Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Night Film by Marisha Pessl 

From Goodreads:
NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee! 

A page-turning thriller for readers of Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and Stieg Larsson, Night Film tells the haunting story of a journalist who becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of a troubled prodigy—the daughter of an iconic, reclusive filmmaker.
On a damp October night, beautiful young Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley’s life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror-film director Stanislas Cordova—a man who hasn’t been seen in public for more than thirty years.
For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova’s dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.
Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova’s eerie, hypnotic world.
The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.
Night Film, the gorgeously written, spellbinding new novel by the dazzlingly inventive Marisha Pessl, will hold you in suspense until you turn the final page.



I was excited to read this book as it sounds very intriguing. I was drawn into the mystery, and really wanted to find out what happened. 

It would have been a better book if (1) it's shorter and more concise - I found myself skimping through parts of it (2) has a tidier ending - and I am not the only who felt like, "wait, what happened...?"

For some reasons, I think this will actually make a better movie than a book. 


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I saw that this book made it to many blogger's Top 10 in 2013. I had read her other book, What Alice Forgot (see review here) and liked it okay, thinking it'd be a stronger story if it was shorter.

I have the exact feedback for this book - at almost 400 pages, it was just a bit too long. I do like the story better than What Alice Forgot, as I enjoyed discovering how the three seemingly unrelated characters intertwined in the story. There are also many "what if" questions that made you wonder how you'd react, such as - [POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD] Would you open a letter written by your husband now or later, if you were supposed to open it upon his death? What would you do if your daughter was murdered and the killer was never found? What if your husband and best friend fall in love? [/SPOILER]

This book is still a bit chicklity and once again, it reconfirms that it's not really my genre (I don't know why I keep trying). Not the worst I'd read though. But like most books in this genre, it was a little predictable and I was able to guess the husband's secret early. Thus I think some tighter editing and maybe a little less foreshadowing would turn this into a better read.

3.5 Stars.


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Book Review - My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

From Goodreads:
You only think you know this story. In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer—the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper—seared himself into the American consciousness. To the public, Dahmer was a monster who committed unthinkable atrocities. To Derf Backderf, “Jeff” was a much more complex figure: a high school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides. 
In My Friend Dahmer, a haunting and original graphic novel, writer-artist Backderf creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man struggling against the morbid urges emanating from the deep recesses of his psyche—a shy kid, a teenage alcoholic, and a goofball who never quite fit in with his classmates. With profound insight, what emerges is a Jeffrey Dahmer that few ever really knew, and one readers will never forget.



I am quite fascinated by true crimes and serial killers - what makes them tick and why they kill. So when I heard about this from another blog, I quickly added it to my TBR. Because I'd been very busy lately, I thought I'd end the year with something light - not the subject matter of course, but that I'd read graphic novels instead.

Sometime between 1996 and 2002, I read a book on Jeffery Dahmer - I didn't blog back then obviously so I do not remember much about it apart from some of the sickening details of his crimes. This book gave us a glimpse of what he was like in high school, which may or may not have provided some insight on why he did what he did. 

The author/artist, who went to school with Dahmer, did say so in the beginning that "pity him, but don't empathize with him" (p11.) I agreed with his sentiments - you kinda wondered "what if"... but it really didn't excuse all his wrongdoings.

The author/artist also did some research to fill in the holes of the story - mainly with stories and interviews from the media (interviews with Dahmer and his parents etc), as well as memories of a few who went to school together. It was quite an interesting to read his research/reference notes at the end, which I appreciated. 

I would have to say though, the title, "My Friend Dahmer" is a little bit misleading because I really did not think they were friends. Acquaintance,  yes. Friends, no. Dahmer was more his (and his actual friends') object of amusement. Though it seemed like Dahmer did enjoy the short-lived "friendship, probably because that was one of the few occasions where someone would pay attention and talk to him, even if it was not with the best intentions. 

3.5 Stars




Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Going Home (#1), Surviving Home (#2), Escaping Home (#3) by A. American

 

From Goodreads:

Going Home (#1) by A. American

When Morgan Carter’s car breaks down 250 miles from his home, he figures his weekend plans are ruined. But things are about to get much, much worse: the country’s power grid has collapsed. There is no electricity, no running water, no Internet, and no way to know when normalcy will be restored—if it ever will be. An avid survivalist, Morgan takes to the road with his prepper pack on his back.

During the grueling trek from Tallahassee to his home in Lake County, chaos threatens his every step but Morgan is hell-bent on getting home to his wife and daughters—and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.

Surviving Home (#2) by A. American

No electricity. No running water. No food. No end in sight. If life as you knew it changed in an instant, would you be prepared?
(note - I shortened the description as not to reveal any spoilers.)

Escaping Home (#3) by A. American

The author of Going Home and Surviving Home continues his riveting and action-packed survivalist series featuring Morgan Carter

(note - I shortened the description as not to reveal any spoilers.)



When TLC Book Tours asked if I was interested in reviewing a survivalist series, I was curious. I have enjoyed dystopian novels, but the setting of this series is more real - like it could happen today, right now, rather than in some distant future. I am not by any means a "prepper" but it is a topic that interests me. Since this is a series, I thought I may as well read all 3 books to get a better feel of the whole story.

The first book, Going Home, actually started out a bit confusing as the main character, Carter, was introduced (more to do with the sequence of events). It was also a bit tedious as a big list of survival items, including brand names and all that, that Carter counted out what to bring with him when "the thing" happened and he had to walk home (he was driving at the time). For someone not familiar with all the equipment, it almost made me put the book down since it was more telling, than showing. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all the details, but wish the first few chapters were rewritten a bit so that instead of listing out everything, we'd just come to know what is in his pack as the story unfolds, rather than read a gear catalog. While the list is handy, it may be better suited as a resource at the end of the book. Especially for those of us who haven't prepared, but got paranoid after reading this series, so that we have a list of things to consider to buy all in one place :)

Anyway, I am glad I didn't give up on the book, as the story picked up soon after. It was quite fast paced, and kept you engaged. You wanted to know if Carter made it home to his wife and three daughters. The characters he met along the journey home also added to the story. You felt like you get to know them.

Book 2 focused on what happened after he reached his home town, and Book 3, as the title suggested, talked about having to leave his home town.

When I was near the end of Book 3, I kept wondering how the story would end, especially since I only had a few pages left. I mean, it couldn't just go, Bang!  and the whole world went exploding right?! Now, I don't know why I assumed this was a trilogy (probably because trilogies are so popular nowadays - or are they still popular this year? Well they were last year...) but yeah, this is a more-than-3-books series, so there was no ending to the story yet. Sigh. I see that there 4th book on Goodreads, Forsaking Home. But I have no idea if it is the last book or not.

Overall, I enjoyed the series so far, though I think the story probably could be shortened a bit (first book was around 450 pages, second book was around 500 pages, and the 3rd one was just over 300 pages). I actually liked the first two books more (3.5 Stars) more than the 3rd (3 Stars), as the third book went into more of a conspiracy mode. Perhaps I was just disappointed that I didn't get to find out why it was all happening... maybe if I hadn't assumed this was a trilogy, I would have felt differently.

The author definitely have put some thoughts into this "what if" scenario (see bio below - I wouldn't be surprised if the author actually has all the equipment he mentioned in the books). Now I just feel like I need to go and buy a bunch of survival gear and food, and modify my house in preparation of "the thing"...

A. American has been involved in prepping and survival communities since the early 1990’s. An avid outdoorsman, he has a spent considerable time learning edible and medicinal plants and their uses as well as primitive survival skills. He currently resides in North Carolina on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest with his wife of more than twenty years and his three daughters.

Don't forget to check out reviews from the blog tours!

A. American’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, December 2nd:  She Treads Softly – Escaping Home

Tuesday, December 3rd:  The Blue Collar Prepper

Wednesday, December 4th:  The Apartment Prepper’s Blog

Friday, December 6th:  The Prepper Journal

Saturday, December 7th:  Back Door Survival

Monday, December 9th:  Florida Hillbilly

Monday, December 9th:   Being 5

Tuesday, December 10th:  Reviews from the Heart  - Going Home

Wednesday, December 11th:  The Weekend Prepper – Going Home

Thursday, December 12th:  Cheryl’s Book Nook

Friday, December 13th:  Reviews from the Heart - Surviving Home

Monday, December 16th:  The Prepared Ninja

Wednesday, December 18th:  The Weekend Prepper – Surviving Home

Thursday, December 19th:  Reviews from the Heart – Escaping Home

Friday, December 20th:  Sweet Southern Home

Monday, December 23rd:  The Weekend Prepper - Escaping Home

Thursday, December 26th:  Cerebral Girl in a Redneck Girl

Monday, December 30th:  Mental Foodie

Note - Receive all 3 books for free as part of the TLC tour in exchange for an unbiased review.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff

From Goodreads:

Have you ever felt caught between the tension of a day job and a dream job? That gap between what you have to do and what you'd love to do?

I have.
At first I thought I was the only one who felt that way, but then I started to talk to people and realized we're becoming the "I'm, but" generation. When we talk about what we do for a living we inevitably say, "I'm a teacher, but I want to be an artist." "I'm a CPA, but I'd love to start my own business."
"I'm a _____, but I want to be a ______."
All too often, we hear that dreaming big means you quit your day job, sell everything you own, and move to Guam. But what if there were a different way?
What if you could blow up your dream without blowing up your life?
What if you could go for broke without going broke?
What if you could start today?
What if you already have everything you need to begin?
From figuring out what your dream is to quitting in a way that exponentially increases your chance of success, Quitter is full of inspiring stories and actionable advice. This book is based on 12 years of cubicle living and my true story of cultivating a dream job that changed my life and the world in the process.
It's time to close the gap between your day job and your dream job. 
It's time to be a Quitter.



Ummm do I really know the answer to this question?

"I'm a_________, but I want to be a ________."

There are so many answers I could give to the 2nd blank... but there isn't really just one answer for me though... If you don't know the answer, the author suggested your could ask yourself these questions:

• What is your dream?
• What's something that makes you feel alive that you wish you were doing?
• What do you hope is true of your life in 6 months? A year? 3 years?
• Do I love doing __ enough to do it for free?
• When I _____ does time feel different?
• Do I enjoy doing _____ regardless of the opinions of other people?
• If I pursue __ and only my life changes, is that enough?
• Is this the first time I've loved _ or is this part of a bigger pattern in my life? 

One thing that I have always loved all these years without fail (while other hobbies come and go), is reading. But hey can you be a professional reader and get paid for it? :) 

At times, the book feels a bit repetitive. And some of the materials I already know from my own experience, but I guess it's good to read as a reminder. And if you don't know, then it has some good takeaway. 

Some insights for me:

• Don't forget your family when you pursue your dream> E.g. I have to work like crazy right now, so my family can be better off later - the problem is that kids don't believe in later, kids believe in right now. 
• "If I really wanted to", "It would be easier if..." are such toxic phrases. They really do hold you back
• One idea I really want to try - email yourself about what you have learned today as a warning to your future self - set the time so that the email will be delivered a year from today. I mean, I have read people writing a letter to their younger self about what they wish they knew at the time. But since we can't go back in time, why not write to your future self so that you won't repeat your mistake, or remind your future self about something you think is important today? 

3.5 Stars

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - We Are Water by Wally Lamb

We Are Water by Wally Lamb

From Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Hour I First Believed and I Know This Much Is True, a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy

In middle age, Anna Oh-wife, mother, outsider artist-has shaken her family to its core. After twenty-seven years of marriage and three children, Anna has fallen in love with Vivica, the wealthy, cultured, confident Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her professional success.

Anna and Viveca plan to wed in the Oh family's hometown of Three Rivers in Connecticut, where gay marriage has recently been legalized. But the impending wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora's Box of toxic secrets-dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs' lives.

We Are Water is an intricate and layered portrait of marriage, family, and the inexorable need for understanding and connection, told in the alternating voices of the Ohs-nonconformist Annie; her ex-husband, Orion, a psychologist; Ariane, the do-gooder daughter, and her twin, Andrew, the rebellious only son; and free-spirited Marissa, the youngest Oh. Set in New England and New York during the first years of the Obama presidency, it is also a portrait of modern America, exploring issues of class, changing social mores, the legacy of racial violence, and the nature of creativity and art.

With humor and breathtaking compassion, Wally Lamb brilliantly captures the essence of human experience in vivid and unforgettable characters struggling to find hope and redemption in the aftermath of trauma and loss. We Are Water is vintage Wally Lamb-a compulsively readable, generous, and uplifting masterpiece that digs deep into the complexities of the human heart to explore the ways in which we search for love and meaning in our lives.

I have never read Wally Lamb, though I have been meaning to: I Know This Much Is True, She's Come Unknown.... so when I was offered We Are Water for review, I thought I might as well start with this one!

This novel has lot of elements I normally stay away from - this is character driven, it is over 500 pages, it doesn't have much plot, it's not fast-paced, the characters went through stream of consciousness... and yet I never thought about abandoning it. I wanted to find out what happened. The author was able to switch between present and the past easily and you got to know the characters from the little tidbits here and there. I definitely enjoyed the writing. So I am glad that I gave this a try!

The story was written from multiple perspective, which I do like. Though I found that all the characters seem to have similar voices. I did find a pet peeves of mine though - two minor characters were named Donald (one of the main character's brother, and her maid's twins), and that there was a Thea and an Althea. And maybe I am from a conservative family... but some of the topics the family members discussed? They'd never happen in my family... though I suppose it is quite subjective and no two families are the same.

I also found the ending satisfying - stopped at a good spot, but not loose end was tied up into a neat bow.

I do have a few quotes I like from this book - though the last one may be a bit of a spoiler - throughout the book, I kept wondering why this book was titled "We Are Water" - and I am glad I did find out why or it'd have been so annoying. So skip the last quote if you don't want to know yet! I posted it here not because I want to post a spoiler, but I just found it meaningful and want to keep it for future reference. And like one of the characters, I do like the sound of water - "rain on the roof, rivers flowing... and then ocean". I used to live by the ocean, and I miss it.

QUOTES:

"Put your hand out," I'd tell these students. "Now bring it closer. Now closer still." And when their hands were a half inch fro their noses, I'd ask them to describe what they saw. "It's blurry," they'd say, and I'd suggest that sometimes the closer we got to a situation, the less clear it looked. (p95)

Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the differences. (p550)

You can look back on the past. Just don't stay stuck there. (p552)

Okay, but what have you gained since then? I ask myself. It's something I used to advise my university patients to do to combat self-pity: replace negative thoughts with positive ones. So okay, what have I gained? (p556)

"We are like water, aren't we? We can be fluid, flexible when we have to be. But strong and dstructive, too."... Like water, we mostly follow the path of least resistance. (p560)




Note - Received a free ARC copy from HarperCollins in exchange for an unbiased review.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Stranger You Know (Forensic Instincts #3) by Andrea Kane

The Stranger You Know (Forensic Instincts #3) by Andrea Kane

From Goodreads:

It begins with a chilling phone call to Casey Woods. And ends with another girl dead.

College-age girls with long red hair. Brutally murdered, they're posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial offender now serving thirty years to life-a criminal brought to justice with the help of Forensic Instincts.

Call. Kill. Repeat. But the similarities are more than one psychopath's desire to outdo another. As more red-headed victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey-a connection that grows closer and closer to her.

Now the Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey as the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make one thing clear: he knows everything about Casey. And Casey realizes that this psychopathic won't stop until he makes sure she's dead.

I haven't read the first two book in the series, but when I was asked if I wanted to be part of the TLC tour, I immediately said yes because my blogging buddy and fellow mystery lover Tea Time with Marce had recommended Andrea Kane more than once before, and I never got around to reading her books.

I quite enjoy reading about the Forensic Instincts team which was made up of people with different specialty and talents - made me want to join their team! Not that I have any crime solving talents. As I didn't read the first 2 books, it took a little bit of effort to try to understand who-is-who, but it wasn't so bad. Though some characters got more "face time" than others, so there were a couple of the team members that I didn't get to know much about.

The story was fast paced, so it was an engaging read. However, some plot lines seemed a bit contrived (especially with Claire's psychic ability - I am not sure whether I believe in psychic power or not so I guess I lean on the more skeptical side though I found the topic fascinating). Also, with Casey being the human behavior expert, there was a choice she made near the end that made me felt like it was uncharacteristic of her.

Reading this book was like watching Bones the TV show - I loved the team work and read about everyone's skills. Seems like a good series to follow!

3.5 Stars.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour to see what other bloggers think! And this is a fun post - 5 Things We Bet You Didn't Know About.. Andrea Kane.

Andrea Kane’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 14th:  A Bookworm’s World

Tuesday, October 15th:  Inside of a Dog

Wednesday, October 16th:  Patricia’s Wisdom

Thursday, October 17th:  Simply Stacie

Friday, October 18th:  Bibliotica

Monday, October 21st:  The Book Wheel

Monday, October 21st:  Shelf Pleasure – author guest post

Tuesday, October 22nd:  The Well Read Redhead

Wednesday, October 23rd:  Bewitched Bookworms

Thursday, October 24th:  Chaotic Compendiums

Friday, October 25th:  She Treads Softly

Monday, October 28th:  Literally Jen

Tuesday, October 29th:  Redheaded Book Child

Wednesday, October 30th:  Mental Foodie

Friday, November 1st:  Life, Love, & Books

Monday, November 4th:  The Daily Mayo

Monday, November 4th:  Joyfully Retired

Tuesday, November 5th:  Bookalicious Mama

Wednesday, November 6th:  Kritter’s Ramblings

Thursday, November 7th:  My Shelf Confessions

Friday, November 8th:  From the TBR Pile

Monday, November 11th:  Sarah’s Book Shelves

Tuesday, November 12th:  Reading Reality

Wednesday, November 13th:  No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, November 14th:  A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, November 15th:  Booked on a Feeling

Monday, November 18th:  Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Tuesday, November 19th:  My Bookshelf

Wednesday, November 20th:  Broken Teepee

Thursday, November 21st:  Fiction Addict

Monday, November 25th:  October Country

Tuesday, November 26th:  A Chick Who Reads

Note - A free copy was given from TLC in exchange of an unbiased review.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

From Goodreads:

The First Phone Call from Heaven tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. An allegory about the power of belief--and a page-turner that will touch your soul--Albom's masterful storytelling has never been so moving and unexpected.

Readers of The Five People You Meet in Heaven will recognize the warmth and emotion so redolent of Albom's writing, and those who haven't yet enjoyed the power of his storytelling, will thrill at the discovery of one of the best-loved writers of our time

I read Tuesday with Morrie back in 1999 I think - I don't remember a whole lot of its content now, but I remember it made me cry when I read it, and I even remember exactly where I was when I read it too. I keep meaning to read more of Albom's books, so when I was offered an ARC for this one, I said yes immediately (even though I am trying to limit my reviews since I just can't seem to catch up)!

It was a quick read - Albom's writing is short and concise. I expect (whether rightly or not) that there will be a message behind the story, and there is. It definitely makes you keep reading to see if there really are phone calls from heaven or not, and I like that there are closures to the story. However, I found the character development a bit lacking and I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. So in the end, the story didn't move me much emotionally. The message was nothing really new, but it was a good reminder.

I also enjoyed the little bit of historical story about Alexander Graham Bell and his wife and the telephone that Albom tied to his story - I am not a history fan but like learning little tidbits here and there.

I do have one question though for those who have read this... I don't know if it's a loophole or not? I will put my question in white below with spoiler tags, as not to spoil the story for others:

[SPOILER QUESTION]
If everyone really wants evidence, couldn't Tess have played her mother's message from the answering machine? I think Jack rescued her phone/answering machine from the fire right? Or was the answering machine lost in the fire and only the phone was rescued?
[/SPOILER]

The First Phone Call from Heaven will come out in November. It'd make a nice holiday gift.

3.5 Stars.




Note - An ARC was given from HarperCollins in exchange for an unbiased review.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Kill Room (Lincoln Rhyme #10) by Jeffery Deaver

The Kill Room (Lincoln Rhyme #10) by Jeffery Deaver

You know I am a big Jeffery Deaver / Lincoln Rhyme fan, so I was excited to read this.

Even though it is 477 pages, it is a pretty quick read. Not bad, but not his best. Good to read when I just want to read for fun and don't have to use my brain too much. It has a little bit of forensic, but not quite as much as usual because well, there's a lack of evidence...

At the end of the book, Rhyme talked about whether to have surgery to give him more function back of his arm/hand. I thought that was quite insightful.

If you are a Rhyme fan, you'd read this just because it is a Rhyme book. If you haven't read this series, I'd start from the beginning...

Oh forgot to say - one of the characters in the book loves to cook, and Deaver has posted the recipes on his site if anyone is interested!

http://www.jefferydeaver.com/novel/killroom/recipes/


3.5 Stars


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland by Stephen King

From Goodreads: 


(may have some spoilers?!?!?)

"I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts," says Stephen King, who has combined these elements into a wonderful new story. Joyland is a whodunit noir crime novel and a haunting ghost story set in the world of an amusement park.
 
It tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a 'carny' in small-town North Carolina and has to confront the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the way both will change his life forever. It is also a wonderful coming-of-age novel about friendship, loss, and your first heartbreak. Who dares enter the funhouse of fear?

I haven't read Stephen King for a long time, and I had only read a couple. I probably have watched more Stephen King movies than read his books. The last one I read was probably IT, and that was 20 years ago. I remember I was quite proud of myself for having to finish it, since it was around 1000 pages, and probably the longest book I'd ever read, and my English wasn't that good then (not that it's that good now, but much better than before.) I did like it (I finished right?!) but I remembered thinking it was a bit too wordy or descriptive, and could probably be a bit shorter. Plus I didn't like the ending. Though you have to say it has some staying power because I still remember the gist of that story.

Anyway, so I never felt like I need to read another King, especially since the last movie I watched (The Mist? was just so-so. Much preferred Misery). But I'd been reading good things about Joyland from bloggers, and thought it's time I give him another try.

Plot-wise, it's just okay. But this man can write - I was totally sucked in, and I finished this book faster than a lot of other books I'd read this year. You really just want to keep reading to find out what happened. I could vividly "saw" what's happening as I read, as though I was the director and cinematographer of the movie. AND I didn't find it overly flowery or descriptive or wordy. Don't ask me how he did it as I am no expert on book analysis or English. He just did.

He totally made me want to go to a fun park now.  And especially go on a Ferris Wheel just so [Spoiler in white] I could fly, like a kite [/Spoiler].

I am giving this 3.5 Stars - why not higher? I will explain in the next paragraph, but it will contain spoiler, so be warned.

[Spoiler]
After I finished the book, I was wondering what "it is not white" meant... after some googling, some one mentioned that it probably referred to Lane's hair being not white... the hint is just too subtle I think, especially given that Mike said it a couple of times so I was expecting an a-ha moment. Or King could've made it a bit more explicit so we weren't left wondering - and I wasn't the only one who didn't quite get the hint.

Also, this is a ghost story. I don't know if I believe in ghosts or not (I haven't made up my mind). I do like a good ghost story - like, the Sixth Sense - but the ghosts in this story just seemed too convenient for the storyline. I did like that though it was Eddie Parks, and not Linda Gray, who saved Dev.

It also seemed a bit too contrived that Lane just stopped murdering girls....
[/Spoiler]



Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Tell Tale by Samantha Hayes

Tell Tale by Samantha Hayes

From Goodreads:

What do you do when there's no way out and nowhere left to hide? A woman stands on a bridge, the water rushing below, the wind catching her skirt. In a few seconds she will jump, plunging more than 200 feet to the bottom. Who is she? And why is she desperate to take her own life? Nina Kennedy is afraid. A man is following her, threatening her family, toying with her sanity. What does he want? And how long will it be before he strikes? Eight-year-old Ava sits waiting for her daddy. But, like the others in the children's home, she knows her father will never come. The home is a place of whispers and shadows. But no one dare tell the truth. Until now ...

I believe I first learned about this book from Tea Time with Marce. I may even have won this copy from her Horror Week? I finally got a chance to read this, and it did not disappoint.

The story alternated from three perspectives. Some were told in first person, and some in third. It sometimes took a bit of getting used to whose narrative it was since they were not labeled. I usually do like books told from different narrators so it didn't bother me.

What bothered me though was that, sometimes within a chapter, the timeline may jump back and forth without warning, so it wasn't until you read further in the paragraph to know something had happened in the past. Also, each narrator talked to herself a lot it seemed! I supposed sometimes I do talk to myself, but a times it just seemed a bit unnatural. Those dialogs seemed to be more suitable as thoughts, than saying out loud.

One of the narrators also seemed to sound younger than her age [spoiler - highlight to read] which I understand why the author chose to do so to deceive the readers a little bit, so we wouldn't have guessed who Frankie was actually Nina [/spoiler] and I don't know if it sounded plausible.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it and how the storyline weaved together. I wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

3.5 Stars


Note - I won a personalized signed copy.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Say You're Sorry (Joseph O'Loughlin #6) by by Michael Robotham

Say You're Sorry (Joseph O'Loughlin #6) by by Michael Robotham

From Goodreads:

TWO MISSING GIRLS. TWO BRUTAL MURDERS. ALL CONNECTED TO ONE FARM HOUSE. WHO IS TO BLAME?

When pretty and popular teenagers Piper Hadley and Tash McBain disappear one Sunday morning, the investigation captivates a nation but the girls are never found.

Three years later, during the worst blizzard in a century, a husband and wife are brutally killed in the farmhouse where Tash McBain once lived. A suspect is in custody, a troubled young man who can hear voices and claims that he saw a girl that night being chased by a snowman.

Convinced that Piper or Tash might still be alive, clinical psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, persuade the police to re-open the investigation. But they are racing against time to save the girls from someone with an evil, calculating and twisted mind...
 

Even though this is Book #6 in the series, I haven't read anything by this author before, and I didn't feel like I missed out on not reading #1-5 first. I think I found this book from other bloggers. I used to track better where I "discovered" the book, but that had become too much work... so sorry for not giving credit where credit was due!

The story alternated between clinical psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and Piper. I liked it - I liked Joe as a main lead - he's observant and analytical (my type!) and I liked how the story was told. 

I was able to guess the bad guy though (well either this person, or this other person lol) but I think when you read a lot of genre, you just couldn't help yourself but guess who dunnit. 

3.5 Stars.

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - If You Were Here by Alafair Burke

If You Were Here by Alafair Burke

"Magazine journalist McKenna Wright is chasing the latest urban folktale-the story of an unidentified woman who heroically pulled a teenaged boy from the subway tracks, seconds before an oncoming train. When McKenna locates a short video snippet that purportedly captures part of the incident, she thinks she has an edge on the competition scrambling to identify the mystery heroine. She is shocked to discover that the woman in the video bears a strong resemblance to Susan Hauptmann, a close friend who disappeared without a trace a decade earlier..."

The book drew me in, as I wondered if the mystery heroine really was McKenna's close friend Susan, or if McKenna was going crazy. And who could McKenna really trust? I liked the story until almost the end, when the truth was revealed... It just seemed anti-climax and I am not sure if it was plausible? 

McKenna was an okay character but not really memorable. It was fun to to read how the different storyline weaved together, especially since I had just finished reading The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall and it seemed like this book followed the structure from the Marshall Plan! Now I didn't exactly check if it followed the Marshall Plan exactly, but I recognized the techniques (at least some, if not all) mentioned in the Marshall Plan. 

3.5 Stars

  

Note - An ARC was given by HarperCollins in exchange for an unbiased review



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Weber

Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Weber

With fiction, it is easier to rate a book, or talk about what you like/dislike about the plot and the characters. But it is trickier to review memoir, because if you don't like how the "story" goes, you are criticizing the characters or actions of real people instead.

I read a few reviews of this book - "a searing account of a father’s struggle to save his remarkable son from a rare heart condition that threatens his life" - and some common themes arose - that the author was name dropping a lot (about the different famous doctors and scientists he knows, and his son got to appear in a TV series etc), and that Damon, the author's son, was just too perfect.

To me though, the name dropping did not bother me - I took it as a fact that the author consulted with credible sources - so it's like citing references without citing them formally with footnote and a bibliography. The author was lucky enough to have a rich network of people who were willing to share their knowledge with him (which implied that the author was quite well liked or the experts could have just ignored his requests). If my son had a fatal disease, and if I had people I could reach out to, you betcha I would do everything I could to save my child's life. It is not something I would've understood until I had my own child (and coincidentally, Damon and my son shared a birthday.) I am also the type of person who would do a lot of research on a topic I focus on - the pro and the con, the evidence and stats and examples... And really, the author needed to make informed decisions for his son's care, and it just showed his dedication. He really was Damon's advocate in his care. That's way better than parents who neglect their children. (Though personally I might not have gone as far as demanding the doctor's personal phone number... but who knows what I would do if I was in his shoes. When I had my C-section that required a 3 nights stay, the pediatrician doing the rounds did give us his cell phone number even though he is not our pediatrician.... so I don't know what the usual protocol is.)

I also wouldn't have understood why parents say their children are perfect until now... my son is just perfect - he is perfect for US, but it doesn't mean he is a perfect person, or that he doesn't have faults. It is just that we couldn't have asked for a better son. The author did mention Damon's flaws (e.g. not doing well in math, took a while to make new friends at the Tech, throwing some teenager tantrums etc) but really, it is refreshing to see such a strong bond between father and son. The scene where Damon, who was 16 years old at the time, sat on his dad's lap in front of his friends, spoke volume about their relationship.


As far as the writing goes - I am definitely not an expert - it just took me a while to finish the book but I never thought to stop or abandon the book. And I was so glad I read the last few chapters at home, instead of on the bus, because I would have been a mess - in fact, I stayed up late to finish the book because I couldn't put it down, despite that I had to get up at 5:45am the next day to go to work early.

Since I work in process improvement in healthcare, the topic about the care Damon received particularly interested me. Of course we have only heard from one side of the story - but if what the author said was true (and perception is the truth in a patient's or their caregiver's eyes), then there are definitely a lot of things we as a medical institution can learn from. It reminded me of Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe by Sorrel King which I read back in 2009 - though this book is a dedication to the author's son, and the topic of patient safety is a by-product, whereas Sorrel King's book really is about what she did to make medical care safer after her daughter's unfortunate death. I read from a Q&A that this book was used as a study guide and basis for seminars and discussions at San Diego Children's Hospital, so I hope more can be done based on this tragic story.

3.5 Stars.

PS - the book mentioned Damon played a small part in the HBO show Deadwood. I have not heard of the show before, but was curious to find out more (told you, I like doing research! :) ) and happened to find a clip of him in the show - he was the red hair boy who left on the wagon (you probably would have recognized him based on his photo on the book):

http://immortalbirdpostscript.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/video-clip-of-damon-on-deadwood/


Note - A copy was given as part of the TLC Tour.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops!

Tuesday, April 30th:  Lavish Bookshelf

Monday, May 6th:  Blooming with Books

Wednesday, May 8th:  Fifty Books Project

Thursday, May 9th:  Read Lately - review

Thursday, May 9th:  Read Lately - author Q&A

Thursday, May 9th:  Speaking of Books

Monday, May 13th:  River City Reading

Tuesday, May 14th:  Between the Covers

Thursday, May 16th:  She Treads Softly

Monday, May 20th:  Mental Foodie

Thursday, May 23rd:  Perks of being a JAP

Tuesday, June 4th:  Luxury Reading - author guest post/giveaway

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Picked this based on other bloggers' recommendations. Not my typical genre - I'd still call it chicklit, but it gets a layer deeper than the usual boy-meets-girl. I decided to read it because everyone said grab some Kleenex when you read it.

A story that makes you cry? I'm game.

Yes it did make me cry. Yes, it made me stayed up to find out what happened on a work night. Yes it made me think what I'd have done had I been in the same situation (either as the male OR female protagonist). Yes I liked that the ending is a bit different.

But it was still predictable to me.

3.5 Stars - why not higher? It was a bit long and dragged on a bit, and some characters felt a bit flat and stereotypical. I did like it better than the typical chicklit though so 3.5 is actually a high score for this genre for me.



Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer

The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer

I came across this book because I was reading review on another book by the same author (forgot which one, maybe the latest?) and one of the reviews said his/her favorite of this author is The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney instead. The premise sounds interesting ("Faith on Trial" - a reality game show about religion, and all contestants were lawyers and had to defend their faith) - now I don't have a religion, but I want to keep an open mind to learn about different ones. Anyway, it wasn't until I looked at my Goodreads record that I found I'd actually read another book by the same author -  By Reason of Insanity - back in 2008. I gave it 4 Stars then, but honestly I don't recall much of it. I don't usually remember much with this type of fiction though (legal thrillers, murder/mystery... these are my "fluffs").

Anyway this was a fun read. I especially liked the part about breaking codes, so much so that I went to reserve The Code Book by Simon Singh which the author referred to. Another interesting aspect is that the author actually wrote a non-fiction called The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ, and this non-fiction book was referred to in this fictional book, in which it was pretended that the main protagonist wrote the non-fiction one :) Now, I don't recall the previous book I read was a Christian legal thriller, and this book definitely biased towards Christianity, for no reason other than that the main protagonist was a Christian. Thankfully that it did not seem preachy and so I was able to enjoy the story.

Story wise I'd give it 3.5 Stars, Character wise maybe 3 Stars (a bit flat and stereotypical), but I really enjoyed reading about code cracking, so will change that to 4 Stars. 


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - UnWholly (Unwind Trilogy #2) by Neal Shusterman

UnWholly (Unwind Trilogy #2) by Neal Shusterman

Unwind was one of my fav YA dystopian books (see my review here).  At that time, there was not going to be a sequel, but I guess its popularity demanded one and now it's a trilogy.

I was disappointed in the beginning - it was very choppy, alternating between many characters and "announcements"/newspaper clips. The 3 main characters from the first book were hardly mentioned and many new characters were introduced. I didn't really get engaged until about half way through the ~400 books when you get to know the characters better, and have a better sense of the plot.

I like the theme of the book, and "Cam" is an intriguing character. I am glad I didn't give up the book, because now I'd for sure read the last book to find out what happened. Unwind was a 4.5 Stars book for me, but this one is only 3.5 due to its choppy, slow start. 



Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters by Jeffrey Zaslow

The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters
by Jeffrey Zaslow


I photograph weddings (well I am on a sabbatical right now) so this book intrigued me as the book was set at this bridal shop in a little town in Michigan. I also had a long engagement (4 years) so I got to try on lots of dresses before the wedding :) I pretty much tried on every style there was, and in the end, I chose what I'd thought I'd choose right from the beginning - a simple bias dress with no beads or lace. Though I had a dramatic necklace and a long veil. The dress was easy to transport (rolled it and threw it in the suitcase from Australia to the US, as we had to get married within 90 days after I landed in the US, so no time for gown shopping then!) but it was very me.

As I was reading this book, it brought back memories of my own wedding dress shopping. And what it went through my mind as I prepared for that next chapter of my life - not just about getting married and being a wife, but also having to leave my family and friends behind to live in a new country.

The book was more than about buying a wedding dress. It talked about how Becker's Bridal Shop got started, and how this family business and been passed on from one generation to another; and how the society had changed regarding marriage and wedding dress and wedding dress shopping. What did not change was "the love we wish for our daughters" - as the subtitle suggested. The book really was a book of stories - of the current owner, and several brides who went dress shopping at Becker's - of how they found love, of what wanted in their life, and also of the bond between the brides and their family (mostly mothers, but there were some exceptions like grandmothers and daughters.)

Some of the stories were quite touching and I got a little teary. However, I am not sure if I like the way the book was organized - it talked about Person A (part 1), then Pearson B (part 1), Person C (part 1), Person D (part 1), Person A (part 2), Person C (part 2), Pearson A (part 3), Person B (part 2)... okay this wasn't the exact order, but you got the gist. So it was a bit confusing to go back and forth among the different persons. If I read this book fast (within a few days) I probably would have remembered everyone's stories a bit better. But since I am reading at a much slow pace right now, I read this over 3.5 weeks, and I forgot a lot of the back stories... The only nice thing about this structure was that at the end, it talked about each bride's wedding day so everything came together... The book also included some pictures of the brides and dresses, though I wish the pictures showed the dresses a bit better! :)

You might remember about 1.5 months ago, I found out that the author died in a tragic accident (see post here). It was kinda coincidental that this was his last book - this book had such an emphasis on the parent-daughter relationship. I am sad that he won't get to walk his three daughters down the aisle or get to see them grow or get to meet his future sons-in-laws or grandchildren. I couldn't even imagine how his daughters would feel - that their dad's last book was written to them. For them.

3.5 / 5 /


Note - I received a free copy of the book as part of the Crazy Book Tours.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman

Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman

This book was recommended during Tea Time with Marce's Thrill Week. The author was an Assistant State Attorney, so it was good to read more legal details than the typical thriller though from memory, though its main focus was NOT on court scenes (which I do enjoy).

I read this over 3 months ago, and so a lot of the details have been forgotten. I remember I enjoyed reading it and learned something new, such as status of limitation on rape cases, and how it might be different in each state - since I didn't grow up here in the US, it still baffled me sometime how each state is so different when it comes to laws. I mean, for even something more general like car seat laws for children, it differs in each state in terms of height / weight / type of car seat needed. What if you go on a road trip? Do you need to get a new car seat in each state?!

Anyway I digress.

So the story didn't have much staying power, and none of the characters made a lasting impression, but it was a fun read (if you could call thrillers "fun") while it lasted. It was a little long though at 420 pages and could possibly be edited to a shorter length.

3.5 / 5 .

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.