Book Review: Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant

Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant

I needed a light read for the summer so I suggested this book as a possible title for book group. It had been sitting on my bookshelf unread for so long that it was about time. I received this book a couple years ago through the Early Readers program at Library Thing. Was really excited to get it back then, having just read Brant's debut novel, According to Jane and really enjoying it. I blame the new babe for making me so late in reading and reviewing it. :)

Anyway, I was glad my book group decided to go with this book despite their inability to find it at the library. Anyone know how to go about requesting copies not in a library's collection?

This may be the fastest I have finished a book for book group so far. I was really intrigued by these three ladies contemplating cheating on their husbands. Each one had a different reason, different problems at home that contributed to their thoughts of infidelity. I found it interesting how the choices they made early on in their relationships affected their behaviors twenty years later. I couldn't help trying to figure out who of the three or if any would go through with it while reading.

The ladies and their familial dilemmas were very interesting and entertaining but their friendship left something to be desired. Their relationships with each other lacked intimacy, candor and believable friendship. They felt more like acquaintances, which made it hard for me to understand why the three of them, with very little in common besides troubled marriages, would get together every week for coffee.  It seemed more a chore and something they dreaded rather than something they looked forward to. 

Thankfully, this issue seemed to resolve itself before the end of the book. As their problems at home were rectified, so to was their friendship. They seemed to become closer once they were able to open up and share and get each others support.

Good book. Would recommend to any other book group looking for a light read but with some good topics to discuss with friends and good wine.

Source: Library Thing Early Reviewers


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Book Review: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Phoebe Rothschild is an ordinary girl in a family of extraordinary people. When Mallory, a mysterious new girl starts at school,  Phoebe befriends her not knowing that she has been pinpointed by the faeries to save them.
An interesting new take on the faerie world and I did like the way it was weaved in with the history of the Rothschild family. What I had a hard time with was the relationship between Phoebe and Ryland, Mallory's brother. It was hard to read as she abused verbally, emotionally and probably sexually and she takes it all and professes her love for him throughout. I realize there was some faerie glamour at work here, but it still felt wrong to have her so broken down in this way. 
I am always looking for strong female characters in YA books,  and Phoebe just isn't that character for most of this book. As a teacher, as a woman, as a mom-to-be, I worry about young girls being portrayed in this way, as not strong enough to realize that they are being abused, so easily manipulated and brought down. Was really hoping for this book and for the characters to be a little more, well, extraordinary.
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin was released September 7th. 
2.5/5
Source: Library Thing Early Reviewers
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Review: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Helen Adams is a photojournalist who has dropped everything to go to Vietnam and photograph the war. Her 12 years of living, working and surviving in the war-torn country are replayed as she and her Vietnamese lover attempt to leave.

I went into this book not knowing all that much about the Vietnam War. I had a lot of questions for the hubby and am actually quite interested in learning more. Any book recommendations are welcome.

The Lotus Eaters is described as a love story and that is exactly what it is. However, I feel it is Helen's love affair with the country that drives the story. She is unable to pull herself away from her life there. She throws herself into the country and all it has to offer. She misses the smells, the taste and sounds when she is away and hurries to return more so than to any person she meets or loves in the story.

Soli's descriptions of the countryside and horrors of war show the contrast of beauty and devastation that only war can cause. Her characters were believable and interesting to follow around in their pursuit of the perfect photo. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good historical fiction. No knowledge of the Vietnam War is needed, but you will want more after finishing this book.

4.5/5

Source: Library Thing Early Readers Program


* I am giving away my copy of this book here.



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Book Review- Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

I am a big fan of Tess Gerritsen's books. I read the first book back in the 90's while in college and have been reading each book as they come out. This most recent book in her Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli series, is Ice Cold, which comes out on June 29th. I was very excited to receive it through the Early Readers Program at LibraryThing.
Well, I have to say I was a bit disappointed as I got started. The characters we are introduced to were just plain annoying. They are meant to be, as it turns out, even to Maura, but my goodness. I was ready to stop reading because it just seemed so different from her previous books.  About midway through, though, circumstances change and the story moves on. Once the story starts following Rizzoli and the search for Dr. Isles, I got much more interested and the story picked up. 
Despite redeeming itself in the end, this was definitely not my favorite of Gerritsen's books. Not going to give up, though. Still really love reading about Rizzoli and Isles. Sorry there isn't much in plot summary here, wouldn't want to give anything away. Instead, here's the product description the publisher: 

In Wyoming for a medical conference, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles joins a group of friends on a spur-of-the-moment ski trip. But when their SUV stalls on a snow-choked mountain road, they’re stranded with no help in sight.

As night falls, the group seeks refuge from the blizzard in the remote village of Kingdom Come, where twelve eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned. Something terrible has happened in Kingdom Come: Meals sit untouched on tables, cars are still parked in garages. The town’s previous residents seem to have vanished into thin air, but footprints in the snow betray the presence of someone who still lurks in the cold darkness—someone who is watching Maura and her friends.

Days later, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli receives the grim news that Maura’s charred body has been found in a mountain ravine. Shocked and grieving, Jane is determined to learn what happened to her friend. The investigation plunges Jane into the twisted history of Kingdom Come, where a gruesome discovery lies buried beneath the snow. As horrifying revelations come to light, Jane closes in on an enemy both powerful and merciless—and the chilling truth about Maura’s fate.

3/5
Source: Library Thing's Early Reviewers Program

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Book Review- Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger

Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with this book by Leigh Bridger. I didn't have very good luck with the last Urban Fantasy book I received through Library Thing's Early Reviewer Program. I was actually expecting more of the same. Instead, I got a fresh new story and plot, a tough as nails female protagonist and some interesting supporting characters. The demon is one awful, scary and absolutely perfectly evil for this type of story.

There was some overuse of the F word, but after awhile I didn't even notice it anymore. Once I got to know Livia a little better, her use of swearing is very much part of her character. Livia is a soul catcher, reborn many times, and this time is living as a folk artist in Asheville, NC. She is surrounded by friends who have been by her side in every life. As Livia, she encounters a demon that has been following her throughout her lifetimes set on revenge. She gets help from her friends and from Ian, who turns out to be her soul mate.

Soul Catcher is the first book in The Outsider Series.

3/5

Read for Read a Thon. Finally reviewing the books I read. :)

Source: Library Thing's Early Reviewer Program

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Book Review- The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

I don't usually do this, but I am going to use the blurb from the back of the book for the summary, just because I don't want to give anything away...

"They have always been here. Vampires.
Nesting and feeding.
In secret and in darkness. Waiting.
Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone.
In three months, the country. In six months-the world."

I was really excited about getting this book and had been anxiously waiting to find time to read it. When I finally opened it up and got started I became a bit worried that I had built it up a little too much in my head. My expectations were a bit high. I was expecting something similar in style to Pan's Labyrinth but didn't get it.

Now, I did enjoy it, but the beginning was a bit slow. Nothing really captured my interest until page 125 and that was quite a way in. The events leading up to the characters' realization of what they are up against were dragged out, minute by minute. A trip to the medical examiner finally speeds things up and the book gets much more interesting, creepy and fun.

This is a slightly different take on the vampire invasion story. A bit similar to I Am Legend... but, before Will Smith is left all on his own.  (I have only seen the movie, haven't read the book yet). The vampires were different than the norm and quite scary which I liked. 

This is the first book of a trilogy so I suspect now that characters have been introduced and story begun, the next two books should be much quicker to get started and full of vampire fun.

The book comes out June 2nd.

3/5

Book Review- Afraid by Jack Kilborn

Afraid by Jack Kilborn

Safe Haven, Wisconsin turns out to not be so safe when a military helicopter crashes in town and unleashes unimaginable horrors on the residents. Five government Super Soldiers are unleashed on the unsuspecting populous of the small community. Is it a terrible government accident or a planned operation?

This book was quite an experience. It started off with the creep factor right from the start and was never ending gore and violence to the very end. I hadn't read a book like this in so long. It was fun to get back to the kind of books I used to read. This was a little more gory than Dean Koontz and Stephen King but still very much in that genre. The beginning chapter was the most terrifying for me. No gore just psychologically scary and made me get up and lock the doors. Less gore and more psychological thrills and this book would have been even better. It was fun reading some of those parts to the hubby, though.


If you like being scared and don't have a problem with gory details, this is a lot of fun.

3/5

Book Review- Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

This is the story of three teens from very different backgrounds who are in a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide. Vanessa has a family history of mental illness, Tony grew up being abused by his mother's boyfriends, and Connor seemingly has it all but looks can be deceiving.

Told in first person by all three characters, Impulse has quite a powerful impact. You feel what they are feeling, you sometimes understand their pain other times you don't. You are there to see their recovery and their fall backs.

I received the audiobook through Library Thing's Early Reviewers Program and listened to it on my drive to and from work for the past two weeks. Heavy material but I am glad to have had a chance to hear it. I think audiobook format was perfect for me. I am not much of a poetry reader so I have stayed away from these books for that reason. The book is a collection of free verse poems, as I believe all of the author's books are. The actors really brought Ellen Hopkins' words to life in a way I may not have appreciated as much in reading. It was like listening to someone's private journal with the good and the bad all shared. So real and raw, this book leaves you reeling.

I will be thinking about this one for awhile.

4/5

A to Z Challenge

YA Book Challenge

Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

End of March Madness (Sunday Salon)

It is hard to believe it is already nearing the end of March. The month has gone by so quickly. It has been a good month bookwise. I have read some really good books and have managed to get them all reviewed. Well, almost. I have one more to come.

March Books Read and Reviewed:

19. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
18. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
17. The Gifted Galbadón Sisters by Lorraine López
16. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
15. Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
14. Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

Reviews to come:
21. Cry of Justice by Jason Pratt
20. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart 

You can disregard the numbers, they are just for me. Keeping track of the number of books read in 2009. I can't believe there are some who have already ready over 100 books! How is that possible? I thought 20 was pretty good. :)

How many books have you read so far this year?

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Mo of Unmainstream Mom Reads has given me an award. It feels like yesterday when I got my very first Premio Dardos Award. Thanks so much, Mo! You should all go and check out the other blogs she awarded it to. There are some really great ones on that list.

This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

The rules to follow are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

It is so hard to pick a few from my long list of blogs I read so once I again I pass this on to everyone who Follows me and to those I Follow! you are all worthy of this award.

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With the end of March comes the start of the Classics Reading Challenge hosted by Trish. I posted my list of books for this challenge a few weeks ago and now I must make a choice for what book to start with. I am thinking I will start right at the top and begin with The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. I received my copy through Library Thing's Early Reviewers and feel I should read and get a review up soon. It is a very nice unabridged edition and I love the cover.

Which classic will you be reading in April?

Are you an Early Reviewer?

Were you aware of the Early Reviewer Program? Have you received any books from the program? If you have, how have you liked the book(s)? Any other thoughts on the LTER program?

I have been very lucky with the Early Reviewer's program at LibraryThing. I joined in September and since then I have received and reviewed the following books:

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

Fault Line by Barry Eisler 

The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel

I also recently got in the mail The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer New Unabridged. Haven't gotten to that one just yet. Soon, I hope.

Earlier today I found out I would be getting another book soon. Yay! It was my first choice and I can't wait until it gets here. I am a huge fan of Pan's Labyrinth which makes me even more excited to be getting The Strain by Guillermo del Toro.

Book Review- The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel

The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel

" 'It's been two weeks; do you have any idea what that does to a person? Your child missing, almost certainly dead and you don't know how or why.' " page 95

I posted this line for Teaser Tuesday this past week because it perfectly describes what this book is about. Joshua and Natalie Sandler come home one day to find their 14 year old son, Dan, gone. The police, their community and friends have no idea what has happened to him-dead or alive, kidnapped or a runaway-there are no answers. The book focuses on how Dan's parents deal with this terrible situation.

How would you deal with it? Would you ever give up your search for answers? Would you completely shut down and forget all about the other people and things you love in your life? What happens to the marriage when spouses react differently?

This was a very interesting and different take on the missing child story. Instead of focusing on the mystery of what happened to Dan, it deals with the people affected by his disappearance. The affect of not knowing what happened.

The only problem I had were the sex scenes. They seemed a bit awkward, the wording a departure from the rest of the book. Perhaps it was the use of certain words that made me want to skip these sections (only two), words that would seem more at home in another type of book.

3/5



A to Z Reading Challenge

Book Review- Fault Line by Barry Eisler

Fault Line: A Novel by Barry Eisler

When a client with a new encryption software (Obsidian) and the officer in charge of the patent application are both found dead, Alex Treven turns to his estranged brother for help after being threatened himself. His brother, Ben, is an assassin for the US Government who unwittingly finds himself back in the Bay Area to help his younger brother, who he has not spoken to in six years.

The story of the brothers' estrangement and family history is nicely mixed with the suspense and action of trying to hide and stay alive of those who would like to wipe all traces of Obsidian away. Very entertaining and fast paced, full of great Bay Area places that I am familiar with. Very fun to read and get lost in for an afternoon.

I got this book through Library Thing's Early Reviewers. The book will be released on March 10th.

4/5

AtoZ Challenge

Any Given Doomsday-Book Review

I was really hoping to enjoy this book. Considering the books I normally read, this seemed a perfect fit to me. Unfortunately, it falls a little short of my expectations for a good urban-fantasy read. I don't expect great literature, but I do want believable characters, fast-paced action, and scary monsters.

I couldn't relate to the protagonist, Elizabeth Phoenix, a psychic ex-cop turned bartender. I also didn't care about the relationship between her and her childhood love, Jimmy Sarducci. (I will not be going into my problems with the names.) I know he is supposed to be the "bad boy" type, but really, he's just not like-able and I couldn't understand or believe the attraction.

The mystery starts off right at the beginning when Elizabeth's friend and former guardian is found murdered. She discovers that Ruthie was a "seer" that helped demon killers find their prey and somehow passed her gifts on to Liz. The middle was a little slow while Elizabeth comes to grips with her newfound knowledge and gifts. The action picks back up towards the end, but in a very different way than I was expecting. The book went from urban-fantasy to racy romance book and not in a good way. The amount of sex going on for what seems like the entire last 1/4 of the book is not romantic, just disturbing and doesn't help in making me like or respect Phoenix as a female character I want to read about.

The monsters were somewhat interesting and different from the usual batch of supernaturals that fill the fantasy books I love. They are very obscure, however, so I felt the need to research a bit. Not something I really want to do while reading this type of book.

I think if the "romance" plot line was left out or if Elizabeth was given a better way to absorb others powers this would have made for a much better read. It was good enough to keep me reading to the end but there are definitely much better urban-fantasy books with much stronger more likable women protagonists.

2/5

You can see Blacklin's review of Any Given Doomsday on her blog, Blacklin's Reading Room Reviews & More.

First ARC

I received my first ARC today in the mail. I joined Library Thing Early Reviewers last month and put in some requests. I was lucky to get a book my first time around. Well, they were handing out 1000 copies. But there were over 2000 requests put in, so there was still a chance of not getting one.


Anyway, look for my review of Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland sometime next week. Here's the publisher's product description:

Elizabeth Phoenix once used her unique skills as a psychic to help in the Milwaukee Police Department’s fight against injustice. But when Liz’s foster mother is found viciously murdered—and Liz is discovered unconscious at the scene—her only memory of the crime comes in the form of terrifying dreams...of creatures more horrific than anything Liz has seen in real life. What do these visions mean? And what in the world do they have to do with her former lover, Jimmy Sanducci?

While the police question Jimmy in the murder, Jimmy opens Liz’s eyes to a supernatural war that has raged since the dawn of time in which innocent people are hunted by malevolent beings disguised as humans. Only a chosen few have the ability to fight their evil, and Jimmy believes Liz is among them. Now, with her senses heightened, new feelings are rising within Liz—ones that re-ignite her dangerous attraction to Jimmy. But Jimmy has a secret that will rock Liz to her core…and put the survival of the human race in peril.