Wednesday, October 31, 2012

WIFE 22 by Melanie Gideon ***

I didn't entirely hate the story. There were too many characters and it was sometimes hard to keep up when they just suddenly showed up in a scene when you hadn't heard about them for chapters.

The basis of the story was "someone" chose the wife Alice for an online survey about marriage. It's not hard to guess who once you read the story. I pretty much knew after the first load of questions. The thing I really really hated about the novel was that the questions weren't with the answers; they're at the end of the book. There's a break for you. Whenever you read an answer you can flip to the end to see what the question was an option I didn't have cuz no one told me. So I really hated that part of the book, the answers.

A lot of times there are online conversations that are very confusing with names and who said what to whom and who cares. I wasn't crazy about the book and it took me a long time to read it what with trying to figure out the stupid ass questions and who everybody was emailing or facebooking or tweeting all the time. Just a PITA. Library book, so-so.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

COME HOME by Lisa Scottoline ****

This is a story about a mom/pediatrician who has lots of marriages, ex kids etc and is ready for another marriage. Meanwhile one of her ex's gets killed, a stepdaughter comes to her for help then mysteriously disappears. Meanwhile Dr.Mom uncovers plots and plans to defraud people and schemes to screw with the stock market buying with inside info. Lots of people want her dead.

Not bad reading, easy to follow, people are somewhat distinct even the kids. Keeps you interested and reading altho it's a little teeny bit on the young adult side of the reading category. It's ok. Liked it.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

YEAR ONE by Rob Reid *

This one is barely readable. I only have 2 books til Friday so am forced to shove this down my throat. Some guy who's partner in a group of lawyers, his name is Nick Carter gets a meeting with some aliens who think they owe the music world all their money in the universe for stealing their music-listening to it and playing it etc. He even has very boring * things you have to read at the bottom of the page.

The aliens travel thru wrinkles, like the universe is a sheet with folds in it. That's how they get places. It's pretty much about idolizing music and musicians, there's a lot of thrown in internet crap like Fark etc. just so he can say it "fark". He hangs out with 2 aliens Carly and Frampton. Carly is supposedly so famous around the universe for being in a reality show which most of the time she's not in it-so how does that work exactly? Once they went to see her daddy ONSTAGE and then things were being filmed --WHAT? It was supposed to be a concert. I got no clue but at first you are led to believe it's a music concert going on with lip-syncing and I don't see any of that taking place. It actually was quite a bit more boring.

Meanwhile our hero Nick gets an upgrade including 6 more toes or something then later in the book he can't even fold himself into a wrinkle while trying to convince someone he's a guardian whatever the fuck that is. Guardians I suppose don't need help traveling thru space tho and yet this one idiot can't do it. There are multiple species more intelligent than earth people our only advancement is music according to them. But if you count a 20 yo blonde bimbo (name rhymes with Maylor) who is barely 20 almost still in diapers, has nothing to say and got an emmy as someone who helps our planet become famous I got no clue of 'why'. To me the music industry is the WORST failure of our society. The first song aliens like was Welcome Back Kotter and the novel goes downhill from there with one song wonders being famous on these planets by lip sync-ers cuz they cannot sing at all.

So I'll let you decipher what "That merkin stand was from Borneo" means while they're inside a Warcraft scene on earth. Sheesh. I don't know if someone is trying to destroy the world, take it over, save it or publish it.

Sounds like somebody isn't taking their meds and needs an aluminum hat while watching tv. I'm on page 269 and cannot take it anymore. If you see it in the library gently replace it and run. NEXT!!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

FIRE SEASON by Jon Loomis ***

Takes place in Provincetown Mass. There's a cop named Frank Coffin who has a pregnant girlfriend living with him in his mom's house. She's in a home and causes trouble all the time. Most of the people in the story cause trouble all the time.

There's the guy seeing UFOs gets sent to a psych ward, his crazy mom, his nuts cousin who deals drugs or robs druggies or something and somehow manages to report some story or other to a cop he can blackmail but gets some of the druggies jailed. I can't explain it well. It doesn't go over well either.

Then there's the guy who's burning down the town, running around burning churches, gay bars, the cops house whatever. The cop, Frank pretty much runs back and forth with his crappy piece of shit car doing nothing. Everyone is a drunk basically even cops on duty. Personally I think it's intention was partial comedy but like the FL guy (Dorsey) who writes tongue in cheek sort of like this I don't think the same things are funny that they do.

I actually get pissed off that a cop is drinking on duty, knows his friend stole a million bucks worth of heroin, lets that go and the only crime he seems to take seriously is the fires. Only because his own house becomes involved. With luck when he rebuilds he moves away and we don't need to read anymore about him letting people get away with murder etc. He couldn't find his dick if it was in his hand while he was peeing.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

ONE RED BASTARD by Ed Lin

Not giving out stars. 2 cops are chatting back and forth making little sense to me. Don't like them, don't care about their political topics and don't care that some Chinese girl wants to defect to the US. Lots of meaningless chatter to me. You try it. Done!
Some writers don't understand the basic concept of catching the interest of a reader. Small talk back and forth in Chinatown doesn't hook me in to anything, neither does anything else mentioned. The conversations sound forced. not real. I'm not connecting, nothing is moving me forward so for me it's over.

WHAT COMES NEXT by John Katzenbach*****

Very good storyline, well told and edge of the seat tension. This older professor who is dying sees his 'family' of ghosts who help him find a kidnapped girl Jennifer. She's been kidnapped, put on a website for torture and raping then they'll kill her. So does he get there in time even tho he forgets to clean stuff, or often goes into mindless dazes?

He tries to convince a cop where to look but she follows procedure and can't get it together.

The cover is apt and relates to the storyline. I really liked it, liked the ghost family he has. The wife's reason for suicide has a feel of reality to it. Even tho some parts were repetitious I think it was done intentionally so you remember each character and they're all memorable which you can't say about most story book characters.
Well done, buy it if you can't find it in the library.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

HITCHERS by Will McIntosh ***

Pretty strange sci fi novel about people who die coming back and taking over bodies of the living. You never learn if it's permanent or not. I have no idea why Atlanta had a terrorist attack of anthrax where thousands died but somehow that instigated the body stealing.

So our main character lost his childhood twin sister, then his wife is electrocuted and 2 yrs later this epidemic starts. His grandfather comes back into his body pissed off about him taking over his syndicated cartoon and making tons of money. The major twist is that people who are taken over by other people are on a quest to figure out how to get rid of these 'hitchers' permanently. Some of them come and go, and sometimes the body owner ends up in deadland. The main guy, Finn, finally gets an idea how to peel his grandfather out of him and read the book to find out.

I thought it was a unique idea, the middle of the book was boring in quite a few places, or repetitive and I wasn't so hot on it in the middle. It had the potential to be much better, with humor or more takeovers or something. It was a little bland in those places.

That's my take on it. Ok library find, reads fast and is an unusual storyline.

Monday, October 15, 2012

TALKING to the DEAD by Harry Bingham

Personally I couldn't get thru it, lots of descriptions, tea drinking writer and phrases I don't care to figure out. Very slow going. I quit early. I'm not going to star it cuz I didn't read past page 30 or so.

Friday, October 12, 2012

GUILT BY DEGREES by Marcia Clark ****

IRL this writer must not be allowed to eat much because the entire book is mostly written around restaurants and food, eating, drinking and being merry. So there is a story line you get to follow a DA and Cop around trying to figure out who killed a woman's husband after a jury found her innocent. He was ax murdered to pieces.

The wife wasn't a friendly person and all the time someone was trying to kill poor DA Rachel or Bailey Keller (female). There's bullets flying, car chases, red herrings, sometimes you wonder how they got to the point they're at in the investigation. Otherwise, easy reading, take your time not a bad story line. Characters are likable enough. It's ok. Good library find.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The THIRD GATE by Lincoln Child *****

Intriguing idea about Egyptians and their burial sites. This one old king decides to do things differently, he supposedly united East and West Egypt way back when. Anyways he decided to move his sarcophagus to some swamp that stunk to high heavens and a team of people are determined to find it. There are of course curses, saboteurs, a woman who died and was revived who now has several mental issues but she's on the trip to communicate with the dead Egyptian. Does she really? Or is she nuts and making it up? Read and find out.
I liked that it was fast paced, didn't have too many characters, but he has a tendency to use last names then once in awhile throw in a first name then you have to go back and figure out who the hell Jeremy is.

Otherwise recommended reading. Get it at the library or even buy it. Good reading.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

SO PRETTY IT HURTS by Kate White

Again, started to read it, names were flying at me here and there. Didn't care much about anyone in the story, nor the main character. She just wasn't my type of likable. Too many skinny glamorous idiots. Done with it very early on so I didn't star it. No read/no care/no stars. I won't say it sucks. It sucked for ME.

STRANGE FLESH by Michael Orlson *

I tried really hard to read it but couldn't get past like chapter 10. Didn't like main character, didn't care about uppity classmates, wasn't impressed enough to continue. Didn't read anymore.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

DEFENDING JACOB by William Landay*****

Yeah this was a page turner cept for some reminiscing pages. Aside from rewinding to the past so many times it was an interesting court room drama with an unusual new type of DNA testing, I'll let you read and find out about that yourself.

I thought the family did way too little communicating. I don't think most families would act as these people did. They pretty much ignored the entire REASON for the court, the child being arrested etc. In my house that kid would have undergone the 3rd degree to the 10th degree. In this story they never even really probed into his life, his lies or his stories. I would surely have liked to have known MORE about his childhood issues but that wasn't delved into much at all either.

Seems like people sleep walking thru life doing their own thing without regard for each other. I think families try to do more than just walk blindly thru life. My son cried everyday when he was 3-4 yrs old and he saw a shrink. I'd have to say this kid was badly handled not being in the hands of a shrink at a young age, esp. due to the father's knowledge.

You'll like the story, it's got twists and turns and things that are intriguing about it. I would buy it if I had to. Good writing, interesting tho blind characters and it gives food for thought.

Monday, October 1, 2012

BREAK DOWN by Sara Paretsky ***

It's readable but extremely repetitive with little new information being added. She runs from this to that place, talks to this and that person and the tidbits of information are basically useless. So I'd say half the book could have been deleted. Half the character list could have been cut in half as well. Who cares about most of these people? Too many, don't care about them. As it wore on me turning pages forever I began to hate everyone in the book.

This is a big book, with lots of stupid little side stories and it seems like it took me forever to read. I get 2 weeks to read a library book and this one took me up to the last 4 days of the two weeks.

VI Warshawski novel. Usually I look forward to reading them but for gods sake cut the thing down some PLEASE read Patterson. Make every word count for something can't stand all the blathering on and on about nothing.