Synopsis vs Review

Ever read a book “review” where the entire plot is retold in six paragraphs?  If so, then you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that that is something I try to avoid when I’m discussing books I’ve read.  I figure if you want a synopsis of the story, you can read abridged books.  Reader’s Digest used to sell

The Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

My Rating:  5 of 5 Stars

Of the four wonderful books that Sarah Allen Addison has written, The Girl Who Chased The Moon is so utterly beautiful, it made my heart sing as I read it.  I love this book almost as much as Allen’s first, Garden Spells.  The story is positively

Quote #16 – Oscar Wilde

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

     – Oscar Wilde

Leopard Moon, Jackal Moon, & Hyena Moon by Jeanette Battista

   

My Rating for Each Book:  3 of 5 Stars

Thought these three books could easily be combined into one review, so here it is.  This is another Young Adult urban fantasy series, but the first three books are better than many, so they are worth a look if you like this sort of thing.  I do, so I enjoyed all three books more than I expected to.  I couldn’t find a good image of Jackal Moon, but we’ll go with what we’ve got.  Let’s take them one at a time. 

Young Adult Books

You might wonder why I read and review Young Adult novels when I’m certainly well beyond the”young” part of that designation.  The reason is simple.  The only difference between a Young Adult novel and a novel for us not-so-young adults should be

Quote #15 – Janet Evanovich

“Thinking very often resembles napping, but the intent is different.

    –Stephanie Plum,  Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, No. 7)

The Dresden Files Novels by Jim Butcher

Chris McGrath’s Cover Art for White Night

(Click to Zoom)

Aaah, Harry Dresden!  I hope some of you clicked on the image above, the better to see Chris McGrath’s wonderful cover painting of everyone’s favorite wizard!  (Grown up wizard, that is!)  If you DID take a close look, then you’ll likely understand why I love Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden so much.  Six and a half feet of pure, good-hearted chivalry, in a world where almost NONE exists, and wearing a long black duster, too!  Not to mention he carries a rune-covered magic staff and a blasting rod of flame and destruction!  Who WOULDN’T want this guy on their side?

With the release date of Cold Days coming up soon, I figured it’s time

Quote #14 – Dean Koontz

“The chef was intent upon adding to a pile of eyes on the cutting board beside the sink, where he was blinding several pounds of potatoes before peeling them.”

—Dean Koontz, Odd Apocalypse: An Odd Thomas Novel

 

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

MY RATING (WAY BACK WHEN): 5 of 5 Stars

I’ve been looking around my library a lot lately, picking up books I read years and years ago, and thinking maybe I’m due to revisit some of them once again.  When this book came out in 1987, I thought

Cold Days Release Date!!!

Wooohoooo!!!  Finally!  News that Jim Butcher’s newest Dresden Files novel will be released

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

MY RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars

After waiting such a long time to get the next installment in the Odd Thomas series, it seems like I zipped through the book way too quickly.  Like wolfing down a good meal before your taste buds can even begin to enjoy the flavors.    I have loved Odd Thomas from the get-go, so I knew this book would be one I liked.  I’m not sure  it’s the strongest book in this series, but I still enjoyed every word.   It was clever as usual, with Oddie being self-effacing and engaging in his own quirky way, and as only he can be.  He made me laugh, he tugged at my heartstrings, and he displayed all the things that make his fans love him.  He sees

Woohooo! New Books A-Comin’!!!

Nothing feels better than ordering new books, except actually receiving them, of course.  But the anticipation of  knowing I have a box coming from amazon.com is one of the best feelings, ever!  And I’ve been looking forward to the release dates of these books for a long time, too.  All five of them!  What has me so excited, you may ask?  I’ll tell you.  In fact, I’ll tell you, even if you don’t ask!  I have to share my excitement with someone!

I have pre-ordered the following,

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

MY RATING:  3 of 5 Stars

A deliciously creepy little story, easily read in one night, and filled with a more interesting than usual array of sympathetic characters. A weird variation on

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

MY RATING:  5 of 5 Stars

There are readers out there more worldly and cynical than I,  perhaps, who manage to find fault with this book, but for me, it was one of the best surprises I’ve come across in years.  The title makes it sound like sappy, frothy Chick Lit.  It is anything but!  The story of Cornelia, who has gone through life looking

Quote #12 – Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

  –Dr. Seuss,  Oh, The Places You’ll Go

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

My main comment upon completing Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is that the book is…peculiar! In a good way, to my mind, though I know it’s not

Those Who Fight Monsters by Justin Gustainis

MY RATING:  3 of 5 Stars

Another fun anthology, my favorite type of book for “cleansing my palate” between novels of any sort. As is usually the case, some of these short stories were much better than others, but only a couple were truly bad to my mind, so overall, I enjoyed the book.

There is a real trick to

Quote #11 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“I feel that there is reason lurking in you somewhere, so we will patiently grope round for it.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,  The Lost World

V Is For Vengeance – Sue Grafton

MY RATING:  4 of 5 Stars

I think of Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series as being very like a bowl of oatmeal…nothing fancy, but it will stick to your ribs and make you feel as cozy as a pair of comfortable flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers.  As always, “V Is For Vengeance” is a satisfying Kinsey Milhone tale. I actually think this might be the best book in the series. Grafton’s writing, always solid and entertaining,  has

Spellcrossed – Barbara Ashford

MY RATING:  5 of 5 Stars

This sequel to “Spellcast,” which I reviewed here last week, was entertaining to the very last page.  I won’t say it captivated me quite as thoroughly as the first book, but that’s probably because it was a continuation of the same story, and I was already familiar with the world and the characters involved.  I can definitely say that I was very glad to have read Book 1 with Book 2 waiting in the wings.  I NEEDED to know how it was all going to turn out, and in that, “Spellcrossed” didn’t disappoint.

For one thing, it was quite clear why

Quote #10 – Emily Bronte

“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees.  My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath – a source of little visible delight, but necessary.”

   –Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

Quote #9 – Maggie Stiefvater

“Dory is what Mum used to call a “strong-looking woman,” which means that, from the back, she looked like a man, and, from the front, you preferred the back”
― Maggie Stiefvater,  The Scorpio Races

COMING SOON! Under My Hat by Jonathan Strahan

“Under My Hat:  Tales From the Cauldron” is only a bit over 12 days away!  As you might guess from both the title and the cover, this is a new collection of short stories inspired by the mystery & power of witches.  Some of the best

The Affair by Lee Child

MY RATING:  4 of 5 Stars

Let me say right up front that this review is really about Lee Child’s entire Jack Reacher series.  I have read all sixteen books, and with the exception of #12, “Nothing To Lose,” I have loved every single one.  (“Nothing to Lose” wasn’t bad, either, but got a bit too snipey about U. S. politics, and I don’t enjoy that when reading fiction.  Fiction, for me, is escape from the day to day, including whatever is coming out of Washington at any given time.  Therefore, I could only rate “Nothing To Lose” at 3 stars.)

I’m not usually drawn to male-oriented action books, but in the case of Jack Reacher,  

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

MY RATING:  3 of 5 Stars

I wanted to love this book…it had so many great elements going for it. But sadly, the first half of the book was way too long and too slow for me. I normally quite like character studies and really delving into what makes people tick, but this book carried that too far, and I was nearly ready to stop reading many times. In fact, I’m not sure why I continued, except