Boneshaker

This was an interesting story, and I can't wait to discuss in book club. I liked the characters, and the way the author moved it along.

The Giver

The best thing I can say is that it only took a hour for me to read this. It wasn't a terrible book, but I just didn't enjoy it at all.

BOOK #62

Without a doubt, the best book I have read for 2010. And while it's written by a man, the POV is the one female central character. To be honest, I didn't even notice the author was male until after I read the book.

There is no plot in the traditional sense. It's just the journey of this one woman's life and what happens to her. And surprisingly, one's banal existence sometimes isn't as banal as it looks. Deep with pain and joy and redemption, this book totally engrossed me.

I can always tell a good author when you cannot find any of his/her previous works on PaperBackSwap. This was his fifth novel and none of his previous novels are available on PBS. Robert Goddard is the same way. So I'm onto something, I suppose. I'll be digging around for more of his stuff, fo' sho.

I give it five bookmarks.

BOOK #61

Earlier this year, I read that Stephen King had put out a tiny book. Stephen King? Tiny book? Is that possible? And it was about baseball. I was way intrigued. And now I know that King's power of writing is in his vast amount of words. He needs a huge amount of words to really put out a great novel.

This was meh. It had a bit of a twist but nothing shocking or terrifying. I was surprised. I guess I was thinking this book would be more along the "Field of Dreams" legacy. I was wrong.

Good thing I have PBS.

BOOK #60

I believe in signs. When two or more persons tell me about a book, it generally means I should read it. The guy that helps me with my hiking equipment at REI is a seminary student. But in a very groovy, likable way. He told me about this book (after a discussion of why I was getting back into hiking) - it intrigued me but not enough. Twenty-four hours later, yet another seminary student told me about the same book. The second seminary student is also a guitarist and an overall good guy as well.

So, I bought it. Ashamedly so, it sat in my bookshelf for over a year. But lately, with the whole turning50whereismylifegoing thing, I've been reading more of these type books.

It wasn't what I thought. It was MORE than I thought though. The author is a man who lived through 3 Nazi interment camps, losing his wife and child in those camps and coming out of it to only help others. At first, I put the book down because did I really want to read ANOTHER one of these books? But I soldiered on. It was different. His story was not the focus of the book. The focus of the book was HOW he survived those camps. How each little decision he made positioned him for getting through it day by day. The book didn't leave me depressed. If anything, it quieted my soul a bit. And my mind.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that is searching. Searching for whatever answers they might need.

High on Arrival

You've seen it all on the talk shows, so don't waste your time on the book. I am a big fan of the Mamas and the Papas, so I thought I would be more interested. Eh. Not really. A lot of it even seems really fabricated.

Past Caring

Karen introduced me to Robert Goddard sometime last year, so everytime I see one of his books at Half Price, I grab it. I have never been disappointed, and this was no exception. I love a good mystery, and Past Caring is historical fiction and mystery all in one.

Let's Take The Long Way Home

Very easy book to read about best friends. You know it is going to be sad because it is no secret that one of the women dies. However, the story is still worth reading. Also a great book for animal lovers, as the dogs plays a pretty big part in the story.

Wicked Appetite

Ugh. I never thought I would give a Janet Evanovich book 1 star, but this book was terrible. I love her Stephanie Plum series, so I thought this would be along the same lines. A quick, but enjoyable read with a real story. It was not the least bit entertaining.