Target: Alex Cross by James PattersonMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
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Monday, December 28, 2020
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Sunday, October 25, 2020
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
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Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Friday, August 28, 2020
Monday, August 17, 2020
Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Monday, August 3, 2020
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Review: The People vs. Alex Cross
The People vs. Alex Cross by James PattersonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars. This book picks up where the preceding Book Shot, "Detective Cross," left off. A few months have passed and Alex's murder trial is fast approaching. In the meantime, he has returned to his first professional love: counseling. He's quite content with this choice until former partner and lifelong best friend John Sampson comes to Alex with a case as John and his new partner aren't really jiving: young women are disappearing and are appearing to be killed in snuff films with the only thing they seemingly have in common is that they are all blonde.
As always, this was another fast paced novel with multiple story arcs happening. The trial was more in the background than I would have thought it to be, with Alex sneaking around (he is suspended, after all!) to help John solve the missing women case the more focal story line. But when has Alex ever been able to walk away from a case?
The trial had me wondering if Alex would be found guilty at times, even with knowing this is not the last book in the series, though it crossed my mind that the series could continue with Bree as the main character while Alex languishes in prison. I found it more than a bit unlikely that the turning point in the trial came from a discovery made by Alex's nine year old that the professionals missed. But, this series is fiction and while I enjoy the books, I don't expect them to be literary masterpieces.
Overall, another solid book in the series but after 25 books, it is starting to feel like there isn't much more that can be done with this character.
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Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Review: Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars. This was our classic novel selection for book club this year and one of the few classic novels we've read I actually liked.
It is hard to review this book - I really didn't like the beginning. I felt like it just drug on and Scarlett O'Hara was quite frankly, a vile person. I even asked some of my fellow book club members "Did this book really need to be 1,000 pages long?!" After awhile, however, I found myself wondering if she was the inspiration for "Sweet Valley High's" Jessica Wakefield, a thought I still find intriguing. Yeah, I'm comparing a classic, iconic character to a popular teenage character of the 1980's. I've never claimed to be that deep when it comes to reading comprehension.
As the book wore on, however, it was hard not to both hate Scarlett and at the same time root for her as she faced the hardships brought on by the war and Reconstruction that forced her to finally grow up. Only 16 when the story begins, she was only around 20 when circumstances forced her into the role of head of her family. Still ruthless and vile, however, she was ahead of her time and exhibited a remarkable level of strength and determination to save all that was dear to her.
With current events, however, this book became harder to read. I started it before COVID and George Floyd - I finished it in the midst of both the night before HBO pulled it from their programming - and though written in 1936, the ending was just a little to close to home with what is happening in the country now and that makes it hard to review as I question whether this country is truly heading towards another civil war. What was my escape from reality just saddened me further.
I love that I read this book after visiting Atlanta as I was able to picture some of the places mentioned in the book as I'd seen them. I had a hard time remembering who some of the peripheral characters were as there were so many of them, but the main characters started to feel like family. I could not understand why she was so in love with Ashley Wilkes, as he seemed awfully dull to me! Even as she figured it out in the end, I was still thinking "Seriously, why him?" I truly could not believe Frank thought motherhood would change her into a true lady - because that worked so well with the first kid. I wondered if Rhett Butler was bi-polar or just had nefarious intentions. I loved Scarlett's revelation at the end about Melanie; that was definitely worth slogging it out until the end. I did read the last several pages in great anticipation as to whether or not Rhett utters the famous movie line "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." And while the movie embellishes the line slightly, it was still quite satisfying when that moment in the book finally happened in what is otherwise a rather sad scene. Overall, I'm glad I finally read this, especially after touring Margaret Mitchell's home in Atlanta and visiting her grave. But I still don't think the book needed to be 1,000 pages long.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Review: The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah BlumMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
If COVID-19 is leading you to gain the "quarantine 15," you may want to check this book out. It will definitely help curb your appetite!
Dating back to the mid-1800's, this book follows the career of Dr. Harvey Wiley, the chemist whose crusade for safer food ultimately led to the creation of the FDA. Though I did find my mind drifting off at times while listening to it, the book was a fascinating look at the additives, such as borax and formaldehyde, which were once considered to be acceptable in our food and how sometimes common spices, such as pepper, contained very little - if any - pepper at all.
I did feel there was a bit of repetition throughout the book - ketchup was mentioned frequently before the section devoted just to it, for example. I was fascinated at times by the logic of those opposed to stricter food labeling and amazed to learn how long big business has had it's hand in this aspect of the government. I didn't realize Monsanto has been around for as long as they have, for example. (Or that Nabisco was once called the National Biscuit Company - fun bit of trivia!). As someone who is allergic to sulfites, I found the part of the book addressing its use in foods to be very interesting. Whiskey has quite a history as to what can and cannot be called whiskey!
Though this book primarily centers around the late 1800's and early 1900's, it still made me wonder what is lurking in our food and considered acceptable - are there still pumpkin rinds in my ketchup or nut shells in my ground pepper? What exactly are "natural flavors?" Given that it's mentioned in the epilogue, what is the current administration doing to our food we don't know about?
Wiley's legacy is quite the story of mostly uphill battles and triumph, but he also faced plenty of defeat as well in his quest to make our food safer and get us to where we are today.
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Review: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor NoahMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 I think I must be broken. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it like everyone else I know who has read it did.
I don't watch late night TV and until a couple of summers ago, I had never even heard the name Trevor Noah. Then during a family reunion, both my mother and my brother said I had to read this book. That got my attention - my mother and my brother actually agreeing on something?! This must be worth looking into! And then it came up that half my book club had read and loved the book so that made it a no-brainer for this year's "Celebrity Autobiography" selection.
After starting the book, I watched some clips on YouTube to get a better feel for who Trevor is and I liked what I saw. He's funny, he's intelligent, he's got an adorable accent and he's not hard to look at. He's fantastic when it comes to doing impressions of others. That did help with reading the book as I find it usually does. The book is interesting - don't get me wrong; he has had quite the life and overcame a lot to make it to where he is today as he strove to learn who he is as a mixed race person who never quite fit in with either race.
There were parts of the book that I found amusing and parts I found horribly sad, particularly his not being allowed to know his father because his being mixed race was against the law. His mother sounds like an amazing woman and the amount of love and respect he feels for her jumped off the pages. And there were parts I found incredibly funny, like when he accidentally burnt down someone's house. (My best friend read this at the same time I did and there was one part where he had tears in his eyes because he was laughing so hard). He is a good storyteller, though I did struggle a bit with the way the book jumped around to various points in his life.
The book did lead me to watch his comedy specials on Netflix as well as a couple of clips here and there and I am sure I will continue to do so now that he's on my radar as I do find him enjoyable. I'm definitely a fan now! So I don't know what it is about the book that it didn't resonate with me the same way it has for those around me.
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Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Review: Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City's Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation
Friday, March 27, 2020
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
Monday, February 24, 2020
Review: Detective Cross
Detective Cross by James PattersonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book #24.5 in this series, this is one of James Patterson's Book Shots - the novellas he writes for those who want to read but may not have time for a full length novel. The result of this is these do tend to be pretty fast paced and this is no exception. The exception for this one, however, is it does mention things from the previous book so it would definitely help to read that one first - even with having read it, I didn't quite remember what had happened that this book refers to more than once as a somewhat important plot point.
Detective Cross in this case is not Alex, but rather his wife Bree, Metro PD Chief of Detectives, who gets an early morning call that an IED has been left at the Washington National Mall - and she has less than an hour to find it. This ends up being the first of several IEDs the bomber leaves in his wake for reasons unknown until the bomber is ultimately caught.
The bombers reasons were heartbreaking and sadly relevant to today's society. The book was definitely fast paced as I mentioned and there was a twist in who the bomber was - or rather, it was not who I expected it to be in a way I can't say without spoiling it. My only complaint is that because Bree and the FBI, rather than Alex, were the focus, Alex's best friend and fellow cop was noticeably absent from this book!
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Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Review: Swept Under the Rug
Swept Under the Rug by Jennifer L. HartMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The second book in the Laundry Hag series, I enjoyed this one but didn't love it like I did the first, which was a bit disappointing.
Having survived her ordeal with a corrupt cop in the first book, Maggie Phillips is still cleaning houses for the elite and is still working as a CI for the police department and an overzealous one at that as she wants to solve cases, not just provide helpful information in regards to them. Working at one client's she "discovers" a mysterious fax which the police dismiss until the wife of the recipient disappears and Maggie suddenly finds herself having to prove she wasn't behind it. And if that wasn't enough, her brother Marty has reappeared, this time with a pregnant girlfriend in tow, her best friend's marriage is over and her own marriage seems to be on the rocks as well - mostly due to Maggie's own paranoia.
This was a quick, entertaining read. It wasn't quite as humorous as the first one but the characters felt more real: Sylvia's reaction to her cheating husband and Neil's reaction to Maggie being targeted and framed being among the best. I can't really find anything I would say was a huge fault with it (other than it definitely could have used a second set of editing eyes); the bar was set pretty high for me with the first one and even knowing sophomore efforts rarely measure up, I think my expectations were just too high. That said, I am looking forward to seeing what scrapes Maggie gets into next!
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Review: Double Fudge Brownie Murder
Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne FlukeMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
2.5 Stars As I hovered over checking this book out from the library, I asked myself "Am I going to regret this?" The last couple of books have been awful but I went ahead and did it. I don't know if it's because I read this one instead of listened to it, or if it was because I was on vacation when I read it or if it's actually just a better book but I found this one didn't totally suck.
It starts out with the Swensen sisters and Doc Knight whisking Delores off to Las Vegas so Doc and Delores can elope. This part of the book, for the most part, was rather enjoyable. A quarter of the book later, the clan is back in Lake Eden when Hannah finds yet another murder victim - this time it's the judge who is about to preside over her vehicular manslaughter trial, which makes Hannah look like a good prime suspect in lead detective/boyfriend Mike's eyes. And of course, Hannah manages to stay one step ahead of Mike and the rest of the police force to solve the murder.
So here's what went wrong: Hannah is awaiting trial, with a substitute judge who doesn't know her presiding, yet she is allowed to fly halfway across the country for her mother's surprise elopement? Um, okay. And while I mostly enjoyed this part of the book, Hannah's family conspiring to play matchmaker by having her college crush, Ross, appear as Doc's best man was pretty contrived. Especially when the scheme worked and they fell madly in love after about two minutes and Delores then regretted it thinking Hannah was moving too fast - and was going to hurt her steady dates, Mike and Norman, in the process. Maybe, just maybe, you should have stayed out of it then.
Back in Lake Eden, Hannah (who barely works at her bakery anymore) is irate when Mike suspects her of murdering the judge. Hannah, who was ALONE in the judge's antichamber when it happened having been summoned prior to the start of HER TRIAL can't understand why Mike might think she has motive?? Seriously, Hannah, you are smarter than that. I believe the point was to get Hannah to realize that Mike might not be husband material after all, but really, Hannah should have figured that one out long ago.
But the worst part was Hannah's 7 year old niece being a cell phone expert. I understand today's kids are growing up with phones and tablets, but most of them do not sound and act like they should be selling them.
So what went right: the wedding was sweet. Michelle is probably my favorite character in this series as she's the only one whose life seems to be realistic. Hannah actually did something more intimate with a man than just hugging him and her stale love life finally has a resolution. And reading this did feel like visiting old friends and did help pass the time spent traveling from Point A to Point B in horrendous traffic much faster.
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Friday, February 7, 2020
Review: Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars. This was our book club selection for this month and I had heard people either love it or they hate it; our book club leaned more towards those who liked or loved it with a couple who did not like it. I fall somewhere in the middle.
I found this book to be hard to get into, but then I hit a point where I couldn't put it down. But then a couple of things at the end stretched things a bit too far for my taste and that disappointed me.
The book starts off with the 1969 discovery of the dead body of Chase Andrews, former star quarterback from the small town of Barkley Cove, NC. It then goes back to 1952 and starts to tell the story of then 6 year old Catherine "Kya" Clark, a young girl who lives in a shack in the marsh with her family. The book is then divided into chapters of present day (1969) as Chase's death is investigated and the past as Kya, aka "Marsh Girl" grows up alone, having been abandoned one family member at a time until she was left to fend for herself at the age of 10, until the two timelines finally intersect in 1969.
It's a remarkable story in many ways. It was hard not to root for Kya, who was quite smart for someone who had only gone to school one day in her life. Though she did have somewhat of a surrogate family, it did seem a bit far-fetched, however, these people left a child to literally grow up on her own.
While the writing style definitely helped with the development of the characters in terms of showing who was poor and uneducated (the marsh people) vs the educated and more sophisticated townsfolk, there were times I felt the use of the southern style of language was distracting and took away from the story. I also got bogged down in some of the more scientific explanations in regards to the mating habits of insects, though I did read after I finished the book Delia Owens is a scientist by trade. Sadly, I glossed over a part of the story in this regard that directly impacts how the book ends.
It's a book I will likely recommend but with the caveats I found it hard to get into and it's a bit technical in places, but overall, it is a really good story for the most part, especially in the middle.
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Thursday, February 6, 2020
Review: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris VossMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A friend recommended this book after he read it and used some of the tactics presented to help me negotiate the sale of my house. After listening to a string of fiction books, I decided to give this one a try both out of curiosity and because the first few from my TBR list I tried to check out I had to put on hold.
I see it has a lot of rave reviews and while there is some advice in here I will likely find useful and put into practice to help communicate better (using "It seems" rather than "I feel" or "You did") I agree with those who said this is basically a book on how to manipulate others into getting what you want. But then again, isn't that what negotiation is all about in some respects?
I also felt that in the wrong hands, the chapter regarding how you want to start with "no" because it's really a "yes" waiting to happen could be a dangerous concept. Trust me, there are times that my "no" is NOT a challenge to change my mind and no really does mean no. Though at the same time I can also admit that there are times when I say "no" but am actually curious and I agree sometimes saying "yes" really is just to end the conversation rather than an expression of actual interest.
It wasn't a bad book. Though my friend had shared snippets with it as he read it, I didn't entirely know what to expect from it. As I said, I found some of it to be useful in terms of helping to communicate better, but I also felt a lot of it seemed rather manipulative. Though I do appreciate the reviewer who commented about receiving a grant after following the advice of using a precise number (admittedly not knowing if this was the reason for success) and that is something that as a fellow grant writer, I may have to try!
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Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Review: Stranger Beside Me
Stranger Beside Me by Ann RuleMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Unlike other Ann Rule books I have listened to, I find this one harder to review. I knew prior to starting it that she had been a co-worker and friend to Ted Bundy at the time he started his path to being a notorious serial killer. And I was, of course, familiar with Ted Bundy but listening to this book made me realize just how little I actually knew about his killing spree.
I can't imagine what it would be like to discover the person whose criminal acts you have been commissioned to write a book about is your friend; as she said (paraphrased), that's not even something Hollywood scriptwriters come up with. I felt as though part of the book was her trying to process that shock - that in some respects she wrote this book not only because it was her job to do so but as a therapeutic tool, especially since there were a couple of places in which she still indicated an uncertainty he killed as many woman as he was accused and convicted of.
That being said, the audiobook version I listened to was abridged so I'm not sure how much was left out. The gist of it was there, enough so that I'm considering watching the Netflix series to see that perspective, but not enough to read the abridged version.
Overall, an interesting, first hand account of Bundy's reign of terror from someone who had a ringside seat into his life, but I've liked other books of hers better.
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