Book Review #11

This is the 3rd story in The Girl..... series. I found these books to be great! I had a hard time putting this one down.

From Barnes and Noble:

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

My Review:
I think this one of the Trilogy my have been my favorite. I LOVE crime type books and throw in a little conspiracy theory and I am in heaven. I am sad that I have finished the serious and look forward to finding something else to keep my attention. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did. Now on to a completely different genre, Jodi Picoult's The Pact.

Book Review #10

Recommended by Aunt Jennifer and then some friends. This was a very good book.

From Barnes and Noble:

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town...

My Review:

I felt this was a very well written book and I could imagine that it was very similar to how things really were in the 60's. When I read books like this it is so hard to imagine how poorly people are treated just because of the color of their skin. What is worse though is there are still places where people are treated poorly. It is nice that we have come such a long way as a country but I think we still have a ways to go. Overall, this book was very good and I definitely recommend it to all of you!

Book Review #9

A very eye opening account of the resturaunt business from the point of view of those who serve us.

From Barnes and Noble:

According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived.

My Opinion:

I found this book to be very revealing about the resturaunt business. I have never worked in food service but I never would have figured it to be an easy job and boy was that right. The things that this waiter went through from customers, coworkers, bosses was unbelievable. I definetely will be sure to treat waitors with respect (though I usually do and I am married to a man who LOVES to tip waitors). All in all this was an ok book.

Book Review #8

When I pick a book I usually do so just by the cover. I will even read it without reading the cover. That was the case with this book (it was a different cover with a cute little girl in a red hat). I thought this is going to be a cute story about a little girl. A chapter into the story I turned it over and realized it was NOT a book that I ever would have picked. Those who now me may know that I have a hard time with religious stories that contain stigmata's and hearing voices. It is way to real for me and I tend to avoid them like the plague. You guessed it that is exactly what this book is about.

From Barnes and Noble:
One of America's most powerful and thought-provoking novelists, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult brilliantly examines belief, miracles, and the complex core of family. When the marriage of Mariah White and her cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year- old daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression—and suddenly Faith, a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center of controversy and into the heat of a custody battle—trapped in a mad media circus that threatens what little stability the family has left.

My Opinion:
While this is not a book that I ever would have read and I found myself feeling creeped out I did in the end enjoy the book. I LOVE Jodi Picoult, she is by far my favorite author. She always does her research and it shows in her stories. This book did push me to leave my comfort zone. But U got through it and I felt it was a good book when all was said and done.

Book Reviw #7

The second one in a series of 3. I am really enjoying these books.
From Barnes and Noble:
The electrifying follow-up to the phenomenal best seller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("An intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller" —The Washington Post), and this time it is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, who is the focus and fierce heart of the story.

Mikael Blomkvist—crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium—has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered. But perhaps more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander.

Now, as Blomkvist—alone in his belief in her innocence—plunges into his own investigation of the...

My Opinion:
I feel like these book are so easy to read and they leave me guessing what is going to happen all the way to the end. I love the character (Lisbeth and Michael). There are some graphic sexual scenes in this book as well as the first book. If you like crime type books you may enjoy these. I can't wait to read the next one. I have a few books ahead of it though.

Book Review #6

This was the second book that we read for our book club at work.It is by the same author as Inkheart ( a series of books that I thoroughly enjoy). I have noticed that since I am trying to see how many books I can read this year I am flying through books quicker then I normally would. It is a lot of fun to take time to escape from the day to day and enjoy another world for a little while.

From Barnes and Noble

Beyond the mirror, the darkest fairy tales come alive. . . .

For years, Jacob Reckless has enjoyed the Mirrorworld's secrets and treasures.

Not anymore.

His younger brother has followed him.

Now dark magic will turn the boy to beast, break the heart of the girl he loves, and destroy everything Jacob holds most dear. . . .

Unless he can find a way to stop it.

If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place.

My Review:

I found this book to be alright. It wasn't really a story that I would have picked to read on my own. Overall, I felt that it was an ok story but I thought it could have been developed a little better. The thing I like about a good book is that I don't feel like I am reading a book but that I am watching a movie in my head. With this book I really felt like I was reading a book. The characters just seemed very flat to me. A little disappointed.

Book Review #5

This is a book that we read at work for our book club.

From Barnes and Noble:

After a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June Parker finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written: “20 Things to Do by My 25th Birthday.” The tasks range from inspiring (run a 5K) to daring (go braless) to near-impossible (change someone’s life).

To assuage her guilt, June races to achieve each goal herself before the deadline, learning more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

My Review: I LOVED this book. I even liked the ending, which is not something that happens very often. I found this book to be so funny, laugh out loud funny. I am not the only one I hear my co-workers chuckling in the nap room as well. It was just an easy book to read, with no gory or racey parts. It was nice to read a book that was just about a person trying to do a nice thing. I definitely recommend this book.

Book Review #4

The Girls With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
A Word of Warning: This book has some graphic violent sexual scenes in it. Don't want people to read it and then be like what the heck did Audra recommend.

From Barnes and Noble: A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga,
love story, and financial intrigue.

It s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism, and an unexpected connection between themselves.

Contagiously exciting, it s about society at...

My Review:
I really enjoyed trying to figure out what had happened to Harriet throughout this book. It did keep me guessing. Even when I thought I had figured it out and the characters involved something else would happen. I found it to be very well written. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Book Review #3

Book Review #3

I had started reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo but on Monday when I left for work I realized that I had forgotten my book. The thought of having nothing to do for 2 hours was to much so I stopped at Albertsons with the hopes of picking up a magazine to get me through and what to my wondering eyes should I see, a box of bargain books. This one caught my eye. As far as easy reads go this one was alright but I had guessed the murder pretty early on so that was some what of a disappointment.

An Unsolved Crime...

It was a winter morning in 1978, that the body of a young barmaid was discovered in the snow banks of a Scottish cemetery. The only suspects in her brutal murder were the four young men who found her: Alex Gilbey and his three best friends. With no evidence but her blood on their hands, no one was ever charged.

That Was Never Forgotten...

Twenty five years later, the Cold Case file on Rosie Duff has been reopened. For Alex and his friends, the investigation has also opened old wounds, haunting memories-and new fears. For a stranger has emerged from the shadows with his own ideas about justice. And revenge.

Or Forgiven.

When two of Alex's friends die under suspicious circumstances, Alex knows that he and his innocent family are the next targets. And there's only way to save them: return to the cold-blooded past and uncover the startling truth about the murder. For there lies the identity of an avenging killer...

My Review: Like I said earlier in my post it was an alright book. I did guess that the murdered was %@#$! from the first or second chapter, so that sucked. It did keep me entertained enough to see it through. I am looking forward to spending all my reading time devoted to my other book now though.

Book Review #2

My second book for 2011 was a gift from my coworker (Thanks Melissa).
Description: (From Barnes and Noble)
A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooer, this delightful fiction debut by newspaper columnist Cameron (8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter) proposes that a dog's purpose might entail being reborn several times. Told in a touching, doggy first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures. His next intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation as Buddy, a black Lab. A book for all age groups who admire canine courage, Cameron also successfully captures the essence of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily, unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul.

Review:
I cried quite a few times during this book. It was very well written and I found myself thinking about my own four legged friend while reading this. It was an easy read and I couldn't wait to find out what the Dog's Purpose was. I really liked the ending, which if you know me is something that does not happen often. A definite must read for all dog lovers.

Book Review #1

I thought it might be fun to review all the books that I read throughout the year. I read tons (I get 2 hours most days at work to read, gotta love nap time) and am always looking for the next good book. Maybe someone out there in cyberworld is looking for a book to so I thought I would share.
The first book that I read in 2011 was Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
Description (from Nicholas Sparks himself)
When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Review
I LOVE Nicholas Sparks books because they are easy reads full of emotions (usually sad). I can usually predict what will happen in his books though. This one had a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Someone even told me that there was a twist and I still didn't see it coming. All in all I think this was one of my favorite Nicholas Sparks book.

About Me

I love to read and I find myself reading all the time. I thought it might be fun to see how many books I actually read in the course of one year. Here is my journey through the pages.