July 19 - 25, 2015

As I was reclining in my La-z boy recliner, a name that implies the owner is of a slothful disposition, and disinclined from manual labor, I realized that I was not enjoying my perusal of the classic Moby Dick. And in fact was having trouble getting Ishmael to Nantucket so that he could begin his adventure in whale hunting. Too. many. words. And I read it once in junior high.

July 5 - 11, 2015

The Reluctant Matador by Mark Pryor - Hugh Marston takes time of from his job as head of security at the US embassy in Paris to hunt for a missing girl in Barcelona. There doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency (although that's stated many times), to me it felt more like a travelogue of Barcelona. More exciting towards the end and then just peters out. I've really enjoyed previous books in this series, this was a disappointment.

2 stars

June 28 - July 4, 2015

The English Spy by Daniel Silva - just as Gabriel Allon is getting ready to take over as head of Israeli security and his wife is to deliver twins, he's asked by the head of MI6 to track a terrorist suspected of killing a royal. Quite a trek through secret alliances. The story seems to move slowly but I found it quite compelling. I always wonder how much the author really knows about all these agencies.

4 stars
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Cold Betrayal by J.A. Jance - this is the author's Ali Reynolds series. It's been awhile since I've read one so some of the back story was a little blurry to me, not enough to affect the enjoyment of the story. A young girl is injured trying to escape from a polygamous cult and someone is threatening Ali's daughter-in-law's grandmother. These two plot lines do not converge and the ending is somewhat unrealistic.

3 stars

June 21 - 27, 2015

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister - Arden is a female illusionist in 1905. Her most famous trick is sawing a man in half. When her husband is found murdered after a show she is immediately suspected. Captured almost by mistake by a young lawman, she begins telling him her story in the hope he will free her. But is she telling the truth? Loved the writing and loved the suspense right up until the end. Some sex.

5 stars

June 14 - 20, 2015

No books read this week! Which wouldn't be so bad is I had accomplished anything else. But, alas, I didn't. See you next week.

June 7 - 13, 2015

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - Thomas comes to in a metal box, unable to remember his past. Thrown into a group a teenage boys who won't explain what's happening, he gradually learns they are trapped in a maze with no way out. I liked this better than I thought I would and I'll be reading the second in the series. Some violence and death.
*Had to watch the movie after reading this and found it a disappointment. Lots of changes and many of the actors were too old.

4 stars
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Rock With Wings by Anne Hillerman - the author is back with her second book using characters from books by her father, Tony Hillerman. Mysterious lights, suspicious characters, movies, and solar power all mix together in incidents investigated separately by husband and wife officers Chee and Manuelito. Some problems with time management by the author that I found irritating.

3 stars
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The Scorch Trials by James Dashner - Thomas and his group have to cross a burning desert to reach a safe point where they will be rescued. Lots of running and action. I do enjoy these action escapist books once in awhile. More violence.

4 stars
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The Death Cure by James Dashner - I got so caught up trying to figure out what was going on I had to read this in the same day. I even bought the third book for my Kindle rather than be on hold at the library. Thomas and his friends try to escape the Creators. I found this a little disappointing. Almost as if the author didn't know how to finish and left some questions unanswered. Quite a bit of violence and death.

3 stars

May 31 - June 6, 2015

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - a shepherd boy travels from Spain to the pyramids in Egypt seeking his treasure. A supposed parable about following your dreams. So.extremely.repetitive. If you're on Goodreads, look for Tim "the enchanter"'s review, he has a much more articulate view.

1 star
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Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan - Willow is a 12 yo genius. Her life is abruptly upended one day. Unexpected people step up to help her and in the process everyone begins changing. I must be in a good mood, I loved everything about this book.

5 stars
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Books I quit

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - just couldn't get over the writing style of this. I don't like the "if I had but known" genre and this was even worse with the telling something was coming, going back in time to explain something, and then telling what was actually happening. I'm not giving anything away by saying the narrator is Death, so bad things are in store.

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater - a YA book with werewolves. Too much teen angst for me to finish. And of course it's a trilogy and I just don't care.