Month: January 2009

Watchers, by Dean Koontz

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Cover ImageFinished 1-8-09, rating 4 1/2, fiction, pub.1987

“We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness.  You’ve taught me that we’re all needed, even those who sometimes think we’re worthless, plain, and dull.  If we love and allow ourselves to be loved…well, a person who loves is the most precious thing in the world, worth all the fortunes that ever were.”    -Chapter 9

A top secret lab in California has created two new weapons for the US government – a gentle golden retriever and a savage best, both astonishingly intelligent.  One night they both escape and the NSA mounts a search, but before either can be found one is taken in by a lonely man and one begins killing at will.

Cursed Travis Cornell was looking for some happiness and found the golden retriever, who he named Einstein because of his human-like intelligence.  Through Einstein he found an equally lonely woman, Nora, and the three became inseparable.  The three found happiness together, but danger lurked because not only was the government still looking for Einstein, so was the beast and a crazy assassin. 

This is the ultimate book for dog lovers.  Einstein was nothing short of a miracle and I fell in love with him, just as you will.  He was playful, a protector, a source of comfort, and also possessed the intelligence to communicate fully with Travis and Nora.  The vision of Einstein lounging on the floor reading novels is one that warms this book lovers heart.  I confess that my dog received a lot of extra love and a few extra treats as I was reading this book.

Koontz writes books that move at lightning  speed, but also have heart, three dimensional characters, and a range of storylines that all move together perfectly.  He can do it all and with this book he does.  In the Afterward of my edition Koontz admits that this is probably his favorite book and that should be recommendation enough.

This is a suspenseful thriller, but also addresses some big issues like good vs. evil and the government playing God.  There is DNA mixing going on right now, but this was written 20 years ago!  This book will entertain you, make you think, and definitely encourage you to look at your dog and wonder how much of Einstein is in there.

This a must read for any dog lover!

The Time Machine, H.G. Wells

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Cover ImageFinished 1-3-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 1898

” I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been.  It had committed suicide.  It had set itself steadfastly towards comfort and ease, a balanced society with security and permanency as its watchword, it has attained its hopes-to come to this at last…There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change.  Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers.”   Chapter 10

The Time Traveller built a time machine that can travel back to the past or race to the future, much to the skepticism of his friends.  They did not believe him even after one night he came home, disheveled and heartbroken, and told them mankind’s fate 800.000 years in the future.

The Time Traveller had met and been accepted by the carefree and loving Eloi, who spent their days dancing and laughing.  He rescued one from drowning, Weena, and they became companions.  He discovered his machine was moved and in his searching found another people, the Morlocks, who lived under ground and were as dark as the Eloi were light.

The Time Traveller was there eight days and his views changed daily, allowing Wells to expound on his own world view and the state of the human condition.  The story, while being interesting, also had real depth. 

I am surprised at how well this novel has aged.  This is the original time travel book and the sheer imagination and possibilities are impressive.  It is a short classic, well worth the time and suitable for all ages, although the vocabulary could be challenging for younger readers.

Welcome to 2009 Quiz

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I want my first quiz of 2009 to be special, so the first person to leave a comment with the correct answers to all of the questions will receive a $9 gift card from Barnes & Noble 🙂  If no one gets them all correct by Wednesday night the person with the highest number will win the gift card, so guess as many as you think you know, you could win!  Feel free to Google if you need to.  Start guessing!

And the winner is …. Deborah!  Visit Deborah at her blog.

1. What is the ninth word of the Bible? the

2. What is Dante’s Ninth circle? treachery

3. In the Lord of the Rings, who received Nine rings? mortal men

4. In JD Salinger’s Nine Stories, what is the ninth story? Teddy

5. From Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Nine, name two of the nine. Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer, Alito

6. What is the title of Janet Evanovich’s ninth Stephanie Plum novel?  To the Nines

7. Name two of the Nine Muses of ancient Greece.  Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania

8. What Curious George book has nine in the title?  Cecily G. & the Nine Monkeys

9. What was this blog’s ninth post OR a book from my top 100 list with nine in the title?  On Writing by Stephen King or Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice

Outtakes from a Marriage, Ann Leary

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Cover ImageFinished 1-1-09, rating 2.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Julia has just found out that Joe, her Golden Globe nominated husband of many years, is cheating on her.  She decides not to confront him (she knows he is a good liar) and goes about her daily life taking care of her two kids, teenager Ruby and preschooler Sammy.  She becomes obsessed with checking Joe’s cell messages and listening to the woman’s sexy voice repeatedly, looking for the owner of that voice in Joe’s life.  She surprises him on set and lurks on the celebrity websites spreading lies about her clueless husband.  When the time for confrontation comes the fallout begins with the Golden Globe ceremony as a backdrop.

I was prepared to enjoy it based on the good reviews on other blogs, but I didn’t.  I never connected with Julia and the only time I really liked her was when she interacted with Mr. Mom because she showed some depth.  I understand that this was the point being made, that she lost herself in the marriage, but there was so little spark to the character that I was bored with her botox, hair extensions, and recollections of better times with Joe.  There was no real sense that the story was going anywhere and the end proved that true, in my opinion.

The one thing I thought was fun was Julia’s dad identifying a person’s character by his or her first name.  Neds are thoughtful, Jakes sly, Davids smart, and Jacks funny.  Joes, she learned from her father, are a handful. 

I woudn’t recommend this book, but it has received good reviews elsewhere.

2009 Anticipated Books

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Here are a few of the books I can’t wait to get my hands on this year… What are yours?

Diana Gabaldon’s An Echo in the Bone

Janet Evanovich’s Plum Spooky – out next week. 

Susan Elizabeth Phillips’  What I Did for Love – out this month.  I’ve read all of her romances and am always looking forward to the next one.

Harlan Coben’s Long Lost – out in February.  Don’t know what I’d do without my yearly Coben fix 🙂

John Sandford’s Wicked Prey – out in May.  I love the Lucas Davenport series.

Judith McNaught’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – out in May.  I love all of her romaces and they don’t come out that often, so I’m overdue.

Any that you are eagerly anticipating?

The Pigman, by Paul Zindel

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Cover ImageFinished 1-1-09, rating 4, YA fiction, pub. 1968

“There was no one else to blame anymore…And there was no place to hide-no place across any river for a boatman to take us.  Our life would be what we made of it-nothing more, nothing less.”      -Chapter 15

High School sophomores John and Lorraine like to play phone pranks, but one such call leads them to Angelo Pignati’s front door.  Mr Pignati, aka Pigman because of his collection of pigs, is a lonely old man who has been forgotten and visits his best friend the baboon at the zoo everyday.  Soon the two teenagers become more comfortable at Mr. Pignati’s house than their own more judgemental homes.

Greed and mischief led them to Mr. Pignati’s home and his generosity kept them there, but John and Lorraine gain valuable life lessons through their friendship with the old man.  They are just kids and yet they are faced with the realities of aging, the fragility of life, peer pressure, magic, and the destruction of youth.

I think this book is wonderful.  I like the alternating chapters between John and Lorraine.  The language and the story are so vividly real that even though this was published in the 1960’s it is still relevant for teens today.  It is brutally honest and doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and yet it isn’t without hope.  John and Lorraine are flawed teenagers caught up in misfortune of their own making and Mr. Pigman is a sad man who gains happiness before losing it again. 

I recommend this as a young adult novel, although as a ‘not so young girl’ I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Free Books for January

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I’m cleaning off my bookshelves again and am ready to offer these books I’ve already read to you, free of charge.

Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon.  The first one to request each book wins.

Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it.  Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want. 

1. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, trade paperback, read once.  Read my review here.

2. Promise Me by Harlan Coben, oversize mass market paperback, read once.  Review here.  If you’ve never tried a Harlan Coben thriller, you should!  for Heather

3. Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice, mass market paperback, read a few times.  Review here.  This book convinced me never  to buy down pillows again.  for Sarah

4. Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati, mass market paperback, read a few times.  Review here.  This is one of my favorite books (it’s on my 100 list).  If you like epics, romances, native american culture, or early America.  You’ll get lost in its 876 pages.

5. 3rd Degree by James Patterson, mass market paperback, read a few times (cover has a water ring, must have used the book as a coaster once, sorry).  My review here.  for Katie

Happy Reading!