After reading Bad Move a couple of weeks ago and really enjoying it, I picked up the next in the series at the library. I was really glad I did, since I really enjoyed this one as well. 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
Zack is back, and much to his family's relief, the work-at-home science-fiction writer has left the house to take a job as a features writer for the city paper. But now that Zack's incessant plotting can no longer be hatched from the comforts of his own home, he must be ever more vigilant to outwit the evil at large, whether in the suburbs, the city, or his own imagination. Zack is ready... or so he thinks.
While researching his first feature article, Zack stumbles upon a real-life crime scene, but what seems like an ordinary hit-and-run may actually be a homicide linked to a gang that's been burglarizing Crandall's high end shops. Suddenly Zack finds himself at the center of a violent crime wave and destined for a confrontation with Barbie Bullock, an unsettling figure infamous in the crime syndicate for his ruthless business tactics and peculiar proclivity for collecting dolls.
And all is not quiet on the home front either. Zack's protective instincts launch into overdrive when he discovers that his daughter's rejected suitor has been tracing her every step and may harbor a much more ominous motivation than winning a Saturday night date. Nor does his son's strange behavior and recent friendship with a creepy computer recluse inspire joy in a father's heart.
As worlds begin to collide and boundaries between family and foe blur, Zack goes on the attack, and heaven help the bad guys when this resourceful father comes to make good on a deal gone bad.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to upcoming books in this series. Zack is a really likeable character and I find his antics and over-protectivness attitude. There is always laugh out loud moments and the suspense is pretty good too. While most of the books I read have the point of view of a woman, it is nice to see it from a man's point of view. This book is a very quick read (though it did take me almost a week to read... but that was because of school and work) but you really get to know the characters and their motivation. My library does not have the next book in the series, so I will be on the lookout the next time I make it to the bookstore. There is also a fourth one coming out in May, so I have that to look forward to! I also saw that Mr. Barclay has a stand alone book coming out towards the end of the year, so I will be counting on that. I hope Mr. Barclay continues his his voice and humor in the upcoming books! He is a wonderful new find in the new year!
The only reason why I didn't give this book five stars is because I feel that five stars has to be something that I would love to read over and over and couldn't part with. Since I really do not re-read books (hence the reason why I get so many books from the library), I don't think there will be too many fives out of me.
Up next... not sure! I think whatever catches my fancy... but I think it might be one of the new books I got from the Next line through Harlequin. I stopped at the UBS yesterday on my way to class and got two more of them! (I know I said no more new books, but I had time to kill...)
Hope everyone's reading is going well and more successful than mine has.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sunstroke by Jesse Kellerman
I picked up Sunstroke from the library after reading a review on Jesse Kellerman's next book which is released next month, I believe. The review was great, and I figured I would try out his first book. I was also interested in seeing what, if any, talent of his parents he had. The book was somewhat of a problem for me to get through, and I grade it a 2.5 out of 5.
Gloria Mendex is thirty-six, single, and hopelessly in love with her oblivious boss, a soft-spoken loner twenty years her senior. Her friends might urge her to look for someone more her age, but Gloria knows the real thing when she sees it.
So when he disappears while on vacation in Mexico, it's Gloria who goes in search of him. As she follows his trail deep into the desert, she runs face first into a staggering history of betrayal and death: the wreckage of a hidden past. Carl Perreira was not the man she thought she knew- nor was he anything she could have imagined.
Her journey will teach her as much about herself as it does about Carl. And as she plunges closer to his fleeing shadow, she will find herself fighting not only for the truth, but for her life.
Well, where to start. First off this book is listed as a thriller and also has some humor in it. I would not consider this book to be a thriller and can not recall a moment where I laughed or smiled even... so I would have to say that that description is not very true. I would even have a hard time calling it very suspensful. I really did not like Gloria, and found her to be whiney and not very realistic. She totally idolized Carl, and there did not seem to be a very good reason why.
I think my biggest problem with the book was the character and story development. You don't see Gloria change or grow very much, and I felt that the story was kind of choppy. The "mystery" did pick up a bit towards the end, and once I had a little time to sit and read it, I finished it pretty quickly. I already have Mr. Kellerman's newest novel on hold at the library, and will probably read it, but if it does not grab my attention after the first 25% of the book, I will not continue to read it. I probably should have given up on this one, but did become involved in what happened to Carl. Up next, Linwood Barclay's next novel. He is a new to me author who I really enjoyed and had me laughing throughout the book. And oh yeah, more school reading!
Gloria Mendex is thirty-six, single, and hopelessly in love with her oblivious boss, a soft-spoken loner twenty years her senior. Her friends might urge her to look for someone more her age, but Gloria knows the real thing when she sees it.
So when he disappears while on vacation in Mexico, it's Gloria who goes in search of him. As she follows his trail deep into the desert, she runs face first into a staggering history of betrayal and death: the wreckage of a hidden past. Carl Perreira was not the man she thought she knew- nor was he anything she could have imagined.
Her journey will teach her as much about herself as it does about Carl. And as she plunges closer to his fleeing shadow, she will find herself fighting not only for the truth, but for her life.
Well, where to start. First off this book is listed as a thriller and also has some humor in it. I would not consider this book to be a thriller and can not recall a moment where I laughed or smiled even... so I would have to say that that description is not very true. I would even have a hard time calling it very suspensful. I really did not like Gloria, and found her to be whiney and not very realistic. She totally idolized Carl, and there did not seem to be a very good reason why.
I think my biggest problem with the book was the character and story development. You don't see Gloria change or grow very much, and I felt that the story was kind of choppy. The "mystery" did pick up a bit towards the end, and once I had a little time to sit and read it, I finished it pretty quickly. I already have Mr. Kellerman's newest novel on hold at the library, and will probably read it, but if it does not grab my attention after the first 25% of the book, I will not continue to read it. I probably should have given up on this one, but did become involved in what happened to Carl. Up next, Linwood Barclay's next novel. He is a new to me author who I really enjoyed and had me laughing throughout the book. And oh yeah, more school reading!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
New Books
Well it has been awhile since I last posted. I am still reading Sunstroke and trying to get through it. The way the book is written is different from my usual style, but I am enjoying it. The main reason why it is taking me so long is because of school and work. I have been called in to sub everyday, which I love, and then trying to keep up with school. This was supposed to be an easy semster, my last until student teaching, but oh well. April isn't that far away right?
I picked up three new books today at my local Kmart. (I know that I have promised myself no more new books, but... well I am sure you all now how that goes). Two or Next books that I got due to reviews on Blog Happy. Slightly Psychic and Why is Murder on the Menu. Both sound good and easy reads, just what I need between the TONS of reading I am doing for school. The other was just one I found on the shelf titled Little Town Lies which sounds great. I love stories that take place in small towns, and as the title hints towards, this is one that takes place.
I have also added a picture of me on the side. I love to see what others look like so decided to add one of me. It is a horrible picture, one taken at a food bank that I went to volunteer for through school. I am extremely tired and it was FREEZING, but it was the only one I have on my computer.
Well hope everyone's reading is more successful than mine!
I picked up three new books today at my local Kmart. (I know that I have promised myself no more new books, but... well I am sure you all now how that goes). Two or Next books that I got due to reviews on Blog Happy. Slightly Psychic and Why is Murder on the Menu. Both sound good and easy reads, just what I need between the TONS of reading I am doing for school. The other was just one I found on the shelf titled Little Town Lies which sounds great. I love stories that take place in small towns, and as the title hints towards, this is one that takes place.
I have also added a picture of me on the side. I love to see what others look like so decided to add one of me. It is a horrible picture, one taken at a food bank that I went to volunteer for through school. I am extremely tired and it was FREEZING, but it was the only one I have on my computer.
Well hope everyone's reading is more successful than mine!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
I finally got Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich this weekend from the library. I love her books, but they are such a quick read, and are always priced way too high, so I have to wait for it from the library. Either the library or Costco. But since I rarely reread books, it kind of is a waste to spend all of that money. But anyways, I finally got it from the library, and it was worth the wait. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Barney and her unfaithful NASCAR racing honey, Sam Hooker, find themselves in trouble after discovering the shrink-wrapped body of ruthless businessman Oscar Huevo in a rival racer's car hauler. The pair must pull together to protect a high-tech gizmo that can revolutionize racing-and save their lives. Evanovich burns some rubber and only hits the brakes a few times, thanks to her bright dialogue, race-track savvy and expert depiction of romantic mayhem. Though sometimes it seems as if she's still taking a test drive with this new cast of eccentrics, the pages fly by as the racy tension between Hooker and Barney adds heat to the fun. Action on the menu includes destruction of valuable race cars, a dognapping and a kidnapping.
While I love the Stephanie Plum series, I think that this series may become the better one, IMO. I like a big part of it is because Barney, while not sure if she should trust Booker, has picked him to be her guy. I am getting a little tired of the Ranger, Joe and Stephanie love triangle, and I liked seeing Barney and Booker together. The mystery was all right, but there were quite a few laugh out loud moments. I really do love Evanovich's writing style, as it is so light and easy to read. Whether it be a paragraph or 3 chapters, I really whiz through it and get a satisfied feeling.
Another point that I really enjoyed was Beans, the Saint Bernard in the story. My husband has been begging me for a Saint Bernard, and while they are lovable, adorable dogs, this book just reinforced while I do not want to get one. They slobber, drool, and are sooooo big! Beans really added a great aspect to the story, and also provided some really laughable moments. I am sure everyone has read her books, but if you haven't I highly recommend her books to you!
Barney and her unfaithful NASCAR racing honey, Sam Hooker, find themselves in trouble after discovering the shrink-wrapped body of ruthless businessman Oscar Huevo in a rival racer's car hauler. The pair must pull together to protect a high-tech gizmo that can revolutionize racing-and save their lives. Evanovich burns some rubber and only hits the brakes a few times, thanks to her bright dialogue, race-track savvy and expert depiction of romantic mayhem. Though sometimes it seems as if she's still taking a test drive with this new cast of eccentrics, the pages fly by as the racy tension between Hooker and Barney adds heat to the fun. Action on the menu includes destruction of valuable race cars, a dognapping and a kidnapping.
While I love the Stephanie Plum series, I think that this series may become the better one, IMO. I like a big part of it is because Barney, while not sure if she should trust Booker, has picked him to be her guy. I am getting a little tired of the Ranger, Joe and Stephanie love triangle, and I liked seeing Barney and Booker together. The mystery was all right, but there were quite a few laugh out loud moments. I really do love Evanovich's writing style, as it is so light and easy to read. Whether it be a paragraph or 3 chapters, I really whiz through it and get a satisfied feeling.
Another point that I really enjoyed was Beans, the Saint Bernard in the story. My husband has been begging me for a Saint Bernard, and while they are lovable, adorable dogs, this book just reinforced while I do not want to get one. They slobber, drool, and are sooooo big! Beans really added a great aspect to the story, and also provided some really laughable moments. I am sure everyone has read her books, but if you haven't I highly recommend her books to you!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Audiobook- Michelle Martinez "Most Wanted"
I picked up Most Wanted from the library. I have a bit of an anxiety problem driving on the expressway, and to attend classes, which is in downtown Detroit, it is required to. So, I decided to pick up books on CD last year to see if they will help me relax, and they do. Most Wanted was one of those such books.
Melanie Vargas is a hardworking, hotshot federal prosecutor in New York City with a rising career in law and a marriage on the rocks. On an innocent evening stroll with her baby daughter, Melanie stumbles upon a horrifying crime spree. It's the high-profile case that can make her name, and Melanie wants in- to what becomes a wild race against the clock to solve a brutal high-society murder before the killer finds her.
It took me quite a while to listen to this, though it was a good story. It was a long story, and classes didn't start until last week, so my time in the car was in shorter spans. It was a great story, that was thrilling and had a good suspense factor. The reader was wonderful and I really feel that the reader can make or break the story. I give the story three out of five, but it would probably higher if it hadn't taken me so long to get through it. It was not so engaging so that I would listen to it over my morning program, ,which the really good stories do. It also seems to be the first of a new series, and I will look around for the new ones.
Melanie Vargas is a hardworking, hotshot federal prosecutor in New York City with a rising career in law and a marriage on the rocks. On an innocent evening stroll with her baby daughter, Melanie stumbles upon a horrifying crime spree. It's the high-profile case that can make her name, and Melanie wants in- to what becomes a wild race against the clock to solve a brutal high-society murder before the killer finds her.
It took me quite a while to listen to this, though it was a good story. It was a long story, and classes didn't start until last week, so my time in the car was in shorter spans. It was a great story, that was thrilling and had a good suspense factor. The reader was wonderful and I really feel that the reader can make or break the story. I give the story three out of five, but it would probably higher if it hadn't taken me so long to get through it. It was not so engaging so that I would listen to it over my morning program, ,which the really good stories do. It also seems to be the first of a new series, and I will look around for the new ones.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Bad Move by Linwood Barclay
Bad Move was a book that I picked up on my last library run. It was by a new to me author, and it seemed to be like something I would enjoy. I was right, four out of five stars.
As a father of two overly curious, streetwise teenagers and husband to a wisecracking news-junkie journalist, work-at-home science fiction writer Zack Walker has a hard time convincing his loved ones to obey his rules for coming them out of harm's way. Who can blame them? Zack's paranoia ranks with that of a Twilight Zone episode. But when city life begins to prove that Zack's fears are not so fantastical, he uproots his family and heads for the tranquility of the suburbs, where planned communities prevail and fathers rest easy. Well not quite...
As Zack discovers that his plumber moonlights as a mercenary and the local domanatrix has a a swimming pool, it becomes evident that the "nice" neighborhood of Oakwood isn't the crime-free paradise he'd been promised. Then Zack stumbles upon the body of a local environmentalist, and a madcap mission of deciet and murder that leads back to his own front door. Now this paranoid pop is in a state of high anxiety and will stop at nothing to keep his family safe. But can he keep himself from snuffed in suburbia?
I really enjoyed this story. I think it falls in the cozy mystery series and I really liked it. I think it was interesting that the main character is a man, and that the author is a man as well. It defintely gives the cozy mystery a new spin.
Zack is a great character whose paranoia can easily be explained as a lot of his points are valid ones. The extremes he goes to to remind his family about safety are absolutely hilarious. The mystery is a good one, and I love the side characters as well. There are two more stories in this series, with another one coming out in May. I will definitely be on the lookout, and if Mr. Barclay's future novels are as good as his first one is, I have found a new auto-buy author. I recommend this series to all who love a good mystery and a few laughs!
As a father of two overly curious, streetwise teenagers and husband to a wisecracking news-junkie journalist, work-at-home science fiction writer Zack Walker has a hard time convincing his loved ones to obey his rules for coming them out of harm's way. Who can blame them? Zack's paranoia ranks with that of a Twilight Zone episode. But when city life begins to prove that Zack's fears are not so fantastical, he uproots his family and heads for the tranquility of the suburbs, where planned communities prevail and fathers rest easy. Well not quite...
As Zack discovers that his plumber moonlights as a mercenary and the local domanatrix has a a swimming pool, it becomes evident that the "nice" neighborhood of Oakwood isn't the crime-free paradise he'd been promised. Then Zack stumbles upon the body of a local environmentalist, and a madcap mission of deciet and murder that leads back to his own front door. Now this paranoid pop is in a state of high anxiety and will stop at nothing to keep his family safe. But can he keep himself from snuffed in suburbia?
I really enjoyed this story. I think it falls in the cozy mystery series and I really liked it. I think it was interesting that the main character is a man, and that the author is a man as well. It defintely gives the cozy mystery a new spin.
Zack is a great character whose paranoia can easily be explained as a lot of his points are valid ones. The extremes he goes to to remind his family about safety are absolutely hilarious. The mystery is a good one, and I love the side characters as well. There are two more stories in this series, with another one coming out in May. I will definitely be on the lookout, and if Mr. Barclay's future novels are as good as his first one is, I have found a new auto-buy author. I recommend this series to all who love a good mystery and a few laughs!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Odds and Ends
Right now, I am currently reading Bad Move by Linwood Barclay. It was a new to me author and I am really enjoying it. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments already, and I am only about half way through. It is the beginning of a new series, and I believe I will definitely be picking up the following books.
In other news, I went to a local library in my area that was having a used book sale. I picked up 18 books for $3.00! Can't beat a deal like that! While I definitely did not need to add any books to the TBR shelves, with a deal like that, I couldn't go wrong. Plus, the money goes to the Friends of the Library, so it makes me feel even better!
That's about it from around here. Tomorrow I won't have to sub because of MLK day, and we are supposed to get a nasty ice storm this evening and tomorrow. I plan on staying in, cuddled up on the couch. I am going to the Red Wing game tomorrow night with my mom, but hopefully the weather and roads will be better by then. I am just praying that we don't lose power, because my street seems to lose power whenever a gentle breeze comes through. I DO NOT want to have to go through this with no heat! In the three years I have lived here, I need more fingers and toes to count all of the times we have lost power!
Hope everyone has a great start to the new week, and if your area is being hit by this huge winter storm, be safe!
In other news, I went to a local library in my area that was having a used book sale. I picked up 18 books for $3.00! Can't beat a deal like that! While I definitely did not need to add any books to the TBR shelves, with a deal like that, I couldn't go wrong. Plus, the money goes to the Friends of the Library, so it makes me feel even better!
That's about it from around here. Tomorrow I won't have to sub because of MLK day, and we are supposed to get a nasty ice storm this evening and tomorrow. I plan on staying in, cuddled up on the couch. I am going to the Red Wing game tomorrow night with my mom, but hopefully the weather and roads will be better by then. I am just praying that we don't lose power, because my street seems to lose power whenever a gentle breeze comes through. I DO NOT want to have to go through this with no heat! In the three years I have lived here, I need more fingers and toes to count all of the times we have lost power!
Hope everyone has a great start to the new week, and if your area is being hit by this huge winter storm, be safe!
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