4.5/5
      Read: Sept. 20-Oct. 5, 2010
      Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2010
      Yearly Count: 52

      First Line: Roger Seagraves walked out of the U.S. Capitol after an interesting meeting that, surprisngly, had had little to do with politics.

      The assassination of the Speaker of the House of Representatives has rocked the nation. And the Camel Club has found a chillingly interesting connection between his death and the death of the director of the Library of Congress’s Rare Books and Special Collections Division. Oliver Stone, the Camel Club’s unofficial leader has found that someone is selling secrets to some of America’s worst enemies. When Annabelle Conroy, the greatest con artist of her generation breezes through town for the funeral of the Library of Congress’s director, her ex-husband, she intrigues Oliver Stone for many different reasons. But she will eventually join forces with the Camel Club in order to find out who is behind the murder. The Camel Club will need all the help they can get because the people that they are up against have no intentions of being caught or leaving any witnesses.

      I thoroughly enjoyed The Camel Club when I read it a few months back, and this book, the second in the series, was just as good in my opinion. I have really taken to the characters involved in the Camel Club, and I also really enjoy David Baldacci’s writing. I don’t really have any bad things to say about this book, I’m interested in continuing this series to see if we learn more about who Oliver truly is (or was, I should say). I highly recommend this series to anyone.

      Monthly Wrap Up

      August & September 2010 Wrap-Ups

      Tara

      Here’s what I’ve been reading:

      August 

      1. Patricia Cornwell, Blow Fly
      2. Brian Haig, The President’s Assassin
      3. James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge, Step on a Crack
      4. Tess Gerritsen, Body Double
      5. Nancy Grace, Death on the D-List
      • Books read: 5
      • Pages read: 1,517
      • New Authors: 1
      • Fiction: 5
      • Nonfiction: 0
      • Read for Challenges: 5

      September

      1. Tess Gerritsen, The Mephisto Club
      2. Nellie Connally, From Love Field
      3. Tess Gerritsen, The Keepsake
      4. Ellen Horan, 31 Bond Street
      5. James Twining, The Black Sun
      6. James Patterson & Liza Marklund, The Postcard Killers
      7. James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge, Run For Your Life
      8. Meg O’Brien, Crimson Rain
      • Books read: 8
      • Pages read: 2,820
      • New Authors: 3
      • Fiction: 7
      • Nonfiction: 1
      • Read for Challenges: 8

      I hate to admit,  but six of these books were library books. However, I was able to almost catch up with one series (Tess Gerritsen’s Jane & Rizzoli series) and I read one really good historical fiction (31 Bond Street) which is a little out of my comfort zone. Overall, I’m quite pleased with how much I’ve read these past two months as well as what I read.

      4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, O, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

      REVIEW: Crimson Rain by Meg O’Brien

      Tara

      Crimson Rain
      by Meg O’Brien

      Copyright: 2002
      Pages: 394
      Rating: 4/5
      Read: Sept. 26-28, 2010
      Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
      Yearly Count: 51

      First Line: Life, some say, is only an illusion – an illusion we create ourselves, in our own minds, then project onto the screen of our days.

      Paul and Gina Bradley wanted nothing more than a perfect family when they first got married. After receiving the frustrating news that they would not be able to have children of their own, they set out to adopt. Twin girls soon came their way and they thought that their lives were complete. But something was wrong with one of the twins, Angela. After a terrifying event, Paul and Gina make the difficult decision to return Angela to the orphanage for the safety of the other twin, Rachel. Sixteen years later the Bradley family is falling apart. Paul and Gina have drifted apart after what they went through with Angela. When Rachel comes home from college for Christmas break, it’s like she’s a completely different person to Paul and Gina. When Rachel disappears shortly after Christmas Paul and Gina must come together for the sake of their daughter. But the turn of events that happen in their quest to find Rachel will have some surprisingly vengeful results.

      This was an enjoyable read. Although in some places it felt a little predictable and formulaic, there were some definite surprises throughout the book. There were some typos, which is a big pet peeve of mine (if you name a character Vicky, do not call her Vicki on the very next page). The ending definitely had a surprising twist. This book was an easy and enjoyable read, but it probably isn’t one that will be very memorable in the long run.

      Mailbox Monday, Meme

      Mailbox Monday, Sept. 27, 2010

      Tara

      Mailbox Mondays

      Mailbox Monday is still on tour, with September’s spot being at Bermudaonion’s Weblog.

      This week I had three books come into my house. Here’s what I received:

      The Bookman’s Wake by John Dunning (From PBS)
           Denver cop-turned-book-dealer Cliff Janeway is back, lured by an enterprising ex-cop into going to Seattle to bring back a fugitive wanted for assault, burglary, and the possible theft of a priceless edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” The bail jumper turns out to be a young, vulnerable woman who calls herself Eleanor Rigby, and who happens to be a gifted book scout. Janeway finds Eleanor enchanting – and is equally intrigued by the deadly history surrounding the rare volume. Stalked by people willing to kill to get their hands on it, a terrifid Eleanor slips from Janeway’s grasp and disappears. To find her, Janeway must unravel the secrets surrounding the book and its mysteirous maker, for only this knowledge can stop the cruel hand of death from turning another page.

      The Third Option by Vince Flynn (From PBS)
           Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s most lethal and efficient counterterrorism operative, is putting into play a meticulous plan to take out a notorious sponsor of terrorism – when he falls prey to government forces with an agenda of their own. Dr. Irene Kennedy is named the successor to dying CIA Director Thomas Stansfield – a choice that enrages many inside the world’s most powerful intelligence agency. And her detractors will resort to extreme measures to prevent her from taking the reins. But what the Washington conspirators and backstabbing insiders do not know is that Mitch Rapp won’t tolerate being their pawn. And he will stop at nothing to find out who has set him up.

      Who Killed Bobby?: The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy by Shane O’Sullivan (From PBS)
           On June 5, 1968, a jubilant Robert F. Kennedy and his supporters celebrated a first place finish in the California primary, hopeful the crucial win would propel him to the Democratic nominatino for the presidency, and on to the White House. Following a rousing victory speech that practically lifted the roof off the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, there was a last-minute route change as he left the stage. Instead of heading downstairs for another speech, the candidate was directed into the kitchen patnry en route to a press conference. Moments later, in the pantry, shots rang out. The senator lay on th efloor, mortally wounded. Five bystanders were also struck. The assailant was Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, a 24 year old Palestinian immigrant who’d come to California at age 12. Sirhan was arrested and, at first, no one doubted he was the lone assassin – but was he really? This is just one of many key questions posed by Shane O’Sullivan, an independent researcher turned investigative journalist, in his exhaustive re-examination of the assassination.

      3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

      REVIEW: Run for Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

      Tara

      Run For Your Life
      by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

      Copyright: 2009
      Pages: 338
      Rating: 3.5/5
      Read: Sept. 22-25, 2010
      Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
      Yearly Count: 50

      First Line: Getting stuck on a bus in New York City, even under normal circumstances, is a lesson in frustration.

      NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is still trying to adjust after the death of his wife, Maeve, a year ago. Between trying to take care of his ten children and his job, he doesn’t have a lot of time to himself. But that’s his life and he has to find a way to move on, and he does – he throws himself into every case that comes his way. But the latest one that he has caught is incredibly confusing. There have been numerous seemingly random shootings around the city in a short time span. There’s no apparent connection at first, but Bennett has the strange feeling that it is anything but random. Fighting the flu at the Bennett household and a madman terrorizing the streets of New York City, Bennett has a few hours to find the identity of the man who calls himself the Teacher and track him down and stop him before he can cause any more chaos.

      This book is the second in the Michael Bennett series. I’m still not 100 percent sold on this series. I don’t know if I just can’t grasp the fact that a New York police detective is trying to raise 10 adopted children or if it’s the fact that Alex Cross is my favorite series ever, but for whatever reason, this book and the first in the series Step On a Crack just isn’t catching my attention. I will probably seek out the third one in this series simply because I like reading James Patterson’s books, but it will never be as good as the Alex Cross series. that being said, this was a decent book. It was an interesting storyline. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something that I would rave about to other people.