I've wanted to read something by Jesse Kellerman for awhile, so I grabbed Trouble off of my shelves. It was a good read, and I bit different in a good way. I give it a B+.
From Amazon:
Saving lives is Jonah Stem's job-but he usually does it at the hospital, not at 3 a.m. on the dark streets of Manhattan. When he impulsively intervenes to save a beautiful woman from a man menacing her with a knife, killing the attacker in the process, he is transformed from an overworked medical student to a hero in the media spotlight. The woman, Eve Gones, is profoundly grateful, and wants to show it. Before long, they're engaged in a wildly passionate love affair. An affair that Eve doesn't want to end. Ever.
It's clear to see that Mr. Kellerman takes after his famous parents. The suspense was built nicely and I thought that the story had interesting twists and turns. The story and words themselves were printed differently on the pages and in a way that added character. I look forward to reading more by Mr. Kellerman in the future.
I totally disappeared there for awhile, and I am not sure if that is a trend that is going to continue or not. I'm just not motivated to blog lately, and I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and still am. Hopefully it gets better soon~ I do miss everything and everyone!
Showing posts with label reading slumps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading slumps. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
20. Hush by Kate White
I've enjoyed Ms. White's in the past, though they were part of a chick-lit/mystery series. Hush was the first stand-alone novel by Ms. White and one I enjoyed. I give it a B.
From Amazon:
When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she's pretty certain that things can't get any worse. The upside is that she's working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake finds Keaton with his throat slashed and discovers that things can indeed become worse—they can become deadly.
So as not to jeopardize her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange clues begin dropping—quite literally—on her doorstep, and Lake realizes that she is dangerously close to dark secrets, both about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she's started before it's too late?
I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character, Lake, for some reason. She really got on my nerves at time, though that didn't bother me too much. The mystery was well done and it was hard to decide who the killer was. There were many plausible suspects and I ended up being wrong. That is always a nice surprise, as long as it doesn't come out of nowhere, that is. Hush takes place in one of my favorite setting, New York City, and while I couldn't classify it as chick-lit, it definitely wasn't a hard hitting thriller. I read it pretty quickly, finishing it in a day and half which is really saying something considering this slump I've been going through. Hopefully that means the end of the slump for me, but I have my doubts!
I don't even have much to write which is sad to me. Lately I've been so busy and then tired at the end of the day that the last thing I feel like doing is turning on my computer or opening a book. That in turn makes me more frustrated because I know I relax when I am reading a good book or reading about other people's good books, so hopefully I will break out of this soon. I guess I can be happy that Spring Break is in a few weeks and that should give me some more free time. Plus, several of my holds have been trickling in from the library that are books by some of my favorite authors so that should help. Well I am at work and I don't even think what I'm typing is making any sense, so I am going to leave with a Happy Reading!
From Amazon:
When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she's pretty certain that things can't get any worse. The upside is that she's working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake finds Keaton with his throat slashed and discovers that things can indeed become worse—they can become deadly.
So as not to jeopardize her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange clues begin dropping—quite literally—on her doorstep, and Lake realizes that she is dangerously close to dark secrets, both about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she's started before it's too late?
I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character, Lake, for some reason. She really got on my nerves at time, though that didn't bother me too much. The mystery was well done and it was hard to decide who the killer was. There were many plausible suspects and I ended up being wrong. That is always a nice surprise, as long as it doesn't come out of nowhere, that is. Hush takes place in one of my favorite setting, New York City, and while I couldn't classify it as chick-lit, it definitely wasn't a hard hitting thriller. I read it pretty quickly, finishing it in a day and half which is really saying something considering this slump I've been going through. Hopefully that means the end of the slump for me, but I have my doubts!
I don't even have much to write which is sad to me. Lately I've been so busy and then tired at the end of the day that the last thing I feel like doing is turning on my computer or opening a book. That in turn makes me more frustrated because I know I relax when I am reading a good book or reading about other people's good books, so hopefully I will break out of this soon. I guess I can be happy that Spring Break is in a few weeks and that should give me some more free time. Plus, several of my holds have been trickling in from the library that are books by some of my favorite authors so that should help. Well I am at work and I don't even think what I'm typing is making any sense, so I am going to leave with a Happy Reading!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
18. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
Secrets of Eden is a book that I have seen and heard a lot about on the blogosphere. I got it from my library and almost returned it unread. Thankfully I didn't! Secrets of Eden is a powerful, wonderful book and one that I give an A-.
From Amazon:
"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.
While I thought that Secrets of Eden started out slowly, it quickly picked up the pace. I enjoyed the way that Mr. Bohjalian switched voices of the main characters to give the reader a different perspective of the way events were unfolding. It was a chilling story, one that really drives home the point that domestic violence is something that should not be shut behind closed doors. So many people in the little town knew what was going on, but few wanted to get involved or take action. The ending was so surprising that I actually let out a little gasp at the end and sat there thinking about everything for awhile. I am sure that Secrets of Eden will be staying with me for quite awhile.
My reading has gotten pathetic lately. I am working every night so that is taking a big chunk of my time up, plus I have been so tired. It doesn't help that I spent far too many days trying to finish a book that I had absolutely zero interest in and couldn't stand the writing just because I was more than halfway done and I so desperately wanted to finish a book. I won't be making that mistake again. I finally got started on the newest Wendy Corsi Staub, one of my favorite suspense authors, and Saturday is going to be a reading day for me. Happy Reading everyone!
From Amazon:
"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.
While I thought that Secrets of Eden started out slowly, it quickly picked up the pace. I enjoyed the way that Mr. Bohjalian switched voices of the main characters to give the reader a different perspective of the way events were unfolding. It was a chilling story, one that really drives home the point that domestic violence is something that should not be shut behind closed doors. So many people in the little town knew what was going on, but few wanted to get involved or take action. The ending was so surprising that I actually let out a little gasp at the end and sat there thinking about everything for awhile. I am sure that Secrets of Eden will be staying with me for quite awhile.
My reading has gotten pathetic lately. I am working every night so that is taking a big chunk of my time up, plus I have been so tired. It doesn't help that I spent far too many days trying to finish a book that I had absolutely zero interest in and couldn't stand the writing just because I was more than halfway done and I so desperately wanted to finish a book. I won't be making that mistake again. I finally got started on the newest Wendy Corsi Staub, one of my favorite suspense authors, and Saturday is going to be a reading day for me. Happy Reading everyone!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Puppet by Joy Fielding
Since I've been in somewhat of a reading slump lately, I decided to pull one of Ms. Fielding's books off of my shelves to help me get out of it. It didn't seem to help much, as it took me quite awhile to read it, even though I haven't been very busy. It was a good read, and I give it B.
Inside cover:
Puppet features the beautiful Amanda Travis, a successful twenty-eight-year-old criminal attorney who win just about every case for her less than admirable clientele. A Florida transplant, Amanda races through her glamourous life, her only concerns being herself, a good bottle of red, and her pristine Palm Beach condominium. Her estranged mother, dead father, two ex-husband, a love that once consumed her, and countless one-night stnad have since lagged far, far behind.
But when ex #1 won't stop calling, Amanda finally gives in. He tells her that her mother shot a man at point-blank range in the lobby of Toronto' s Four Seasons hotel. Despite her best arguments, Amanda knows she must return to her hometown to face her demons and uncover the hidden facts behind her mother's violent outburst. All too soon, she is drawn into the dark, strange power her mother seems to hold over everyone. Her childhood nickname, Puppet, echoing in her ears, Amanda must finally confront the past in order to be free of the ties that bind and learn to stand on her own.
Ms. Fielding always write an engrossing and suspensful tale. She is able to create characters that come to life through the pages and while you may not love or sympathize with all of them, they are very realisitic. While we knew who the killer was in this book, the suspense comes from trying to figure out why Amanda's mother shoots an apparent stranger at point-blank range after waiting in a hotel for him. Amanda was someone who was hard to like as she seems to be very self-absorbed and selfish, but through the book she grows on you and the reader gets a good understanding of why she is the way she is and how she became the person she is today. I enjoyed the book, and while it wasn't my favorite Joy Fielding book, it was still a good read.
Up next is the latest Chelsea Cain book, Evil at Heart! YAY! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about finally having this book in my hot little hands. I am going to sign off right now and dive right into this book. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and Happy Reading!
Inside cover:
Puppet features the beautiful Amanda Travis, a successful twenty-eight-year-old criminal attorney who win just about every case for her less than admirable clientele. A Florida transplant, Amanda races through her glamourous life, her only concerns being herself, a good bottle of red, and her pristine Palm Beach condominium. Her estranged mother, dead father, two ex-husband, a love that once consumed her, and countless one-night stnad have since lagged far, far behind.
But when ex #1 won't stop calling, Amanda finally gives in. He tells her that her mother shot a man at point-blank range in the lobby of Toronto' s Four Seasons hotel. Despite her best arguments, Amanda knows she must return to her hometown to face her demons and uncover the hidden facts behind her mother's violent outburst. All too soon, she is drawn into the dark, strange power her mother seems to hold over everyone. Her childhood nickname, Puppet, echoing in her ears, Amanda must finally confront the past in order to be free of the ties that bind and learn to stand on her own.
Ms. Fielding always write an engrossing and suspensful tale. She is able to create characters that come to life through the pages and while you may not love or sympathize with all of them, they are very realisitic. While we knew who the killer was in this book, the suspense comes from trying to figure out why Amanda's mother shoots an apparent stranger at point-blank range after waiting in a hotel for him. Amanda was someone who was hard to like as she seems to be very self-absorbed and selfish, but through the book she grows on you and the reader gets a good understanding of why she is the way she is and how she became the person she is today. I enjoyed the book, and while it wasn't my favorite Joy Fielding book, it was still a good read.
Up next is the latest Chelsea Cain book, Evil at Heart! YAY! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about finally having this book in my hot little hands. I am going to sign off right now and dive right into this book. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and Happy Reading!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Award and Reading Update
J. Kaye awarded me with another great award that really brightened my day!
I really appreciated it since today I have been feeling kinda down. I want to pass this along to some other bloggers.
Barbara from Heidi's Books.
Kris from Not Enough Books
Holly from What Were You Expecting?
These are three bloggers who I love to read and have made me feel so welcome (not excluding the lovely J.Kaye) so I just wanted to extend the love.
An update on my reading... since I finished my last book, I have read maybe 40 pages out of a book. I finally finished my training last night, though I worked this morning and have to go to my other job in a little. We are supposed to get walloped with a huge snow storm tonight with 10 inches, so I am assuming it will be a snow day for me tomorrow. I plan on reading and maybe wrapping some presents. That's it... I want to read!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Checking In and DNF
It seems like it has been so long since I blogged but it really hasn't. I was on a good pace with my reading and really enjoy my books, and then I came up with two, count 'em 2, DNFers. One book I think I just wasn't in the mood for and then I really tried to read but couldn't finish. The one I couldn't finish was called One More Sunday and was an older book. The premise sounded great, about one of those big super churches and the tactics used to get people to donate, etc. and almost seemed cult like. With all of the polygmy Texas cases going on I thought that it would fit right in. However, a big part of it was this new computer they had and there was a ton of technical stuff. I understand the need of it for the past when computers were new and foriegn to most people but it really just bored me. I gave it more time than usual, reading over 150 pages but finally gave up.
I was going to start a Gregg Olsen book that the Shelfari group is reading for June, but I don't own it! I must have looked at it 100 times at the bookstore and just never bought it assuming I already have it, but I don't. So while I will try and make it to the bookstore this weekend to get it but I don't want to wait. I want to get a good hour of reading in before bed so I am starting The Dead Room by Robert Ellis. It sounds good and hopefully will grab my attention.
Tomorrow is a HUGE sports day in this town. The Pistons (basketball) are playing in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Tigers are playing (and will hopefully keep their winning streak alive) and of course, my RED WINGS are playing the Penguins. Here's our local papers sign that readers contributed to counter one Pittsburgh came up with.
Our team is known for throwing octupi on the ice which I think is wonderful because octupus love to eat penguins, so we will crush the Penguins as well. GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's it from me. Have a safe and great weekend! Happy Reading!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Giving Up
I tried getting into What Goes Around by Susan Diamond and just couldn't stick with it. I was really in the mood to read, and when I picked up this book, it was just ho hum. In the first 60 pages, I was introduced to probably more than 20 or 25 characters and wasn't given enough details to keep them straight. It was really boring and I couldn't get interested into the book or the characters. I didn't care about what happened to them, and even though it was only 60 pages, it was probably the longest 60 pages I have read in a long time. Following my 60 pages rule, I am giving up. I just have too many books to read and so many more I want to check out that it makes me feel guilty. Does anyone else have this same reaction to giving up books? And why do I feel so guilty? Story of my life I guess.
Up next is the first book by Andrew Gross. I got it from the library and I like to return those as soon as possible. I know it drives me crazy when I want something and have to wait forever to get it, so I will read that one first. I hope everyone else is having better luck with their reading since I doubt I will be able to finish it before tomorrow. I do have to work tomorrow and then when I get home from work I want to get a jump start on cleaning and laundry since I work on Saturday. All that work makes Kristie an anxious reader! Plus, sometime this weekend I want to get all of my books catalogued again. When Lent is up, I have a couple books to get that I am interested in and book gift cards burning a hole in my purse! I want to make sure my list is accurete when I go shopping. Everyone have a great weekend and Happy Reading!
Up next is the first book by Andrew Gross. I got it from the library and I like to return those as soon as possible. I know it drives me crazy when I want something and have to wait forever to get it, so I will read that one first. I hope everyone else is having better luck with their reading since I doubt I will be able to finish it before tomorrow. I do have to work tomorrow and then when I get home from work I want to get a jump start on cleaning and laundry since I work on Saturday. All that work makes Kristie an anxious reader! Plus, sometime this weekend I want to get all of my books catalogued again. When Lent is up, I have a couple books to get that I am interested in and book gift cards burning a hole in my purse! I want to make sure my list is accurete when I go shopping. Everyone have a great weekend and Happy Reading!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Lifeguard by James Patterson
I picked up Lifeguard by James Patterson at the library to hopefully get me back in the fast track of reading. I read this book very quickly, and hope to get one more in before the end of the month. This book was a good read, though definitely not as good as some of his other books I have read. I would rate this a B.
From Amazon:
Working as a lifeguard in a posh Florida resort, Ned Kelley finds the woman of his dreams. The only thing he needs is money. So when his friends offer to cut him into a deal that promises $1,000,000 each, how can he turn it down? The plan is simplea fast break-and-enter to grab paintings from a rich collector. But on the night of the heist, theyre double-crossed. Worse, Neds friends are brutally executed. Now hes the prime target of both the FBI and the killers. With no one to trust, Ned must dodge the authorities and the vicious killers in a desperate effort to avenge his friends and clear his name.
The suspense was not as good as I would have liked it, though it was still suspensful. I figured out some of the main parts in the story but was surprised by some. I am not sure if it is because of reading so many of Mr. Patterson's books that I have come to expect the unexpected, but some of it I did figure out. I really liked the characters and was really rooting for Ned Kelly. There were a lot of characters to keep track off, so that kind of distracted me a bit. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book.
Andrew Gross is the co-author of this book and I always seem to enjoy when he writes with Mr. Patterson. I did read in Romantic Times magazine that Mr. Gross has written two of his own novels with the second one being released shortly. I am looking forward to checking out his first book on his own and see if I enjoy that as well.
I am not sure what I am going to read next. It will be something from my TBR shelves as I don't have anymore library books out. I did just finish listening to Plum Lucky on CD and enjoyed that as well. It was the first time I listened to a Stephanie Plum book and it was pretty funny. I really liked to reader which I feel is so important for a book on CD to be enjoyable.
I am coming down with some cold or strep throat, so I am going to turn in now. I am not subbing tomorrow as I have a dentist appointment though I do have to work at my mom's at night. I plan on relaxing tomorrow, though there is a ton of stuff around the house I want to get done. I also want to record all of my books again since I lost that. However, if I don't feel well, I will probably spend a lot of time on the couch. This weather is terrible and I am just sick and tired of the cold and snow. I so want to move to Florida. Oh well, I hope everyone is having a good week and Happy Reading!
From Amazon:
Working as a lifeguard in a posh Florida resort, Ned Kelley finds the woman of his dreams. The only thing he needs is money. So when his friends offer to cut him into a deal that promises $1,000,000 each, how can he turn it down? The plan is simplea fast break-and-enter to grab paintings from a rich collector. But on the night of the heist, theyre double-crossed. Worse, Neds friends are brutally executed. Now hes the prime target of both the FBI and the killers. With no one to trust, Ned must dodge the authorities and the vicious killers in a desperate effort to avenge his friends and clear his name.
The suspense was not as good as I would have liked it, though it was still suspensful. I figured out some of the main parts in the story but was surprised by some. I am not sure if it is because of reading so many of Mr. Patterson's books that I have come to expect the unexpected, but some of it I did figure out. I really liked the characters and was really rooting for Ned Kelly. There were a lot of characters to keep track off, so that kind of distracted me a bit. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book.
Andrew Gross is the co-author of this book and I always seem to enjoy when he writes with Mr. Patterson. I did read in Romantic Times magazine that Mr. Gross has written two of his own novels with the second one being released shortly. I am looking forward to checking out his first book on his own and see if I enjoy that as well.
I am not sure what I am going to read next. It will be something from my TBR shelves as I don't have anymore library books out. I did just finish listening to Plum Lucky on CD and enjoyed that as well. It was the first time I listened to a Stephanie Plum book and it was pretty funny. I really liked to reader which I feel is so important for a book on CD to be enjoyable.
I am coming down with some cold or strep throat, so I am going to turn in now. I am not subbing tomorrow as I have a dentist appointment though I do have to work at my mom's at night. I plan on relaxing tomorrow, though there is a ton of stuff around the house I want to get done. I also want to record all of my books again since I lost that. However, if I don't feel well, I will probably spend a lot of time on the couch. This weather is terrible and I am just sick and tired of the cold and snow. I so want to move to Florida. Oh well, I hope everyone is having a good week and Happy Reading!
Friday, June 15, 2007
The Red Room by Nicci French
As you can probably tell from my recent amount of posts, I have not been doing much reading lately. I have been having a rough time for awhile, but lately it is escalated. I am having problems with anxiety and depression and that has taken a hit on my reading. I can't concentrate on reading for more than 5 minutes or so. So that makes me even more upset. I never finished reading the Dean Koontz book and I started reading Unspeakable by Sandra Brown two weeks, Monday. I am only about 70 pages in. Pretty sad. However, I have books coming in from the library and thrift stores. I also downloaded 2 e-books through the library and have completed one of those. It was 468 pages, but I read that in about 5 or 6 days. So anyways, here is my review of The Red Room by Nicci French... which I give an A-.
In this case, the two people whose lives are being most unfairly manipulated hold opposite, even antagonistic, places in society. One is a clinical psychologist, Katherine Quinn; the other, Michael Doll, is the troubled young man who not long ago left her with terrible facial disfigurement, having suddenly attacked her while undergoing an evaluation in his jail cell. Somehow, out of curiosity, misplaced duty, and a desire to try to "reduce him to his human size," Kit Quinn allows a police detective to talk her into seeing Michael once again. This time her nemesis--about whom she has recurring nightmares of a blood-spattered red room--stands accused of murder. The trouble is, after coming face to face with him, Dr. Quinn isn't at all convinced he's guilty.
I really enjoy Nicci French's novels. I think I have mentioned this before but her novels are set in London and while I have a hard time understanding some of the slang terms, I always love her suspensful novels. While this one was as suspensful as her others, The Red Room is a nice story that I was able to read fairly quickly... compared to my other reading of late. Oh well. I am going to try and keep reading Unspeakable by I did just get 2 books in from the library that I read reviews on blogs. They are Ladykiller and Helpless by 2 new to me authors. Maybe they can help with the slump.
Happy reading and have a great weekend!
In this case, the two people whose lives are being most unfairly manipulated hold opposite, even antagonistic, places in society. One is a clinical psychologist, Katherine Quinn; the other, Michael Doll, is the troubled young man who not long ago left her with terrible facial disfigurement, having suddenly attacked her while undergoing an evaluation in his jail cell. Somehow, out of curiosity, misplaced duty, and a desire to try to "reduce him to his human size," Kit Quinn allows a police detective to talk her into seeing Michael once again. This time her nemesis--about whom she has recurring nightmares of a blood-spattered red room--stands accused of murder. The trouble is, after coming face to face with him, Dr. Quinn isn't at all convinced he's guilty.
I really enjoy Nicci French's novels. I think I have mentioned this before but her novels are set in London and while I have a hard time understanding some of the slang terms, I always love her suspensful novels. While this one was as suspensful as her others, The Red Room is a nice story that I was able to read fairly quickly... compared to my other reading of late. Oh well. I am going to try and keep reading Unspeakable by I did just get 2 books in from the library that I read reviews on blogs. They are Ladykiller and Helpless by 2 new to me authors. Maybe they can help with the slump.
Happy reading and have a great weekend!
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