4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009, T

REVIEW: The Sorority: Samantha

Tara

The Sorority: Samantha
by Tamara Thorne

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 203
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 26, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 71

First Line: Meteors showered the black velvet night.

Samantha Penrose knows that there’s something going on in the Gamma Eta Pi sorority house at Greenbriar University. And her investigative journalist instincts tell her to look into it as much as she can. Between Eve’s “suicide” and Merilynn’s disappearance, Samantha takes every opportunity to dig deep into the secrets of the house, sisters and the exclusive Fata Morgana. But what she finds is not just scandalous – they’re sinister! Malory Thomas is watching her every move, but that is not stopping Sam from finding out what exactly is going on in the sorority house.

This was the finale of the trilogy. Taking all three books together, I must say that the trilogy itself seemed to be quite standard. The basic premise behind this whole trilogy was this: there are evil witches living as sorority sisters at Greenbriar University. Three young new sisters end up in the same sorority after meeting as young girls at the cheerleading camp across the lake from the university. They all know that there is something funny going on with the lake and the woods that surround it, but when they end up in the same sorority, they realize that something is weird with the sorority as well and they all set out to figure out what really is going on in their sorority house. The three books follow the three main characters’ own personal story of the mysteries surrounding Gamma Eta Pi. Again, it seemed kind of standard and formulaic, but I still enjoyed it altogether.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009, T

REVIEW: The Sorority: Merilynn by Tamara Thorne

Tara

The Sorority: Merilynn
by Tamara Thorne

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 203
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 24, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009; 2010 Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 70

First Line: “A long time ago, the town of Applehead was located right there under the lake.” Counselor Allie Mayhew pointed toward the lake, its black water slowly rippling with silver moonlight.

Merilynn Morris is an old soul. She’s always had a sixth sense that she can’t explain. After Eve Camlan’s mysterious disappearance, and suspected suicide, Merilynn is troubled. She is absolutely certain that there is evil in the Gamma Eta Pi sorority house at Greenbriar University. When Malory Thomas invites her to be involved with the ultra secret Fata Morgana, Merilynn gets even more concerned because of the glimpses of evil she is having. Is this some kind of a warning of things to come?

This was a continuation of Eve’s experiences. This one answered a lot of the questions that I had after finishing Eve’s version. I’m not sure what to make of this trilogy in general. It seems pretty standard in terms of evil sorority sisters and black magic. Will have more to say about the trilogy as a whole after Samantha’s version.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009

REVIEW: Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox

Tara

Decoding the Lost Symbol
by Simon Cox

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 221
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Dec. 17-23, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 69

I was contacted by Anna Suknov at FSB Associates about reading and reviewing this book. First of all, it hurt that I have not read The Lost Symbol yet (But I did see the movie). I guess it never occurred to me that I would need to read the book before I read this “Unauthorized expert guide to the facts behind the fiction.” Now that is not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. It was pretty good. However, it would help if you read The Lost Symbol before reading this one (OOPS! LOL) I learned some new things. Actually, I learned a lot of new things. I have previously read (and loved) The Da Vinci Code but I never thought to look into just how much of a stretch Dan Brown took when writing it. But after reading this one, I realized that Brown probably stretched quite a bit to make his fiction so enjoyable. On the flip side, it was nice to read this book before reading The Lost Symbol so that I would have a clearer picture of what is what in regards to fiction and fact. So all in all, if you want to know what is fact and what is fiction in The Lost Symbol this is a great resource to begin with! Mr. Cox makes great use of numerous sources and really helped me to understand certain aspects about the book that I never would have understood had I not read this one.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009, T

REVIEW: The Sorority: Eve

Tara

The Sorority: Eve
by Tamara Thorne

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 22-23, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009; 2010 Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 68

First Line: “They say she’s still down there.” Merilynn Morris trailed her fingers through the cool summer water as Samantha and Eve dipped their oars, slowly paddling toward the little island in the center of the lake.

Eve Camlan is drawn to Greenbriar University. But she’s even more drawn to Gamma Eta Pi, a very elite sorority. What she wants most is to be a cheerleader at Greenbriar, and to do so she must be a Gamma Eta Pi. However, there’s something spooky altogether about the sorority house. Dark magic, sin, sex and murder are all hidden behind those doors. And the sisters take an oath never to reveal what goes on behind the doors of Gamma Eta Pi. Evil is in that house. And it might just cost Eve everything she’s got.

This is the first in the Sorority Trilogy. It was a quick and easy read. I still have more than a few questions about what is going on, but I have the other books on my shelf and will be starting them immediately so that I can get my answers. I haven’t really decided what exactly is going on behind the doors of that sorority, but it’s definitely something scary. I was never a sorority girl in college, but I can tell you some of this stuff would make you think twice about joining a sorority! But in all seriousness, this seems like a good start to a very interesting trilogy. I don’t read a lot of paranormal horror (I think that this is where we’re going with this) or a lot of trilogies either. So I’m definitely looking forward to getting into the second book and find out what really is going on at Greenbriar University and Gamma Eta Pi.

5/5, Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009, SERIES

REVIEW: Roses are Red by James Patterson

Tara

Roses are Red
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 400
Rating: 5/5
Read: Dec. 19-22, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 67

First Line: Brianne Parker didn’t look like a bank robber or a murderer – her pleasantly plump baby face fooled everyone.

Alex Cross is called in on a case relating to a string of pretty violent bank robberies. A man known as “The Mastermind” is behind the robberies. And he has gotten away with a lot of money. Unfortunately, people have died unnecessarily in the process. So who is the Mastermind? And why are Alex and the FBI agents assigned to this case so mystified as to his intentions? But as Alex deals with a lot of personal issues, and they take down two people who they believe to be the Mastermind, he has no real idea as to who the Mastermind really is.

Oh my goodness. This book has to be THE BEST in the Alex Cross series thus far!! I almost always enjoy James Patterson’s books, but this one was exceptionally good! And who the Mastermind really is – well it’s a total shocker! It’s not someone that you would expect in the slightest. I was completely surprised right up until the very last sentence. That to me makes a wonderful book. I read so many mystery books that sometimes the more formulaic books are easier for me to figure out. But this one kept me on the edge of my seat. And I finished this one up during some down time at work today, and I’m absolutely positive that my mouth was hanging wide open and my eyes were bulging out of my head when I finally reached the end. This book is really that good!

Challenge Wrap-Up, READING CHALLENGES 2009

Finished Challenge – 2009 What’s in a Name 2

Tara

Annie hosted this challenge again in 2009. I really loved the 2008 version, this one I had a lot more difficulty finishing. I’m not sure if it was because I got burned out on having to find books to “fit” a challenge or what it was. I probably stretched the definition of “building” by using “Home” to fulfill the category, but I got desperate!! I will not be signing up for this 2010 version which is being hosted by someone else, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years with this challenge!! Here’s what I read:

  1. Time of Day: The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard REVIEW
  2. Building: No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark REVIEW
  3. Body Part: Sweetheart, Chelsesa Cain REVIEW
  4. Relative: BoneMan’s Daughter, Ted Dekker REVIEW
  5. Profession: The Chemist, Janson Mancheski REVIEW
  6. Medical Condition: ‘D’ is for Deadbeat, Sue Grafton REVIEW

Challenge Wrap-Up, READING CHALLENGES 2009

Finished Challenge – Celebrate the Author 2009

Tara

Becky hosted this challenge again in 2009. I got a little bit behind and had to play catch up quite a bit, but I ended up finishing this challenge and enjoying it once again. I have also signed up for the 2010 version of this challenge. Anyway, the idea is to “celebrate” author birthdays by reading a book by a certain author who is celebrating a birthday in that particular month. Here is what I read:

  1. January: Deal Breaker, Harlan Coben REVIEW
  2. February: Evil at Heart, Chelsea Cain REVIEW
  3. March: Heartstopper, Joy Fielding REVIEW
  4. April: ‘D’ is for Deadbeat, Sue Grafton REVIEW
  5. May: Whispers by Lisa Jackson REVIEW
  6. June: The Surgeon, Tess Gerritsen REVIEW
  7. July: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling REVIEW
  8. August: When the Bough Breaks, Jonathan Kellerman REVIEW
  9. September: The Godwulf Manuscript, Robert B. Parker REVIEW
  10. October: The Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace REVIEW
  11. November: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris REVIEW
  12. December: No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark REVIEW

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009

REVIEW: No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark

Tara

No Place Like Home
by Mary Higgins Clark

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 472
Rating: 5/5
Read: Dec. 14-19, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 2009 Celebrate the Author Challenge;  RYOB 2009; 2009 What’s in a Name 2; 2010 Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 66

First Line: Ten-year-old Liza was dreaming her favorite dream, the one about the day when she was six years old, and she and Daddy were at the beach, in New Jersey, at Spring Lake.

When Liza Barton was ten years old she accidentally shot her mother while trying to protect her from her stepfather. Although the shooting was ruled an accident, and Liza was let off the hook, the papers and the people in the area all compared Liza to Lizzie Borden. But Liza’s adoptive parents change her name to Celia and tries to forget the past. Widowed with a young son, Celia remarries and is perfectly happy. That is right up until her wonderful new husband surprises her with a house for her birthday. The same house that just happens to be the one that she killed her mother in so many years before. Since her new husband does not know the story of her childhood, he is baffled by his new wife’s response to this wonderful birthday gift. But then strange things start happening – the house is vandalized and people start getting murdered. Unforunately for Celia, someone in her old hometown has recognized her as Liza because she starts getting tormented and set up for murder. Although a suspect for murder once again, Celia has to be strong for herself and her son, for they are actually the ones being stalked by the real murderer.

I simply love Mary Higgins Clark. She just writes wonderful books! How on earth she is able to come up with new ideas is beyond me. But I guess that’s why she’s the author and I’m the reader 🙂 Either way, this book was exceptionally good. The twists and turns were really interesting. I had no idea what was really going on and who the real killer (or killers) were until the very ending when they were revealed. I felt sorry for Celia because she seemed to have really bad luck to have her husband buy the same house she accidentally shot her mother in. Clark really formulated some really mean characters in this book also. She had some really good villains in my opinion. I really can’t think of anything bad about this book, it was wonderfully written with a great storyline. I highly recommend this book!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009

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: 4/5
Read: Dec. 6-13, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 2009 Celebrate the Author Challenge; Harry Potter Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 65

First Line: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

Harry Potter only knows one thing: he has a miserable life living with his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys and their son, Dudley. But he also knows that he’s a little different than the average kid. When he gets really upset or angry, he can make strange things happen without realizing what he’s doing. He is as confused about it as anybody else is. But he will finally get some answers to what is “wrong” with him when on his birthday he gets a letter that arrives by owl messenger: it’s an invitation to go to a school that he’s never heard about. What he finds when he arrives at Hogwarts is unforgettable. He finds friends, magic, and new found fame.

I love Harry Potter 🙂 This was a re-read for me (something I never do!) and I loved it just as much as I did the first time around. Rowling created such a wonderful series when she started Harry Potter. I simply cannot say enough good things about this series and this book in particular. However, my one complaint is that this book is a little more juvenile than I care to read (the later books aren’t like that), but it’s still an enjoyable read.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009

The Aztec Heresy by Paul Christopher

Tara

The Aztec Heresy
by Paul Christopher

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 346
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 3 – 11, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 64

First Line: Friar Bartolome de las Casas of the Ordo fratrum Praedicatorum, the Order of St. Dominic, heard the giant wave before he saw it.

In search of a Spanish galleon, Finn Ryan and Lord Billy Pilgrim, find evidence of the lost Aztec Codex. This book is said to reveal the location of Cortez’s lost City of Gold. But Finn and Billy are not the only ones on the hunt for the Codex and the City of Gold. However, in while in search of the Codex, they stumble upon something much bigger. Secrets worth killing over are at stake, and Finn and Billy must find their way through the jungles of the Yucatan to the Sonoran Desert.

This is the fourth in this series. Usually I do not like to skip books in a series (and I really regreted it after I started the book, too) but I had to because a Yahoo group buddy requested this book from me. Either way, this was a good book. Life got in the way and it took me like forever to finish it, but it’s a really good read. I personally think that Michelangelo’s Notebook, the first in this series, was better than this one. But I did enjoy it. However, I don’t really recommend reading this series out of order. There were small references to previous books scattered throughout the pages, but it wasn’t impossible to follow. Overall a good book.