Tag: fiction

Play Dirty, by Sandra Brown

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Cover ImageFinished audio 9-5-08, rating 2.5/5, fiction, pub. 2007

Millionaire and wheelchair bound Foster Speakman hires disgraced, fresh out of prison, ex-NFL star, Griff Burkett to ‘make his wife wife pregnant the old fashioned way’.  Laura, the wife, goes along with the plan and meets Griff monthly at a rented house to do the deed.  Laura loves her husband and her job at the Speakman’s airline.  Griff wastes no time in falling in love with Laura.  Griff also has a detective following him around trying to put him back in prison. 

This is the first Sandra Brown book that I have not liked.  None of the three main characters were appealing, even if she tried to make it so by the end, and the weak plot was very predictable.  I was listening to this in the car and in the time it took me to drive from one block to the next Griff and Laura were in love.  I thought I’d missed a cd or something, but no, it happened just as quick as that. 

If this had been the first Sandra Brown book I’d read I would not read another, but since I usually love her books I will put this in the miss column and consider it an anomaly.  Don’t bother with this one, choose another Brown book if you are a fan.

Sweet Caroline, by Rachel Hauck

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Sweet CarolineFinished 9-4-08, rating 4/5, inspirational fiction, pub. 2008

This is the first inspirational fiction book that I’ve read.  I’m not sure what my expectations were, but I’d have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  I guess I thought that inspirational fiction would offer a sanitized view of the world, but instead of that being a bad thing I found it to be a sweet look at the world, even if that sweetness was unbelievable at times.

Caroline is in her late 20’s, single, and floating through life by helping other people with their lives instead of making one of her own.  The owner of the cafe where she works has died and left the cafe to her.  The place is a money pit and Caroline struggles with whether to stay and save the cafe or to take a plum job in Spain.  Her life is further complicated by her dating a reformed ladies man while her first true loves comes back to town.  And it is during this time that she attends church and feels the presence of God in her life.

This is a nice story that feels like the South Carolina low country it is set in.  The writing was good and kept me reading into the night.  There were many storylines woven together with real skill.  The finding God storyline was one that I found moving without being preachy.  That being said, some things were a little too good.  I’ve never had a car dealer make a deal with me and then throw in an extra $1000 because he thinks I’m a good person and I know there are many virgins in their late 20’s, but they and their dates have issues with it that never really came up in this book.  So there were a few things that didn’t ring quite true for me.

I would recommend this book.  I think you’ll really like Caroline and her story.  Essentially, it’s one woman’s quest to make her way in the world on her own terms.  I will gladly read more inspirational fiction, especially when I need to be reassured that the world is not always the cynical place it’s made out to be.

Inside Out Girl, by Tish Cohen

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Cover ImageFinished 8-31-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2008

“Wasn’t that one of the cardinal rules of the road?  If someone needed help and you weren’t prepared to offer any, glance away and feign ignorance.”      Chapter 4

Rachel Berman is head of a Perfect Parentmagazine and single mother of a 12 year old boy and a 14 year old girl.  Len Bean is a widower and father to a ten year old daughter, Olivia, who suffers from NLD, nonverbal learning disorder.  Rachel and Len meet and suddenly their lives and the lives of their children are blending into a family, if not a dysfunctional one.  Olivia is a joke at school and Rachel’s kids, Janie and Dustin, are not  inclined to make her life any easier.  Janie is dealing with her own hormonal and sexual issues that take center stage.

There are a few surprises here and there, but I don’t want to give any away.  This was a very enjoyable book about issues that most families are dealing with.  I loved her writing style and the story moved at a fast pace.  I think you will enjoy getting to know Olivia, as I did, and becoming a little more informed about a disorder that is closely linked to autism (but not the same).  And Janie’s story will bring back the early teen years when whatever someone said about you at school one day had the ability to ruin your whole life.  My only complaint is that some things were a little too convenient.  As readers, we are agreeing to suspend our disbelief, but that only goes so far. 

I received this book for free to review and it exceeded my expectations.  I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good family-oriented story, or someone interested in reading about a child with special needs.  Olivia is a wonderful character and you will fall in love with her.  Tish Cohen’s first book, Town House, is being made into a movie.   www.tishcohen.com

Follow Your Heart, by Susanna Tamaro

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Cover ImageFinished 8-14-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 1994

“As you grow up, you’ll often get the urge to change things, to right wrongs, but every time you do, remember that the first revolution, the first and the most important, has to take place within yourself.  Fighting for an idea without having an idea of yourself is one of the most dangerous things you can do.”   -December 22

This is the brutally honest letter a grandmother who is nearing death writes to the granddaughter she raised alone.  Her granddaughter is obviously a headstrong young woman who has moved to America leaving her grandmother in Italy heartbroken and alone. 

The grandmother can feel death coming and wants to leave her granddaughter a letter of history and hope for the future.  She pulls no punches.  She is not afraid to illuminate her own shortcomings as well as those around her, granddaughter included.  It is difficult to read that she did not think about her daughter for several years after her death  or that she did not love her daughter enough without your heart breaking a little.  This is a woman who was not going to spare her granddaughter the truth.

I was pulled in right from the beginning.  It was real and honest and a great story of three generations of women who all seemed to be fighting the past.  It is definitely a worthwhile read.  It was translated from the original Italian.

3rd Degree, by James Patterson

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Cover ImageFinished 8-6-08, rating 3/5, thriller, pub. 2004

“I have this very nice dog.  And my friends.  And this job.  And I’m good at it.  But I have no life.”   -Chapter 111

This is the third installment of the Women’s Murder Club.  The four women… homicide detective Lindsay, assistant DA Jill, medical examiner Claire, and reporter Cindy.

Lindsay witnesses a townhouse being blown to bits and rushes into the burning building and saves a child.  This begins the deadly terror that grips San Francisco at the hands of August Spies.  After the townhouse, a mall is blown up and ricin proves a bad end for a world renowned economist.  At the same time Jill comes clean about the abuse she’s suffered at the hands of her husband and Lindsay feels sparks around Joe, the point man from Homeland Security.  Then a shocking thing happens.  One of the four Murders Club women is murdered.

These books are so fast paced that I was almost done in no time at all, which was exactly what I wanted after Pillars of the Earth.  The problem is that nothing sticks.  The story was fast and kept me turning the pages, but I had no real emotional investment with the characters.  The death, while surprising, did not pack an emotional punch.  And I still think the relationship between the women feels off.  It is written by a man and you can tell.  For the page turner that it was it was good.  If you are looking to delve into the life of another character then you many need something more substantial.

The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

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Finished 8-3-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 1989

This book takes place in 12th century England after King James has died and his crown is seemingly up for grabs.  While that is the backdrop the real story takes place at Kingsbridge, where the good Prior Philip has been appointed amidst some ugly politics.  Tom Builder has is a master builder who has a family to feed, but no job.  Tom ends up at Kingsbridge after losing his wife and child, but gaining a mistress and stepson.  Aliena, the privileged daughter of an earl, is brutally raped after her father wastes away in prison and she must rise above her circumstances to protect herself and her brother.  William is the heartless beast who becomes earl through devious plotting and help from a clever and power hungry bishop.

The quest of the story is the building of a great cathedral at Kingbridge.  All of these players and a few others, Jack and Alfred, are directly involved in getting the cathedral built (or not built).  The hardships and triumphs of these people pack an emotional punch.  The history of the time period is spectacular and the building of the cathedral from its first stone was fascinating.  There is a love story that spans most of the book, but the love for the cathedral overshadows it.

England is in a civil war, there is famine, and poilitical and religious intrigue abound.  I think everyone will learn from this book in an easily accessible way.  I would never pick up a book about building cathedrals or 12th century England, but this book with its many characters and stories made it interesting. 

I did enjoy it, but have some reservations about recommending it.  This is a book about good vs. evil, the good guys vs. the bad guys, but it is always very clear which side a character is on.  A good guy may do something questionable, but it is always explained in a very sympathetic way so that the halo around them is still intact.  While this always gives you someone to root for (and against) it seems too simple for such an epic novel.  When something good happened, you knew it would be countered with something awful and that did become predictable.  There are also some vulgar and graphic scenes that will repulse you.  I can get past them, but I know some can’t.

I enjoyed this book.  I know there is a sequel that takes place at Kingsbridge 200 years later, but I must admit I have no desire to read it.  The good outweighed the bad, but I was more happy to be done than with the so-so ending.  If you like grand sweeping epics or historically accurate fiction this is the book for you.

Fluke, Or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, by Christopher Moore

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Cover ImageFinished audio 7-28-08, rating 3/5, fiction/sci-fi, pub. 2003

“The science you do not know looks like magic.”

Nate Quinn is a marine biologist who studies whale songs and his partner Clay is the underwater photographer.  They have been set up in Hawaii for years and Clay hires a wanna be native, Kona, although his real name is Prestin Applebaum and he’s from New Jersey.  They also have a research assistant, Amy, who they all agree looks fantastic from behind.  The ‘Old Broad’ funding their research can hear the whales and lets them know when one lets her know he wants a pastrami on rye.

One day Nate sees a whale with Bite Me written boldly across his fluke.  He takes a picture, but it never comes back from the photo lab.  Their lab and boat are trashed and Clay almost drowns.  When Amy sees Nate swallowed by a whale mahem ensues.  The whole second part of this book after Nate is swallowed is a sci-fi story under the sea.

I liked it, but didn’t love it.  It made me laugh out loud more than once and the characters were quirky and fun.  The first part of the book I felt like I waited a long time for something to happen and when something did happen I wan’t sure how much I liked it.  Read it if you like Moore’s other books or if you want to know why the whales sing.  I would tell you here, but if I had to read the book to find out, so do you.

Suffering Fools, by Ed Gaffney

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Cover ImageFinished 7-22-08, rating 3/5, suspense, pub. 2006

“You know sometimes big problems get smaller when you talk about them.”  Chapter 25

This is the second book with attorneys Zack and Terry, but I didn’t realize that or I would have started with the first one.  But, no worries, this was completely a stand alone novel.  Zack and Terry, friends since college, take the case of ‘Babe’ for free and find themselves trying to defend a man who can barely put a complex sentence together.  At the same time, there is a kidnapped woman who cannot remember who she is and an Assistant District Attorney more concerned with the truth than a conviction, much to the consternation of his boss.

I liked it, but there were a lot of story lines going on at the same time that took place at different times.  In one chapter you could be reading an long ago written email, a future trial transcript, present time and two months ago.  It seemed unnecessarily confusing.  The mystery and the writing were good enough that I really didn’t really need to wait until the middle of the book to get a handle on who was who.  Even with that complaint the book kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.  I’ll have to read the the first book about these attorneys.

Fearless Fourteen, by Janet Evanovich

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Cover ImageFinished 7-17-08, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Stephanie Plum is back with her crazy assortment of cohorts.  Ranger needs Stephanie for a bodyguard gig and Morelli needs her for mother duty.  Ranger’s job introduces her to an aging singer way past her prime and the singer’s stalker who follows Stephanie home.  Morelli is stuck with Zook, who may or may not be his son and needs Stephanie’s help until they can find his mother.  Everyone is town thinks that 9 million dollars is buried at Morelli’s house and the town crazies (including Grandma Mazur) show up with a shovel.  Lula proposes to herself and Tank faints, while Morelli might mention marriage to Stephanie.

I have been disappointed with the series for more than a few books now, but this book made me happy to have Stephanie back.  It was good to see some character growth.  Although I missed Ranger and the chemistry between them I thought Stephanie’s relationship with Morelli was sweet and sexy.  And I loved the storyline of Lula and Tank’s engagement, priceless.  This book was the best one in awhile and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Open House, by Elizabeth Berg

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Cover ImageFinished listening to on 6-27-08, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2000

“There were just families yelling at their kids not to drown and teenagers walking around like billboards, acting as if their bodies would never change.They’re so oblivious to the fact that they’ll get older.  Sometimes I want to grab them and say, ‘Hey!  I used to look like you!  Ha-ha-HA!!'”

“Yes,” Lydia says.  “That’s what I want to say to you sometimes.”  She sips her tea.

My God.  Of course that must be true.  Of course it must!  What’s a little cellulite next to a face full of deep wrinkles?  What’s a face full of deep wrinkles next to infirmity?  When does the time come when you stand in front of your grown-up woman’s mirror and feel contentment for what you see there?  Ever?—Chapter 12

Sam is a 42 year old mother, daughter, best friend, and soon to be ex-wife.  She has never had to support herself and 12 year old son, Travis, and has decided that the best way to do this is to take in boarders at her large suburban home.  Travis is not crazy about the idea and everybody else just thinks she’s crazy.  First there’s mature Lydia, then sad Lavender, and finally fabulous Edward.

She goes on a shopping spree at Tiffany’s.  She calls Martha Stewart and Martha calls her back.  She makes new friends.  She goes on a date.  And most importantly, she stops crying.

I love the rare simplicity of Elizabeth Berg’s writing and her ability to tell a story with real depth in such a concise and readable way.  Her characters are always recognizable as someone you know or might meet someday.  This story of a woman facing life after divorce is a triumph.  I’ve read quite a few of Berg’s books and by the end I always feel as if I’ve gained some insight. This is no exception.