THE PEARL by John Steinbeck 23 hours ago

“Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea” is a serious of tales from author Chelsea Handler’s life, covering everything from her DUI arrest to her disastrous vacation with her father, to her appearance on television with a con-artist midget. How much of each story is real and how much is embellished is entirely up to the reader, but Chelsea is such an earnest and colourful narrator that once can’t help but think they’re true.

Handler’s unabashed honesty and healthy ability to laugh at herself make this a charming read. The book is a fairly quick read – two or three sittings at most – and although most of it is dedicated to describing her drinking, there are a few moments that got a genuine chuckle out of me. Th story about her night in the women’s prison is probably the best in the book, though any time her dad makes an appearance is sure to be delightful.

There is a definitely a certain wit to this book, and there are a few phrases here and that are pure gold. There weren’t any stories in there that stood out as ‘weak points’ or that should have been excluded – everything was at least a little bit funny. The book wasn’t as side-splitting as some other offerings in the “short humour essays about my life” genre, but it’s definitely not one to be missed. 6 days ago

FROM DOON WITH DEATH by Ruth Rendell 6 days ago

Famous novelist Paul Sheldon wakes up after a horrific car accident with two broken legs, narcotics in his bloodstream, and Annie Wilkes, his “number one fan”, nursing him back to health. As the days stretch into weeks, Paul begins to see the monster lurking behind his nurse’s thin veneer of sanity. A creative dispute about the ending of the latest novel in his bestselling Misery series leaves Paul forced to write a new book on a typewriter as broken as he is. But as Annie’s condition grows worse and worse, it seems that Paul’s story may run out before Misery’s is fully told.

Misery is a thrilling trip into the lair of a psychopath. The realism is breathtaking; the reader’s heart races along with Paul’s as Annie’s car pulls into the driveway, and her stomach clenches as Paul uncovers Annie’s secrets. Annie is never given any kind of pattern or diagnosis – she’s wonderfully unpredictably and vile, the kind of wretch the reader can both hate and pity. The Misery story interspersed with Paul’s story creates a fantastic effect, and really helps the reader become immersed in Paul’s predicament. Even the main story begins to get more erratic and disjointed as Paul’s story gets more desperate.

Despite having only two characters and taking place mainly in one room, Misery is a gripping read. Every time Annie seems to have done her absolute worst, she comes back with something even more shocking. The story keeps you guessing until the very end, after dragging you through the depths of insanity and despair. Stephen King’s voice is readily apparent throughout the novel, with brilliant imagery and that ever-present self-doubting voice in the back of Paul’s mind.

The movie adaptation – which I saw long before picking up the book -captures the story perfectly, and Kathy Bates’s performance as Annie is absolutely brilliant. I will definitely be eager to read more of King’s work after this. 1 week ago

ALL THE LITTLE ANIMALS by Walker Hamilton 1 week ago

1987 – Dag Solstad 2 weeks ago

Adult Fiction: 3
Adult Non-Fiction: 0
Young Adult: 1
Children’s Fiction: 0
Children’s Non-Fiction: 0

Total Books: 4

To Date Totals:

Adult Fiction: 54
Adult Non-Fiction: 15
Young Adult: 25
Children’s Fiction: 30
Children’s Non-Fiction: 0

Grand Total to Date: 124
Start Date: December 2011
Months So Far: 17
Average Books Per Month: 7.05

December 2011 Total: 4
2012 Total: 73 2 weeks ago

1. Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen Murder Mystery)
Joanne Fluke
978-0-7582-7841-8
P. 309
Completed: 4/14/13

I think this is the third in the series…I’m not quite sure I like these or not. They are kinda fun, but not necessarily that well written. Not sure if this is worth my time…but I hate not finishing a series once I start it. These are rather formula, cute and almost amusing…eh.

2. Atlantis Unleashed (The Warriors of Poseidon)
Alyssa Day
978-0-425-22041-2
P. 316
Completed: 3/22/12

Another in the series. These seems pretty formula…a mindless read and a bit smutty…no real depth to the characters or the world they inhabit.

3. Shifter’s Lady
Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Virginia Kantra
978-0-425-22035-1
P. 317
Completed: 4/22/13

Read as part of the Warriors of Poseidon series, the short story by Alyssa day in this collection is related to the series. Same as above. :-)

4. Zombies vs. Unicorns
Black vs. Larbalesitier
978-1-4169-8953-0
P. 415
Completed: 4/30/13

This one is a collection of short stories where the editors have chosen a side (hence the vs. in the title). Each story had a mock discussion by the eds where they talked a bit about the story and why it supported their side and made funny remarks. It was well done and cute. This is not for young readers as themes obviously with zombies death, undeath, teenage love (with and without zombies…and unicorns), beastiality (yes, really)...but for young adult readers I think it’s a fun collection that shows off both genre’s and has a lot of fun with it.

My reading this month was not very good. I have no excuses, I was just not into it…maybe all the reading from the previous couple of months caught up with me…that and it was really nice outside, so I was playing out there a lot. :-) 2 weeks ago

“Diary” tells the story of Misty Wilmot, a hotel waitress on an island beset by tourism. Once a promising art student dreaming of an idyllic upper-class life, Misty found herself captivated by a bizarre classmate and his tacky jewelry, eventually becoming his wife on his seemingly perfect island home. The story begins after Misty’s husband, Peter, ends up in a coma following a suicide attempt. The phone is ringing with Peter’s angry former customers, who find the same cryptic rant painted in sealed-off rooms of their summer vacation homes. In the midst of the chaos, years after abandoning her dreams of being a painter, Misty is struck by inspiration and finds herself at the center of a sinister, age-old conspiracy.

This book is weird. That’s probably the best way to sum it up. The format alone was bizarre – despite the title, ‘Diary’ reads like a long, passive-aggressive third person letter to Peter Wilmot. Although the book does make use of dated entries, like a real diary, the book is more of one long, continuous story, rather than a blow-by-blow account of events; the dates can largely be ignored. The writing itself gets a little repetitive – prepare to see the phrases “just for the record” and “today’s weather is [insert Misty’s feelings]” a lot. Also, every time Peter’s name is mentioned in a sentence, the sentence gets immediately repeated with ‘you’ substituted for ‘Peter’, as if Misty was constantly forgetting who she was writing to. The repetition is sort of charming for the first half of the book, but it starts to grate on the nerves as you read on, and eventually the whole thing just becomes dull and predictable.

The story, though strange, was enjoyable enough. There are little hints here and there throughout the story that build up to the big realization at the end, and it does a fairly decent job of relating Misty’s bizarre past to her tumultuous future. While I enjoy a good supernatural twist, the novel’s big reveal seemed a little contrived. The end of the book comes in one big rush, which might have been a necessity, as even a few minutes of thinking will turn up dozens of more practical and humane solutions to the islanders’ problems. The book trails off with a lot of loose ends and a (fake?) letter from a completely unknown person claiming ownership of the story. It’s all too forced, and too fast and I didn’t entirely care for it.

All that aside, I’m not sorry I read it, and it won’t deter me from picking up one of Palahniuk’s more popular books in the future. I just wish that such a promising concept could have turned out better than it did. 2 weeks ago

ROOM by Emma Donoghue 2 weeks ago

THE SECOND TIME AROUND by Mary Higgins Clark 3 weeks ago

This is a collection of short humor essays by proud Southern woman Celia Rivenbark. Topics range from family to Southern living, with a few other stories scattered in among the rest. These are extremely short essays – most were just a page and a half on my eReader, far shorter than those of other humor essayists I’ve read.

The book was okay. There’s really not much else to say about it, and I don’t feel particularly strongly either way. It was a nice, light read with nothing really memorable about it; the whole thing is sort of a blur of jokes about Southern stereotypes. Her story about Amish Friendship Bread did have me laughing out loud, and the rest of it mostly elicited a mental ‘Heh, that was kind of funny’ from me. It’s not a boring read, it just doesn’t offer anything spectacularly original.

I’m willing to give some of her other works a try in the future, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this particular book. 4 weeks ago

327: Richard Bach – Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I picked this up a few days ago and decided to make it my surprise-pleasure read for those days … ended up finishing it last night. It was a short, yet beautiful story. 4 weeks ago

326: Harriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Another one read for class, but this time one that I enjoyed reading immensly. I it is a remarkable book, especially considering the time it was written and published in.
I am very much looking forward to discussing it in class. Recommended! 4 weeks ago

This is the third and final installment of Dan Wells’ ‘John Cleaver’ series. Against all odds, another serial killer has struck Clayton County – this one likes to leave his (or her) victims in gruesome, theatrical displays. John is sure he knows who’s behind it, and this time he isn’t tracking down the killer alone. Brooke may not be speaking to him, but John has a new girl who’s as beautiful as she is helpful. In his final novel, John Cleaver must deal with murders, budding romance, a series of horrific suicides and an increasingly suspicious police force as he tries to save the people of Clayton county once again.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first one, and almost as much as the second one. Like ‘Mr. Monster’, this third and final novel hangs on to the mystery right up until the very end, and the ending is the most unexpected of any in the series. I went through the entire book in one long sitting, because I just couldn’t bear to put it down. Dan Wells and his character, John Cleaver, have really grown on me throughout the trilogy and I’m definitely glad I stuck with the series. Wells particularly excels at writing action sequences; every violent scuffle is clearly written, well-paced and easy to follow.

John has definitely grown up through the past three books, and nowhere is this more true than in this last book. We’ve seen how John’s killing urges have evolved, and the events of Book #2 weigh heavily on his mind throughout this novel. It’s great to see a character who is so profoundly and realistically affected by what happens to him; in the beginning, I found John loathsome and irritating, and by this book I was cheering him on. He’s become an effective and sympathetic character, so no complaints there.

The end of this book was startling. From about three-quarters of the way through the book onward, the reader is subjected to a series of heart-wrenching shocks that end in a tragic climax. I found the ending a bit intense – it contains scenes that are far more emotional than the entire first two books put together – but it does tie up the loose ends, and there is some good to come out of the tragedy. The final few paragraphs tie off the series on an exciting and hopeful note, and make the emotional ride through the trilogy ultimately worth it. 4 weeks ago

This is the second book in the John Cleaver series by Dan Wells.

I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. Unlike the first book, which spoils the killer’s identity a third of the way through, ‘Mr. Monster’ keeps the suspense and mystery going right until the end. The book really held my attention, and the events in the final quarter of the book genuinely took me by surprise; major twist aside, the first book had been far more predictable.

The characters themselves are much improved. John’s mother is far less grating, but more importantly, John himself is far more human than he appeared in his previous iterations. His struggles with his darker nature are as intense as ever, but for the first time, we get to see some real depth to John. The antagonist this time around is far more complex and unpredictable than his predecessor, and I was finally able to take John’s side over the villain’s. The ending was satisfying, but definitely launched straight into the third book, leaving a massive cliffhanger.

I’m glad I kept going with the John Cleaver series, and I will be certain to check out the final book. 4 weeks ago

En Far – Stein Erik Lunde 1 month ago

325: Wolfgang Koeppen – Das Treibhaus

I had to read this one for class. Honestly, it was not very enjoyable and I am hoping very much that a good discussion in class will make it a little more understandable. Not understanding what is going on, seemed to make it even more tedious than necessary. Also, politics is not one of my favorite topics to read about. Let’s see if I will like it better in a few weeks. 1 month ago

This book is another collection of humorous essays from the gifted bestselling author Laurie Notaro. Its format is identical to those of her previous works – Notaro recounts everything from major, life-changing events (in this case, a cross-country move) to minor, everyday incidents (such as eating lunch next to a peculiar family).

I liked this book. It was a funny and enjoyable read. It wasn’t Notaro’s best book – some of her previous work has had me in stitches, and this book only had maybe one or two laugh-out-loud moments. I’m still glad I read it, but there were a few essays that just fell a little flat. The delightful snarky voice was there, as always, but some of the subject matter just came off a little bit forced.

What was unexpected, though, among essays made to make me laugh was one chapter that actually brought tears to my eyes. Notaro’s piece about her dog Bella was surprisingly raw and heartfelt, and I could really empathize with her pain as I was reading it. It’s nice to see Notaro branching out a little more as an author. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for her next book. 1 month ago

Adult Fiction: 14
Adult Non-Fiction: 1
Young Adult: 2
Children’s Fiction: 0
Children’s Non-Fiction: 0

Total Books: 17

To Date Totals:

Adult Fiction: 51
Adult Non-Fiction: 15
Young Adult: 24
Children’s Fiction: 30
Children’s Non-Fiction: 0

Grand Total to Date: 120
Start Date: December 2011
Months So Far: 16
Average Books Per Month: 7.5

December 2011 Total: 4
2012 Total: 73 1 month ago

16. For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan)
Kim Harrison
978-0-06-114981-8
P. 546
Completed: 3/26/13

Some interesting plot twists, I will be interested to see where the characters go from here.

17. Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hanna Swenson Mystery)
Joanne Fluke
978-0-7582-7298-0
P. 309
Completed: 3/31/13

This is the second in this murder mystery/foodie series. I’m enjoying it, though a lot of it is kind of far fetched. Enjoyable and light reading. 1 month ago

11. The Listeners
Harrison Demchick
978-1-61058-081-7
P. 308
Completed: 3/14/13

Also a first novel. The idea was interesting and I enjoyed some aspects of the book, but overall, it felt a little juvenile. I chose this from the library’s new fiction section.

12. The Lost Continent: travels in Small-Town America
Bill Bryson
0-06-092008-4
P. 299
Completed: 3/18/13

I’ve heard good things about Bryson’s writing…but I found this to be somewhat mean-spirited. There were a few very funny bits, but overall, I felt like he was whining and complaining a lot and passing off insults as humor. This wasn’t what I expected…and I did check some online reviews and it appears that a fair number of people felt the same way, and it appears that his other work is much better (and funnier). I will try again with Bryson, as he has been recommended to me by several friends.

13. Every Which Way But Dead (Rachael Morgan)
Kim Harrison
978-0-06-057299-0
P. 501
Completed: 3/19/13

Continuing with the series.

14. A Fist Full of Charms (Rachael Morgan)
Kim Harrison
978-0-06-07-8819-3
P. 510
Completed: 3/21/13

15. The Woodcutter
Kate Dantry
978-16185408
P. 271
Completed: 3/22/13

Interesting take on just about every fairy tale out there and how they are all interconnected and continual. I enjoyed this a great deal. 1 month ago

6. Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris
978-0-441-02301-7
P. 325
Completed: 3/6/13

7. Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris
978-1-9370-07-447
P. 327
Completed: 3/7/13

There’s only one book left in the series, yet to be published. Now I just have to wait for my library to get it in! :-)

8. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments Series)
Cassandra Clare
978-1-4395-6967-2
P. 485
Completed: 3/10/13

I had mixed feelings about this one…I’m going to reserve my opinion until I read a book or two more in the series.

9. Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem
Melissa Lemon
9780104621-1145-9
P. 276
Completed: 3/11/13

This was a first novel and I rather enjoyed it.

10. Beautiful Darkness
Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl
978-0-316-07705-7
P. 503
Completed: 3/12/13

Second in the series, I am liking the main girl character less and less as the series goes on. 1 month ago

1. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris
978-0-441-01589-4
P. 359
Completed: 3/1/13

More Sookie Stackhouse. Still enjoying the series. :-)

2. The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld)
Gena Schowalter
978-0-373-77392-3
P. 406
Completed: 3/3/13

I’m becoming vaguely annoyed by this series. Very formula. I like the overall idea, I’ll finish it, because I can’t help myself…but I hope that it gets better.

3. The Good, The Bad, and the Undead(Rachael Morgan)
Kim Harrison
978=-=06-057292-6
P. 453
Completed: 3/4/13

I like this series for the most part…but I think the main character sometimes does really stupid things…really, really stupid things. Eh, who hasn’t…lol.

4. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris
978-0-443-0715-7
P. 312
Completed: 3/5/13

5. Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris
978-0-441-01864-2
P. 311
Completed: 3/5/12 1 month ago

12TH OF NEVER by James Patterson 1 month ago

324: Erich Kästner – Das doppelte Lottchen (engl. Lisa and Lottie)

This one is an old German children’s classic (the film The Parent Trap was actually based on it) and it is simply lovely. 1 month ago