Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Christian, religion

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This is the second Max Lucado book I have read and I found it a good read. I received this book from Netgalley to read and review.

It is about Jesus Christ and what He did on earth, by dying on the Cross to take our sins and being raised from the dead by God to defeat death. This book was Scripture led and full of truth, however Lucado did embelish the story out a bit so we had an idea of what Jesus might have been doing or thinking leading up to His death, but this doesn’t stray far from what is written in the Gospels.

Lucado gives a clear account of what Jesus did on the cross – how He died and rose again to take away the sin of the world. He is clear that we need to respond to Jesus, that we need to receive forgiveness and grace and he gives opportunity in the book to do that. This was not a difficult read and it didn’t challenge me, but I found it a great read and a great reminder of the Gospel.

This is a beautifully presented book – I had an e-book version and it wouldn’t have worked on a Kindle due to the images and colour but it looked great on the computer:

This was an easy read, but very clear about God’s love for us and how He sent His Son to live a life we couldn’t live and die for us to defeat sin and death so that we might repent and live forever with God. Lucado is clear and readable and I think this is a great book about the Gospel.

Addition: Paperback

Genre: Mystery and suspense

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again. For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six-year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor’s family are threatened. Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.’ to ‘Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again. For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six-year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor’s family are threatened. Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.

This is a story about Paul Copeland, a county prosecutor whose wife has died and whose sister disappeared twenty years ago. On that fateful night, four teens had gone into the woods at summer camp, two were found murdered and two were never seen again. Paul’s sister Cassie was one of those whose body wasn’t found. His father spent every weekend for years digging in the woods but Cassie’s body was never recovered. Although heart-breaking, Paul had learnt to deal with this. Until someone using a fake name turns up dead and the link goes back to Paul. Realising this is the other person who disappeared from the woods, Paul sets out to find out what really happened; and if Cassie is still alive too. But he is not the only one exploring his past. As prosecutor he is trying to get two frat boys jailed for raping an underage exotic dancer. In an effort to protect his son, one of the fathers is doing all he can to frame and blackmail Paul, so the case will be dismissed. Through this, Paul learns some truths about his family: his father’s past when he lived in Russia, why his mother disappeared and didn’t take him and what happened in the woods.

This book is a thrilling and exhilarating read. Mystery and suspense is not what I usually choose to read, but I’ve read another Harlan Coben novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so decided to give those one a go. I am so glad I did. This book easily gets 5/5 from me, for pace, a great storyline, twists and turns and the characters.

I thought the storyline was fantastic. This book is so well written, with clues along the way but I still didn’t fully expect the outcome. I was shocked by Paul’s father’s past and what happened to his mother – not what I was expecting. I liked his Uncle – the guy with a shady KGB background. He was protective and hard all at the same time. He seemed to finally be feeling emotions – especially as he had had a tough time in Russia, with his brother and sister starving to death. He was protective of Paul yet still had “connections” – I thought that was cool!

I liked how the story played out – first with the police showing up having found this body who turned out to be Gil, one of the four that went into the woods, then Paul starting to do his own investigation; and then how he was threatened and had to find out about his heritage he wasn’t expecting – and ultimately how they all came together in a spectacular ending. This was a book I couldn’t put down; I just had to know what was going to happen. There were some elements I found a touch unrealistic – such as Paul and Lucy, his girlfriend at the summer camp, reuniting and how both Paul and the judge were blackmailed but the father was never caught and this wasn’t brought to anyone’s attention. I struggle to believe you would get away with that in an American court.

I thought Paul was a fantastic character. He seemed genuinely nice – a good father, a good prosecutor and focused and determined. I found it easy to connect with him; and I was on his side the whole time. I think Coben wrote the other characters well – Lucy, who you felt sorry for as this incident had destroyed her father and her life; his sister-in-law Greta, who tried to help Paul, and then would stand by her husband even when he did wrong; Gil’s family, who had tried to protect their son after the incident, for him to then be murdered and many others.

This is probably the best book I have read in ages. I really enjoyed it – it was exciting and mysterious. Some things in the story I could predict, but a lot I couldn’t. The plot unfolded in a great way. I was hooked and could not put this book down. I highly recommend Harlan Coben and this novel.

This is number two in my Mystery and Suspense challenge

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

This is the first book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series by Jackie Kessler. The first horseman she has chosen is Famine. Lisa is tasked with this job when after months of struggling with bulimia she overdoses on medication her Mum has. Whilst unconscious she is visited by Death, who offers her two choices: die, or live as Famine. In a confused state she chooses the latter. When she wakes up she sees the scales and her horse but thinks she is just having a breakdown. When she finally realises what is going on she is in for a shock. She travels to places were people are gorging on food, and places where children are starving. She has to learn to control her rage, find a way to help those with nothing and face up to, and fight War – a dominating and intimidating lady. Will she ever stop being Famine? What will happen to her and her health if she does?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked Lisa a lot. I felt so sorry that she was having eating-related issues. This is a big problem in Western society, and I think Kessler deals with the issue well – she addresses the way it can manifest, the thoughts the person has, what it can lead to and the effect it has on others. It was thoughtful and provoking. Of course, her solution to the problem, making Lisa famine, isn’t realistic but I thought it was great that Lisa overcomes her problems and is willing to accept help and counselling.

I thought the story was very good. It is full of different, eccentric characters – such as Death, who sat on his horse singing. He just made me laugh! There were some characters who we needed to get to know before we liked – such as Lisa’s Mum, some characters who were a bad influence, such as her bulimic friend and others who were just lovely, like her Dad. This range of characters added depth and interest to the book.

This is a fantasy young adult book, but one I enjoyed very much. It was well written and researched. It took me a couple of days to read through. I laughed, enjoyed the storyline, and could have cried in some places. Really worth reading.

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Addition: Library hardback

Genre: Romance

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

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.

I am really glad I noticed this in the library. This is the latest novel from Nicholas Sparks and it is up to his usual high standard. We see love, fear, friendship, family and a controversial issue of domestic abuse.

The story follows Katie, a new girl to the small town of Southport. She turns up hungry, thin and desperate. She catches the eye of Alex, not only because she is beautiful, but because she looks scared. Alex used to be in the CID department of the Army and had learnt to read people – he saw the fear, although he didn’t know what she was running from. Slowly Katie gets ingrained in the small town, working in the famous diner and regularly shopping at Alex’s store. When his son falls into the canal, Katie is there to comfort his daughter – which starts their friendship. Another person who befriends Katie is her new neighbour Jo. Between Jo and Alex they bring Katie out of her shell and eventually, as she falls in love with Alex, she reveals what she is running from. The story follows her and Alex as they fall in love and Katie slips into the family, spending time with Alex and his children. She is being hunted however, and life might not always be happy or safe.

The blurb hints at a dark secret , but it doesn’t take long to see this is domestic abuse and that she is running from her husband. Around halfway through the book Katie reveals her real name and tells the story of her marriage, and her husband Kevin. What I liked is that after that we then follow Kevin’s story as well. We see what happens to him once he realises Katie is gone, his thoughts and feelings and his actions. I was intrigued that he regularly quoted Bible verses, even when he was in the wrong – it showed a very confused man. However, this does not excuse his actions. I did like that both sides of the story were told, it added depth and meaning to the story.

I liked the characters, especially Katie and Alex. I loved how delicate they were at the beginning, Katie because of her husband and Alex because of the death of his wife. They were careful and I liked how they didn’t just jump into a relationship, especially as there were small children involved. I was impressed that even though Katie had left Kevin she refused to sleep with Alex because she was still married. I thought Sparks was right to do that – it added integrity to the book and characters.

The ending of the book was so exciting! Kevin came and chased Katie. I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down once he discovered where she was. The ending was tense, but really good. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed the ending. I was satisfied and gripped until the end.

This is a great book. The ending was fast moving and the storyline was lovely. I think Sparks dealt with the issue of domestic abuse and death very well. The characters were so easy to like and I was hooked to this book. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Addition: Review paperback

Rating: 1/5

Synopsis:

It’s dangerous …and that’s the truth about love …A young man shields his terrible wounds from his mother; a husband believes he can love his grief-stricken wife back to life; a young girl puts her own life on hold until her family can find their way back from blinding pain; a man surrenders to the helplessness of obsessive love. Set in Ireland, this brilliant, intense story is about a family named O’Hara who chose to remain in the place of their loss, and the stranger from Germany who has run from his. It’s about love – for another, for a country, for family – and survival, and it’s remarkable.

I have decided to put this book down because I am finding it boring. To be honest, I was put off by the first chapter but kept going anyway – only to decide a third of the way in to lay aside this book. The first couple of chapters are the thoughts of a boy who has just had a serious accident. His thoughts don’t flow coherently and I struggled to follow what was going on. Later on the narrative become more coherent, but I still didn’t really know what was going on. There was a whole conversation about a gate and a chess game with a bishop where I just didn’t know who or what they were talking about. I found this not to be a book about love but a book about death, and it made for morbid reading. I don’t really like “literary novels” anyway, and this is certainly one.

I couldn’t relate to the characters or the story lines either. I haven’t experienced hardships like the ones in the book and I don’t have a past I’m running from, and the way Hart wrote the characters made it hard to feel empathy – or anything really, in regards to them. Instead I felt lost, bored and a bit depressed.

I had high hopes for this book, but the book just did not live up to expectations and has been put aside. I want to thank BookRabbit for sending me this copy, and to say sorry I didn’t finish this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Book Type: Paperback – library copy

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey
dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in
town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

I have been eagerly awaiting this book, having only heard good things about it, and I loved it! This is the first novel by Jandy Nelson, and I hope she writes more as this was a success. This is a young adult book, but one that adults will enjoy too. It is mature and very readable. It did not take long for me to read this book. I was hooked from the beginning and could have easily read this in one sitting.

The story follows Lennie, a seventeen year old who has just lost her older sister, Bailey. She died of an aneurysm whilst in rehearsals. Until then, Lennie had been floating through life, working hard at school, spending her summers making lasagne at a local Italian restaurant and playing her clarinet. They lived with Gram and their uncle, Big. Their mother Paige had left when Lennie was one. She had what Gram called the “restless gene” and could not stay settled in one place for long. This had never bothered Lennie, but as Bailey had got older and her relationship with Toby grew more serious she started to look for Paige. After Bailey’s death Lennie does not know how to cope. She spends time with Toby, but their grief is leading them to be more intimate than they should be. Toby reveals many things that Lennie didn’t know about Bailey and her plans too. Then Joe appears – the new boy in town and in band practice. Lennie starts to fall for him, but hates herself for it as she should be grieving all the time. She also hates that Bailey is not around to see Lennie in love. Lennie has to learn to deal with her grief, understand that other’s are hurting too, and learn about love all at the same time.

This book is moving, often sad, and at times funny. Nelson explores all the feelings involved with grief and I think the portrayal of Lennie is accurate. She struggles after the death. She doesn’t want to pack up Bailey’s things, she doesn’t know how to react around people and she starts to feel things that she had never experienced before. She channels her grief into sexual tension, and acts irresponsibly with Toby because when she is with him she feels Bailey around them. I liked Lennie. This book is a journey for her and I think it was so well written. I felt so sorry for Lennie, and really wanted good to come of the situation.

I liked the other characters too. Lennie’s friend Sarah was funny, but I loved that she let Lennie have a free pass card, so her aloofness could be forgiven as she grieved. Sarah was always there when needed though. Big also made me laugh, with his efforts to revive dead bugs. Joe was a bit too in touch with his emotions for my liking – a bit jealous and easily angered. However, his pursuit of Lennie was sweet. My favourite character was Gram. She was strong, having lost her daughter and grand-daughter. She was honest and blunt when she needed to be, and I loved reading about her.

One feature of this book I really liked was at the beginning of most chapters was a picture with a poem Lennie had written and where it was found. In the book she is often writing on rubbish or tables or trees, as an outlet for her feelings, and I loved that the reader got to experience this. I also loved how Nelson used music as a release too – this reminded me of Sarah Dessen and how she uses creativity as a way of coping.

There is nothing bad to say about this book and if you like a realistic, touching and gripping book this is for you. This is for everyone, not just teenagers. I loved this book, and it was well worth the wait.

Book Type: Paperback – own copy

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Holly Macintosh is sitting round her kitchen table with her oldest friends – friends she hasn’t seen since school – now reunited by an unexpected tragedy and catching up on the past 20 years.

On the surface, they are all successful and happy. But scratch a little deeper after that extra glass of wine and it’s not quite so straightforward: Paul and Anna are struggling to have a baby, Saffron the actress is still waiting for that really big break that – at 39 – is looking less and less likely, and Olivia, always the wallflower of the group, is newly single and mourning her lost love.

And what about Holly Mac? Can she and her husband Marcus get their marriage back on track for the sake of the children? Or has someone just come back into her life who will change everything forever?

This is the first Jane Green novel I have read and I really enjoyed it. This is grown up chick-literature, and it was entertaining and a quick read. I was gripped from the beginning. This really is a roller coaster of emotions. It was easy to fall in love with the characters and I found myself cheering them on and sharing their pain.

The main character is Holly Mac. She has not seen her oldest friends in nearly twenty years – and it is an awful tragedy that has brought them back together – one of the group has been killed in a terrorist attack on a train in America. Tom was the centre of the group, the one who kept in contact with everyone, and his death has drawn them all together. They sit at Holly’s house and catch-up and grieve. From there they go on to Tom’s memorial service. There they run into his younger brother Will, who joins their circle of friends. During this time they all experience other pain. Olivia has a fling, that has consequences; Paul and his wife Anna are struggling to have children; Saffron is a recovering alcoholic and Holly’s marriage is in trouble. They group together and help each other through every crisis. Tom’s death has reformed the group but they still feel the pain of his absence.

The way Green deals with the issues of death, old friends and marriage is wonderful. I thought she was sensible with her outcomes – although I personally would of liked Holly’s story to end differently. Green is sensitive and delicate. Her writing is humorous and gripping. I found the story easy to follow and engaging.

I found the characters realistic and wonderful. The friendship is gorgeous – the way they will drop everything for each other. I was so happy when they all ended up in Gloucestershire for Saffron. Her Hollywood life is not all that glamorous but they are all there for her. I liked Holly but some of her choices I didn’t like. My favourite character was probably Anna – Paul’s wife. She wasn’t part of the original circle of friends but she slipped into the group with ease. She felt pain but still looked out for others. She makes crisis calls, works hard, and is just easy to like. She was a realistic character and someone I would have picked as a friend in real life.

I enjoyed this book and it did not take long to read. It is easy to see why Jane Green is such a popular author and I will be reading more of her novels.

Synopsis:

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

I love the Twilight Saga and therefore I was excited and sceptical about this novella. This story follows Bree, a girl we meet at the end of Eclipse as she is prepared to go into battle against the Cullens. This means that we don’t see Edward, Bella and co. until the end of this story. Is that a problem? At first yes, but once I adjusted to that fact even though this is Twilight we wouldn’t read about the original characters the story picked up. This novel is more gory than the others. We do read about the odd blood bath, which we don’t get with the Cullens. That surprised me but didn’t put me off the book.

I found myself liking Bree. Riley, her coven’s leader was trying to keep the new vampires stupid and away from Victoria, but Bree, even though a newborn was intelligent. She kept herself hidden in the coven’s hideout and was able to see the truth in the situation. I liked Fred as well. He was also in the coven, but he had powers which meant he could repel others and make himself invisible. He protected Bree and I liked reading about the way he made people gag if they got too close – that made me laugh!

I can’t say I’m a fan of the ending – although having read Eclipse I did know what was going to happen to Bree. I did love meeting the Cullens and Bella though. The first sighting we get of them is with Carlisle, and he is showing compassion, which reminded me why I love his character!

I read this in a day and did enjoy it. I can’t say I was gripped like I was with the other novels in the Twilight saga but I do recommend it to Twilight fans. The effect of the book is I now want to re-read all the Twilight books and I cannot wait for the film. It has ignited my Twilight spark but I would have preferred a novel about one of the main characters. I’m still hoping Meyer will finish writing Midnight Sun. I think I would have enjoyed a novel about the Cullens or Jacob more, but this is still a good read.

I read this online at: http://www.breetanner.com/ It is free until 5th July 2010

Synopsis:

Time is a resource. Everyone knows it has to be managed. And on the Discworld that is the job of the Monks of History, who store it and pump it from the places where it’s wasted (like the underwater – how much time does a codfish need?) to places like cities, where there’s never enough time. But the construction of the world’s first truly accurate clock starts a race against, well, time for Lu Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd. Because it will stop time. And that will only be the start of everyone’s problems. THIEF OF TIME comes complete with a full supporting cast of heroes, villains, yetis, martial artists and Ronnie, the fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse (who left before they became famous).

This is number 26 in the Discworld series – another one I read out of order. Since reading this novel I have read over a dozen other novels, and as I sit here to write the review, this does not jump to the front of my memory. This is a shame because I love Pratchett’s novels, and this is the first time that I can’t fully remember the novel.

There are many things I do remember however: I loved Ronnie. The idea of the fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse made me laugh. I liked all the Horsemen to be honest. It made me laugh that while Death was trying to round them up they couldn’t be bothered to ride out, and that their wives were holding them back. Genius!

Of course, I love Death. Every time I meet him in a book I laugh. I liked that Granny Ogg got a mention – I always enjoy the witches. And I love Susan, especially her interactions with Death. She always seems exasperated with him, she reminds me of a reluctant, moody teenager.

Like I said, I don’t really remember the story but the characters do stick out and I think that is important. For me, this is the weakest Discworld novel and that is a shame.

Synopsis:

On the outside, Macy Queen is cool and calm. On the inside, she’s breaking. Silently struggling with her Dad’s death, and spending the summer apart from her oh-so-perfect boyfriend, Macy is smiling her way through – she’s ‘fine’. It’s only when she meets a group of new friends – and artistic, sexy Wes catches her eye – she realizes she can wear her heart on her sleeve sometimes. Because life doesn’t stop when someone disappears – and even though she’s lost so much, can Macy see what she has to gain? Hugely engaging and with great emotional depth, Sarah Dessen’s rich, warm, atmospheric writing makes this the perfect summer read for teenage girls.

I loved this book! Dessen has become one of my favourite authors and I already have another of her novels lined up to read. She writes books for young adults that are engaging, lively, full of description and full of depth. In The Truth About Forever Dessen focuses on death. Macy has lost her Dad – not only that but she saw his last moments. She copes by shutting out how she feels and just getting on with life, but it is never the same again. That is, until she meets Wes. He took has had problems he has needed to deal with and he has found a way to express himself, and he helps Macy recover, and build relationships again with her Mum and sister.

This is a great story. I believed it and I was involved. I was sucked in from the first page and felt like I was there too, experiencing the same things as Macy. Dessen writes real life events, which range from catering parties to heart attacks, and she writes convincing characters and story lines. I could easily believe how Macy and Wes met, the friendship they formed and how they helped each other

I loved all the characters. Macy was so easy to like. She volunteered at the library to help her distant boyfriend, she helped out her Mum, she tried to find a way to heal and she was a lovely friend. Wes was a gorgeous character. He used art to help himself and he was sensitive and truthful. What I really liked was that even though they were the two main characters, we did learn about others in the book too. Adding in them and their personalities helped make the book real and even more enjoyable.

What I really like about Dessen is how she uses creativity to help on find themselves. In Just Listen she uses music and in this novel she uses art. The main male characters introduce the idea and the girls go on a route of discovery. This adds depth and an idea of how one can find themselves or heal.

There are many reasons why I like Sarah Dessen. She writes amazing stories, great characters and is engaging and realistic. This might be aimed at teenagers but I think adults will enjoy this book too. I read over 300 pages in one go, I was hooked and I was sad when the book ended. And I just have to say, I love the cover too. It jumps out and makes me want to pick up the book. Top marks from me.