rosie-demario.com

Stray
Rachel Vincent
2007
Mira

Summary:

Faythe Sanders likes to pretend she’s a normal college co-ed, but that’s only half the truth. It’s the other half that matters when her former lover appears on campus, sent to pull her back into a life her classmates could never understand, or even imagine. He has come to take her home, to where hunting doesn’t involve guns, the night isn’t for sleeping, and fur is much more than just a fashion statement.

Female werecats are disappearing from all over the south, and the Pride is helpless to find its missing members and stop the stray responsible. Confined to home for her own protection, Faythe must face everything she went to school to escape: the family she left behind, the love she turned her back on, and the destiny tradition says she’s bound to fulfill. And when it all becomes too much to handle, an emotionally charged error in judgment leads her into the unsheathed claws of the stray himself. Now, armed with nothing but animal instinct and a serious attitude, Faythe must free herself and stop the kidnappers before their horrific plot robs her Pride of its most valuable asset: its own continued existence.

Amazon

At this point, you all probably think I all I read is fluff! I don’t know why I’m on this kick lately. It’s probably the warm weather that has me branching into light reading. I do plan on reviewing heavier books in a few days! I have some I’m just finishing that I can’t wait to share.

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve had a love affair with new paranormal fiction since I read Twilight. Twilight didn’t appeal to me. I did read all three books, but I hate myself for that now. It was poorly-written fan fiction with new characters. It did open my eyes to the genre again though and for that I thank the books.

OK, on to Stray. (Behind the cut because I got kind of wordy)

Read the rest of “Stray by Rachel Vincent” »

The Sex Club
LJ Sellers
2007
Spellbinder Press

Summary:

A pipe bomb explodes at a birth control clinic, then a young client turns up dead in a dumpster. Kera, the clinic nurse, discovers that the girl’s Bible group is sharing more than the Good News. Confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own—becoming the bomber’s new target. Meanwhile, Detective Jackson races to find the killer, fearing that his own daughter could be next. But his investigation is blocked by power politics at every step. Can Jackson uncover the killer’s shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter?

What a good book! I hung on to every word. I read a review before going in from BookGasm, that says the author has a specific agenda and if you agree with it you’ll have a great time with the book. I really couldn’t agree more.

It’s obvious from the beginning that the good vs. evil debate going on in the plot is all perspective. Kera’s personal experiences working at Planned Parenthood lay the ground work for a multi-layered crime drama. Det. Jackson, a single dad of a young girl that is friends with the victim, find himself in the midst of a case that hits too close to home. The basic themes of the novel have been over and over by many authors, but Sellers is able to give the story something extra. I can’t put my finger on whether it’s the shock of what’s going on that brings the victim to the clinic in the first place or what unfolds as the story goes on.

Sellers does a very good job of showing all the angles to the story, even if you can’t bring yourself to agree with the actions.

I will say it is so hard to write about this book without spilling everything! I could give you some small plot points, but I feel strongly you should read it for yourself and put the pieces together yourself. Everything plays in to everything else, whether you want it to or not.

Amazon

Case Histories
Kate Atkinson
2005
Back Bay Books

Summary:

A breathtaking story of families divided, love lost and found, and the mysteries of fate.

Case One: Olivia Land, youngest and most beloved of the Land girls, goes missing in the night and is never seen again. Thirty years later, two of her surviving sisters unearth a shocking clue to Olivia’s disappearance among the clutter of their childhood home.

Case Two: Theo delights in his daughter Laura’s wit, effortless beauty, and selfless love. But her first day as an associate in his law firm is also the day when Theo’s world turns upside down. . .

Case Three: Michelle looks around one day and finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making. A very needy baby and a very demanding husband make her every waking moment a reminder that somewhere, somehow, she’d made a grave mistake and would spend the rest of her life paying for it–until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

As Private Detective Jackson Brodie investigates all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge. Inextricably caught up in his clients’ grief, joy, and desire, Jackson finds their unshakable need for resolution very much like his own.

I’m not one for mysteries usually, although my next review is a mystery as well. Usually I find I can figure the end out long before it’s revealed. This one eluded me though. I don’t know if it was because there were three cases to think about or because it was so well-written.

I’ll admit I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. The first three chapters outline the events surrounding the origins of the case and by the third case I felt I was being given too much information and put it down. I came back to it thanks to a book club recommendation. Once I picked it up again I read it straight through, no breaks.

Jackson is a very lovable character. I have a thing for single dads, I guess. He was very funny, smart and stayed ahead of the curve. I wasn’t too happy with his romance in the book and I’m hoping Atkinson has moved on for the next installment in Jackson’s life, One Good Turn.

The secondary characters share a good bit of the spotlight and they are all well-written. Everyone from Olivia’s sisters to Jackson’s snarky and basically unhelpful secretary have just the right amount of character development so you care what happens to them without shifting focus too much from the objective of solving the cases.

As with most mysteries, all’s well that ends well. I tend to loathe the end of most though, too many “A-ha!” moments. Overall, it was highly enjoyable.

Amazon 

Plain Truth
Jodi Picoult
1999
Pocket Press

Summary:

Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a fascinating portrait of Amish life rarely witnessed by those outside the faith. When a young Amish teen hides a pregnancy, gives birth in secret, and then flatly denies it all when the baby’s body is found, urban defense attorney Ellie Hathaway decides to defend her. But she finds herself caught in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own… and discovers a place where circumstances are not always what they seem.

I mentioned in my last post that I have read quite a few Jodi Picoult books. I don’t want this to come off as a negative review because of it. All in all, Plain Truth was a delightful read once I got in to it. In the beginning, I really hated Katie’s character, but I really came around to her as the story went on.

I loved the Amish aspect of it. Throughout her novels, it is very evident to me that Jodi Picoult does a TON of research on her subject. Vanishing Acts was the Native American population in Arizona. In Nineteen Minutes, it was school shootings, etc. etc. This was no different. I don’t know how much is totally factual about the Amish life she describes because it is a novel, but I do feel I came away with a better understanding of the culture.

As is typical with Picoult, the alleged crime is always the rising action to the courtroom drama that plays out and inevitably leads to a revelation or twist and resolution follows within the next few pages. The same is true in Plain Truth. The main problem I have with Plain Truth is same problem I have with most her books. I’ve discussed it with friends before, but it seems like she gets to a certain point in the story, maybe she knows the twist was coming or maybe she just wants to wrap it up neatly, but the endings always seem rushed.

Sometimes I feel the romance that involves the attorneys in the case (there will always be one) can be superfluous to the story. I connected more with Ellie’s love story more than I have with other characters like Jordan and Serena of The Pact and Nineteen Minutes that I’ve read thus far.

Overall, I would put Plain Truth ahead of Keeping Faith, The Tenth Circle and Vanishing Acts, but behind The Pact, My Sister’s Keeper and Nineteen Minutes on Picoult-meter.

Amazon 

Up Next: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

I know, I know. I always come back after months and months and try to start something that never lasts. This time I’m a little more determined. I’ve become an avid BookMoocher and read like crazy all the time.

I figured I’d start with a 5 things list for books!

5 Books I’ve finished recently:

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (worst book ever written)

3. A Secret Word by Jennifer Babbott

4. Meridon by Phillipa Gregory

5. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

5 Books I love, either because I just read them or love them long time:

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

2. A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown

3. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

4. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

5. Of course, The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I’ve really been expanding my reading selection recently. In the past, I haven’t really branched out into non-fiction, but recently with Piece of Cake, Stiff and soon to be read Pledged, I think I’ve been doing a bit better.

I’m in the middle of Plain Truth right now by Jodi Picoult and while I usually enjoy her books, this one isn’t grabbing me. I’ve read My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, Keeping Faith, Vanishing Acts and The Tenth Circle. They are very formulaic, but I guess it’s a form of writing what you know. Picoult obviously knows a lot about court rooms, sexual abuse, and kooky little twists in rushed endings.

With the following posts (starting with Plain Truth), I am going to start reviewing and recommending. I don’t always read contemporary fiction, but I do lean more toward it.

Leave your suggestions for books here! Give me your last 5 books and 5 books you love.