The Passage. Finished audio 12-4-13, rating  3.75/5, vampirish fiction, 766 pages, pub. 2010

Unabridged audio. I listened to the audio and enjoyed it although it took me about four months to get through all 29 cds.

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” 

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

Let me start by saying that I don’t consider my few thoughts on this book to be a review.  I am overwhelmed by the holidays  right now (or maybe it’s just life) and don’t have the time for the review this massive tome deserves.  But I want to start 2014 fresh and that means posting about the books I’ve read this year actually in this year!

Because it took me so long to get through it, it is a little hard to remember  some of the beginning details. I remember meeting six-year old Amy and her mother and agent Wolgast, their early story stuck with me in a way that some of the rest of it didn’t.  The government was trying some crazy stuff to help humans live, if not forever, at least as long as Noah from the Bible (950 years).  But like many things run by the corrupt and greedy there was a problem and they unleashed upon the world Virals.  Virals are vampire-like, but not like your Edward Cullen vampire, think more nasty and ugly.  The United States did not survive and the Virals went international.   This book tracks America after the Virals disrupt life as we know it,

I liked most of it.  The beginning while good, annoyed me because every time I cared about someone they died.  It was better for me once main characters started surviving and I could get more invested.  There were some cheesy parts surrounding the 12 super virals, but I accepted it because I was interested in how humans were going to survive when they were totally cut off from each other.

This is not my usual  reading, but I needed to see what all the fuss was about.   I received the next in the trilogy, The Twelve, last year and I’d like to see what happens but I definitely need a break from the desolate world Cronin created.

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Silken Prey. Finished 11-8-13, 4.25/5 stars, fiction, 406 pages, pub. 2013

#23 in the Lucan Davenport series.

Murder, scandal, political espionage, and an extremely dangerous woman. Lucas Davenport’s going to be lucky to get out of this one alive.

Very early one morning, a Minnesota political fixer answers his doorbell. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up on the floor of a moving car, lying on a plastic sheet, his body wet with blood. When the car stops, a voice says, “Hey, I think he’s breathing,” and another voice says, “Yeah? Give me the bat.” And that’s the last thing he knows.    
 
Davenport is investigating another case when the trail leads to the man’s disappearance, then—very troublingly—to the Minneapolis police department, then—most troublingly of all—to a woman who could give Machiavelli lessons. She has very definite ideas about the way the world should work, and the money, ruthlessness, and sheer will to make it happen.

No matter who gets in the way.

from Goodreads

I have a few series men that make me read them and continue to read them even when they might have an off book or two and Lucas Davenport is one of the them.  I’m not sure when I first discovered him but I am a loyal fan.  His last few have been hit or miss for me so I was happy to see a return to a Lucas story I loved.  It was was political, even more so than the regular politics of Lucas’ job, and just like real-life politics it was dirty and true justice illusive.

I love this series and how Lucas ages and grows.  He is not the same womanizer detective we met in the first book, but he is a man who has found his happiness.  I think to truly appreciate the series you have to start at the beginning with Rules of Prey.

Just Like Heaven. Finished 10-15-13, rating 3.75/5 stars, romance, 374 pages, pub. 2011

Smythe -Smith Quartet #1

Honoria Smythe-Smith is:
A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed “Bug” as a child
C) not in love with her older brother’s best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend’s younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world’s worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

from Goodreads

I love the cover of this book, don’y you?  Makes me want to buy a white dress just so I can wear killer red heels.  I read this on my Nook so, unfortunately, I don’t get to admire it on my shelves.

This was a very fun, light romance.  I wasn’t sure about Honoria at first, but her devotion to family and tradition won me over and provided more than a few chuckles.  Marcus, the Earl of Chatteris, was easy to feel a warm spot for because of his lack of family and the way he truly appreciated the Smythe-Smith clan.  The two grew up together , but it wasn’t until Honoria’s ill-conceived plan with a shovel that the two realized there was love there.  The story didn’t linger and always felt fresh.

This was a very enjoyable first read of Julia Quinn’s work and I know I’ll read more.  I love historical romances and this is the perfect time of year for light and happy reading.

Finished 11-24-13, rating 4/5, fiction, 352 pages, pub. 2013

I received this book from She Reads.  Go on over and see what other bloggers think about this one.

At twenty-one, Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Natty, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced Catholic mother and Jewish father. She’s got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up in a gas station mini-mart and falling in love with a great wall of a man named William Ashe, who willingly steps between the armed robber and her son.

Shandi doesn’t know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It’s been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his universe. But William doesn’t define destiny the way other people do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in science and numbers, destiny to him is about choice.

Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, in a funny, charming, and poignant novel about science and miracles, secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness,; about a virgin birth, a sacrifice, and a resurrection; about falling in love, and learning that things aren’t always what they seem—or what we hope they will be. It’s a novel about discovering what we want and ultimately finding what we need.   (from Goodreads)

This may be the first book I’ve read with a main character, “the Aut-astic Dr. Ashe”, on the spectrum and it was refreshing to see how respectfully Jackson did it.  I was impressed.  William may  have problems in the social department but he was above the grade in mental capacity and physical presence, so there wasn’t a lack of opportunity for him.  Shandi, on the other hand, was a 21-year-old single mother who had convinced herself that her genius boy was a miracle baby and her opportunities were limited.  But because of her loving parents and best friend Walcott she had a great support system and people who wanted to see her succeed. I think too often young single mothers are portrayed as having some missing parental relationship so it was nice to see that, yes, the undesirable can happen to decent parents too.

I found it hard to put this book down. Jackson has a way of drawing you in and making you want to stay in the world she’s created.  Alternating chapters helped this story move along and I loved getting so much backstory with the current one.  There was a shock near the end that I didn’t see coming and for some reason I didn’t like it.  I know I will be in the minority here and I can take it.  It just didn’t work for me.  I get it and I get why people love it, but there were some threads to the story that made this surprising turn of events seem…disappointing in a way.  It didn’t ruin the story because I still loved it, it’s more of a personal preference I guess.

This is my second Joshilyn Jackson book and I consider myself a new fan this year.   I highly recommend this one.

Tuck Everlasting. Finished  10-12-13, rating 4/5, children’s fiction, 139 pages, pub. 1975

Doomed to – or blessed with – eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.  (from Goodreads)

I watched the movie when it came out in 2002, mainly because I’ve loved Jonathan Jackson since he first played Lucky on General Hospital.  Surprisingly, I don’t remember much about it except that I enjoyed it.  So, I when I read the book I knew about the magic spring but other than that my expectations were low.  I read it for the 24 hour read-a-thon because I had it on my shelf and it was short.  What a sweet treat it was.

I loved ten-year-old Winnie. She lived with her family at the edge of a woods and one day met Jesse who was there to meet up with his seemingly strange family who had literally discovered the fountain of youth.  Winnie, being a young girl sheltered from much doesn’t put up much of a fight when the Tuck family kidnaps her and takes her back to their home.  She falls  a little in love with Jesse and the rest of the family and they with her.

Such a sweet story that tackles some very big issues.  If you could live forever, would you?  What are the ramifications if this fountain of youth was found and exploited?  I’m thinking of a big drug company or even some part of the health care system that could sell immortality to the highest bidders.  How would you live your life if you knew there would always be tomorrows?  Such a weighty book for a slight children’s novel.  I was captivated by it.

Brewster. Finished 10-3-13, rating 4.25/5, fiction, 283 pages, pub. 2013

My friend Golda, who works at WW Norton, sent me this ARC in the spring telling me that she thought I’d like it.  It didn’t look like my normal reading, but I trusted her.  It’s a coming of age story in the Vietnam War era (I should have told her that a college class I took on post-Vietnam literature ruined this period for me)  BUT, this book is beautifully written. I can’t even tell you how many of the passages leapt off the page and had me wishing I had a pen and paper, too many to keep track of for sure.  It is a slow novel, even for such a slim one, but it does pack a punch at the end that was so satisfying.

The year is 1968. The world is changing, and sixteen-year-old Jon Mosher is determined to change with it. Racked by guilt over his older brother’s childhood death and stuck in the dead-end town of Brewster, New York, he turns his rage into victories running track. Meanwhile, Ray Cappicciano, a rebel as gifted with his fists as Jon is with his feet, is trying to take care of his baby brother while staying out of the way of his abusive, ex-cop father. When Jon and Ray form a tight friendship, they find in each other everything they lack at home, but it’s not until Ray falls in love with beautiful, headstrong Karen Dorsey that the three friends begin to dream of breaking away from Brewster for good. Freedom, however, has its price. As forces beyond their control begin to bear down on them, Jon sets off on the race of his life—a race to redeem his past and save them all. (from Goodreads)

Let’s start by saying that if swearing turns you off, this is not the book for you.  They are rebellious teen boys, especially Ray, and it’s a little bit jarring at first.  After that I didn’t notice it as much.  I don’t know  if this was because there was less swearing or I just accepted it and stopped noticing it. But on to the story.

Jon is the good kid, the one with good grades, a physical talent, and two still married parents, but you learn that his parents are broken and withholding affection.  His mother is a tough pill to swallow, but Ray’s father took withholding affection to a whole other level.  These two boys meet on common ground even though looking from the outside you might not see the connection (insert your own governemt shutdown reference here).  I love the friendship between the boys and the foursome they made with Frank and Karen.

The impact of the slow but powerful storytelling was that the surprising end snuck up on me.  

Thank you Golda!!!

Virgin River. Finished audio 6-27-13, rating 3.75/5, pub. 2007

Unabridged audio, 12.5 hours.  Read by Therese Plummer

“Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.” When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

from Goodreads

Mel needs a break from Los Angeles, the memories and pitying looks are too much for her.  Virgin River sounds like just the place, beautiful country and 600 people who don’t know about her husband’s murder, so she packs up everything she owns and heads north.   But Virgin River isn’t anything like she expected and she is ready to turn tail and run until an abandoned baby keeps her there.

Mel and the old doc werre oil and vinegar and I loved the relationship between the two of them.  He did things the country way and displayed wisdom and fire and I just loved listening to him banter.  Jack, ex-Marine and owner of the town’s bar, was a sexy and complex character.  I loved how central he was to the town.  Mel eventually found much more than she had expected.  She found friends, mystery, danger, love, life, and death.  Not bad for a girl who thought the country would be boring.

There were a few things that I could have done without.  I didn’t think that the sex scene between a hot-to-trot 14 year old girl and a horny 16 year old boy added anything to the story.  Actually I wrinkled my nose more than once while listening.  And I know we like to read about beautiful people, but I started to feel pretty bad about my own backside after the 20th time Jack mentioned Mel’s sexy butt.  But these were minor annoyances probably made worse by listening instead reading.   My eyes tend to quickly pass over things like this when I’m reading, but with an audio you are forced to hear every word.

I thought the reader, Therese Plummer did an excellent job.  There were lots of characters and none of her voices annoyed me at all – a real rarity!

I know lots of bloggers love this series, but it was Mary‘s review that finally made me seek out the first in the series (that and the fact that my library had the cds).  I liked the town and the people in it and can see how it would be comforting to check in with them all.  Although I can’t say I loved it, I can see myself giving the second book a try someday.  Sometimes it takes a series a few books to grow on you and this one has potential.

Scarlet. Finished audio 6-1-13, 4 stars, YA series, pub. 2013

Unabridged audio 11 hours.  Read by Rebecca Soler.

The Lunar Chronicles (Book 1)

I listened to the first book, Cinder, last year and found it to be a fun and satisfying retelling of a future Cinderella story.  This next book in the series is almost just as good and just as annoying with its non-ending ending (my big complaint of these types of series books)  Anyway, this time around we get the story of Scarlet, or a futuristic take on the Little Red Riding Hood story, complete with the big bad Wolf who may want to kill her.  I think that you must read the first in the series to enjoy this one.  There is much of the back story that is missing (how and why the earth and the moon are at odds for one thing) that would make it hard to fully appreciate the second book without having read Cinder.

Scarlet is a headstrong girl who runs an organic farm with her grandmother, a grandmother who has been missing for weeks.  Scarlet is worried and in the space of a few hours she meets the violent street fighter Wolf and sees her degenerate father for the first time in many years.  Wolf may be able to help her find her grandmother, but does he have ulterior motives?

Cinder, on the other hand, has managed to break out of prison and commandeer a stolen spaceship with a fellow prisoner.  This leads to problems for Emperor Kai as Queen Lavana wants Cinder found, but at what cost to Kai?

I mentioned after I listened to the first one that this series is a little out of my usual reading, but I am totally digging it 🙂  I prefer Cinder’s story to Scarlet’s but love that they both eventually came together.  I am loving this series.

I listened to both of these on audio and have one small complaint about this second one.  Scarlet’s French accent seemed to come and go and it started to drive me a crazy.  Either give her a French accent all of the time or not all, please.    Otherwise I like listening to this on audio and imagine that’s how I’ll continue with the series.  I checked out the CDs from the library.

A Kiss at Midnight. Finished 5-4-13, rating 4.25/5, romance, 370 pages, pub. 2010

Kate is 24 and lives at home with her stepmother and stepsister.  Forced to attend a ball acting as her sister, Kate meets Prince Gabriel and the expected sparks fly.  Only Kate is pretending to be betrothed to his cousin and he is expecting the arrival of his future princess.  What will happen?  I’ll never tell 😉

This is the retelling of Cinderella, but aside from the evil stepmother and Kate wearing glass shoes one night I didn’t really see it.  The beginning with Kate’s stepmother seemed so separate from the rest of the book.  I liked Kate and Gabriel, enjoyed their interaction and really did feel their connection.  I felt it so much that the dueling storylines of what was keeping them apart seemed thin, like there should have been more.

That being said I enjoyed this lighthearted romp and liked the many characters at the palace for the ball.  Gabriel had a kind heart and was one hot prince!  Kate was a smart enough heroine, the men seemed to respond to her wit which I liked.  Overall I had fun with this one.

This was from my personal library.