The third book in the Giver trilogy takes place in the Village that we first saw when Jonas arrived via sled. We saw it again during the second book wThe third book in the Giver trilogy takes place in the Village that we first saw when Jonas arrived via sled. We saw it again during the second book when Mat brought Kira's father to and from. But now Matty is living in the village, with the Seer. He hasn't been given his adult name yet, but he's hoping it will be Messenger. Meanwhile, things are changing in the Village. It used to be open and welcoming but lately not so much. People are becoming mean and self-involved and they want to stop outsiders from taking their resources. When the Village votes to close he borders, Matty is sent out to post the notices in the Forest. Matty has the gift of healing. Jonas, now Leader, tells him not to waste his gift. The climactic scene, which comes quickly, is both fitting and sad but brings to mind the fact that freedom often requires sacrifice. ...more
**spoiler alert** I'm not sure if I'll have spoilers but if I want to say anything at all, I may give something away. Wow. Neill doesn't pull her punc**spoiler alert** I'm not sure if I'll have spoilers but if I want to say anything at all, I may give something away. Wow. Neill doesn't pull her punches any more than Merit does, which is rather nice. When Mayor Tate calls Merit and Sullivan on the carpet for knowing about the raves and not stopping them and having an arrest order for Eric if they aren't stopped, it makes a bad situation worse. When Merit discovers drugs at the scene, with the letter V, and hears of a pusher named Marie, she knows her least favorite vampire is back in town or maybe she never left. Meanwhile, the GP is in town, breathing down their necks and wants to put a receiver on the House. Eric is fit to be tied. It doesn't help that Merit is still saying no to his entreaties that he's changed. Then everything changes in a wild second and the playing field is suddenly a new game entirely. I am still reeling. ...more
It was initially difficult to see how this connected with The Giver because this takes place in a very different community. In this community there isIt was initially difficult to see how this connected with The Giver because this takes place in a very different community. In this community there is plenty of color but there is the same sort of perfection of body that we saw in Jonas's world. Kira should never have survived childhood because she was born lame but her mother fought for her. She does have talent, though, in her fingers, with needlework and she is ultimately chosen to be their next great story worker. But first she must learn to dye the threads. Blue is the one color that can't be made locally. Woad is required and it isn't in the community. It is Yonder. Perhaps another word for Elsewhere. Although Kira cannot go and search for woad, her young friend Matt can. Not only does he find the plant but he finds people. People who live a very different kind of life than Matt is used to. More would require spoilers. After reading The Giver, this was even more fascinating. Instead of a Giver, they had a Singer, who annually tells the tale of the world and uses a beautiful robe embroidered with scenes and a staff carved with symbols to remind him of each chapter and verse. But this community had not eliminated hatred or jealousy. Men and women had strictly different roles. It was a hunter/gatherer style of living. No luxuries. No schooling for girls. Kind of like serfs on a big estate in feudal times. Interesting and compelling if a little predictable....more
Colin Singleton is a child prodigy who has just been dumped by the latest, 19th, in fact, in a series of Katherines. Although just graduated from highColin Singleton is a child prodigy who has just been dumped by the latest, 19th, in fact, in a series of Katherines. Although just graduated from high school, he is worried that he is past his prime. His best friend Hassan convinces him to take a road trip and they end up in Gutshot, TN where both Colin and Hassan grow up. Green uses footnotes to provide all sorts of asides to the story which I found tedious on the iPad though it worked well on the Kindle. But it felt too affected. I was never attached to either Colin or Hassan and while I liked Lindsay, the girl they meet in Gutshot, and thought she was the most realized of the characters, the story never fully resonated me. It was good, but not nearly as memorable as The Fault in our Stars....more
**spoiler alert** There were certain things I loved about Skin Game. It was great to see Michael Carpenter in action. I've missed Michael a lot. And i**spoiler alert** There were certain things I loved about Skin Game. It was great to see Michael Carpenter in action. I've missed Michael a lot. And it was lovely to see Molly and Maggie and Mouse and even Charity. There were some great conversations between Michael and Harry. And Butters is brilliant. So is Bob. But at the same time, this book is one long battle. It took me ages to get into the book because I wasn't that interested in the story line. I am not enjoying Harry as the Winter Knight. I miss Harry the Wizard. As Harry has become more powerful, he needs more powerful monsters to prove himself against but then the story becomes more a power struggle with magic. The story didn't have a lot of character growth. Sure, Harry embraced fatherhood or at least his daughter. But the real character growth was had by other characters and that isn't quite as interesting since this isn't really an ensemble cast. It was a good book but not as good as some of the others in the series. ...more
Festive in Death was a very solid police procedural. Our victim is a personal trainer who had the habit of drugging his female clients and convincing Festive in Death was a very solid police procedural. Our victim is a personal trainer who had the habit of drugging his female clients and convincing them that sex was their idea. Classic scumbag. He was murdered in a very personal way. Unfortunately, the list of potential murderers is a long one. Eve would like to wrap this up before Christmas because she is starting to understand what Christmas means. It was a good book but the victim was a creep and the perp wasn't much better. There was no one to root for beside Eve. At the same time it was very well done as a police procedural. Robb is very meticulous about what and how Eve does her job and it shows. It wasn't a terribly exciting book but it had its Christmas moments. And Eve always gets her perp. ...more
This is nothing like Virgin River. This is about 4 women struggling through the worst time of their lives. Gerri thought she had the best, most stableThis is nothing like Virgin River. This is about 4 women struggling through the worst time of their lives. Gerri thought she had the best, most stable marriage. She loved her husband and 3 children. But when an offhand comment leads to the discovery that he had an affair five years earlier, her stable world crumbled. She still loved him but now it was mixed with anger and hate and distrust. She has to decide if her marriage is worth fighting for. Andi had just thrown out her second husband. He had never really been committed to her. Were her friends right, did she feel incomplete without a man? She was determined to be man-free but then an overweight, balding man with a dog came into her life to renovate her kitchen and suddenly she understood what she had been missing. Sonja was the "woo-woo" of their group. The first to offer healing therapies and vegan casseroles. She taught yoga and crystals and one day her husband told her he had had enough and he wanted a divorce. Sonja snapped. BJ isn't really a member of the group. Quiet and unassuming, the other three ask her to go walking every day but she declines. She needs to run. But she's the first to notice something is wrong with Sonja. Twice. And saves her life by doing so. BJ can't stand up against the kind of friendship the three woman are offering. She's never had it before and it scares her but the others allow her baby steps. Sonja discovers that she had years of pent up emotions that she never let go before. It turns her into a much more real person. If you're looking for a romance, you'll be disappointed, although there is certainly romance and sex in this book. If you're looking for a good story about four women and their struggles, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to relate, even if you haven't had these particular struggles. Good friends make life easier. It's that simple....more
If you are a reader, this book is for you. A.J. Fikry lost everything important to him when his wife died. He still has his bookstore but he doesn't cIf you are a reader, this book is for you. A.J. Fikry lost everything important to him when his wife died. He still has his bookstore but he doesn't care. Then the one possession that had monetary value to him was stolen. But since nature abhors a vacuum something else arrives to take its place. A baby. The infant was left in his store and though A.J. has no clue about babies he refuses to give her to social services. Instead, raising Maya in the bookstore, giving her the world of stories, opens up his world again, too. There is a sassy publisher's rep, a former sister in law, a host of characters on Alice Island, off the coast of Massachusetts where the book is set, that all combine to make this a lovely read. Every book that A.J. mentions is one that I either have read or want to. Every reaction to a book is one that I had. Delightful. The kind of book to curl up to when it's raining outside. ...more
This was a cute story about a house sitter who sees a murder and ends up getting involved with the victim's brother. It turns out that the brother, anThis was a cute story about a house sitter who sees a murder and ends up getting involved with the victim's brother. It turns out that the brother, an artist, happens to know her best friend. And his best friend is her best friend's ex husband. It would be a comedy if there wasn't a killer stalking them for the goods she never recovered when she murdered the first two people. It's a good but slow story. The characters are all likable but not necessarily memorable. Even Lila, our spying house sitter, is interesting but not a long-term memorable character. It was worth reading but not her best. The sociopathic killer was the most ingesting character. The Faberge egg at the center was interesting but Russian artifacts aren't my passion. ...more
**spoiler alert** The shifters are having their Pack Convocation in Chicago to decide whether to stay or go. The Apex, the Alpha of all Alphas has ask**spoiler alert** The shifters are having their Pack Convocation in Chicago to decide whether to stay or go. The Apex, the Alpha of all Alphas has asked Ethan and Merit to attend. First, Gabriel thinks because of the Breckenridge incident that he owes Cadogan house but also because he has the gift of prophecy and sees Merit as vital to his son's future. The first thing that happens is an attack on Gabriel, a shootout where only the shooter has an automatic. Merit rescues one of Gabriel's people without thinking about it. There is another attack at the big convocation but all ends well. Meanwhile, Merit and Ethan finally do something about their sexual tension. It's explosive and everything that one would expect from the two of them. Then Ethan does something stupid and tells Merit they can only have an employee and employer relationship. Then Lacey Sheridan shows up, the only Master Vampire Ethan has made in his 400 years. The woman he was intimate with before she started her own house. What's a Sentinel to think? Meanwhile, Merit has been asked to join the Red Guard. Sort of the Vampire Secret Service but it would mean divided loyalties. Despite her feelings about Ethan, Merit isn't sure she can have divided loyalties about the house. A fast, exciting read that made me want the next book. ...more
**spoiler alert** The series gets better with the introduction of the shifters. We already knew about them through Merit's admirer in the Ombud's offi**spoiler alert** The series gets better with the introduction of the shifters. We already knew about them through Merit's admirer in the Ombud's office but here we get up close and personal. Ethan is hearing rumors of raves where humans are used as direct feeding sources. Merit goes to her old high school friend/boyfriend to find out more and finds not just hostility but downright hatred. This kind of prejudice is beyond Merit's capacity to understand. Which is when she learns that the Breckenridges are Pack. Shifters hide among humans, work among them, and no one knows. Unlike Vampires who are Out. Meanwhile, Celina has been released by the GP and is likely back in Chicago hoping for another run at Merit and Ethan. Morgan, the new Master of Navarre house, thinks Merit is sleeping with Ethan, which Merit resents and puts a serious pall on their budding romance. Meanwhile, Merit is terrified that the "other" the "vampire" within her is going to up and take control if she's not careful. She thinks she's broken. It's a fascinating mix of urban fantasy, girly girl discussion complete with food and chocolate (come on, isn't this every girl's fantasy - a life where you can eat as much as you want of whatever you want and never gain a pound?) and snark, lots of snark. With bonus Library!...more
**spoiler alert** This was the strongest and most interesting book in the series but it still left me cold. I had no connection to Tris or Tobias. I c**spoiler alert** This was the strongest and most interesting book in the series but it still left me cold. I had no connection to Tris or Tobias. I couldn't feel their pain so I wasn't in distress when it was taken away. This book had a completely different feel to it. Tris, Tobias and some others go outside the fence and discover the remains of the real world after the genetic purity wars. O'Hare Airport is the center of government now but like all governments it may have started out pure but eventually it starts working for its own good. Tris and Tobias realize that they can't allow this form of government to survive either. The amount of hubris implicit in these novels is huge. That a 16-18 year old has enough life experience to make world defining decisions is laughable. It isn't that Tris hasn't lived a hard life these past two years it's that her slice of life is so very narrow. She's also beyond genetically pure, though they don't know why. Only she can resist a death serum without an inoculation. It gets a little too unrealistic even when realistic things happen. This doesn't mean it wasn't interesting. Roth's vision of a futuristic Illinois was interesting. And I liked the decision that Tobias's mother was asked to make. But there was a lot of coldness in the emotional landscape. These kids were too burnt out just trying to live that love was too sharp an emotion, it cut too deeply that even when they hung onto it, they bled. Overall, interesting. Not sure I understand all the fuss. ...more
I'm still not sure why this series has caused such a fuss. I liked Tris more in this book. She found her footing. I liked Tobias. In fact, I thought aI'm still not sure why this series has caused such a fuss. I liked Tris more in this book. She found her footing. I liked Tobias. In fact, I thought all the teen characters were well drawn. The adults were less so. The adults were adults as seen through teen eyes. They were not adults in their own right. The big reveal reminded me a bit of Wall-E or Serenity even though it's not quite the same thing. But I also thought it came out of nowhere. There were subtle hints in Divergent and subtle hints in Insurgent but nothing that would give us this big conspiracy. Or not conspiracy but rather deliberate plan. It will be interesting to see how she wraps it up. It's very emo while trying to seem blase about all the death. Teens that have seen that much death don't necessarily make good leaders which is why the Dauntless so easily turned traitor. They need older, wiser leaders since you can't be old and brave. You just don't last that long. It's an easy book to read and enjoy but I'm not sure it will hold up to long scrutiny....more
**spoiler alert** Louisa Clark is 26 and thinks she is relatively content working as a waitress, living in a tiny room with her parents, just waiting **spoiler alert** Louisa Clark is 26 and thinks she is relatively content working as a waitress, living in a tiny room with her parents, just waiting for her life to begin. Then she loses her job and finds herself as the caretaker for a quadriplegic. Will Traynor had a big life. Everything about what he did was living large. Until an accident took it all away and now he needs someone to do everything for him except breath. Living is no longer high on his list of welcome activities. But Lou can't just sit there and let him wither away. And Will sees in her a spark of life that just hasn't had the breath blown into it. When Lou discovers that Will has every intention of going to Switzerland and Dignitas, an assisted suicide location, she is bound and determined to make him see that life is worth living and that love is possible again. She never expect to truly find that out for herself. This does not have a typical happy ending and I could barely read the last 10 pages through my tears. If you are of a certain age and American, reading about Will Traynor will bring images of Christopher Reeve who couldn't even breathe on his own and to imagine the courage he had to have to wake up every day. These are both realistic and idealistic characters at once enrobed in a delightfully quirky novel that makes me want more of Moyes....more
This was the last Hannah Swensen book that I hadn't read and it filled in all the missing blanks for me so I really enjoyed it. Hannah is judging the This was the last Hannah Swensen book that I hadn't read and it filled in all the missing blanks for me so I really enjoyed it. Hannah is judging the baked goods at the local fair when one of the other judges ends up dead. She doesn't hesitate to investigate. In this book she's a pretty sharp investigator. Which is not to say that the police aren't as well. They come up with the answer about the same time as she does, but without risking their lives. It was one of the last books to make the love triangle really attractive. Both Norman and Mike are good suitors. The recipes are pretty scrumptious as well. ...more
In this outing, Hannah must deal with a movie director who gives new meaning to the word casting couch. He never saw a woman undeserving of a pass. SoIn this outing, Hannah must deal with a movie director who gives new meaning to the word casting couch. He never saw a woman undeserving of a pass. So when he winds up dead of a gunshot wound by what should have been a prop gun, there are a host of suspects. The problem was that it was actually pretty obvious. The book moved slowly and didn't make a lot of sense. As always, the recipes sounded yummy....more
**spoiler alert** I am genuinely confused about why this book has received all the hype it has. I enjoyed it. But Tris is no Katniss. The book is no H**spoiler alert** I am genuinely confused about why this book has received all the hype it has. I enjoyed it. But Tris is no Katniss. The book is no Hunger Games. There is no build up to the crisis. The entire story takes 30 days. From the moment Tris learns she's Divergent, meaning she doesn't fit into one specific faction type, to the point that the government, her old faction Abnegation, is overthrown. At 16 she's suddenly thrust into a world she's always admired and has deliberately chosen, the Dauntless. But you can't get me to believe that someone that has never lifted a hand to another can suddenly become a combat fighter in a week. In only 8 hours a day. Further, she figures out the entire plot to overthrow the government. Well, her mother figures that out but uses Tris to spread the word. Which is a neat trick considering she can't leave her compound and the bad guys have a serum to make all the Dauntless into Robotic zombies. Tris comes out in first place in her faction initiation; she falls in love with her trainer. Predictable. I enjoyed the book but it was completely predictable all along the way. I'll read the sequels, at least the next one, hoping that it will get less predictable, but in general I'm underwhelmed except by the creativity of post-apocalyptic Chicago. ...more
This is less a work of fiction and more a mystery novella with a cookbook. At the Lake Eden holiday potluck Hannah stumbles over another dead body, thThis is less a work of fiction and more a mystery novella with a cookbook. At the Lake Eden holiday potluck Hannah stumbles over another dead body, this one using her mother's antique cake knife as the murder weapon. Despite Mike's disinterest in having her help, Hannah and her sisters immediately set to work uncovering the murderer. But it is a non-event murder. Nearly half the pages are devoted to recipes. If you have a slow cooker or you like easy recipes, these will be for you and you don't even need to read the story. If you do read the story it simply continues to move the timeline along. No harm, no foul. ...more
The 4th entry in the Hannah Swensen series has a more interesting murder mystery. I may have figured out whodunit pretty quickly but I couldn't figureThe 4th entry in the Hannah Swensen series has a more interesting murder mystery. I may have figured out whodunit pretty quickly but I couldn't figure out why or put all the pieces together until much later in the book. Norman is building his dream house on a piece of property he bought from Rhonda who is leaving to Rome almost immediately after she signs the papers only she doesn't leave. She's found dead in the basement of the home Norman was going to tear down. Everyone asks Hannah to investigate so she gives in to community pressure, particularly since one of her pies is the last thing Rhonda ate. Meanwhile, a developmentally delayed handyman has a new mentor in his older cousin and though Freddy idolizes his cousin, Jed seems to be teaching him some bad habits like drinking and mooning women. Hannah knows the answer is in front of her but other people think she already knows who the killer is and don't want her talking to the cops. It's a decent story and introduces Hannah's youngest sister, Michelle. The love triangle is already starting to get annoying and it's just starting. Both men want her to wait for them but neither is popping the question or asking for an exclusive relationship. And she is determined to stay single. ...more
Coben's YA foray was quite successful, even more so if you've read Live Wire as this book takes place at the same time and certain events are seen froCoben's YA foray was quite successful, even more so if you've read Live Wire as this book takes place at the same time and certain events are seen from Mickey's point of view. Mickey's start in his new school doesn't go swimmingly. He makes an enemy of the Basketball captain (whose father is the chief of police and hates Myron). His girlfriend has disappeared. And his only friends are the other losers. They turn out to be the best friends ever. As he searches to find his girlfriend he discovers more about his father as well, which shouldn't have made any sense but which did anyway. Mickey was a layered character. He so wanted to hate Myron but as time went on, hate just isn't a part of his make-up. It felt like a Myron Bolitar novel but with a younger, less jaded feel, even though Myron was never jaded and Mickey, in many ways, is much more worldly. Myron has some appropriate cameos without ever feeling like he's hijacking the book. I definitely want more....more
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