Tag: Books

The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson

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Cover ImageFinished 11-9-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2008

“I wanted to cry but my tear ducts had been burned shut.”    -Chapter 2

The narrator of this goth-like tale is a drugged out pornography star who wrecks his car and ends up in the burn unit with severe burns covering his entire body.  When he becomes stuck in the hospital, constant  surgeries and treatments force him to see that he had no real friends before the crash that took his beautiful body from him forever.  He vows to get out of the hospital so he can commit suicide.  Then he meets Marianne, who becomes his friend and protector and she promises him that they have known and loved each other for 700 years.

The graphic burn details turn into a beautiful and confusing love story full of suspicion and obsession.  The enigmatic Marianne opens the narrator’s mind and heart to past experiences and present delusions.  Marianne takes him in and goes about carving out the last of her gargoyles, so that she can give away her last heart.  Is she crazy or is she telling the truth?

When the narrator goes cold turkey in vanquishing his morphine addiction he moves into the many realms of Hell, which anyone who is familiar with Dante’s The Inferno will appreciate.

“Seeing the look of revulsion on my face, Francesco said, ‘None are here by accident.  Hell is a choice because salvation is available to anyone who seeks it.  The damned choose their fates, by deliberately hardening their hearts.’

I couldn’t agree.  ‘No one would choose to be damned.’

Francesco shook his head.  ‘But it is so easy not to be.'”   -Chapter 29

I had read so many reviews of this book that my expectations were high.  I was not disappointed, but I can’t say I completely fell in love with it either.  It is perhaps the most original story and original voice that I’ve read.  Considering this is Davidson’s debut novel, I am impressed.  But the wandering style of moving between centuries and stories was somewhat distracting to me.  I also thought sometimes it was unnecessarily descriptive.  But, that does not take away from the beauty and freshness of the book.  If you get bored by reading the same old thing or are always looking for the next big thing-this is the book for you.

Free books if you vote

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Every month I pass on books I’ve read and you help me clear off my bookshelves.  For November I’m offering free books, but only if you vote in the Presidential election on Tuesday.  Since some states have early voting and some have voted absentee (like me) so I will start offering the free books today. 

To get your free book  1. VOTE  2. Leave a comment telling me what state you voted in and which book you want  3. I’ll email you and get your address and send the book free of charge. 

You do not have to say who you voted for, but you can if you want.  I will delete anything negative said about either candidate. 

I have plenty of books and can add more later if needed.  I’ll leave this open until the day after the election.

I mailed my absentee ballot from the Buckeye state this week since I will be working at the polls on Tuesday.

These books have all been read once or twice. 

CLOSED

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane

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Cover ImageFinished listening to on 10/30/2008, mystery, rating 4/5, pub. 2003

US Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck are sent the Shutter Island, off the coast of Boston, where the Hospital for the Criminally insane were housed and treated.  Teddy and Chuck were trying to find  the escaped murderess, Rachel.  While there they also wanted to find out what kind of practices were really taking place on the island.   Teddy had his own reasons for being there.  The man who murdered his wife was there.  A hurricane blows in and the men are trapped on Shutter Island, which provides much of the action. 

I was not all that impressed with the story until the last two cds of seven.  I thought it was slow and weird.  But then the last part of the book just blew me away and made up for all the rest.  That’s really all I can say about it.  To say more would ruin it for you.

This book is in production and slated for an October 2009 release date.  Martin Scorsese directs and Leonardo DiCapprio plays Teddy.  Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, and Michelle Williams round out the cast.  I always think the book is best, but this could be a better movie than book, especially with such a compelling cast.

Sarah’s Sin, by Tami Hoag

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Cover ImageFinished 10-29-08, rating 2/5, romance, pub. 1991

Dr. Matt Thorne recuperates from his injuries at his sister’s quaint inn in small town Minnesota.  While there a local Amish woman cares for him and sparks fly between Matt and Sarah.  She is a widow, not well educated, but loves to read and learn.  Matt is a big town doctor who charms women into his bed without much effort.  What will happen when they fall in love and Sarah has to choose between her family and Matt?

I found this romance tedious and very predictable.  It was full of the cliches that riddle bad romances – she walks in on him naked, he walks in on her naked, she needs to shave him because he is too weak to do so…  The book is only 246 pages and it did not really get interesting until the 200 mark.  She could have done so much more with the Amish aspect, but it came too late in the book.

I have read almost all of Hoag’s mysteries and enjoyed them all, but the two romances I’ve read have not been good.  So, even if you like her mysteries I caution you to not waste your time on the romances she wrote early in her career.  She’s gotten so much better since then.

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

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Cover ImageFinished 10-22-08, rating 4/5, non-fiction, pub. 2008

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”   -Chapter 39

Professor Randy Pausch was a man who had it all – a dream job, wonderful wife, three healthy children.  What the 47 year old did not have was a lot of time.  He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a short time to live.  This book is a companion to the Last Lecture he gave at Carnegie Mellon University in August 2007. 

I’m not sure what I expected, but it was not the upbeat and entertaining read that the book proved to be.  His ability to deal with his prognosis in such a constructive and inspirational way was profoundly touching.  This book was written for his children and it is full of advice and wisdom, but also filled with stories that will make you smile, like Randy and Jai’s hot air balloon ride on their wedding day.

I liked so many things about this book.  His argument for handwritten notes, his take on dented cars, and his belief in being a true mentor for his students are a few things that come to mind.  He also mentioned Ohio State in passing and that always gets points with me. 

I would recommend this book to anyone without hesitation.  It only takes a short time to read, but it will leave you feeling better about life.

The website, http://thelastlecture.com/index.htm, has access to extra information and you can watch the hour long Last Lecture from there as well.  Randy died in July, but his great spirit will live on not only through his words, but also through the thousands of people he touched during his lifetime.

Over Her Dead Body, by Kate White

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Cover ImageFinished 10-21-08, rating 3/5, mystery, pub. 2005

True crime author Bailey Weggins is back in her fourth mystery in the Big Apple.  Bailey switches from one magazine job to another and is fast embroiled in a murder mystery.  Her nasty boss is murdered and there is no shortage of suspects and lies.  Bailey must work her way through the maze of red herrings and attempts on her life to find the truth and get the scoop for her story.

Bailey is a tough thirty-something divorcee living in Manhattan with a fun and feisty personality.  She’s like a big city Nancy Drew.

I’ve listened to two of this series on cd and really liked them, but this one was missing something for me.  It was still good, but Bailey felt a little tired.  I had no idea who did it until the very end, which was good, but the end didn’t really wow me after the multitude of possibilities. 

I would still love to hang out with Bailey and will read her other books.  Author, Kate White, is the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine.

How I Found the Perfect Dress, by Maryrose Wood

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Book CoverFinished 10-13-08, rating 3.5/5, young adult, pub. 2008

This is the sequel to Why I Let My Hair Grow Out.

I won this book last month over at Writerspace after being entered into a drawing with 200 books to be given away.  I had no idea that Writerspace authors included young adult writers, so, when I received the book I was intrigued by the funky cover, but not sure about reading it.  But, Maryrose wrote a nice note to me the front page and I felt enough guilt to give it a shot.

Morgan is also half-goddess Morganne and is still in love with Colin, the 20 year old boy she met last summer in Ireland.  Morgan is just a normal 16 year old girl with fighting parents, a kid sister, and a relationship to repair with her best friend, while also being Morganne who pals around with faeries and has seen the Tooth Fairy.  It’s been six months since she’s seen Colin and his emails have become almost nonexistent.  Morgan is ecstatic when she learns that Colin will be coming to Connecticut for a few weeks in March, but will soon learn that being loved by a half-goddess is doing harm to Colin.

I have not read a young adult romance since I was a teen and I was surprisingly enchanted with this whimsical tale of magic and love.  I would recommend this book and the rest of the series about Morgan for teen girls.  I’m tempted to read the rest of them myself!

My Obsessions

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I’ve been tagged by Don  to confess my obsessions/addictions.  Today I turn 37 and since I’m feeling contemplative I think I’ll list one for every year.

Flavored coffee, black is my favorite way to start the day.  And continues until the afternoon begins.

Red wine is my relaxation in the evening.  I probably like it a little too much, but it’s healthy, right?

Buying books seems like a healthy addiction, but it can override common sense.  I can go to a bookstore and purchase 10 books for a $10 and not have time to read any of them before more books find their way into my shopping bag a few days later.  I do have a reading and writing addiction which seem to fit in with my book problem.

My grandparents passed onto to me the puzzling gene.  Working on jigsaw puzzles is a good way to work out stuff in your head.  If I’ve got a problem I need to work out, doing a jigsaw is the best medicine.  I am currently finishing (600 pieces or so)  a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Florence, Italy.  I will include a picture when I get it done because it is a much anticipated achievement.

Chocolate and cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory are two addictions.  I am currently eating a piece of Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake and it is heavenly.

Ohio State football season is my favorite season of the year!  And that explains my favorite color, red.

I love my family and they are my rock.  On a related note I frequently become obsessed with genealogy when I find a new branch in my family tree.  Which leads me to trees – I love them and never feel more at peace with nature than when I am surrounded by them.  I also feel very much at peace when I am surrounded by my wonderful friends.  Cleveland has made me appreciate and look forward to snow.  On the other hand, I adore saunas.  This time of year always reignites my interest in politics (just ask my dad who was here this weekend).  I have become more interested in my blog- and in yours- than I thought I would when I started.  I check email constantly.  But I love getting snail mail.  I also love to send letters and cards. I love meeting new people and going to parties, which go together very nicely, thank you.  My only fashion addiction is Kathy Van Zeeland bags (I’ve given away everything else!) and I won’t confess to how many I own.  I love romantic movies and can watch my favorites over and over. On the TV front…I can spend too much much money at QVC, I tape The View everyday, if I’m home I watch General Hospital with only a little guilt, and when the tv is on, its default station is CNN.  I love to play board games and am a bit competitive.  Especially during March Madness when I become completely obssessed with beating my husband on our brackets.  I go to New York City as often as I get the opportunity (which isn’t often enough!).  I love getting into the hot tub on a cool night with my husband.

Which leads me to my obsession with getting my cat, Scout, to gain weight and getting my dog, Max, to lose the pounds.  Of course, my best obsession is my husband, Jason.  And for #37 I asked Jason what he thought my obsession was.  He thought about for a few minutes and said, “You like to make other people happy.”  Maybe I should just make him addictions 1-36 🙂

I’m tagging Kathy & Elena to confess their obessions/addictions.