Book Review - Still Missing: A Novel by Chevy Stevens

Title: Still Missing: A Novel
Author: Chevy Stevens
Year: 2010
Page: 352
Genre: Fiction - Murder / Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Yes
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? Canada
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old Realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor of the day pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.  Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive of a sadistic psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered spirit back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor. The truth doesn’t always set you free.
 

First Sentence:
you know, Doc, you're not the first shrink I've seen since I got back.   

Why did I pick this book?
I had read my good reviews about this book from different blogs. I think Thoughts of Joy's review made me put it on my ever growing TBR list!

My thoughts:

• Very strong voice from the portangonist - I like that! You feel like you really got to know the character. I am the same age as the protagonist, so definitely hit close to home! (Though I am not a Realtor)

• Since I recently read Damaged, which was also sent in Canada and was a book in a similar genre, I got a little mixed up while reading this book (I think both mentioned Vancouver Island?). But then again my mind had been preoccupied with the cat in the past couple of weeks, so I am not paying as much attention as I usually do when I read! Also, the named Berger was mentioned in this book, and it was a name also used in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. So interesting to see these connections! Some people may also find Still Missing a bit too graphic - I'd say it's about the same as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or slightly less.

• The way the mystery revealed was a bit abrupt. While it wasn't totally expected, it was just revealed too fast and made me question, that's it?? 

• I wasn't happy with the ending either. It was a bit of a let down and disappointing, and tied things up a bit too perfectly. Hence this is a 4 Stars book to me instead of higher.

• Being abducted was a nightmare no one would want, yet I didn't feel overly emotional about it. I definitely wanted to find out what happened, but I didn't feel as scared as I thought I would 

• The book title was very appropriate!! DO NOT read the quote below if you don't want to find out why I thought it was a good title!

Quote:

Doc, it was a flyer with my face on it -- my face -- over the words Missing Realtor. I just kept staring, and until a drop landed on my hand, I wasn't even aware I was crying. Maybe I should put up my own flyers: Still Missing. (p207)

 
Rating: 4 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading

Book Review - Never Knowing: A Novel by Chevy Stevens

Title: Never Knowing: A Novel
Author: Chevy Stevens 
Year: 2011
Page: 416
Genre: Fiction - Murder / Mystery / Thriller / Suspense 

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers.

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…

First Sentence:
I thought I could handle it, Nadine.

My Thoughts:

• I read Still Missing last year, and quite enjoyed it (see my review here). When this book came up, I was curious to see what the author would do, since the psychologist was the common character between the 2 books (both protagonists told their story to the same psychologist). 

• It was a fast read, and the premise was very interesting - what would you do, if you find out your real father (whom you don't know anything about) was a serial killer? Would you want to meet him? Would you rather not? It definitely made me think "what if".
   
• At over 400 pages though, the story was a little long, especially since not a lot happened. There were some twists in the end, but I was able to guess some of them (not every single one, but could see where the story was going)
   
• I also didn't like the characters as much in this book and they seemed a bit stereotypical. So overall, not a bad read but I preferred Still Missing, which had a stronger voice. 

• The title of the book is fitting, and I quite like the cover. I wonder if the author would continue would this format of her future books (another protagonist consulting the same psychologist, Nadine, who actually do not play a big part of the story. Maybe we'd hear from Nadine some day?)

Quote:

You said my obsessions were passions, that my intensity were a powerful gift, that my determination was admirable. That what I considered my weaknesses could also be my greatest strengths. If John is a mirror that reflects back my worst distortions of myself, then you're a mirror that reflects that good. (p302-303)

Overall Rating:

3 Stars. Not bad. Liked Still Missing better.


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

Book Review - Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room: A Novel
Author: Emma Donoghue
Year: 2010
Page: 321
Genre: Fiction

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Probably
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? ?
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It's where he was born, where he and his Ma eat and play and learn. At night, Ma puts him safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she's been held for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for her son. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma's desperation -- and she knows Room cannot contain either indefinitely. ...

Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.


First Sentence:
1st - Today I'm five.  

Why did I pick this book?
Heard lots of good things about it from blogsphere. I think it got nominated from some type of award too (sorry I don't follow all the awards closely... I don't choose my books base on the shortlist or winners...) The storyline sounds promising.

My thoughts:

• First thought after I was done - it reminded me of Still Missing: A Novel by Chevy Stevens. Except, this book was told by a 5 years-old (Jack), instead of a 32 years-old. And I guess since this was told from a young boy's perspective, it made the events more chilling, given his innocence (e.g. not understanding what's really happening, while we, only know too well)

• Jack, seemed way more mature than a 5 years-old, using vocabularies that I didn't think 5 years-old would use, especially given the fact that his mum was 19 when she was kidnapped. However, I don't have any kids, so who knows. Maybe kids nowadays mature way faster than I ever was :)

•  I was impressed with the games Jack's mum came up with to help Jack's development. Who needs toys? :)

• This is definitely a character driven novel, not a plot-driven one. So, definitely not a thriller - there is not a whole not happening... another similarity to Still Missing, is the lack of the kidnapper's perspective.

• There was also something "Ma" did near the end of the book that I couldn't quite comprehend why she did what she did. But I guess for those who were went through what she did, who knows exactly how they'd feel

• {{{SPOILER}}} The storyline definitely reminded me of similar imprisonment cases in recent years (e.g. girls who got kidnapped then later found alive, often with kids fathered by the kidnapper). I guess it made this book more realistic? If any memoir come out from these real-life crimes, I'd definitely read them {{{ End Spoiler}}} In fact, the author listed some of the research she did in this article and it's quite fascinating. In particular, she researched on feral children. How heartbreaking. I didn't know there is such a term as feral children...

• I found this quote by Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife) that really summed up how I felt about Room: "Room is a book to read in one sitting. When it's over you look up; the world looks the same, but you are somehow different and that feeling lingers for days."

• I gave this 4 stars. Probably would have been higher if we got to hear a bit more from Ma or the kidnapper - more of a plot rather than just characters. But maybe that's asking too much since that'd be my ideal book, rather than what the author wanted to write.

Quote:

{{{SPOILER}}} When I was four I thought everything in TV was just TV, then I was five and Ma unlied about lots of it being pictures of real and Outside being totally real. Now I'm in Outside but it turns out lots of it isn't real at all. (p277)

 
Rating: 4 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading

3 Cats

Not their latest pic, but still want to post a picture of the 3 of them together :)

From L to R (adopted in order):

Kunik - thought to be Scottish fold, about 3 now? He was 1.5-2 years old when we got him. He really reminded me of this Japanese cat Maru (see blog) - they have similar markings and expression, though Kunik doesn't like boxes as much as Maru does. And Kunik is skinnier. We named him Kunik because he has a flatish face, but he still wanted to give us Eskimo kisses (nose-to-nose) and Kunik is the official term for Eskimo kisses. Sometimes I called him Kunnie.

Tallulah - about 3.5-4 years old now. We got her 2 weeks after we got Kunik but Kunik was missing his kitty friends at the foster mum's home. When we played cat videos on the computer, Kunik would try to find those kitties! They get along fine, but Kunik loves to play chase and wrestle, and Tallulah would only play for 5 seconds then she'd get annoyed... she's a lap cat, and loves food and neck scratches. When I thought saw her video from her foster mum, I thought she looked like a little wolf. But after we got her, she's more of a princess/diva lol. So I had to come up with a girly name for her.

Sesame - he was about 5 months old when we got him, so he's about 1.5 years old now and still act like a kitten! He's a Siamese -mixed. We got him 3 months after we got Kunik... we didn't plan to adopt a 3rd cat, but since Kunik really wanted a playmate, so we decided to try one more time, and luckily it worked as they love to play together. He definitley has the youngest-kid-I'm-a-spoiled-brat syndrome lol. He has a high pitch meow that sounds more like "eh?" (maybe he's actually Canadian instead of Thai?) and he loves to tilt his head to the side and looks at you all cute so you can't get mad at him even though he's the naughtiest. He's probably the smartest too. One of his toys fell behind a bookshelf from the top shelf (that has an open back), and some how he knew the toy was hidden behind the books so he pulled the books out of the bottom shelf to find the toy! The picture was taken when we first got him. He still looked very similar but with a bigger, rounder head now lol. And also he had more gray on his face and body.

Book Review - Mockingjay (#3 of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay (#3 of the Hunger Games)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Year: 2010
Page: 398
Genre: Fiction - Young Adult, Dystopian

New to me author? No
Read this author again? Maybe...
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? US
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

First Sentence:
I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather.

  
Why did I pick this book?
I really liked The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, so of course I have to read #3 in the series!


My thoughts:

• What a big disappointment!!!

• Okay, now that's out... It was a big let down - the Katniss that I liked, instead of showing courage and strength, became whiny and acted on impulse. Now, maybe it was realistic in real life that, under the circumstances she went through, she'd have changed somewhat... but still. Everything in the book became too cliche, and I guessed part of the ending.

• I know some people didn't like it because too many characters died. That's not really the reason I didn't like it. I just thought the plot was no where near as engaging, and at parts, slow and boring. Not sure if the "afterword" was really necessary either. Typically I prefer books with sad endings rather than happy endings (make them more memorable) - but either way is still better than flat endings like this one!

• Team P or Team G? After reading the book, I couldn't even care less. While I liked that the author didn't focus on the romance throughout the book, I thought the outcome of the relationship was forced, and well, was too convenient

• I did like that we got to know Prim a bit better, and saw her mature and developed more

• I also liked that we got to see another side of Haymitch

• Am I the only one who got confused about Flavius and Fluvia???

• I have to say though, the recent rescue of the Chilean minors, reminded me of Katniss' and Gale's dads in the mines in District 12. I am glad we DO have a happen ending with the Chilean miners!

• Overall, would I recommend this series? I am a bit torn. The first 2 books, definitely. But Book 3 was disappointing. I suppose I'd still recommend the series, and let you be the judge, since there ARE fans out there who do like Book 3. Maybe I need to read their reviews to see why - I may be missing something (I have been avoiding reviews in case of spoilers... and of course there was one comment I read that revealed too much of one of the character, argh!)

Quote:

Underground, where I dread dying, which is stupid because even if I die aboveground, the next thing they'll do is bury me underground anyway (p296).

 
Rating: 2 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Young Adult

Book Review - In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene, Hillel Levin

Title: In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption
Author: James Keene, Hillel Levin 
Year: 2010
Page: 256
Genre: Non-Fiction - Real Crime

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):

The unforgettable true story of a young man facing a ten-year prison sentence who was offered an impossible mission: coax a confession out of a fellow inmate, a serial killer, and be free to walk

Jimmy Keene grew up outside of Chicago and was destined for greatness on the football field. By the time he reached his twenties, he was rubbing shoulders with famous actors, porn stars, and the children of powerful politicians. But a few costly mistakes left him with a ten-year prison term and no chance of parole. Less than a year into his sentence, Keene was approached by the prosecutor who put him behind bars. He had convicted another man, Larry Hall, for murder and was fighting his appeal. He offered Keene a deal: Enter one of the most dangerous prisons in the U.S., befriend Hall, and get him to confess to the murder of two young women and tell him where he buried the one whose body was still missing. If he succeeded, Keene would get an unconditional release. If he failed, he’d have no choice but to ride out his term. If he was found out, he could also be killed. A story that gained national notoriety, this is Keene’s powerful tale of peril, violence, and redemption. 

First Sentence:
In life, people can take a few wrong turns that destroy them.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I like reading non-fiction crime books. Saw this while browsing at the "new books" section in the library and thought it was interesting. For some reasons I thought it'd be a memoir (since the author's name is on the front) but it's written in 3rd person instead.

First thought:

• I could not finish the book...

Cover Art:

• I liked it. It at least attracted me to pick it up!

Title:

• I liked it also, sounded exciting!

Writing:

• For some reasons, I just couldn't get into the book, and this type of book is usually right up my alley. I wonder if I would have liked it better if it was written in first person instead (which I seem to prefer?)

Plot:

•  I read about 65 pages so roughly a quarter of the book. From what I remembered, it moved a little slow for me because where I stopped, the main protagonist had just started his "mission". Granted, I probably should have kept reading as this was probably the point where it got interesting, but since I was bored, and had to return it to the library, I stopped instead

Characters:

• I didn't really care about the main protagonist or his family, so that was another reason why I decided to stop this book. He might have became a hero or redeemed himself later, but it was a little too late for me. 

Ending:

• Since I didn't finish the book, I couldn't tell you if I liked it or not!

Emotion:

• I got bored, hence I stopped reading it...

What I Learned:

• I think if I was in the right mood to read it, I might have like it better. I definitely prefer faster-paced books. I don't always have to like the people in the book (I used to read a lot of real crime and I definitely did NOT like the serial or mass murderers!) but if that's the case, I need engaging writing to keep me interested

PS:

• I read that Brad Pitt's production company bought the movie rights. Maybe it's one of those I'd enjoy watching the movie more than the book - like the Millennium Trilogy (read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but will watch the movies instead for the rest of the series) and Harry Potter (read 4 books, watched 1 or 2 movies... but after all movies came out, will probably just watch the movies in one go.)

Read this Author again?

• Probably not...

Quote:

You can get the best education in the world at being a criminal. (p42)

Overall Rating:
0 Star. Did Not Finish.

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

Books Read In 2010

Rank in the order of how much I liked the book!

Non-Fiction:

1. Not by Chance Alone: My Life as a Social Psychologist by Elliot Aronson (5 Stars)
   
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (4.5 Stars)
3. Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer's Journey by Daniel Keyes (4 Stars)
4. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (4 Stars)
   
5. Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine by Robert Marion MD (4 Stars)
6. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (4 Stars)
7. The Promise: How One Woman Made Good on Her Extraordinary Pact to Send a Classroom of 1st Graders to College by Oral Lee Brown (4 Stars)
   
8. Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich (4 Stars)
9. Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey (4 Stars)
10. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi (3.5 Stars)
11. Hannah's Gift: Lessons from a Life Fully Lived by Maria Housden  (3.5 Stars)
12. Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition by Andrew Friedman (3.5 Stars)
13. Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler (3.5 Stars)
    
14. Never Trust a Thin Cook and Other Lessons from Italy's Culinary Capital by Eric Dregni (3.5 Stars)
15. Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons by Steve Economides, Annette Economides  (3.5 Stars)
16. Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy by Jonni McCoy (3.5 Stars)
17. The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume by Tilar J. Mazzeo (3 Stars)
18. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (3 Stars)
19. Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq by Jackie Spinner with Jenny Spinner (3 Stars) 
20. Believe It, Be It: How Being The Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life by Ali Vincent (2.5 Stars) 
21. Lift by Kelly Corrigan (2 Stars)
22. Live It, Love It, Earn It: A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom by Marianna Olszewski (2 Stars) 
23. The Hunger: A Story of Food, Desire, and Ambition by John DeLucie (2 Stars) 
24. With One Eye Open by Polly Frost (2 Stars)

Fiction:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4.5 Stars)
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (4.5 Stars) 
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (4.5 Stars)
4. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist (4 Stars)
5. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn (4 Stars)
6. Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls (4 Stars)
7. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (4 Stars)
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (4 Stars)
9. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson (4 Stars)
10. Room by Emma Donoghue (4 Stars)
    
11. Still Missing: A Novel by Chevy Stevens (4 Stars)
12. Poison Study by Maria Snyder (4 Stars)
13. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (4 Stars)
14. Edge by Jeffery Deaver (4 Stars)
15. The Burning Wire: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel by Jeffery Deaver (4 Stars)
16. The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick (4 Stars) 
17. Think of a Number: A Novel by John Verdon (4 Stars)
18. Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon (3.5 Stars)
19. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie (3.5 Stars)
20. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (3.5 Stars) 
21. Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young (3.5 Stars)
22. Innocent by Scott Turow (3.5 Stars)
23. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (3.5 Stars)
24. Dismantled: A Novel by Jennifer McMahon (3.5 Stars) 
25. The Hate List: A Novel by Jennifer Brown (3.5 Stars)
26. The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh (3.5 Stars)
27. The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel by Nicole Mones (3.5 Stars)
28. The Housekeeper and the Professor: A Novel by Yoko Ogawa (3.5 Stars)
29. The Dead Toss Waves by Carrie Ryan (3.5 Stars)
30. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (3.5 Stars)
31. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (3.5 Stars)
32. A Vintage Affair: A Novel by Isabel Wolff (3.5 Stars)
33. Shadow Tag: A Novel from Louise Erdrich (3.5 Stars)
34. Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet by Helen Chen (3.5 Stars)
35. Genesis: A Novel by Bernard Beckett (3.5 Stars)
36. And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) by Agatha Christie (3.5 Stars)
37. Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord (3.5 Stars)
38. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood  (3 Stars)
39. The Breach by Patrick Lee (3 Stars)
40. Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson (3 Stars)
41. Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt (3 Stars)
42. The Passage by Justin Cronin (3 Stars) 
43. Damaged by Pamela Callow (3 Stars)
44. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (3 Stars)
45. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert (3 Stars)
46. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (3 Stars)
47. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (3 Stars)
48. Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles (3 Stars)
49. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (3 Stars)
50. My Lost Daughter by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg (3 Stars)
51. The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf (3 Stars)
52. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (2.5 Stars)
53. Lottery: A Novel by Patricia Wood (2.5 Stars) 
54. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (2.5 Stars) 
55. Mockingjay (#3 of the Hunger Games) by Suznne Collins (2 Stars)
56. The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult (2 Stars)
57. PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (2 Stars)
58. Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette  (2 Stars)
59. House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings #1) by Robert Liparulo (2 Stars)
60. American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld (2 Stars)
61. Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda (2 Stars)
62. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (2 Stars)
63. The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain (2 Stars)
64. 31 Hours: A Novel by Masha Hamilton (2 Stars)
65. Ice Cold: A Rizzoli and Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen (2 Stars)
66. In Firm Pursuit by Pamela Samuels-Young (2 Stars)
67. The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship (A Novel) by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel (2 Stars)
68. The Door to December by Dean Koontz (2 Stars)
69. Liar by Justine Larbalestier (1 Star) 
70. We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson (1 Star) 
71. The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey 
72. The Piano Teacher: A Novel by Janice Y. K. Lee (1 Star)
73. Postcards from a Dead Girl: A Novel by Kirk Farber (1 Star)
74. The Accidental Tourist: A Novel by Anne Tyler (1 Star)

Graphic Novels:

1. The Red Tree by Shaun Tan (4.5 Stars)
   
2. The Arrival by Shaun Tan (4.5 Stars)
3. The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan (4 Stars)
4. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (3.5 Stars)
5. Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption by Andrea Nepa
6. Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson (2 Stars)

Did Not Finish:

1. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig (2/15/10)
2. 206 Bones (Temperance Brennan #12) by Kathy Reichs (2/14/10) 
3. The Push Man and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Adrian Tomine (4/24/10) 
4. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (5/31/10) 
5. House Lust: America's Obsession With Our Homes by Daniel F. McGinn (6/22/10) 
6. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (7/7/10)
7. Veracity by Laura Bynum (7/25/10) 
8. The Last Picture Show:  A Novel by Larry McMurtry  (8/17/10)
9. Denial: A Memoir of Terror by Jessica Stern (8/26/10)
10. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey (12/26/10)
11. American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt by Daniel Rasmussen

Chinese:

1. 三毛傳
2. Book about death and funeral
3. Book about Hong Kong movies and movie stars
4. Book about Hong Kong medium (talking to the dead)
   

Book Reviews by Author (Fiction)

A

• Abbott, Megan - The End of Everything
• Ahren, Ceclia - The Book of Tomorrow
• Ahren, Ceclia - PS, I Love You 
• Allen, Sarah Addison - The Girl Who Chased the Moon
• Allen, Sarah Addition - The Peach Keeper
• Allen, Sarah Addison - The Sugar Queen
• Atwood, Margaret - The Handmaid's Tale

B

• Bauermeister, Erica - Joy For Beginners  [Did Not Finish]
• Beckett, Bernard - Genesis: A Novel
• Bessette, Alicia - Simply from Scratch
• Bradley, Alan - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce #1) 
• Brennert, Alan -  Moloka'i 
• Brashares, Ann - My Name is Memory [Did Not Finish] 
• Brooks, Geraldine People of the Book 
• Brown, Eleanor - The Weird Sisters
• Brown, Jennifer - The Hate List: A Novel 
• Bynum, Laura - Veracity [Did Not Finish]

C

• Callow, Pamela - Damaged 
• Cassella, Carol - Oxygen 
• Chamberlain, Diane - The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
• Chen, Helen - Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet 
• Christie, Agatha - And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians)
• Christie, Agatha - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
• Cline, Ernest - Ready Player One  [Did Not Finish]
• Collins, Suzanne - Catching Fire (Book #2 of the Hunger Games)
• Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games  (Book #1 of the Hunger Games)
  
• Collins, Suazzne - Mockingjay (Book #3 of the Hunger Games) 
• Condie, Ally - Matched (Matched #1)
• Cronin, Justin - The Passage  
• Cross, Ethan - The Shepherd  

D

• Dashner, James - The Maze Runner  
• Deaver, Jeffery - The Burning Wire: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel 
• Deaver, Jeffery - Edge
• Derting, Kimberly - The Body Finder 
• Dewey, Laurel - Revelations 
• Dick, Philip - The Minority Report  
• Donoguhe, Emma - Room 
• Draper, Sharon - Out of My Mind 
• Duisberg, Kristin Waterfield - The Good Patient: A Novel [Did Not Finish]
• Dunn, Mark - Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters  

E

• Eggers, Dave - A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius  [Did Not Finish]
• Erdrich, Louise - Shadow Tag: A Novel
• Eugenides, Jeffrey - Middlesex: A Novel  [Did Not Finish]

F

• Farber, Kirt - Postcards from a Dead Girl: A Novel 
• Fielding, Joy - Still Life 
• Fisher, Catherine - Incarceron [Did Not Finish]
• Forman, Gayle - Where She Went (If I Stay #2)
• Foster, Melissa - Megan's Way
• Fuduka, Andrew Xia - Crossing 

G

• Genova, Lisa - Left Neglected
• Gerritsen, Tess - Ice Cold: A Rizzoli and Isles Novel
• Gerritsen, Tess - The Silent Girl
• Gudenkauf, Heather - The Weight of Silence  
• Gudenkauf, Heather - These Things Hidden

H

• Hambly, Barbara - The Emancipator's Wife
• Hamilton, Masha - 31 Hours: A Novel
• Hannah, Kristin - Night Road
• Hart, John - Iron House: A Novel
• Hatvany, Amy - Best Kept Secret: A Novel [Did Not Finish]
• Henderson, Susan - Up From the Blue
• Hillier, Jennifer - Creep 
• Hoffman, Cara - So Much Pretty: A Novel [Did Not Finish]
• Holmqvist, Ninni - The Unit
• Horan, Nancy - Loving Frank
• Hornby, Nick - A Long Way Down [Did Not Finish]
• Hunt, Angela - Let Darkness Come

I

• Israel, Andrea and Garfinkle, Nancy -The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

J

• Jackson, Shirley - We Have Always Lived In the Castle 
• Jordan, Toni - Addition 

K

• Kaufman, Lory - The Lens and the Looker (The Verona Trilogy #1) [Did Not Finish]
• Kernochan, Sarah - Jane Was Here [Did Not Finish]
• Keyes, Daniel - Flowers for Algernon
• King, A.S. - Please Ignore Vera Dietz
• Knowles, Jo - Lessons from a Dead Girl  
• Koontz, Dean - The Door to December

L

• LaPlante, Alice - Turn of Mind
• Larbalestier, Justine - Liar 
• Larsson, Stieg - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Book #1)
• Leavitt, Caroline Pictures of You 
• Lee, Janice YK - The Piano Teacher: A Novel 
• Lee, Patrick - The Breach 
• Lee, Tanith - The Silver Metal Lover
• Lelord, Francois - Hector and the Search for Happiness 
• LePore, James - A World I Never Made
• Levithan, David - Love is the Higher Law
• Lieberman, Ben - Odd Jobs 
• Liparulo, Robert - House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings #1)  
• Lutz, Lisa and Hayward, David - Heads You Lose [Did Not Finish]

M

• Maynard, Joyce - Labor Day  
• McHenry, Jael - The Kitchen Daughter
• McMahon, Jennifer - Dismantled: A Novel 
• McMahon, Jennifer - Don't Breathe A Word
• McMurtry, Larry - The Last Picture Show:  A Novel [Did Not Finish]
• McNees, Kelly O'Connor - The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott 
• Mitchard, Jacquelyn - Christmas, Present 
• Mones, Nicole - The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel
• Moriarty, Liane - What Alice Forgot 

N

• Norman, Matthew - Domestic Violets 

O

• Ockler, Sarah - Twenty Boy Summer
• Ogawa, Yoko - The Housekeeper and the Professor: A Novel  
• Oliver, Laura - Before I Fall 

P

• Palumbo, Dennis - Mirror Image (Daniel Rinaldi Mystery) [Did Not Finish]
• Patchett, Ann - State of Wonder
• Pearson, Mary E - The Adoration of Jenna Fox
• Perrotta, Tom - The Leftovers [Did Not Finish]
• Pfeffer, Susan Beth Life As We Knew It 
• Picoult, Jodi - The Pact: A Love Story 
• Pupek, Jayne - Tomato Girl   

Q

R

• Reichs, Kathy - 206 Bones (Temperance Brennan #12) [Did Not Finish]
• Rosenberg, Nancy Taylor - My Lost Daughter 
• Rotter, Gabe - The Human Bobby
• Rowell, Rainbow - Attachments
• Ryan, Carrie - The Dead Toss Waves 
• Ryan, Carrie - The Forest of Hands and Teeth 

S

• Samuels-Young, Pamela - Buying Time 
• Samuels-Young, Pamela - In Firm Pursuit 
• Schram, Irene - Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down: A Novel
• Shane, Trevor - Children of Paranoia (Children of Paranoia #1)
• Shusterman, Neal - Unwind 
• Sittenfeld, Curtis - American Wife: A Novel  
• Smith, Betty - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• Snyder, Maria V - Inside Out 
• Snyder, Maria V - Poison Study 
• Spinelli, Jerry - Stargirl
• Stern, Jessica - Denial: A Memoir of Terror  [Did Not Finish]
• Stevens, Chevy - Never Knowing
• Stevens, Chevy - Still Missing: A Novel  

T

• Turgeon, Carolyn - Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story
• Turgeon, Carolyn - Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale
• Turow, Scott - Innocent
• Tyler, Anne - The Accidental Tourist: A Novel 

U

V

• Vann, David - Caribou Island 
• Verdon, John - Think of a Number: A Novel

W

• Walls, Jeanette - Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel 
• Walsh, Therese - The Last Will of Moira Leahy
• Watson, S.J. - Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel
• Wells, Dan - I Am Not a Serial Killer
• Wilson, Kevin - The Family Fang: A Novel
• Wolff, Isabel - A Vintage Affair: A Novel
• Wood, Patricia - Lottery: A Novel
• Wright, Jason - The Wednesday Letters  

X

Y

Z 

• Zink, Michelle - Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters #1)

Book Review - The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Author: Mary E Pearson
Year: 2009
Page: 272
Genre: Fiction - Yound Adult, Dystopian

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Yes
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? US
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

First Sentence:
I used to be someone.

Why did I pick this book?
Read reviews on several blogs (sorry, didn't write down which blog) and it sounds interesting. Plus I need some YA for my YA Challenge!

My thoughts:

• I read the hardcover version of this book - which was the one with the butterfly on it. While the white paperback cover might be a bit more eye-catching, I thought the butterfly goes with the story better as it was an important part of the book, as was the hand. What do yo think? I always wonder why they have different covers for hardcover and paperback? Anyone know why? I know they may have different covers (and/or titles) for different countries as different market has different taste... does the same hold true for hardcover and paperback?
  
  
• While I didn't love this book, I did quite like it. The reason I didn't love it is that I could guess where the plot was going and how it was going to end (while I am not always right at guessing, I was this time.) But, it was good to have the affirmation that my guess was correct, and that it had a logical explanation
  
  
• It's definitely a book that made you think. Most books probably make you think what you'd do if you were the protagonist.. but this book made me think of what I'd do for many characters as they all had some kind of decisions to make. What if you were... Jenna? Her parents? Her grandmother? Her friend Allys? Allys' parents? Her friend Ethan?
  
  
• I thought her grandmother Lily was an interesting character in how she treated her daughter, and her granddaughter. Since I am not a mother, let alone a grandmother, I wonder about the type of relationship between grandmother/mother/daughter. I can't elaborate more without giving spoilers, but if you have read this book you'd probably know what I mean around the theme of what parents would do for their child
  
  
• The question I have was about two other characters who were Jenna's friends (their name started with D and G... again, avoiding potential spoiler here!) - it seemed like the former would have a more important role? But D just disappeared after the last interaction with Jenna and it was never really explained what made D so different. As for G - it almost seemed like G was an extra character that could have been omitted (unless I am missing something significant?)
  
  
• And when I finished the book, I had to chuckle (oops, am I sounding too much like Edward from Twilight? After I read Twilight, I thought Edward chuckled A LOT, like, every second page... anyway I digress)... it is almost the as though the author read my review of Liar and ended this book the way I said Liar should have :) Interestingly, both books were published in the same month and same year (Sept 09)
  
  
• My quotes for this book were more like food for thoughts... I didn't necessarily agree or disagree, but again, this is a book that makes you think

Quote:

The mind is an energy that the brain produces. Think of a glass ball twirling on your fingertip. If it falls, it shatters into a million pieces. All the parts of a ball are still there, but it will never twirl with that force on your fingertip again. The brain is the same way... but the mind, the mind could never be transferred... we found that it is like a spinning glass ball. You have to keep it spinning or it falls and shatters. (p123-124)

They say you can only remember events when you have the words to name them. (p148)

"When I was going through my bitter phase, my counselor told me we're all products of our parents, genes, or environment in one way or another... And I may wish I could change the hand I was dealt, but I can't, so all I can do now is choose how I will play it. So that's what I'm doing. Playing it the best I can." (p168)

Do certain events in our lives leave a permanent mark, freezing a piece of us in time, and that becomes a touchstone that we measure the rest of our lives against? (p221)

Faith and Science, I have learnd, are two sides of the same coin, separated by an expanse so small, but wide enough that one side can't see the other. They don't even know they're connected. Father and Lily were two sides of the same coin, I've decided, and maybe I am the space in between. (p263)

Rating:

You may also like these books:

I can't think of any right now that I'd read that is similar to this book, but I will be reading The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist and Genesis: A Novel by Bernard Beckett soon. I think both are of the same genre (but we'll see!)

If you want to read a YA book about another girl and coma, try If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Have some tissues handy though (for some reasons the book really touched me... probably because I was missing my family and hadn't seen them for several years.) Love the simplicity of the cover!

NOTE - there is a list of Dystopian Literature listed in Wikipedia. I had read 3 - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Never Let Me Go by by Kazuo Ishiguro (actually did not finish this one). I enjoyed Uglies and may read the rest of the series. I found The Road boring (didn't feel the despair/hope/hopelessness/love...). While I thought the concept of Never Let Me Go very very interesting, the writing was too slow for me and I abandoned it... but I did google to find out what happened. Perhaps it's one of those books that I will have an easier time watching the movie just to know the plot (think The Lord of the Rings, Time Traveler's Wife - I hadn't read the former, but did read the latter.)

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think!
I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Young Adult

Thrill Week - Q&A on My Thriller, Mystyer, Suspense and Horror Journey. AND A GIVE AWAY (End 9/9/11)

This is going to be a conversation with myself about thrillers, suspense, mystery and horror books. Yes I talk to myself sometimes. No I am not crazy. But then alcoholics don’t think they are alcoholics so maybe I really am crazy. I mean, who wanted to read about gruesome details and disturbing people, for fun? Who would stay up late just so she could find out Who Dunnit (even if it means going to work with just 2 hours of sleep?) Who actually took an anatomy class just because she would have a chance to dissect a cadaver? Granted, I wanted to be a forensic pathologist or CSI, so I thought that class might be helpful... but then I barely passed biology/chemistry/biochemistry, and I didn’t want to be the CSI or pathologist who missed a crucial clue because I was too dumb, and let the criminal get away. So I wanted to be a criminal profiler or detective or criminal lawyer instead... but then I didn’t want the bad guys coming after me or my family lol. Oh I’d better stop babbling since I haven’t even started asking myself questions yet! (And don't forget there is a Give Away at the end!)




Q: So, why do you like this genre so much?


I like solving puzzles. Crime is one of the most fascinating puzzles since it involves human and there are so many variables - it is both an art (human mind) and science (physical evidence)! I want to see if I could out-guess the author. I am not a competitive person at all - I don’t even like to play in team sports because I don’t care if we lose or win (and of course I don’t want to drag the team down) but I guess I am competitive intellectually with myself. I know there are many people smarter than I am, so I am not competing with others, but I like to test myself to see if I am observant or logical. I feel so dumb when I miss something obvious! I always wonder if cold cases can be opened to the public to try to solve (or at least those who are interested, but not wanting to be a cop or FBI or the like. I’d fail the physical for sure!)



Q: When did you start reading this genre?


I won’t bother with the books I read when I was a kid, as those books were written in Chinese (but yes, my interest in this genre went way back when). So I’ll start from my teenage years instead. I’d just moved to Australia from Hong Kong. Even though we learned English in Hong Kong, it was all text book English and I wasn’t very good at it. It was totally different when you had to speak the language everyday, all the while trying to translate everything in your head very quickly so the other person didn’t think you were slow. The people you spoke to also speak with an accent you had never heard before, and use slang that you had no idea about. While I had always loved to read as a kid, I hadn’t loved reading books written in English because there were just too many words I didn’t understand. Of course the school chose the most boring books ever (why do they always pick those symbolic books, or literary books where the author used 13 pages to describe what the flower smelled like), so that didn’t encourage me to find books to read in English. 


Luckily, my friend introduced me to Christopher Pike. One book later, I was hooked! Even though I didn’t understand every word, I got the gist of it. I didn’t know reading English books could be fun, and not a chore! I pretty much read all his books I could get my hands on. Also read some R.L. Stine, but Pike was still my favorite. I remember we had library periods, where the whole class would spend the time in the library reading. We had to track what we read on Index cards. In no-time, I out-read everyone even though I was the only ESL (English as a Second Language) student. I think reading these books (among others) really helped improved my English, more so than the text books! I also learned about the western culture as well, like how western teenagers behave (okay, I knew getting murdered was not the norm :)



Q: So what happened next?


I found a lot of other authors I liked in this genre. Between 1992-2004, some of my favorite authors then were (not in any order) Mary Higgins Clark (a lot of you know who she is), John Saul (suspense/horror), Robin Cook (medical thriller), Elizabeth Lowell (romantic suspense), Jayne Anne Krentz (contemporary romantic suspense - she also writes under Amanda Quick for historical romantic suspense), Sandra Brown (suspense), Richard Layman (horror), VC Andrews (horror - well that’s how the library categorized her books anyway) and Patricia Cornwell. Since this was way before the blogging days (or the Internet days for that matter...), I “discovered” these authors mostly by browsing the library book shelves. I’d see which title or cover attracted me. I didn’t know a lot of them were famous or prolific authors until later.


My favorite “author discovery” from this period was, guess who, Jeffery Deaver! :) (if you didn’t guess it, you should go read my Thrill Questionnaire here :) Seriously, I still remember how and where I “found” him. It was like one of those where-were-you-when-Princess-Diana-die moments.  I was in college then in Australia. We had a student union building and there was this cool library where it had fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels, and comfy chairs. They divided all the  fiction by categories, so of course I was naturally drawn to the murder/mystery section. I seriously just read every book spine to see which title catch my eye! Granted it wasn’t a big library, but still. 

Deaver’s books were located right at eye level (for those of you who didn’t have marketing classes, this is strategically the BEST retail location as you don’t have to crank up your neck to see, or kneel down). The title, A Maiden’s Grave (published in 1995), somehow got my attention. I hardly remember what that book was about, apart from some teacher and students got kidnapped, but I must have liked it enough because I kept seeking out his books. When I read the Bone Collector (1997), it was like nothing I’d read before because it included SCIENTIFIC details that explained the evidence (remember, I was a science major who wanted to be a CSI! This was before CSI was a TV show!) I think by that time, I had read Patricia Cornwell - while she usually does include some medical knowledge on how the victim died, Jeffery Deaver took it to the next level with the forensic details. You felt like you were part of the team catching the criminal because you were presented the evidence (and Deaver usually put the evidence nicely together for you in a summary, as that’s how Lincoln Rhyme wanted his assistant to show him as he is quadriplegic). Of course, I like the characters too. 

This was all before the movie Bone Collector was made (1999) so I enjoyed the fact that I found him myself, not because of the media craze. Though I have to admit, Denzel Washington was not how I pictured Lincoln Rhyme. Well Angelina Jolie wouldn’t be my pick for Amelia Sachs either (I just noticed they changed her name to Amelia Donaghy in the movie? What?!) I don’t know who I’d have casted, I just had their images in my head and I couldn’t match a name to these faces (I read Hollywood gossip just for fun, but not a die hard fan, so I don’t know a lot of the supposedly famous people.)



 Q: What happened after 2004?


I moved to the US in 2004. I hardly read for a while... I read some, but at that time I was working a full time job, building a photography business, and going to graduate school. I hardly had time to sleep, let alone read. It wasn’t until about 2007 that I got really interest in reading again because I found this fabulous mystery series. And for the life of me, I CANNOT remember what the titles were or who the author was, or what the character names were! I did some google search, I looked through amazon and I just could not find it. If I remember right, it is about this Caucasian male detective who went to China, and he partnered with a Chinese female detective to solve some crimes. One of the books was about these archaeologists digging something by a river in China and someone was found dead... freshly dead, not an ancient death (or something like that anyway!) Now, I didn’t like this series as much as some others, but they were engaging enough that my interest in reading was ignited once again. From 2008 onwards, I read about 100 books a year (you can find what I read here in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). Not all of them were fiction of this genre, as I had started to explore other type of fiction, thanks to various book forums, and of course, blogs. But this genre still reminds one of my favorites (the others are dystopian and magical realism. Non-Fiction too!)






Q: So any other authors you forgot to mention?


Yes, if you could believe it! William Diehl, who wrote Primal Fear! Now, I actually watched the movie first (Richard Gere, 1996) and liked this movie a lot (probably liked it as much as The Six Sense). When I found out it was based on a book, I just had to read it, and the book was even better! This is more of a legal thriller, but I still highly recommend you give this one a try as I like it as much as Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme :) I had read a couple of other Diehl books, including a sequel to Primal Fear but it wasn’t as good. I just googled Diehl, and he actually passed away in 2006, no wonder I don’t see his name anymore. If you like legal thriller, Scott Turow and Steve Martini are others you should try. Though like a lot of other prolific authors, their earlier works seem to be better than the more recent ones... I think I had read one John Grisham only, so can’t really comment on his work.


I’d enjoyed Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington series, as well as Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli/Isles series. I also read a few Kathy Reichs (the TV show Bones was inspired by Riechs books) but for some reasons her books are just okay for me. I LOVE Bones, but the TV Temperance/Booth and the book Temperance/Booth are different (I don’t even think Booth’s name is Booth?), the amazing “lab rats” (the lab scientists) were also missing in the books (I think?), so I guess that’s probably why I don’t like the books as much because I like the TV characters much more!




Q: Any more fun tidbits?


For some reasons, sometimes I get Kathy Reichs and Tess Gerritsen confused (probably because I started reading both series around the same time). I also get Harlen Cohen and Dennis Lehane confused - don’t ask me how! I think I had read one Harlen Cohen and enjoyed it quite a bit (forgot what it is called! That’s why I track what I read and blog now because I don’t remember!). I had read a couple of Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island - brilliant ending, Mystic River - I liked it when I read it, but hated the movie).


I much prefer contemporary novels, so while I had read a couple of Agatha Christie, she isn’t quite a favorite... though I do like that she set up the story and explained the clues. I haven’t read any Sherlock Holmes! But I LOVED the Young Sherlock Homes movie (1985) lol :)




Q: Any authors who didn’t live up to your expectation?


Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I read Book 1 only, and it was just too chicklit-ish for me. I didn’t like Stephanie Plum and didn’t find this series funny at all. I can see why it appeals to many (just like Twilight - not my cup of tea but I understand its popularity). If you like her style, you may also enjoy Lisa Lutz’s Izzy Spellman mystery series.

I think these books are just “lighter” whereas I prefer the more gruesome, heavier stuff that may give others nightmare. I want the step-by-step on what the murders did, and how they were caught due to logical investigation. Not just The heroine turned around and oops, he had a gun in his hand, pointing at her. She couldn’t believe it! He was so nice! And he said, with a sad look, “I don’t want to hurt you, but why do you have to keep digging? Now I have no choice but to kill you because you know to much”. And miraculously, someone else would shoot the murderer and the girl would fall in love with the hero who rescued her. 


Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was just okay to me. I read Book 1, then watched all 3 movies instead of reading the other 2 books. I think his strength was creating Lisbeth as she is a memorable character. But his plot isn’t as strong as others I’d read.



Q: Last question, since you had talked too much already. I know this is a BOOK blog, but what TV shows in this genre do you like? This way, our readers would know whether they should take your opinion seriously... (or did they just waste their time reading this Very Long Post?)


I used to watch CSI: Las Vegas a lot. Then I just stopped watching after I moved to the US as we don’t have a TV (we do have a DVD player to watch videos). I didn’t like any of the spin off (Miami, NY, anywhere else?). LOVE LOVE LOVE the forensic details. I like Bones (anthropologist), Numb3rs (using math to solve crime! VERY logical!), Boston Legal (legal cases... more on how to get away from crime sometime - hire a good lawyer lol!), Castle (using a writer’s imagination to solve crime), Lie To Me (body language), Prison Break (more like a thriller), Shark (another legal one).


I’d just started The Mentalist and liked it so far (this one deals with body language too). Watched a few Criminal Mind and enjoyed it also but hadn’t watched it for a while. So if you don’t like any of these TV shows, forget about all the authors I mentioned :)


I tried watching Dexter Season 1. I only lasted 1 episode. While he is an interesting character, the pace was just too slow... I heard that it took the whole season to find the killer? A friend also mentioned Season 2 is better, so maybe I need to try that instead. I had also read Book 1, and it was just an okay read for me.



Q: Anything else (maybe I shouldn’t ask...)


If you like to read non-fiction, or want to read about FBI criminal profiling, go read John Douglas’ books!



Q: Wait, what about the Give Away?

Ha, I want to see if you actually read my post first :) Or did you fall asleep? Leave a comment, and tell me if any author you’d like to try after reading this post? You’d win an Amazon.com $10 gift certificate! (now if you don’t live in the US, please check to make sure amazon ships to you). I will randomly choose a winner by Friday 9/9 when Thrill Week ends!



Q: Any famous last words?


Thanks Marce for hosting this bloody fabulous Thrill Week!


Also, check out the other bloggers who are going to be doing a post during Thrill Week!


Thursday, Sept 1 - Thrill Ride/Blog Hop  (participate by linking your post!)

Friday, Sept 2 - http://teawithmarce.blogspot.com - Tea Time with Marce

Saturday, Sept 3 - http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/ - Mental Foodie - A Book and Food Lover (ME!)

Sunday, Sept 4 - http://www.redheadedbookchild.com/ - Red Headed Book Child

Monday, Sept 5 - http://thebestobooks.blogspot.com/  - Best O'Books

Tuesday, Sept 6 - http://boofsbookshelf.com/ - The Book Whisperer

Wednesday, Sept 7 - http://www.cafeofdreamsbookreviews.com/ - Cafe of Dreams

Thursday, Sept 8 - http://cat-bookmagic.blogspot.com/ - Tell Me a Story