Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Copyright: 1999
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: young adult
Pages: 198
Challenges: Young Adult, I want more book challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 5/5

I'm going to deviate away from my normal review format for this book.  I don't actually want to give a short review of this one because I think it's best read not knowing exactly what's going on and I don't want to give away any spoilers.

I picked this book up because it's Banned Book Week.  Based on my recent trend of not managing a lot of reading time I had hoped to also finish this week but wasn't sure I would. Surprise Surprise..I plowed through it.

I knew this book had been challenged by a professor in Springfield, MO last year.  This guy's an idiot..and that's the nicest word I could come up with to describe him.  His reasoning behing wanting it banned is so off, it's laughable. Well, I would laugh if we weren't talking about banned books, something I'm very passionate about.

So to give you a brief, but non-spoiler, idea of what this book is about, let me introduce you to the main character.  Melinda is a freshman in highschool.  She had friends when she was in 8th grade but upon starting 9th grade she finds herself an outcast.  Everyone has turned their backs on her.  She doesn't speak, or at least it's very rare.   She keeps to herself.   She doesn't take care of her appearance.  She doesn't participate in school; often skipping it.  Melinda is severely depressed.  We don't know why.

Going in to this book I thought I remembered what was going on but didn't know for sure. I didn't bother looking up reviews or reading the back of the book. Because I already had an idea, I figured out what probably happened and I ended up being right.  However I liked not knowing for sure until the reader finds out from Melinda, which isn't in the beginning.   Not knowing for sure helped me focus on Melinda and pay attention to her signs.  Pay attention to what she was feeling and thinking and going through.   I can't say that I understand what Melinda was going through, I haven't experienced the same thing, but I've experienced some stuff in my life and suffered severe depression in High School.  So I really felt for Melinda and I just wanted to wrap her up in a bear hug and protect her.  Not sure Melinda would want that though.

I'm really glad I read this book for banned book week.  I felt the writing was excellent and very true to Highschool life.  Anderson wrote a fantastic novel and I highly recommend it.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Audio Books
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: audio
Challenges:  New Author, Young Adult
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
Several beauty queens are enroute to the Team Dream beauty pageant when their plane crashes on what appears to be a desserted island.  After several days they are still not rescued and the girls know they have to do something to survive.  Armed only with what the could salvage from the plane (this includes evening gowns, hair straightners, hair pieces, etc) they set out to create shelter, weapons, and other things necessary to survive. 

The girls each find another contestant they can bond with and each girl begins to grow a bit through this process.  This get interesting when a pirate ship crashes just off the island.  Then things get even more interestig when the girls realize they aren't alone on this island.  Are these other inhabitants friend or foe?


My Thoughts:
I'm torn on this one.  I love the idea of the story, however, I alternated between laughing because it was funny and not paying attention because it was a bit stupid.  There were a lot of really good parts in this book. I loved that all the girls started to grow as people and not just beauty queens.  They started to think for themselves and become stronger.  I felt that was a great message.  However sometimes the things they did or said was just too far on the stupid scale that I was disapointed.   I think there could have been a happy medium.  There were also just a lot of lines and parts in this book that had me either smiling or actually laughing by myself in the car.  Those really made up for the stupid parts for me.  So I'm torn, do I recommend this book or not?   I think if you go into it just expecting a light read that could be entertaining and knowing there might be some parts that will annoy you, you'll like it.   There were so many lines I wanted to quote in my review, but listening to the audio version while driving didn't give me the chance to actually write it down.    So perhaps with this one you need to do a search and read other blogger reviews and then decide if it's worth trying it.


Audio Review:
When I first read a review for this book I did read that the author read it and did a good job.  However by the time I got a copy to listen to myself I had forgotten this.  So when I started the audio version and realize it was the author I was disapointed.  I shouldn't have been!  For once the author actually does an excellent job of narrating their own book!   Sometimes it was a bit annoying (there is a deaf girl and when she talks the author was practically yelling and I had to adjust the volume) but for the most part I came away pleasantly surprised.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

#1 Maze Runner
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: young adult
Pages: 374
Challenges: What's in a Name?, Young Adult, Buy 1 book and read it
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
Thomas doesn't remember anything about his past.  He wakes up on a lift and when the doors open he's in a placed called The Glades with several other boys.  He has so many questions but nobody will answer them.  Where is this place? What is he doing here? Why can't he remember anything? 

The next day a girl shows up.  THe first girl ever.  Two kids in two days, that's never happened before.  People are worried, why are things changing?  What is it about Thomas that has caused these changes?

Thomas soon starts to get some answers and figure things out.  It appears that outside the walls it's a maze and for two years the Runners have been running in the maze every day in hopes of finding a way out.  They feel it's a test from the Creators, people who put them there.  The walls close every night so the Greivers can't get inside, they are horrible monsters that will kill you.  If you happen to be stung by one, you go through the change and you're never the same.   Unfortunatly for Thomas a couple of the kids who have gone through this change feel he's the cause to their recent problems and want him gone.  But Thomas might have the answers to help the kids save themselves and find a way home, wherever or whatever that is.


My Thoughts:
This book actually started out pretty slow for me.  The author had the kids use made up words in place of curse words.  This wouldn't have bothered me, hey, I curse a lot. Teenage boys curse a lot.  I just found the made-up words annoying and overly used.   I also found the beginnign slow because while the Glader's aren't giving Thomas any answers to what is going on, the reader doesn't get any info either. I suppose I just felt a bit confused and out of hte loop.

However, once I got a tad over 100 pages into the book it really started to pick up for me.  There was more action and that kept the book moving.  You also started to get some answers and figure out what was going on, and least to a point.

When I got very close to the end, I thought I was going to be a bit disapointed with the book. I wasn't happy with how it was ending.  However I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.  

The copy I have also has "exclusive WICKED correspondence " at the very end and I really enjoyed that. I read this book with another co-worker and his copy didn't include this so I gave him mine to read.  We both agreed that those extra pages really help the story and made us more interested in the next book.

Secrets of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

#2 Wolf Chronicles
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: fiction
Pages: 371
Challenges:
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description: 
This book picks up where Promise of the Wolves left off.  Kaala still believes that it's her job and the job of other wolves to help the humans.  They must help the humans get the food they need while keeping them from killing all the prey in the valley so there's enough for the other wolves and animals.

The Greatwolves give Kaala a challenge. She must be friends with the humans they must live with the humans within a certain time period or all the wolves and humans in the valley will be killed.  Kaala and some of her other wolf supporters/friends must find a way to get this to work.

Kaala must figure out how to get the human tribe to allow the wolves to live with them. While at the same time deal with some of the Greatwolves doing everything they can to make her fail.


My Thoughts:
This is such an interesting take on a book.  I love that the story is being told from the wolves' point of view, something that definitely makes this book stand out from others.  One thing that was interesting to see in this story, that I don't remember from book #1, was the dynamics of a wolf clan compared to that of a human one.  How the wolves respond to an alpha wolf/leader as compared to how the humans respond to their leader, etc.

The book was a good follow-up to Promise of the Wolves and kept my interest.  We get even more information on the history of the wolves and humans as well as why it's so important that they join forces again.   Of course, the book is left wide open so you know there's going to be at least one more book in the series.  What is it with my luck lately, nothing but cliff hangers.

I feel the author has a very good writing style. It's very easy to follow what she says and keep all the characters straight.  I did notice a lot of grammatical errors in this book, which is disappointing, but it happens.  It didn't ruin the book for me but felt the need to mention it.

Definitely recommend this book to others, especially if you read Promise of the Wolves.  If you read that one I think you'll enjoy the follow-up.  If you haven't read either one, then I recommend checking out Promise of the Wolves as you would need to read that one before this one.




Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

#2 Millennium Trilogy
Publisher: Random House Audio
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: mystery and suspense
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description:
Lisbeth is back in town after traveling for awhile since the last saw her.  She is still avoiding Mikael Blomkvist.  She has money and doesn’t need work, but she isn’t sure what to do with her time.  She tries to start living a normal life, she buys a new place to live and furnishes it, she reconnects with one of her friends.
Then she decides to check out Mikael’s computer and she reads about the newest project Millennium is taking on.  They will be publishing a book and devoting a magazine edition to sex trafficking.   This peaks her interest.   It gets her interest enough that she decides to visit the author of the book.
Unfortunately on the night she visits the author and his fiancé, they are murdered after she leaves.  The murder weapon is found in the stairwell and they have her prints on it. Her prints are in their apartment.  Then her guardian is found murdered and she’s the prime suspect.
Lisbeth goes into hiding, and Mikael sets out to figure out who the real murder is.  Lisbeth sets out to take matters into her own hands too.

My Thoughts:
I thought this was a fantastic follow-up to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.   Lisbeth is such an interesting character.  She’s smart, she’s badass, and she’s messed up too.  I can’t help but cheer her on the entire time.  I think we all need a Lisbeth Salander in our lives.
I felt the story moved along very well and it kept my interest the whole time.  While we don’t know everything, we know most of it the entire time but that’s ok.  The interesting part is following Lisbeth and Mikael on their journey to put everything together.
This one does leave you with a cliff hanger, something we all know I love to hate.  I would be lying if I said I did let out a long series of cuss words in the car when the story ended.  I’ve already reserved my place for the audio book of the next one and I’m anxious to get it.

Audio Review:
Simon Vance is the narrator for this book and he does a fantastic job.   He’s very easy to listen to and keeps the story moving.  While I sometimes had trouble keeping track of all the names and players in this story, I don’t really think that’s due to the audio version. I think it’s just the large number of characters and the different names.  Which brings up another point, I do like listening to these on audio because Vance pronounces everything correctly, or at least I assume he is.

The Hunt Club by John Lescroart

#2 Wyatt Hunt
Copyright: 2006
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 512
Challenges: New Author Challenge, Mystery and Suspense, buy 1 book and read it
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
A federal judge is murdered in his home.   He’s found with another dead body, that of a much younger girl.  He’s found in his home, by his wife.  Devin Juhle  is the lead homicide investigator for this crime and he thinks it’s a pretty easy case, the jealous wife did it.   His best friend and a local private investigator, Wyatt Hunt, believes otherwise. 
When local celebrity Andrea Parisi goes missing, Devin believes she killed the judge and the other woman.  Hunt, how recently got to know Parisi a bit better believes otherwise.  He puts all other cases aside and spends all his time into trying to find her. 
As a cop Devin has to follow the rules, as a private investigator Hunt believes he should be able to do what he wants in order to solve the case. 

My Thoughts:
I thought this one was just ok.  The story moved and there always seemed to be something going on but it didn’t really grab me.  I can’t really explain why either.  I loved the character of Hunt, he’s the kind of guy you want in your corner.  I loved the interaction between Hunt and Devin.  
I don’t know, I just can’t put my finger on exactly what I didn’t like about the book.  There is a 2nd book in this series and I think I’ll end up reading it although I won’t rush out to get it.  I think it deserves another chance though, given how much I liked the character of Hunt.

Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend

#1 Fortune Teller Mystery
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 294
Challenges: Cozy Mystery Challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5


Simple Description:
Sunny has moved to a small town in New York where she is going to start her dream of being a fortune teller, much to the joy of her parents.
Her very first client, however, has a negative reading.  Sunny see’s her death in the near future.   She waits an hour after the lady leaves before calling the police and reporting what she saw.  She’s too late though. 

When the cops get to the house of her first client the detective finds the client dead, murdered.  Sunny is the prime suspect.  As luck would have it, the police do ask Sunny to help them with the investigation and she is determined to prove her innocence.


My Thoughts:
I’m torn on this one.  I felt it was good but there were some things that bothered me about it.  I don’t really think it’s believable that the police would ask Sunny to help investigate, so that bothered me the whole time.  I also felt that Sunny was rather immature at times, I can’t remember her exact age but believe it’s light 20’s or 30.  I just feel like she should have acted her age more.

However, I do think the series has promise.  I didn’t hate the book, I did enjoy it, you just have to get past the issues mentioned above.  Sunny is a very interesting character and she has a lot of spunk.  I think this is a character that could really develop and grow on me.  I also like the hunky police detective, but then, who wouldn’t?   I hope the next book in the series includes more of the fortune teller aspect because that’s part of what drew me to the book and it seemed to take 2nd stage most of the time.



Thanks to the author for providing this book for review.

August 2011 Reads

Total books read: 4
Pages: 1113
New Authors: 2
Mystery: 2
Non-Fiction: 0
Fiction: 2
Young Adult: 0
Audio:  1
DNF:0

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
The Last Child by John Hart
Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene frost
Vision Impossible by Victoria Laurie

Wow – I think this is my lowest month ever.  I could have sworn I read more books, but I guess not.  My cd player in my car broke, so I’m stuck listening to audio books on my ipod.  So that means for short car rides I’m usually too lazy to get it out.  So I don’t listen to as many audio books as usual.  Not sure why the reading at home has really slacked though.  I don’t like it.   There are so many good books waiting for me.  Fingers crossed September is a lot better.