Machine Man - #94

Looks like I am only going to make it to 94 books. Not to shabby though.
Machine man was good. It was in the perspective of a scientist who loses a limb in an accident instead of dealing with the fake leg they give him...he deciders to modify them. It is when he sess how wonderful the robotic leg works that he decides he can't stop there..and so begins the journey to a better body. I enjoyed this book it was written from his perspective but it wasn't to technical. It was very readable.

Destined: A House of Night Novel - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

I think this is the ninth book. Though I could be wrong. Basically since the last one and someone died and I am still not over it, I just want this series to end. Not to say that I don't enjoy P.C. and Kristin, I do. I also get into each story and enjoy them. But seriously this needs to end. Throw some water on Nefert and get it over with.

In this we find Zoey and the gang dealing with a lot of loss. (not going to mention who). There are a lot of changes going on. For one the red fledglings and Zoey's circle and their warriors are all staying at the depot and after consideration the high counsel decides to step in and purchase the depot to fix into a real house of night school. Nefert and darkness are bent on making chaos and Kolona is playing the tortured daddy. I think what I like most about these books, is the dashes of current events or reference to current pop culture. I enjoy it. It makes it real. In ten years, people will won't get it, but when you read it today, its a fun surprise to see a reference to Harry Potter or Glee.

I again, enjoy the books, but I really hope they are wrapping them up soon.

Hotwire - Alex Kava

This is the ninth Maggie O'Dell novel, but I am sure I have only read three or four, so I don't think you have to read them all to read this book, although I am sure it would help.

In this Maggie is investigating the death of cows when a crime involving teenagers pulls her away. They claim some animal got them, two kids are dead, and one is severely injured. Across the country the CDC and USAIRMID are dealing with an outbreak of salmonella. Its a strain they haven't seen and its effecting only school children. They have days to figure out what is causing it before Monday and more kids get sick.

Pretty fun read...completely mindless. It is what it is. You really can think about doing dishes while reading this book, but Alex has a fun clever dialog and Maggie is a strong female lead.

The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

This book was a lot of fun. It takes place in 1997 - Emma gets a new computer and her friend Josh gives her a trail sample of AOL Online. When she logs on the first time she see a website called facebook...and learns of her of her future through photo's and status updates.

It was fun reading this - I figure Emma and Josh would be my age now...so it was fun remembering the experience of getting online the first time, chat rooms, dial up, having to use 'hours' online and not have unlimited access. Then to read them, trying to figure out what certain things mean, that I now take for granted...like netflix and glee. It was just an enjoyable book to read, with a good moral - enjoy the life you live now, and don't stress too much about the future.

The Next Always - Nora Roberts

Part of a trilogy - not completed.
I swear this woman either sold her soul to the devil or is a vampire. No other way could she bust out the books the way she does. Granted they have the same theme...and are predictable. But each book is joy to read.

Clair is widow with three young boys running a small town bookstore. Having not much time for anything else, romance with a certain Montgomery boy is difficult at best.
She falls in love with his pet project as he falls in love with her boys, the rest as they say is history. I look forward to reading the other three bothers fall in love.

Beyond the Grave - Mara Purnhagen - #91

The conclusion to the Past Midnight series, and this one didn't disappoint. Charlotte thought she had been through everything. Unfortunately the paranormal world wasn't quite done with her. This time, they are focusing on her new boyfriend Noah, who is losing hours and whole days of his time. Charlotte is trying to figure out what is wrong with him, worried about her mother who is still in a coma, planning a wedding, missing her best friend, and adjusting to community college. Each page left you wanting more and it was impossible to put down. I like when a book finishes a strong as it started.

#90 - When she woke - Hillary Jordan

Read. This. Book.

When Hannah Payne wakes up, she is red. Her skin color has been medically changed to show her crime. In a world not to far ahead of ours, people aren't sent to jail for their crimes, not the "mild" ones, instead, they are given an injection and forced to walk around with the label. Hannah - aborted her child. Is forced to walk 16 years as a red for crime. She quickly finds out that being a red is only one of her problems.

I enjoyed this book so much. Its a modern day Scarlet Letter, (really it is), but it really hits home because you can really see something like this taking place in America. A world where crimes are punished by creating outcasts. Chromes. This book angered me, and saddened me, and made me feel happy. I really felt for Hannah through her journey discovering herself, facing her choices, and embracing and uncertain future. We should all be as brave as her.

The Birthing House - Christopher Ransom

I had high hopes for this book. It started off okay...strong...but then it just died. The main character was annoying. I kept thinking through the entire book, how sophomoric he was. This got very good reviews from other authors, and editors and the like, about how 'imaginative' and 'scary' it was. Please. Not scary, and really not all that imaginative to be honest. I could put that aside if every other sentence wasn't about how the main character wanted to get laid. (no joke). I read it, I finished it, I wouldn't recommend it unless you get it from the library. Even then, I think you would be better off with another horror writer. All in all...not the best book I have read this yea.

Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder

Warning - Part of a trilogy.

Yelena has been in a prison dungeon awaking death...she murdered a high ranking Generals son. When her number is up she is called into the Commander's office, and given a reprieve. She can either hang, or become the newest food taster (tasting the commanders food for poison) she chooses to live. Unfortunately between being poisoned and needing an antidote every day to keep it in check, she also has quite a few people that want her dead. One of which, is the father of the son she killed.
She raises above all her problems, and beats a lot of odds. By the end of the book, you are of course, waiting for more.

Good thing, is this is one of Maria's first books - and the trilogy is done. :) So enjoy. I am awaiting the next two from the library.

Crossed - Ally Condie

Good sequel to Matched. In this we find Cassia working in work camps, trying to make her way to Ky. We find Ky working as a decoy, when he finds a chance to run, he takes it. They finally meet up and go on the run together to search for the Rebellion. Through out this entire book I just thought, wouldn't it be great if you two could just find a place to be and just be. Cassia spends most of the book second guessing herself, and everyone around her, and Ky has this annoying, your to go for me so I am going to sacrifice my feelings for yours thing going on. I feel like the third book will be good, but I am not waiting with baited breath for it to come out, cause honestly the last two have just been okay. I will, of course, read it.
This isn't to say that Ally's writing isn't good, it is, I just think the story is lacking something. I am not feeling the relationships with the characters.

One hundred candles - Mara Purnhagen

The second book a trilogy, the first being Past Midnight, the last will is called, Beyond the Grave.

I was kind of not feeling this book, so I opened it with kind of a blah attitude. I loved the first book, but really didn't see where a second one would go. Thankfully, I was not disappointed and whats more, I am looking forward to third.

We find Charlotte in the middle of winter. Things are normal, well as normal as they can be for her. Still no boyfriend, but one handsome Football player is giving her more attention then usual. All in all things are good. Until a stupid New Years part, and stupid game called one hundred candles is played. Then things get weird. She is forced to yet again, dive into the world of the unknown. This time though, it threatens her parents marriage....when when things peek, loved ones play the ultimate sacrifice and things will never quite be the same again.

Fighting To Survive - Rhiannon Frater

The second book in the As the world dies trilogy.
Having finally secured some safety within the a construction site, the survivors of a small Texas town have started to think about taking over the near by hotel. Problem is they know there are zombies in there, they are just unsure how many. Travis, the unofficial fort leader is leery of making more trouble, but knows that they have outgrown the emergency fort they put together in those first few days. With the take over of the hotel looming, and groups going out to find other survivors and supplies, there is enough stress to go around. Unfortunately that isn't their only problem. Bandits are about, taking woman and children, food and supplies from smaller groups, and killing when they don't get their way. Or worse, corralling zombies right to survivors and letting them do their work for them. It seem that there is no way to stop them, and the fort is on high alert while they try an figure out what to do. Its bad enough fighting the undead, having to fight other living humans, is just wrong.

This book explores more character dynamics, you see more relationships build and even some fall apart. You see people coming together and people losing control. Its a great sequel to the first book and makes me excited for Siege which comes out in April.

11/22/63 - Stephen King

What would you do if you could change a major event in history? Take back the World Trade Center perhaps? Stop the Titanic from Sinking? Save a president?

In the latest Stephen King book, Jake Epping is about to get that chance. His friend Al has found a rabbit house, hidden in his storage closet. When he walks through, it is 1958 - when he walks back its two minutes past the time he left in 2011. He has been using the rabbit hole to buy meat at '58 prices so he can sell burgers cheaper then anywhere else. When he starts to really think about what this Rabbit Hole can do. Or more what it can change, he starts to plan on preventing the Kennedy Assassination. Unfortunately, he gets ill so he he recruits Jake to do it.

Jake travels and more importantly, lives back in '58. Always keeping his eye on Lee Harvey Oswald, always watching for some sign that he acted alone, so that he can make his move. But history doesn't want to be changed. And things have to balance. What we get is an unbelievable story, following Jake through the late 50's and early 60's as he tries to rewrite history.

That is what you could read on any review. What they may not tell you is this: What you get by reading this book, is and interesting perspective into the era of late 50's early 60s. Here is the thing, as someone born many years after 50's I have often wondered how nice it would be to live in a time where things were simpler. After reading this, I will no longer think that. I admit, history did nothing for me. But reading about segregation, woman's rights (should I say place), riots, etc, etc. I realize that it wasn't simpler back then. Everything was starting then. And yes, it would be cool to witness and be a part of that, knowing what I know, but to have lived it. It must have been scary. John Kennedy's death was a tragedy, I will always think that. And I think it more now, after reading this book. I also wish I had paid a bit more attention in history class. Then again, I live in 2011 - thank God for the Internet.

The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton

This was a tough book for me to read and finish. It was a challenge, but I am so glad I stuck through it and finished it.

This book follows a family of women and a secrete that was kept for years. Nell finds out on her 21st birthday that she isn't who she thought she was. She is in fact, adopted. Sort of. Her father, Hugh, thought he was doing right by telling her, but he sets into action her undying quest to find out who her real birth parents are, why they gave her up and who she really is.

She dies before she gets these answers and so passes the quest onto her granddaughter, Cassandra. Cassandra follow the clues, to England where she finds the truth, and it is even more of a mystery then she had ever imagined.

While I had a hard time reading and finishing, I really did enjoy this book. It takes place in three different eras through different perspectives. The mystery was woven like one of those nesting dolls. You think you understand, and another part unfolds. Plus...it had the added bonus of fairy tails told by one of the characters. Which I highly enjoyed.

'Salem's Lot - Stephen King

Prime example of why it took me so long to really get into his books. I feel like if you start off with this book, or Pet Sematary, you will have a hard time reading King. Or getting into King. Yes. I believe his work got better through the years. Not to say that this was as bad because it wasn't. It was a very good book. Just hard to get into, dragged in some parts and was extremely wordy.

This was book about vampires. But not the cushy, sparkly ones that we have grown to love (or hate) recently. This book was the bad sort. The ones who can't walk in daylight, allergic to garlic, can't stand the sight or feel of anything holy. And they want to over take the town of Jerusalem's lot. And take it over they do. A handful of townsmen try and stop them. As the daylight hours get a fewer and fewer there are less people to and more vampires.
This is very much like Dracula - old Vampire stories and legend. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it really took me way to long to read less the 400 pages. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Maybe I am desensitized from horror and vamps. Who knows. Fact is it didn't scare me. I am being to wonder if anything can.

Outside In - Maria Snyder

A wonderful sequel to Outside In. After they over through the Trela family and take control of the ship, things should be perfect right? Of course not, now the controllers are communicating, and they want it. Are they friendly or not? Who to trust on the inside? Who is right? The wrong decision gets people hurt or worse. All the while there are fights and riots breaking out because, even though they took control back and formed a committee, most of the scrubs and uppers don't believe in working together. There is still to much old prejudiced. Just when Trella thinks she can quit, she finds her world needs her more then ever.

Night Shift - Stephen King

As per his usual - Stephen King delivers. That being said, I am not a huge fan of short stories. I like to get involved with the characters and places and short stories don't allow you do that, if anything they make you yearn for more. This was no exception with King's. While I don't like them, he made me want more.

I will do a quick summery of the stories (admittedly I didn't read all of the stories, I know I am awful.)

Jerusalem's Lot - A man inherits a house that the locals considered cursed. Him and his man soon find out that they noises in the walls aren't rats, and something very sinister happened in the neighboring town, that was left deserted some time ago.

Graveyard Shift - When a group of workers is asked to work overtime cleaning out a basement, they get more then they bargained for. A huge colony of rats has over taken the sub-ground levels, unfortunately, that is the least of their problems. (Pretty sure this got turned into a movie)

Night Surf - A group of teenagers are the last survivors of a plague called Captain Trips. (setting us up for The Stand) 

I am the doorway - A man has a problem with some space parasite taking over his body.

The Mangler - When an industrial laundry machine gets a taste for blood, its up to a police officer and his friend to try and cast out the evil spirit.

Gray Matter - A man turns into a gray glob after drinking bad beer.

Trucks - All the trucks have come alive, and they want us to serve them (Setting for Maximum Overdrive)

Sometimes they come back - A teacher who had a very tragic incident involving a local gang and his brother happen to him, tries to put it behind him. New job, new students. Except, there are some new faces, problem is...they should be his age, not in high school and more over...they should be dead. - Setting for Sometimes they come back  - movie

Children of the Corn - A couple trying to fix their marriage go on a road trip (Side jaunt DUMB IDEA!), and they end up lost in a small town in Nebraska. There they find not adults, but children, none over 19, have been running things, or something more sinister has been running them. - Setting for Children of the Corn movie. 

One for the road - Man comes to a bar saying him and his family got stuck and need help. They got stuck in Jerusalem's Lot. The locals know that this is a cursed place and loath to go there, but they must help this man. Sure enough when they get there, the creatures are waiting. - Setting for Salem's Lot (book and movie I would imagine.)

All in all a great bunch of stories (and there were more I didn't read). Its amazing that with some of these full length movies were made. Stephen King can condense his thoughts and ideas and get to the point, but personally, I like it when he rambles.

Inside Out

This book was creative. Trella - a scrub - works cleaning the pipes. Her and hundreds like her, live each day to keep the compound clean. They work in ten hour shifts, life is measure in hours and weeks. She is a loner, by choice and her one true friend is a boy named Cog.

She helps Cog hide the Broken Man, who preaches about a gateway and gets herself deep into a mystery and an unlikely rebellion.

With the help of some uppers (the people who 'run' the compound) she and her fellow scrubs start taking control of their lives, and looking for the gateway. What waits outside the pipes and walls?

This is a first book. The second one is called Outside IN...and thankfully is out. Its the next book I am reading. I found this to be interesting. A very easy read, but I liked it.

Bag of Bones - Steven King

Only Stephen King. Seriously I feel that is all the review necessary. Only Stephen King.
If one hasn't read a single story by him then its hard to understand. I too, when I started reading him, found him wordy...dragging sometimes. We get it, he dug a grave. We don't need to know how hard, cold, musty the dirt was. But we do. Oh yes. We do. Stephen King has a way of making the simplest phrases stick in your mind...forever. And take a whole knew meaning. You might be walking along, looking through a window and see a pretty soap stone statue and say "Hey this would look good in my living room next to that picture of Aunt Martha." And then, somewhere in the back of your mind, where his words live you hear "that's my dust catcher."  And that is when you decide that you don't need another dust catcher anyway. And continue walking.
He makes bathrooms places of misery, flying kites tragedies, proms scary, dogs evil, sewer drains terrifying and God help you in the woods. The something about Stephen King is if you can read through his books, then you are no longer reading his books. You are living them. They become a part of you and his nightmare's become yours. His characters and places take hold of you like no other. Perhaps, its because I lived in Maine, so I am familiar with the places he speaks of. I can easily see a Maine woods, or a Maine lake. When he mentions real towns, I have been through them. But honestly, I felt the same way in The Stand, and I have never been to Nebraska, or Colorado. Its his descriptions. Its him, telling us for four pages how the grave looked and smelled and felt. For an entire chapter describing the very essences of the dark man. If it wasn't for that, then his books wouldn't catch us the way they do.

Bag of Bones is seriously no different. In this book Mike Noonan is trying to get over the loss of his wife and decides to go back to their summer home in TR-90...Sara Laughs. Here he gets in the middle of a legal battle with Mattie and her three year old daughter Kyra and Kyra's grandfather. But something else is happening, something other worldly. His feelings for Kyra and Mattie intensify just as he starts to really understand the history and truth that haunts TR-90 and Sara Laughs.

A great book by Mr. King. I am not going to tell you that now I am going to run out and read them all. Because I am not. Some of his stories have not pull for me. The darktower series for one. I just can't seem to get into it. Maybe someday. Salem's Lot I might try though. I enjoy getting pulled into his world...into his mind. I look forward to another journey with him.

Divine Evil - Nora Roberts

I had read this book before. I knew it almost after the first chapter. Still it was a fun re-read.
A small town has a dark secret...a group of men practice devil worship. For years the practice in the background. But things get out of hand. A runaway goes missing, one of their own dies, the new sheriff is asking too many questions. Artist Clare Kimball comes back to town to answer a few questions from her past. What she uncovers is far worse then anything she ever dreamed.