Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich - Stephanie is trying to catch a bail jumper when the ice cream truck he has stolen crashes. Out falls a frozen body covered in chocolate and nuts. Turns out there are mysterious goings on at an ice cream factory. And that's about as deep as the plot gets. I used to find this series funny but it's pretty tired now. And smutty.
2 stars
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Two Days Gone by Randall Silvas - a perfect family is found murdered and the professor/famous writer husband is on the run. And Sergeant Ryan DeMarco is beginning to wonder if the husband is actually guilty. He starts looking at the writer's book in progress for clues. Told from the husband's and DeMarco's viewpoint. This is a rather dark book; dark weather, dark thoughts, and dark pasts.
4 stars
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In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson - a very fun travelogue/history lesson of the very large country of Australia. The author loves the country and it shows. I learned lots of interesting things told in an amusing way. I do wonder how much things have changed since 2001. Movie and tv stars seem to have raised our Australian awareness somewhat. My favorite Bryson book so far.
4 stars
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Sunday, April 23, 2017
April 16 - 22, 2017
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian all by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson continues his battle against the Titans. All while dealing with teenage stuff. And trying to figure out what the prophecy really means about him. This all culminates in a battle for Olympus itself in New York. Lots of action and battles against mythical creatures. Loyalty, betrayal, courage, and steadfastness. I enjoyed these YA fantasy books but am going to end the series here where this story line wraps up.
3 stars
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Burning Bright by Nicholas Petrie - the second Peter Ash book starts with a bang and just keeps on going. June Cassidy is threatened by shadowy government agents (are they?) and runs for her life. Peter, still suffering from PTSD, and June meet in an improbable way and he is immediately attracted to her toughness. Evidently June has a computer program written by her mother that lots of people want and they're not picky about how they get it. Lots of running from danger, shooting, and language with some non-graphic sex scenes. It does get a little muddled near the end but by that point I didn't care. I liked this as much or more as the first in the series and would like to get to know Peter Ash more.
4.5 stars
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High Heat by Lee Child - it's 1977 and an almost 17 yo Jack Reacher hits New York City just in time to save an FBI agent and experience a total blackout. He also takes on a mob boss and gives a valuable clue to the identity of Son of Sam. All totally unbelievable, at 16 he's built like he is now and just as much a smart mouth. Still fun though. There is a soft porn sex scene. I'm disappointed the author is feeling the need to insert these and am wondering if he's being pushed by a publisher or going through a midlife crisis. Lots happening in this very short ebook.
3 stars
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The Waste Lands by Stephen King - Roland, the last Gunslinger is still searching for the Dark Tower. Now he has Susannah and Eddie with him, the people from our world he drew to him on the beach. But the fate of Jake, the boy he met in the first book, is driving him mad. How can the boy be dead and not dead. And in our world Jake feels he is going insane too. He feels he should be dead but is not. Lots of magicky stuff happens until they're all together.When they reach a city, they meet insane people and insane computers. The book ends with them hurtling toward certain death as they try to stump Blaine the monorail with riddles. I feel the author didn't plot this book so much as ad lib it.
3 stars
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian all by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson continues his battle against the Titans. All while dealing with teenage stuff. And trying to figure out what the prophecy really means about him. This all culminates in a battle for Olympus itself in New York. Lots of action and battles against mythical creatures. Loyalty, betrayal, courage, and steadfastness. I enjoyed these YA fantasy books but am going to end the series here where this story line wraps up.
3 stars
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Burning Bright by Nicholas Petrie - the second Peter Ash book starts with a bang and just keeps on going. June Cassidy is threatened by shadowy government agents (are they?) and runs for her life. Peter, still suffering from PTSD, and June meet in an improbable way and he is immediately attracted to her toughness. Evidently June has a computer program written by her mother that lots of people want and they're not picky about how they get it. Lots of running from danger, shooting, and language with some non-graphic sex scenes. It does get a little muddled near the end but by that point I didn't care. I liked this as much or more as the first in the series and would like to get to know Peter Ash more.
4.5 stars
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High Heat by Lee Child - it's 1977 and an almost 17 yo Jack Reacher hits New York City just in time to save an FBI agent and experience a total blackout. He also takes on a mob boss and gives a valuable clue to the identity of Son of Sam. All totally unbelievable, at 16 he's built like he is now and just as much a smart mouth. Still fun though. There is a soft porn sex scene. I'm disappointed the author is feeling the need to insert these and am wondering if he's being pushed by a publisher or going through a midlife crisis. Lots happening in this very short ebook.
3 stars
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The Waste Lands by Stephen King - Roland, the last Gunslinger is still searching for the Dark Tower. Now he has Susannah and Eddie with him, the people from our world he drew to him on the beach. But the fate of Jake, the boy he met in the first book, is driving him mad. How can the boy be dead and not dead. And in our world Jake feels he is going insane too. He feels he should be dead but is not. Lots of magicky stuff happens until they're all together.When they reach a city, they meet insane people and insane computers. The book ends with them hurtling toward certain death as they try to stump Blaine the monorail with riddles. I feel the author didn't plot this book so much as ad lib it.
3 stars
Sunday, April 16, 2017
April 9 - 15, 2017
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - four young people, different nationalities, are thrown together in a desperate rush to get to a seaport ahead of the advancing Russian army. But even refuge on a ship doesn't bring safety. Told from all four viewpoints, you gradually get to know and care about them.
5 stars
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First Degree by David Rosenfelt - the second Andy Carpenter book and the smart mouth has been dialed down. Possibly because this time it's Andy's girlfriend who is being framed for decapitating and burning her former police boss. But before the framing even takes place, Andy is cleverly set up. Liked this better than the first, I think this will be a nice, casual series.
3 stars
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Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt - a serial killer is taunting the police by using a newspaper writer to talk about his crimes. Until the police decide it's all a ruse by the writer and arrest him. That's where Andy Carpenter steps in. He thinks the case is hopeless but takes it because it's important to his friend. But then he becomes convinced of his client's innocence. A little twisty in the plot. But I'm enjoying the fact that Andy and his client from the first book have started a no-kill dog shelter named for his dog.
3 stars
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Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt - Andy Carpenter has just stepped off a plane when he's called to a police standoff at a pro football player's home. The player claims that when he got home he found the body of a friend in his closet and when the police arrived he panicked. Of course Andy takes the case. I always enjoy the courtroom scenes. Andy's girlfriend drops a bombshell and I'll have to read the next book soon to see what happens.
3 stars
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Dead Center by David Rosenfelt - Andy takes a case in Wisconsin involving one of my least favorite plot devices, the weird cult church group. A young man has been accused of murdering two girls from the group but of course Andy thinks there's been a mistake. Not enough court scenes and too much talking about his sex life. Also, don't become a new friend of Andy, it's like wearing a red shirt on Star Trek. I'm going to have to give this series a rest for awhile.
2.5 stars
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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson discovers one of the reasons he's always in so much trouble is that he's not an ordinary boy. He's a half-blood, offspring of one of the Greek gods. But which one is his father? Suddenly he's caught in a quest to prevent a war among the Olympian gods. I've read the author's Tres Navarre series, for adults, many years ago. Now I'll try some of his YA stuff.
3 stars
5 stars
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First Degree by David Rosenfelt - the second Andy Carpenter book and the smart mouth has been dialed down. Possibly because this time it's Andy's girlfriend who is being framed for decapitating and burning her former police boss. But before the framing even takes place, Andy is cleverly set up. Liked this better than the first, I think this will be a nice, casual series.
3 stars
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Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt - a serial killer is taunting the police by using a newspaper writer to talk about his crimes. Until the police decide it's all a ruse by the writer and arrest him. That's where Andy Carpenter steps in. He thinks the case is hopeless but takes it because it's important to his friend. But then he becomes convinced of his client's innocence. A little twisty in the plot. But I'm enjoying the fact that Andy and his client from the first book have started a no-kill dog shelter named for his dog.
3 stars
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Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt - Andy Carpenter has just stepped off a plane when he's called to a police standoff at a pro football player's home. The player claims that when he got home he found the body of a friend in his closet and when the police arrived he panicked. Of course Andy takes the case. I always enjoy the courtroom scenes. Andy's girlfriend drops a bombshell and I'll have to read the next book soon to see what happens.
3 stars
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Dead Center by David Rosenfelt - Andy takes a case in Wisconsin involving one of my least favorite plot devices, the weird cult church group. A young man has been accused of murdering two girls from the group but of course Andy thinks there's been a mistake. Not enough court scenes and too much talking about his sex life. Also, don't become a new friend of Andy, it's like wearing a red shirt on Star Trek. I'm going to have to give this series a rest for awhile.
2.5 stars
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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson discovers one of the reasons he's always in so much trouble is that he's not an ordinary boy. He's a half-blood, offspring of one of the Greek gods. But which one is his father? Suddenly he's caught in a quest to prevent a war among the Olympian gods. I've read the author's Tres Navarre series, for adults, many years ago. Now I'll try some of his YA stuff.
3 stars
Sunday, April 9, 2017
April 2 - 8, 2017
Fatal by John Lescroart - when her friend of 20 years confides to Beth that she's thinking of having an affair, Beth strongly discourages her. As a police detective she's seen first hand the fallout an affair has on more than just the two people involved. Six months later, Beth and her partner catch the homicide of a man found in San Francisco Bay. It takes awhile for her to discover he's the man her friend was attracted to. Lots of twists and turns with a somewhat unsatisfactory ending. I like the relationship Beth and her partner have. Also her relationship with her teenage daughter. I would like it if this became a series.
4 stars
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Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter has been asked by his father, a former D.A., to take on the appeal of convicted murderer Willie. When his father dies soon afterward, Andy discovers an old secret that seems to have ties to the murder. I didn't like Andy at first, he's a little too smart mouth. But he really digs in for his clients and loves his golden retriever, Tara. I also enjoyed the courtroom scenes. There is too much sports talk for my taste so I just skipped over it. Published in 2003, this is the first in what is now a 16 book series. I'll read a few more to see if the dog appeal can overcome the smart mouth.
3 stars
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Coffin Road by Peter Mays - a man comes to on a beach in the Hebrides with no idea who he is or how he got there. His confusion is almost overcome by a feeling of dread. Has he done something horrible? A policeman investigates the death of a tourist at a lighthouse with it's own unexplained mystery. And a teenage girl is still struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her father two years ago. All of this melds together in a satisfying way with an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed trying to figure things out. A few unnecessary sex scenes. Language, especially from the teenager.
4 stars
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A Separation by Kate Kitamura - a young woman, separated secretly from her husband, is asked by his mother to go to Greece to find him. He's not answering his phone and his hotel doesn't know where he is. She agrees to look for him only because she has decided to ask for a divorce when she sees him. An oddly written book, an almost continual dialogue only by the woman. And with the modern lack of punctuation. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it finally did I didn't care by that point.
2 stars
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Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcel Despres can remember everything that he's ever seen or has happened to him. Not until he's an adult does he realize this is unusual. He manages to make a living working in a cabaret in 1899 Paris and marries Ondine, a dancer there. When he finds her with another lover, he shoots her and then falls into a catatonic state. He's sent to the hospital for the insane. But the policeman assigned to the case finds it odd that Marcel is sent there before he's even been assigned the case. Something seems to be going on at a higher level. I loved the writing of this. But the subject matter is sometimes brutal.
4.5 stars
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True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner - the title says it all, this isn't about Maura Murray, it's about the author. He leaps from theory to theory. And one way he investigates is to set up a webpage and let people speculate on it. I'm frankly surprised he's still married and would love to hear this story from his wife's viewpoint.
1 star
4 stars
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Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter has been asked by his father, a former D.A., to take on the appeal of convicted murderer Willie. When his father dies soon afterward, Andy discovers an old secret that seems to have ties to the murder. I didn't like Andy at first, he's a little too smart mouth. But he really digs in for his clients and loves his golden retriever, Tara. I also enjoyed the courtroom scenes. There is too much sports talk for my taste so I just skipped over it. Published in 2003, this is the first in what is now a 16 book series. I'll read a few more to see if the dog appeal can overcome the smart mouth.
3 stars
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Coffin Road by Peter Mays - a man comes to on a beach in the Hebrides with no idea who he is or how he got there. His confusion is almost overcome by a feeling of dread. Has he done something horrible? A policeman investigates the death of a tourist at a lighthouse with it's own unexplained mystery. And a teenage girl is still struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her father two years ago. All of this melds together in a satisfying way with an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed trying to figure things out. A few unnecessary sex scenes. Language, especially from the teenager.
4 stars
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A Separation by Kate Kitamura - a young woman, separated secretly from her husband, is asked by his mother to go to Greece to find him. He's not answering his phone and his hotel doesn't know where he is. She agrees to look for him only because she has decided to ask for a divorce when she sees him. An oddly written book, an almost continual dialogue only by the woman. And with the modern lack of punctuation. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it finally did I didn't care by that point.
2 stars
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Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcel Despres can remember everything that he's ever seen or has happened to him. Not until he's an adult does he realize this is unusual. He manages to make a living working in a cabaret in 1899 Paris and marries Ondine, a dancer there. When he finds her with another lover, he shoots her and then falls into a catatonic state. He's sent to the hospital for the insane. But the policeman assigned to the case finds it odd that Marcel is sent there before he's even been assigned the case. Something seems to be going on at a higher level. I loved the writing of this. But the subject matter is sometimes brutal.
4.5 stars
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True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner - the title says it all, this isn't about Maura Murray, it's about the author. He leaps from theory to theory. And one way he investigates is to set up a webpage and let people speculate on it. I'm frankly surprised he's still married and would love to hear this story from his wife's viewpoint.
1 star
Saturday, April 1, 2017
March 26 - April 1, 2017
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - a re-imagining of a Russian fairy tale. Vasalisa lives in a remote part of Russia where winter lasts a long time. Even though her father is a wealthy man, winter is very hard for everyone. It becomes even harder when he brings home a stepmother who doesn't want to hear anything about the old fables. But the fables prove to be strong and Vasalisa fights to keep her family safe against forces they know nothing about. Beautiful storytelling, very atmospheric. I felt cold just reading this.
4.5 stars
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Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb - the 44th Eve Dallas book and the series is starting to feel it's longevity. It's only a couple of weeks since the last book when Eve and Roarke are on their way home from a party. A young woman stumbles in front of their car, obviously traumatized. She's been the victim of a home invasion and her husband lies dead. What follows is so rote I feel I could write one of these stories now. I used to like them for the character development but some of the people seem to be devolving. And the stories seem to get more violent. And I absolutely shouldn't feel this way but I'm so tired of Eve reliving the trauma of her childhood.
2 stars
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All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - Tom lives in the 2016 that we imagined in the '50's - flying cars, no war, no financial worries and unlimited clean energy. But in a fit of teenage angst (and he's in his 30's), he destroys all that and wakes up in our 2016. As John. With kind of the same family, but not. With kind of the same girl he has a crush on, but not. Kind of himself, but not. Lots of sciency stuff about time travel which makes my eyes glaze over. And lots of foreshadowing. In fact it takes until about page 98 before things really get going. Tom/John is not actually very likeable. I wanted to like this book much more than I did.
2 stars
4.5 stars
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Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb - the 44th Eve Dallas book and the series is starting to feel it's longevity. It's only a couple of weeks since the last book when Eve and Roarke are on their way home from a party. A young woman stumbles in front of their car, obviously traumatized. She's been the victim of a home invasion and her husband lies dead. What follows is so rote I feel I could write one of these stories now. I used to like them for the character development but some of the people seem to be devolving. And the stories seem to get more violent. And I absolutely shouldn't feel this way but I'm so tired of Eve reliving the trauma of her childhood.
2 stars
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All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - Tom lives in the 2016 that we imagined in the '50's - flying cars, no war, no financial worries and unlimited clean energy. But in a fit of teenage angst (and he's in his 30's), he destroys all that and wakes up in our 2016. As John. With kind of the same family, but not. With kind of the same girl he has a crush on, but not. Kind of himself, but not. Lots of sciency stuff about time travel which makes my eyes glaze over. And lots of foreshadowing. In fact it takes until about page 98 before things really get going. Tom/John is not actually very likeable. I wanted to like this book much more than I did.
2 stars
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