anisia Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I've heard so much about The Book Thief on this forum i'm definitely adding it to my TBR list. I had never heard of it before joining the forum. Now all I have to do is find somewhere that has it in stock! Same here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Ah I see what you mean, like the others I loved them bits, but can understand why some people might not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I've really liked the bold bits too. I thought they were a bonus rather than an annoyance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Mini review of The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes Synopsis: Jojo Harvey is a literary agent whose star is on the rise. In love with both her married boss and her burgeoning career, not much distracts her. Until she finds herself representing two women who used to be best friends. One of them, Gemma, has suddenly found herself from a broken home - at the age of thirty-two. Meanwhile, Lily - the woman Gemma has always blamed for stealing her one chance of happiness - is enjoying the overnight success of her debut novel. Set in the world of publishing, 'The Other Side of the Story' is about love, loyalty, glass ceilings and survival tactics - and what to do when you get your chance for revenge. -http://www.mariankeyes.com Since I was all caught up on Keyes's books (except for this one and her "Under the Duvet" collections), this was my first read of one of her books in a loooong time. And I loved it! I'd forgotten how witty and funny her writing style can be, and I laughed through many of the lines of this book. I even copied out some excerpts and sent them to my best friend back home, who often laughs at the same lines as I. The characters are very well-developed and I grew quite attached, especially to Jojo. She's fun, gutsy, knows how to dress for her frame size, and goes after what she wants. I also loved Gemma's slightly naive nature and her constant willingness to put others before herself, without losing all the fun in life. I did have a few small issues with best friend's-boyfriend-stealer Lily, and I wanted to throttle her for being so dependant on Anton.. (I almost turned rage-ful when she begged Anton to "talk me into it, Anton.. hurry.. talk me into it!" when it came to buying a house they couldn't afford, despite their inability to handle money AT ALL.) But I will say that she seemed to have a good heart, despite the way she and Anton got together. The read is fun, light-hearted, and probably best-suited for a vacation read, or a light read between tougher books. It's a bit addictive, since it's perspective changes from Gemma to Jojo to Lily quite a bit, and I was equally "into" each storyline. So when I flipped the page at the end of a "Gemma" chapter, I was all "Oooh Jojo's back!" instead of seeing it as a good stopping point. It reminded me of why I've liked all of Marian Keyes's novels, and I have to say this one rises towards the top of the list for me, when it comes to her books. My Rating: 9/10 (on the chick-lit scale, of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eschulenburg Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I enjoyed this one a few months ago - it was actually one of my first Keyes. Which of her other novels would you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Tess Gerritsen <3 <3 <3 <3 <----- (supposed to be hearts) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Tess Gerritsen <3 <3 <3 <3 <----- (supposed to be hearts) If you like her you'll love Richard Montanari. Start with The Rosary Girls and you'll be at the start of a great series! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I enjoyed this one a few months ago - it was actually one of my first Keyes. Which of her other novels would you recommend? Sorry to jump into Beth's thread but I must recommend Rachel's Holiday - I definitely think it's her best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Tess Gerritsen <3 <3 <3 <3 <----- (supposed to be hearts) I just recently finished my first book of hers, The Surgeon, and really enjoyed it. Have to thank Charm for the recommendation, of course... I see we have another supporter in you, chrysalis I have another I'll be reading by her called Life Support. Hopefully I'll enjoy it as well! If you like her you'll love Richard Montanari. Start with The Rosary Girls and you'll be at the start of a great series! Cannot wait to get my hands on this one.. I cannot, for the life of me, find it here in India. BUT the library in HK is supposed to be wonderful and I'm betting I can get it there after we move. Sorry to jump into Beth's thread but I must recommend Rachel's Holiday - I definitely think it's her best. Jump in anytime, Janet! Always welcome here And that one is my favorite of Keyes's also.. I loved that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Mini review of The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen Synopsis: In her most masterful novel of medical suspense, New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen creates a villain of unforgettable evil--and the one woman who can catch him before he kills again.... The cops' only clue rests with another surgeon, the victim of a nearly identical crime.... Filled with the authentic detail that is the trademark of this doctor turned author . . . and peopled with rich and complex characters--from the ER to the squad room to the city morgue--here is a thriller of unprecedented depth and suspense. Exposing the shocking link between those who kill and cure, punish and protect, The Surgeon is Tess Gerritsen's most exciting accomplishment yet. (http://www.powells.com) This was my first read of Gerritsen's and I thought it was a good one. I've been in the classics (well..1 classic anyway ) , fiction, and chick-lit mode for a while, so this was a wonderful return to the suspense books! The story starts quickly and is fast to become a page turner. I enjoyed the read and will definitely read more of hers. Just little random thoughts: Suspense books like the James Patterson books, this Gerritsen story, etc always seem to have a couple of things in common: 1) Detective falls in love with the pursued victim, who narrowly escapes death, and she's miraculously able to overcome all of her post-traumatic syndrome and trust again, just in time to get engaged/married by the end of the novel. Very neat, very predictable. 2) I was hoping Gerritsen, being a woman, would have a better sense of style .. This is a petty one, but in these suspense/crime books the authors I have read NEVER seem to have any sense of style. AT ALL. And that's fine, but many times, there's a pursued victim that's supposed to be beautiful and sexy, and then they dress her in what? -- a "leather bomber jacket with black trousers and thick-soled black boots" ??? Okay.. that is NOT pretty. Catherine Cordell in Gerritsen's book did finally wear a dress w/some heels one time, but I just don't understand why these authors usually seem to have no idea of what clothes stopped being popular by 1982. Does anyone else share my pain w/this one? It's petty.. I'll give it that.. but it seems to be a common thread in these suspense/crime books, and it drives me insane. Also, for anyone who's read The Surgeon: I think I'm crazy, but bear with me as this is my first read of Gerritsens, and I had no idea that this first book was in a series that revolves around Jane Rizzoli. At some points in the story, I thought Rizzoli could be connected with the murders somehow. A lot of emphasis was placed on her lack of feminity, and what with The Surgeon going around cutting out the very parts that make women the feminine gender, i kept thinking that she was somehow connected. And then when they found the long black hair in The Surgeon's apartment, I thought "Ah HA!! Jane has black hair, too!" And then when she killed Pacheco, I thought it might be her attempts to kill him so he couldn't be questioned, hoping the detectives would assume he was actually The Surgeon. Sometimes in these books, the author casts suspicion on certain characters.. Did anyone else become suspicious of Rizzoli, or was that just me going crazy? My Rating: 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Mini review of Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner Synopsis: LITTLE EARTHQUAKES introduces us to four women who meet at a yoga class for expectant mothers. Becky is a chef who has an extremely loving relationship with her husband and an interfering mother-in-law who insists on trying to change everything about her. Kelly is an overachieving event planner who had a poor childhood and has since become intent on giving her own child a better life. Unfortunately, her newly unemployed husband isn't living up to her ideals. Ayinde, a beautiful television reporter who is married to a professional athlete, has her life turned upside down because of her husband's act of indiscretion. Finally there is Lia, a somewhat mysterious character who hides a heartbreaking secret involving her own brief experience of motherhood while bonding with the new mothers. Each of these women must struggle with the challenges of being new moms while at the same time balancing all of the other areas in their lives. They realize that becoming a new mother changes one's sense of self and one's relationships with others. (http://www.bookreporter.com) This is a fun read in the chick-lit genre, and it's pretty light and fluffy -- seems to follow the "chick-lit formula" pretty closely. The story follows four women who are connected by babies, with 3 of the women going through labor and having newborns towards the beginning of the novel. Each also has a somewhat complicated love life, what with traveling basketball star husbands, intrusive mother-in-laws, seemingly-unmotivated lay-off cases, and guilt rocking some of the relationships to the cores. There's the expected doses of sad bits hidden in all the funny and light-hearted bits, and some of the relationships b/t wife & husband, and mother & baby, are more complicated than others. Four storylines all running at the same time... they're actually woven together pretty well, and the perspectives swap in a non-abrasive fashion. The book is easy to read, the story easy to follow, and I imagine most women that read this book sort of pick a couple favorite characters/storyline. For me, Becky's chapters were my favorite as I found her mother-in-law hilarious and verging on the outrageous. I laughed a lot during her chapters, and was impressed with her patience and ability to deal -- I'm not sure I would have done so well myself. So overall, good book.. strong character development.. and I'd recommend to anyone that likes the chick-lit genre or would like a good beach/holiday read! My Rating: 8.5/10 (goody.. my pattern is back, apparently.. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) Also, for anyone who's read The Surgeon: I think I'm crazy, but bear with me as this is my first read of Gerritsens, and I had no idea that this first book was in a series that revolves around Jane Rizzoli. At some points in the story, I thought Rizzoli could be connected with the murders somehow. A lot of emphasis was placed on her lack of feminity, and what with The Surgeon going around cutting out the very parts that make women the feminine gender, i kept thinking that she was somehow connected. And then when they found the long black hair in The Surgeon's apartment, I thought "Ah HA!! Jane has black hair, too!" And then when she killed Pacheco, I thought it might be her attempts to kill him so he couldn't be questioned, hoping the detectives would assume he was actually The Surgeon. Sometimes in these books, the author casts suspicion on certain characters.. Did anyone else become suspicious of Rizzoli, or was that just me going crazy? Well I read in the Tess Gerritsen thread here, from when she visited and people were asking her questions, that she actually intended to kill Jane in The Surgeon when she started writing it, but as the story developed she decided not to, so perhaps that was why she wrote her like that? And with regards to the romance, well she used to write romance novels, so I suppose old habits die hard And being a tomboy myself, I didn't notice the bad clothes, but will keep an eye open for it, I have to say, I'm reading one of her books right now, and the girl is dressing how you described Edited March 14, 2009 by lexiepiper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 hahaha!! I love how you see that she dressed exactly as described! And it SO not just Tess... it is ALL of these crime books I've read -- I mean c'mon! -- put them in something pretty why don't ya?? You already have the damsel in distress thing down pat -- it wouldn't kill her to wear something that's at least stylish and feminine. Interesting about Tess's original plan for Jane.. could definitely be why she was portrayed in that way. At least MAYBE I'm not TOTALLY crazy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I think it's that the girls in these kind of stories are meant to be hard and tough and so apparantly are 'butch' as a result? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Wow I see you liked The Surgeon Bethany! I have to say your thoughts about the dress sense did make me laugh I do see what you mean. Half the time I just wanted Jane to take a bath and pamper herself a bit, maybe put a bit of makeup on and some nice clothes, but then when you think about it, thats probably the last thing on her mind what with a serial killer her top priority! Keep reading the series though, there are some more 'colourful' characters introduced The next one in the series is 'The Apprentice'. I'm glad you enjoyed this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 I think it's that the girls in these kind of stories are meant to be hard and tough and so apparantly are 'butch' as a result? SO annoying.. I mean, I KINDA get it when the actual detective or police investigator it a bit hard and tough, as this makes sense. But even the VICTIMS, that are supposed to be alluring and lure the detective into a sensual relationship are given NO respect when it comes to fashion. They clomp around in clod-hopper boots and pleated trousers half the time.. I think those are fine outfits, but not for the characters that are supposed to be too beautiful to resist, despite the "against the rules" policy of the detectives getting involved with the victims. Drives me nuts..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I can tell :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 One of my flaws is I tend to get on my "soapbox".. I've been doing it since a very young age, and I simply cannot help it. It comes w/the package. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Mini review of The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve Synopsis: A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland. She confronts the unfathomable *#151; one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person? (www.barnesandnoble.com) I'd read amazing reviews for this book.. There are about 2 solid pages of critics' praises in the front of my copy of this book, all announcing the book as "gripping," "compulsively readable," "absorbing," "masterfully rendered"... and so on and so on. The blurb is intriguing, and I was envisioning a tangled web of mystery to unfold before me.. shocking secrets from the past.. some unexpected turns and maybe even a surprise twist that comes out of nowhere and has me saying "AH HA!!" I have to say that, for me, I didn't find the tale as gripping as the reviews boasted.. or as "un-putdownable".. or any of those things. I wasn't shocked at any point in the story, and I felt the twists and turns that were presented were fairly weak, with little suspense building up to them. What I did find, though, was a good, solid story with a pretty interesting plot line, and fairly strong character development for the main characters. After reading the book, I started to question why I didn't find the twists and turns as startling as some readers, and why I could definitely put down the book w/out dying to know what was on the next page. And I came to the conclusion that the writing style was what did it for me. I've read quite a few suspense books that hurtle forward at breakneck speed (James Patterson, Kate White, even the only Tess Gerritsen I've read so far) and manage to weave in bits of clues from the past without stopping the flow, intensity, and speed of the story. In this book, Shreve's writing style was very "stop and go" for me. Chapter 1: the present. Chapter 2: the past. Chapter 3: the present. Chapter 4: the past. And so forth. It essentially eliminated the elements of surprise and unexpected-ness for me. What's more, the "present" chapters didn't even roar forward and keep me hanging.. I just sort of dangled about, then was like "Ugh.. time to go back to the even more boring past again" at the close of each "present" chapter. Basically, the "present" chapters weren't exciting enough to keep me flipping eagerly through the "past" chapters, which seemed rather mundane and boring. That being said, I liked the story fine... I was okay w/the outcome... and I didn't COMPLETELY figure out ALL the "big revelations" before I got to them... But the whole thing was just sort of ho hum. With Shreve coming up with such an intriguing storyline with so much potential, I felt a lot more could have been done to increase the intensity of the story. But that's just me.. and apparently half the world finds it "gripping," "tensely paced," and is "dying to know what happens next." So I'd recommend it to most readers, still, as I could have just been missing something. I still like Shreve.. I'll still read some more books by her (thanks to my undying love for her "Fortune's Rocks").. but this one just didn't suck me in and keep me guessing like I'd hoped. My Rating: 7.5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Excellent review, Beth. I haven't read the book but I have read a couple others that do exactly what you described & you've described pretty much how I felt about them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks, Ceinwenn! I was worried I was going to get mobbed by all the book's fans out there.. I was ready to duck. I think my next review is going to be even less supportive.. "The White Tiger" is NOT capturing me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 Mini review of Life Support by Tess Gerritsen Synopsis: The overnight ER rotation at Springer Hospital suits Dr. Toby Harper just fine -- until its calm is shattered by a man Toby admits one quiet night. Delirious and in critical condition from a possible viral infection of the brain, he barely responds to treatment...and then he disappears without a trace. But before Toby can find her missing patient, a second case occurs, revealing a chilling twist: evidence of an infection that can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Soon Toby's on a trail that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to an unexpected tragedy in her own home. Only then does she discover the unthinkable: an evil, deadly design to the frightening epidemic. Thrilling, suspenseful, and fast-paced.. I really liked this book! Several storylines, all strongly developed, weave together just in time to unravel and reveal the chilling secrets behind this mystery. Gerritsen, for me, gave just enough to arouse suspicion in the characters, without giving any chance of figuring out just what was going on. The good and bad characters are revealed pretty early on (it wasn't even long after Jane Nolan's introduction that she was determined to be on the bad side) , so the mystery and secrets surround the "What's going on?" more so than the "Whodunnit?" aspect. It's skillfully written and is very much a page turner -- I literally couldn't put it down last night, and finally succumbed when my eyes kept closing and I dropped the book. I even woke up in the middle of the night wondering what was going to happen in the end. This morning, I finished off the last 30 pages, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more than my first read of Gerritsen's ("The Surgeon")! As usual, I like to discuss both the good (which there was lots of in this story!) and the bad in my little mini reviews.. The only 2 things that got me a bit about this book (and they are minor) were: 1) Dr. Toby Harper kept making the dumbest decisions... She's a dr, yet she somehow didn't feel any pressure to take her mother in for examination when she was ill, despite urging from her own sister. She also couldn't let a meeting with Dr. Wallenburg (bad guy) pass without questioning him and essentially telling him she was onto him, even after Robbie Brace was murdered once he found out too much information. Why must she go around advertising how much knowledge she has and how close she is to figuring out that there was a connection between the recent deaths of Brant Hill patients? It scared the be-jaysus out of me everytime she did that.. I wanted to clamp my hand over her mouth. 2) This isn't even really a drawback, as I think that Gerritsen's former profession as internist really lends itself to writing accurate medical thrillers, but I sometimes feel really overwhelmed with all the medical jargon tossed around in her stories. It can get really complicated and I sometimes just end up really confused and have to read a paragraph a couple of times, and in the end I still don't get it. I just keep going and hope that it will make sense to me when conjoined with some other information that may be revealed later. That's it though.. those are petty little things, but I always feel compelled to discuss both the good and the bad, even if there's very little of one. All in all, an excellent read, and I'd recommend it to anyone that enjoys medical thrillers, suspense books, or is looking to try out a book from that genre. I'll definitely be reading more of Gerritsen's books. My Rating: 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 (edited) Mini review of Living Dangerously by Katie Fforde Synopsis: Polly Cameron is happy being thirty-five and celibate, living in a small Cotswold town with a possessive cat for company and a Rayburn for comfort. After all, a relationship would only complicate things... But Polly’s life is already complicated. In addition to her job in the Whole Nut caf Edited April 7, 2009 by bethany725 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Mini Review of Swimming Pool Sunday by Madeleine Wickham Synopsis: On a shimmeringly hot Sunday in May, the Delaneys opened their pool to all the village for charity. Louise was there, so were her daughters Amelia and Katie - and so, glaring at her resentfully, was her estranged husband Barnaby. This was supposed to be his day with the girls. But Louise ignored his angry glowers - it wasn't her fault they'd wanted to come swimming with her, was it? While the children splashed and shrieked in the cool, blue waters, she lay blissfully back in the sun and dreamed of Cassian, the charismatic new lawyer in her life. The day seemed perfect. But suddenly the perfect day was shattered, as tragedy struck. And the consequences of a terrible accident developed into a drama of recriminations, jealousy and legal power-play, in which Louise found herself pulled in three directions all at once. Friendships crumbled, the village was split, and the needs of a child became secondary to the dangerous contest in which the grown-ups were engaged. This is a good book, and I got through it in a little more than a day. The writing style is easy to read, and the story develops at a good pace that prevents boring lulls or tedious bits. The novel has a few storylines going on at once: Louise and Barnaby as they struggle through the post-divorce arguments so common among divorcees; Louise's new relationship with lawyer Cassian; and the main plot of the swimming pool accident which brings devastation to both the Delaney family and Kember family. Several other storylines develop from the secondary characters, and are weaved into the main plot. With so many storylines, the pages keep turning, and they does so without any stop-and-go feel. The writing is smooth and the characters well-developed, and I was propelled to keep reading to see what would happen in the outcome. As a little side note, this book had some issues reminiscent of some of Jodi Picoult's work, and I can see some of the issues working well as a Picoult novel: Little Katie Kember is left in a coma and with brain damage after the swimming pool accident, and this leads to a potential court case between the Kembers and the Delaneys. I can imagine that Jodi Picoult would do all kinds of research on these issues, and it could become one of those novels where the reader spends much of the story weighing the moral and ethical issues, etc. Anyway.. the issues are very intriguing, but it was kind of nice to sit back and just read a story that played out in front of me, without analyzing right vs. wrong, etc. The style of the writing pretty much spelled it out that there wouldn't actually be any case taken to trial , and it was sort of nice to just relax and read since I was pretty sure that would be the case. I was satisfied at the ending, and felt like the book did have its lessons that were conveyed through the characters and the outcome. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone. With a good plotline that moves at a good pace, developed characters, and multiple storylines weaving together smoothly, I think most people would enjoy it and find it very readable. My Rating: 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo-Bridge Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 good review Bethany - another for my TBR pile! i agree about the Jodi Picoult "What would you do?" scenarios.. I thinks its nice for the story to speak for itself without being too signposted! Mini Review of Swimming Pool Sunday by Madeleine Wickham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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