Quick Hits from November, December, and January

Long time, no blog entries. Mostly, this is because I haven't read anything that I've really loved in the last few months. But that's not entirely true, because I have entries written for a few books that I've had an opinion on, and haven't posted anything because I feel like I can't go out of order, and just ignore the 15 or so books that I've read in between ones that I want to talk about.  Another problem is that I read a LOT of sequels, which I always have problems talking about, because I don't want to spoil anything. 

So in order to fix this, I've decided I'm going to just write down some quick thoughts for books I don't have anything huge to say about. Here goes. 

Read 9/25/12- 11th Hour by James Patterson- Exactly what you'd expect for the 11th book in the Women's Murder Club series. As usual I am disappointed with James Patterson and haven't really loved one of these books in awhile. I read them because I care about the characters, but he's even starting to ruin that. Please see reviews for 10, 9, 8... etc. 3/5

Read 10/28/12- Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand- Good, not great. Interesting but not engrossing. I was hoping for more from this book since I loved Unbroken so much. Read this one for book club in October and really only finished it out of obligation. 3/5

Read 11/4/12- Dances with Dragons by George RR Martin- I actually have a lot of opinions on this one, but feel uncomfortable voicing them, as they're spoilers. Still loving this series and anxiously await book #6! 4/5 (only because I still liked the first three more than this one)

Read 11/24/12- Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor- Really enjoyed this sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Crazy and an incredible fantasy book, but not as good as the first one. Will re-read for sure though!! 4/5

Listened to 11/26/12- The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore- Wanted this to be better because I really enjoyed the first two in the series. But still good. 3/5

Read 12/11/12- The Black Echo by Michael Connelly- Expected more out of this because I'm a big Connelly fan, but it was kind of boring and predictable. I hope they get better. I'll keep reading, but not if they're all like this one. I wonder if back when this was written the ending was more novel and all kinds of thrillers weren't writing "twists" like this one. 3/5

Read 12/16/12- Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich- What can I say? I like Evanovich's writing even if her books are simple, girly, and let's face it, kind of pointless. Liked this one though. Currently, I'm liking this series more than Stephanie Plum books. 3/5

Read 12/21/12- Where We Belong by Emily Giffin- LOVED this chick book. Very cute and very much meets the standard that Emily Giffin's past books have set. The problem is that I just don't have a lot to say about it. It's very similar to her other books. 5/5

Read 12/24/12- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- I think I read this back in grade school but I didn't remember much about it. And tis the season right? Dickens is one of the few "classic" authors that I enjoy. May be returning to some of his other books in the future. Really liked A Christmas Carol. 4/5

Read 1/2/13- Graceling by Kristin Cashore- Very much enjoyed this book. Another YA Fantasy series that has been popular recently. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series. 4/5

Read 1/3/13- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp- Different kind of book for me. Not a novel, but more of a book for reflection and finding happiness in every day life. Her writing is a bit flowery and overly detailed, but I liked this so much. 4/5

Listened to 1/3/13- Redshirts by John Scalzi- Really liked this book, it got me through my driving to and from home over Christmas break. Different and crazy, but once I bought into the completely unrealistic premise, it was interesting and I really enjoyed it.  4/5

Read 1/11/13- Defending Jacob by William Landay- Very well written, but upsetting book. Fairly dark and twisted, but engrossing nonetheless. Highly recommended if you like Grisham, lawyer books, or thrillers. 4/5

WHEW. 

The Rook- Daniel O'Malley

September’s book club selection, The Rook, was extremely impressive. Imagine first a world where people have incredible abilities… a bit like every sci fi show you’ve ever seen, then imagine them in a CIA-like setting. That’s what you’re getting here.

Of course it’s about more than that, as at the beginning of the book we meet “the second” Myfanwy Thomas, Rook in the secretive Chequy, (the organization described above) and a woman who can control people's bodies with her mind. Myfanwy has lost her memories, a direct result of a traitor in the organization, and finds herself standing in the rain, surrounded by dead people wearing white gloves. “the first” Myfanwy has left her letters upon letters, meticulously documenting day to day life within the Chequy, and leaving the second Myfanwy to choose whether to continue her life and find the traitor, or run away.

You can see how this might go.

I was really pleased with this book, which has come seemingly out of nowhere. I’m really glad it was recommended to one of our book club members and picked, because otherwise I never would have heard of it, and this book is right up my alley. Thriller, fantasy, intrigue… awesome. I had no idea for most of the book who the traitor was, and loved that it kept me guessing as Myfanwy goes about her job while working alongside people she didn’t know or trust. Genius. I hope the author continues to write.

I had initially given this book a 4, but now having realized how much I really liked it and have gushed on about it, I may have to update to a 5. I loved it, plain and simple, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and what might happen next. it’s the first book in awhile that really got me.

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl was the hot book of the summer, and it totally deserves it. We picked this as our July book club book, and based only on buzz and reviews (but not too many reviews, because I refused to read many on the off chance the plot was even a little bit spoiled), I decided to wait to read this one on my annual beach vacation.

This is not a typical beach book. I mean, usually I want nothing but girly cutesy light books to read while laying next to the ocean. This was decidedly not that. What it is is an engrossing thriller that I was incredibly involved in from the start. Here’s what I’ll tell you about the plot: Amy and Nick are married. Amy disappears. GO.

This was a phenomenal book. I’m going to leave the review short and sweet because to say much more may ruin it. It’s best to go in cold. Gillian Flynn is a fantastic writer and keeps you on your toes throughout the story. The ending was a little bit frustrating, but this book’s still a 5. Highly, highly recommended for thriller lovers. A great read.

The Poet- Michael Connelly

Highly enjoyable and perfect for a long car ride, I read over half of The Poet on a 13 hour ride to the Outer Banks. With The Poet, one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read in quite awhile, I think Michael Connelly has officially taken over from James Patterson as my go-to thriller author.

Jack McEvoy is a journalist who is thrown into a serial murderer case when his brother, a cop, is killed in an apparent suicide while investigating a particularly gruesome case. But McEvoy doesn’t believe that his brother would have killed himself, and instead digs deeper and finds a pattern. From there, he finds himself drawn into the disturbing pattern of The Poet’s murders.

Like I’ve already said, Michael Connelly has really started to impress me… I had accidentally read the sequel to this book awhile back, and knew who was/wasn’t the killer, and I still really enjoyed the book. Next I think I’m going to have to get into his big moneymaker- the Harry Bosch series.

4- really liked it, bordered on loving it.

The Appeal- John Grisham

When I read a cheap thriller, or a legal thriller, as this one is marketed, I expect to be entertained, ultimately pleased with the book and the plot, but know that it’s not great literature. My expectations for thrillers and chick books are the same: Entertain me. The Appeal started out well, but by the end had completely tanked, and I am not very pleased that I spent my time listening to it.

First of all, the book has too many characters and too many cases. Way too many. Most of the book centers around one case, but in a way that allows it to meander about, going through elections, political corruption, small cases that affect none of the book's events, etc. All of the characters that I cared about got very little time focused on them, and there were too many corrupt jerks to keep track of. And isn’t this called the appeal? Shouldn’t the main focus be on, I don’t know, an appeal? Not the corruption of big business and buying a supreme court seat. I mean don’t get me wrong, it was interesting enough, but not at all what I was expecting, and could have and should have been better.

Second of all, worst ending ever. WORST

Third of all, if this is how our justice system works I am concerned for the state of America. The entire thing was disheartening.

All in all, I was really unhappy with this one. The only thing that saves it from being a 1 (or a zero) is that the beginning was decent. I didn’t get disgusted with it until halfway to three quarters of the way through, but the end just ruined it so thoroughly that I can’t justify giving it anything better than a 2. Honestly this is probably a 1.5.

The Power of Six continues the story of John Smith from I Am Number Four. I don’t feel like I can say a whole lot about this one without ruining I Am Number Four, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it as much as the first one. Spoilers for I Am Number Four ahead!

This one was a little bit different than I Am Number Four, but then again, it has to be, since now John can no longer stay in one place as he’s been exposed for the alien that he is. Travelling from city to city, Four and Six train together with an eventual goal of taking on the Mogadorians, with Sam along for the ride.

Interspersed with Four and Six’s story is that of Seven, Marina, living in Santa Teresa with her guardian, who has given up on the Loric cause. Both stories are equally interesting, and the narrators of both did a very good job.  

All in all, this one was an extra good three as well. I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series coming out this summer!

I Am Number Four- Pittacus Lore

My latest audiobook, I Am Number Four is another one of those YA books that I am a sucker for. Intrigue, excitement, fantasy, I’m all in. Let’s be real here, any YA fantasy book series that is good enough to have a movie made out of it, I’m going to read. Or in this case, listen to.

I am Number Four is the story of John Smith, Loric alien, who is being hunted by the mortal enemies of the Loric (and Earth), the Mogadorians. Nine Loric guard made it off of the planet and to Earth before the Mogadorians took it over, and those nine are being hunted and killed. Through a protective charm on the nine guard, they can only be killed in order. Three are dead, and John is number four.  

This was a fun book, and I immediately downloaded the sequel once I finished it. It’s about what you’d expect for what it is, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s an excellent 3. 

11/22/63- Stephen King

As my first Stephen King novel ever, I wasn’t sure what to expect from 11/22/63. The fact that it had a reputation as being different from his other ones, I admit was part of the reason I was interested in reading it. I’m not really one for books like It and Carrie. However, if that’s a broad generalization on my part, and more of his books are like this one, perhaps I’ll be reading more of King in the future.

11/22/63 is kind of an oddball book. Not that that’s a bad thing, by any means. Jake, the main character, is a teacher confronted with an interesting choice: if you could go into the past (via an anomaly in time) to change anything, what would it be? Along with some help from a supporting character, obviously, Jake chooses to go after Lee Harvey Oswald and attempt to save JFK.  With 850 pages, multiple trips into the past, and timeline reboots, I’ll make the comment that it was just a bit too long. There are entire portions of the book that are changed and made irrelevant, and though I understand their importance in the overall storyline, I wish they had been a little briefer. That’s my only complaint though.

In the long run 11/22/63 was an interesting and very good book. I really enjoyed the time that Jake spent in the past, living his life until it was time to change history, and also the ripples that he inadvertently causes. It’s a cool concept. What if JFK had never been shot? How would life change? Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that the dilemmas that Jake encounters are very thought provoking.

This is another solid 4- very good and worth reading again. If it wasn’t so long I probably wouldn’t mind owning it. And like I said, maybe I’ll have to look into more of Stephen King’s books. 

The Lock Artist- Steve Hamilton

The Lock Artist is a book about a young, damaged boy who has a way with locks. Traumatized from an event that we do not learn about until late in the book, the boy, Michael, does not speak, but has a unique talent, one that gets him into trouble from page one.

Told in alternating chapters about his education as a “box man” (safe cracker), and his escapades after learning the trade, The Lock Artist was an interesting and entertaining audio book. Michael is introduced as the golden boy, the miracle boy, the boy who survived a disturbing event that is alluded to but not explained right away. And this is part of the reason that the book was so captivating. Hamilton gives you just enough information to keep you wondering, and enough events with their own resolutions to keep it from feeling like a trick. Chronicling Michael’s life from 9 years of age until just past his 17^th year, we see him grow up, become the lock artist, fall in love, face danger, and resolve his problems, one way or another.

This was a really good audiobook. The narrator was, on the whole, easy to listen to. I had one complaint: the way he read the dialogue of the Ghost, but that was minor. Overall this is another 4- I would read or listen to it again. 

The Pact- Jennifer Sturman

The Pact is maybe the most easily defined chick lit book that I’ve read in a long time. Which is of course, totally ok by me! What was different about this one is that it also had a murder mystery aspect, which combines my two favorite guilty pleasure reads: chick lit and thrillers.

Rachel Benjamin is an investment banker in the Adirondacks for her best friend Emma’s wedding. The morning of the ceremony, she finds him floating in the pool, dead. From then on she picks up on information and evidence leading to the killer.

This was a cute, girly book. Exactly what you’d expect from a chick book, which is why I don't have much to say about it, and the added mystery aspect was a good bonus. I’m definitely not opposed to reading more in this series, but I didn’t love it enough to re-read. Another solid 3.

Die Trying- Lee Child

Jack Reacher, a character that Lee Child has written about at length, is entertaining at the very least. The first book in the series, Killing Floor, is a quick read I seem to remember flying through sometime last year. So when I noticed the second one listed as available on the audiobook website I use, I grabbed it. Overall, I liked it, but I’ve got mixed feelings.

Reacher is minding his own business when he gets wrapped up in (that is, gets taken as well) a kidnapping of a federal agent. As we find out while the story progresses, she is no ordinary FBI agent, and this is no ordinary kidnapping. What follows is an intricate, atypical, but enjoyable thriller.

I think my biggest problem was with the man reading the book. After listening to so many of these over the years, I definitely have preferences on the way the book is performed, and this one tanked. Essentially, the man reading this book insisted on doing the main woman character’s voice, and not well. It was distracting, and eventually I was turning it off in favor of something different. So I don’t think I can give this book a fair review. The story was good, if a little overly detailed.

I initially gave this a 2 on Goodreads, but now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think that’s fair. I think my disinterest in listening to the story was based more on the audiobook format than anything else, and even that doesn’t keep me from wanting to read more in the series. So I’m switching to a 3. I just think I’ll stay away from the audio portion from now on.

The Scarecrow- Michael Connelly

This was the first Michael Connelly book I’ve read, after hearing a lot about how good he is. I’m happy to say that there will be many more. I really enjoyed The Scarecrow.

I’m not happy to say that I didn’t realize this was a sequel until I was about halfway through. It’s really my only complaint about reading this book, which isn’t much to complain about.

So… this is the second book in the series about journalist Jack McEvoy, and as I understand it, it’s fairly similar: journalist and everyman uncovers a nefarious murder… danger ensues. You know, the typical thriller setup. But what made this one so good was Connelly’s writing. I was invested in McEvoy without even having read the first / set up book and missing some of his back story. And his dealings with The Scarecrow, a dangerous serial killer who is revealed to the reader before McEvoy can discover him, were equally well written. Not only that, but Connelly is very thorough. There were no plot holes at all, and he is meticulous and detailed in an incredibly interesting way. I will definitely be going back to read The Poet and will be reading (not just listening to) the Harry Bosch novels, arguably his most well known. So nicely done Mr. Connelly, I’m obviously hooked.

Basically I don’t have a lot to say about this audio book except that I really liked it, and I haven’t liked a thriller writer this much since I started reading James Patterson’s books.

4, maybe 5 stars. I’m pretty excited to read The Poet.

Smokin Seventeen- Janet Evanovich

What is there to say about the seventeenth book in a series that hasn’t been said about the first sixteen? I know there are a lot of people that think the Stephanie Plum series has gone downhill in recent years, but I’m not one of them.

Smokin Seventeen, while obviously very similar to the sixteen books before it, keeps with Evanovich’s winning formula: entertaining characters, hilarious moments, and a mystery with a side of romance. In this book, as always, Stephanie chases down skips in unconventional ways for the bonds office where she has been working since One for the Money, including an old man who thinks he’s a vampire. Also as usual, Ranger and Morelli, her love interests, are along for the ride. And also also as usual, she finds herself in life threatening danger.

Not much of a plot summary I guess, but I’m sure if you have read one of these you know what you’re getting into. The reason the Stephanie Plum books are so good is because Evanovich’s writing is just flat out entertaining. Oh don’t get me wrong, the situations that Stephanie and friends get involved in are ludicrous. The people they pick up are batshit crazy. And that’s the best part of reading these books. If Stephanie were to lose her charm and trademark klutz persona then these books wouldn’t be anywhere near as good. Take out Lula or Grandma Mazur and those laughs go down as well. Granted, there’s not a whole lot of variation from book to book. Maybe that’s annoying to some people, but I for one have not yet tired of the ridiculous situations that Stephanie, Lula, and all of the other crazy characters get themselves into. There were several moments in the book that had me laughing out loud, and I think that if that is still happening after seventeen books, Evanovich knows what she’s doing.

3- by no means is this a blockbuster of a book, but it was definitely entertaining. Stephanie Plum always is.

Look Again- Lisa Scottoline

My latest audiobook is Look Again, by Lisa Scottoline. Scottoline is an author that has been on my radar for a while now, what I’ve seen from her is a lot like a female (early) James Patterson: interesting plots, believable characters, and a good mix of thriller and novel. So far I have read or listened to three of her books, and Look Again has by far been my favorite.

Look Again, similar to The Face on the Milk Carton, but from the mother’s point of view, begins with Ellen Gleeson, single mother of an adopted son, Will, seeing an image identical to Will on a “Have You Seen This Child” card. She is understandably disconcerted by this, and the book follows her investigation of the missing child and anguish over whether or not Will is hers.

In my opinion, you can tell you’re enjoying a book by one of two things happening: 1) you catch yourself thinking about the characters or events of the book when you’re not reading about it, or 2) you get increasingly invested in the story, fired up with unpleasant or frustrating events, excited or gleeful with good ones, essentially feeling as if you are living through the events of the book with the characters. A notable example of this happening to me is during the events of the fifth Harry Potter book with Professor Umbrage. It happened again in this one. Near the end I was so invested in Ellen and Will’s plight that I was actively angry, stressed, and delighted listening to the book.

This was a good one. I’m officially intrigued by Lisa Scottoline and will definitely be reading more of her books. Undeniable 4.

10th Anniversary- James Patterson

I’ve really dropped the ball here lately haven’t I? Well, I'm back on track and will be devoting some time this weekend to catching up on writing posts.  I've been reading, just not writing about it.  So here’s to turning over a new leaf, and watch for some new posts this week! I wish I could start with a book that I wasn’t completely disappointed with.

Which leads me to 10th Anniversary. You may recall from my favorite thrillers post that the first book in this series, 1st to Die, is one of my all time favorites. I think it’s for that reason, and that reason alone, that I've stuck with this series. At one point I could tell you that I have enjoyed the character progression of the four main women in this series, but now that we’ve arrived at the 10th book, Lindsay Boxer seems like a pale shadow of herself.

This book was… fine. I mean, it was a passable thriller, but not anywhere near one of the best ones I’ve read, and nothing close to the caliber of the first four books in this series. James Patterson has really disappointed me with this one. The plotline was not even all that exciting, revolving mostly around a court case rather than the serial killer on the loose, and even the secondary plot that is more typical of a Patterson thriller was pretty bad. Usually I burn through books like these in about a day, this one took me three on a vacation with unlimited reading time. I’m not saying it was terrible, but it was just so disappointing. How far the Women’s Murder Club has fallen. It’s sad, really.

2- I didn't care for this particular book, but I'm ok having read it because I know if I hadn't I would wonder about it.  I'll most likely keep reading these books, I like Lindsay and the rest of the group enough to want to know what Patterson ends up doing with all of them, but maybe next time I won’t be in so much of a hurry.

Before I Go to Sleep- SJ Watson

Fast paced, intriguing, and constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat, Before I Go to Sleep is a book that I started one morning and had finished the following afternoon. Though not an original concept (see: Memento, 50 First Dates), amnesia causing a person to forget the most recent parts of their life has always been one that is incredibly interesting to delve into. Before I Go to Sleep was no different.

The main character, Christine, wakes up every day not knowing where she is. In a twist on the way that 50 First Dates did this type of amnesia, Christine will occasionally remember different parts of her life. Some days she knows she’s married, some days she thinks she’s had a one night stand with a married man. This married man, of course, is her husband Ben. Told over more than half of the book as entries in Christine’s secret journal, we learn things about her life that no one sees coming, and prominent among these is the declaration on the first page, DON’T TRUST BEN.

From here we learn things about Christine’s life as she does, and perhaps the most interesting part of this book is that the only word we have on these events is Christine herself. So throughout there is always the factor of a possibly unreliable narrator, which adds to the depth of the book.

I enjoyed Before I Go to Sleep immensely. It has been touted as one of the must-reads of the summer, and did not disappoint. The only complaint I can think of is that there were portions of the book that drug along a little bit, but I think that was really only a result of my high expectations. I will certainly read this book again, especially now that I know how it ends, and all of the secrets that it holds. Another solid 4.

Dead Reckoning- Charlaine Harris

I sat here and stared at a blank word document while trying to think of something semi-intelligent to say about this book. I mean, what do you really say about the 11th book in a wildly popular series about telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse and her multiple dealings with fantastical beings like fairies, vampires, and werewolves? I guess all I can really say is that after 11 books I got what I was expecting: entertainment with a side of a relatively good mystery.

The Sookie Stackhouse books are the source material for the HBO series True Blood, which should also clue you into what you’re getting. In almost every book Sookie finds herself in life threatening situations, mostly due to her involvement with a vampire, and this one is no different.

Dead Reckoning begins with a bombing at the bar where Sookie works. But that’s not really the basis of the story, as we find out who was behind that relatively quickly, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to any regular reader of the series. The real conflict is semi-political, a power struggle between two vampires that hate each other, make life difficult for each other, and plot each other’s deaths consistently throughout the book. And surprise, surprise, Sookie ends up in the middle of it.

3- Again, what can I say? This book is fairly mindless entertainment, a fun read for a fantasy/mystery/thriller reader. I liked it, but like most series that have gone on this long, it’s a solid three. I’m still reading the series because I like them, I’m invested in the characters, and they’re fun, but I’m not feeling any strong need to read them again.

Next up- another Amazon recommendation, A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan

Favorites- Thrillers

Next up on my favorites tour? Thrillers. I have to admit that I’ve read about a million of these in my life, and rarely do I find one that I don’t like. However, there are also a lot that I liked but couldn’t tell you right now what they were about, or what the plot was, so obviously they haven’t stuck with me. In no particular order, following are the ones that did:

1. 

1st to Die, by James Patterson- I can’t praise this book enough. James Patterson, before he became an author that churns out a book a second (or something like that), was a really impressive writer. 1st to Die is the first in the women’s murder club series, which revolves around Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends: Claire Washburn, the city coroner, Cindy Thomas, a reporter, and Jill Bernhardt, the assistant district attorney, who work together to solve serial murder cases. In this book, someone is killing newlyweds. Alternating between Lindsay and the murderer’s perspectives, 1st to Die is an extremely captivating thriller with a personable side, thanks to the extremely well written characters. As of now, Patterson is on his 10th in this series, but has since picked up a co-writer, and has lost what I find to be significant quality in the books. I highly recommend the first three at the very least. Honorable mentions from James Patterson include: the first few Alex Cross books, Beach Road, and the more recent Michael Bennett series. In my opinion, his writing has gone significantly downhill in the past few years (most likely with the addition of co-writers that I suspect are really just writing books based on his ideas), but most of his early novels are equally as engrossing as this one.

2. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson- I’m sure everyone has heard enough about these books without me needing to explain the back story, but for those living under a rock the past few years, these books were written by a Swedish author that has since died, and have provided the story for a few excellent Swedish films (possibly the only foreign films I genuinely enjoy), and an upcoming American remake. Lisabeth Salander is the girl in the title, who is easily one of the most interesting characters in any book I have ever read. Secretive and dangerous, Lisabeth helps Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist, to discover what has happened to the niece of a very wealthy man in Dragon Tattoo. Admittedly, Blomkvist is the one to play a larger role in this book. Played with Fire is the sequel, and is definitely the better read, where Lisabeth is falsely accused of murder, which she frantically tries to solve throughout the book. The third book is not very good at all, so once again I am recommending only the first two books of a trilogy. In my opinion, the third book is much too wordy, boring, and should have been better edited after the death of the author.

3. 

The Firm, by John Grisham- This is another one that I’m sure almost everyone has heard of, however it was one of the first thrillers that I read and loved. Since then I have read nearly everything by John Grisham, with varying degrees of enjoyment. The Firm is my favorite. Mitch McDeere is a lawyer at a very lucrative job in a law firm, when he realizes that there is something definitely wrong with the company he is working for. From then on, it becomes a constant struggle between being set for life, doing the right thing, and trying to stay alive.

4. 

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane- Another book made into a popular movie. The main character, Teddy Daniels, and his partner are called to Shutter Island, a hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Ridiculously creepy and nonetheless a major page turner, all things are not what they seem, as we are lead through Teddy’s life and back story while he investigates the disappearance. Lehane is also the author of Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone, equally excellent thrillers that have since been made into movies.

5. 

The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton- though I never really got into most of Crichton’s more popular books (Jurassic Park, Congo, etc), Andromeda Strain is one that has really stuck with me since I read it in high school. The book revolves around a threat to humankind in the form of a biophysical strain of a virus/bacteria. Apparently I need to do a reread soon, because that about covers what I remember of it! Just trust me on this, one thing that I do remember is that it was riveting!

Honorable mentions: Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, David Baldacci’s Camel Club series, and everything I’ve ever read from Harlan Coben.

Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher

My mom suggested this book to me after hearing about and reading it at the middle school where she works.  I am a sucker for well written books that are targeted at age groups below mine and after reading the summary thought it sounded interesting, so after Wolf Hall bombed so badly, I thought my brain could use the break.

Well, as it turns out I didn’t get much of one. Thirteen Reasons Why has quite a morbid subject matter, and was fairly upsetting, but bear with me on this one.  If you trusted me with Room and its weirdness, you can trust me on a teen book about suicide. 

From the very beginning of the book we know that Hannah Baker killed herself.  After days have passed, Clay Jenson, who went to school with Hannah and had a crush on her, receives a brown package full of cassette tapes with no return address. On these tapes is Hannah’s voice, explaining thirteen reasons why she gave up, thirteen people who contributed actions and words to the snowball effect that eventually caused her to take her life.  Each of these thirteen people will receive the tapes and listen to them before passing them on.  The book chronicles Clay as he listens to each recording, following a map that was given with the tapes to the places where significant events occurred, providing us with Hannah’s running commentary interspersed with Clay’s reactions. This was not unlike an audio tour at a museum, which is where the author got the idea for this writing style.

Most of all I enjoyed the style of writing in this book, it was a genius idea from Asher to cut the present day thoughts Clay was having with Hannah’s discussions about life and high school.  In addition, although it was a serious and morose subject matter, at no point did Asher take it to a deeply psychological perspective, instead merely documenting the events that lead to Hannah’s depression.  It was a page turner for sure, and I think given more free time in the past couple of days I could have read it in a matter of hours. The book is written like a suspense novel, and there is lots of material for the reader to wonder about: How Clay fits into the tapes chief among them.

3- All in all, I found this to be an important book about the way that high schoolers, or people in general treat each other.  It certainly makes you think twice about the way that you interact with others. I don’t need to read it again, but I did find it an engrossing and worthwhile read.

Next up: The Tiger’s Wife, which is getting a lot of press for its author, who is ironically the same age as me, yet has already been named on the New Yorker’s 20 authors under 40 to watch.