Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

This book was recommended to me and at first I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had heard of Diana Gabaldon before (The Scottish Prisoner) but did not know anything about this series. The thing that made me decide to try it out was the time traveling aspect. The little bit of fantasy added interest to what sounded like a boring historical book, and made it into something potentially exciting and mysterious.

When I first started it I wasn't impressed, I liked the main character but I found her husband and their life a bore. She was taking up an interest in plants and herbs and her husband was researching his family tree. Neither which I find very interesting. The minute she stepped into Scotland in 1743 the entire feel of the book changed and I loved it.

Forced into a dangerous time with a war between the British and the Scottish Clans Claire's new life is focused on survival. She has to try and gain the trust of the people while at the same time lying about who she really is and where she is from. There is suspense and mystery everywhere as she slowly begins to learn the complicated relationships between the members of Castle Leoch. Claire becomes friends with a young Scot warrior Jamie Fraser, who takes it upon himself to protect Claire from the danger that she often finds herself in the middle of. Jamie's passion for Claire becomes undeniable and she finds herself torn between him and the husband she left behind.

Even though this book was very long I didn't notice the length while I was reading it. Most of the time the story flowed nicely and was never short on adventure. I liked Claire's strength and no nonsense attitude. Her stubbornness got her in a lot of trouble but it also saved her. This book is classified as a romance, but it was a tame version of one that isn't full of sex and has a great storyline besides their relationship.

Great book, I will read the rest of them.

Odd Interlude 1 2 and 3

I was so excited that the new Odd Thomas book was coming out, that when I saw Dean Koontz had also written a novella to take place between the last book and Odd Apocalypse I quickly purchased it. I was a little disappointed by the price. At two dollars plus tax each by the time you have read all three installments you have almost paid the same price you would for a full sized paperback novel. Despite this is was a good length and did not feel too short.

The story was great, it felt like a full sized novel and not at all like a rushed novella to gain interest before the real story came out.

Odd and Annamarie arrive at a truck stop that features small cottages behind to rent in order to take a rest while you travel. Feeling that they were drawn there for a reason Odd decides to look around and discovers a great evil lurking unseen. The unknown creature wants to enter Odds mind and control him, and has been terrorizing the residence of Harmony Corner for years. With the help of a young girl and an unexpected ally Odd tries to free the family from the grasps of a creature that none of them have ever seen.

This short story had action and humour, my two favourite things about the Odd Thomas novels, as well as two new characters that I really liked and hope I will see again sometime. I finished the books quickly because I was intrigued to see what exactly was living in the top cottage, and how Odd was going to kill it. I have to say that the guy has some good luck, but at least he recognizes it himself.

If you love Odd, but aren't quite ready to spend twenty dollars on the hardcover, you should get this novella for a quick Odd fix. I should point out that this is an e-book only, sorry.

Lethal by Sandra Brown

Lethal starts with the action right away, and doesn't slow down until the end of the book. I've read books by Sandra Brown before and always liked them because she has the action and adventure I like, but she also adds a little romance into her books, which I find a perfect combination. I am sometimes in the mood for romance but don't always want to read an entire book devoted to it. This way I get my action with a little bit of love story icing on top.

The minute the book starts Colborn and Honor are forced together trying to solve a mystery surrounding a crime ring, that traffics everything from drugs to women in and out of the Mexican border. Colburn is on the run after the murder of seven workers at a trucking company, and he is the main suspect. He threatens Honor and gives her no choice but to come along and help him. He is after the ring leader of the operation, known only as "The Bookkeeper", and he believes Honor has the key to breaking the whole thing down.

One of the things that kept me reading this book is that out of all the characters, you never know who is on The Bookkeepers pay list, and who is innocent. I suspected many people of being corrupt in the book, but was often mistaken. This books puts you in Honor's place and like her you are never sure who she can trust. Sandra Brown has written a very complex thriller, where discovering the truth is not easy, and leads the characters into many dead ends. But they are determined and keep searching all while being hunted by people who want to keep the secret hidden.

The final reveal on who The Bookkeeper was, is a little shocking. Mostly because I didn't see it coming and can't understand how they did it. Once the end comes everything is explained and all story lines are tied up nicely. (we are now sure who is, and is not a villain) The very end bothered me a little, I hate when books leave it up the the reader to decide what happened. It wasn't a big deal, since it was not related to the plot, but I still found it annoying.

Bonnie by Iris Johnson

I was excited when I picked up the last instalment of Iris's series, and was not disappointed. The first chapter does a short re-hash of how Quinn ended then wastes no time getting back into the story. Like each of the previous books this one focuses on the chase of a potential murderer of Bonnie. I really have no complaints about this book at all. I stayed up late reading several nights because I wanted to know the ending.

The only thing I have to point out is, knowing this is the last book in the series I was pretty sure who the killer had to be. I even guessed the circumstances around Bonnie's death and was no far off from the truth. Even if the ending was slightly predictable, I didn't feel that it took any of the suspense and excitement away from the story. There was still a chance I was wrong and there was going to be a plot twist.
Some people have mentioned that they think the ending was weak compared with the suspense and excitement in the books. I can understand why they feel that way. I was expecting a big surprising "oh my god" ending, but it was more "ehh". I'm not saying it was bad, the lead up was amazing. I guess that after 2 books you want to be shocked and in awe when you finally discover the truth, and I didn't feel that.

Don't let this discourage you; it just sounds harsh. This is a great series, touching and exciting. And the lead up is well worth the time, despite how you feel about the ending.  Remember people, its the journey that counts. 4/5

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

If the first book was survival, and the second one rebellion, then this one is war.

Mockingjay doesn't sugarcoat war. The characters are faced with hard choices, like when is it okay to kill, and who is it okay to kill. They don't all agree on the answers, and their differences of opinion strain relationships.
The characters in this book don't come back from battle triumphant, giddy over their victory, and laughing at the expense of their enemies. They come back broken people, forever changed by the atrocities they saw and the savagery they had to take part in.

Friedrich Nietzsche said, That which does not kill us makes us stronger, but that isn't always true. Sometimes, what doesn't kill you changes you forever.

Review:

I'm not sure if I liked Katnis in this book. I did like how the author tried to make her character believable. In lots of book characters go through unbelievable circumstances and it appears to not affect them at all. Katnis becomes irrational at times in this book, and at other times completely closes her self off from the world. What I liked about her in the previous books was how she stayed calm and rational on the outside, even when she was angry or scared on the inside. She still has the amazing instincts and strong combat skills which she demonstrated in the other books, but is more vulnerable and is often found huddled in a corner after the action has died down.

A lot of time in the beginning of the Catching Fire was spent with Katnis at her home in district 12. Although I found this part slow at the time, it was necessary to get to know the characters in her village and see her interactions between the other characters. All of that played a role in this book, because it didn't just focus on Katniss and Peeta, but her village as well.

Katnis spends a lot of time in this book contemplating her position as the Mockingjay, and how she feels about this position she never asked for. There was also a lot of planning in the book. They discussed how to win the war, how to get back at Snow, and how survive in this new world, and how to deal with the things you have done. Sometimes I was wishing there was more action and less talk about it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was more grown-up then the previous two. While the first two were predictable at times, I found my self surprised  by the plot twists in this story. The characters were more grown up too. They took on separate roles in the war, and changed from the previous books. I was even more attached to this story then the other two. In the others there was a clear end, either she survived the hunger games or not, but this time anything could happen. Everything was in such turmoil surrounding Katnis, that I had to find out how it was going to end, and who was going to survive.

In my opinion the best of the three. 5/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

If the first book in the series was about survival this one is about rebellion.

I stayed awake past my bedtime to finish this book. I couldn't stop so close to the end without knowing what was going on. Which reminds me of another thing I like about this series. You are Katniss throughout the entire novel, you hear her thoughts and see the world completely through her eyes. In some books you jump between characters, you hear other peoples thoughts, and you learn things that the main character does not know. But in The Hunger Games you are always by Katniss' side. You worry with her when Peeta isn't near by and you don't know what trouble he may be in. You feel her confusion when she doesn't know who is her ally and who is just playing the game. And you feel her anger when she is left out of the plan, and doesn't understand what is happening around her.

This book took a little longer to pick up then the last one. The beginning is a little slow as you live through Katniss' life after the hunger games. The author gives you time to see how much her world has changed and how it was affected by her victory. But don't stop reading because it picks up later, the action and adventure from the first book is back, but this time the stakes are higher and Katniss has more then just her own life and Petta's to worry about.

As everything has meaning now and is more important to everyone, Katniss struggles more then in the first book. She has amazing survival instinct, but has to learn to think of the consequences before she does anything. The world is full of hidden doors, danger, and mystery. Even if she doesn't know it, her best ally is her love for Gale, Peeta, Prim, Haymitch, and her mother.

Great story, 4/5

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

When I started this book I knew it was for teenagers so wasn't expecting any profound insight or an in-depth story. In a way I was right, there wasn't any surprise plot twists. It was predictable, but so are most romances. That doesn't mean that is wasn't a great book. I was glued to the story and I loved Katniss' character. The other characters were a little weak, but that was OK because they weren't the focus of the book. 

One of the things I loved about it was the world that Collins created. I know this isn't an unique concept, a dystopian world controlled by the state, but I still thought her world was unique. I know this isn't how it is portrayed the book, but I pictured their world like a flower, with the capital in the center and the 13 districts surrounding it. I liked how each district had its own identity, how the goods that it produced shaped the skills and personalities of the people living within.

I loved Katniss (if you missed it the first time) the book did a great job of letting the reader get to know who she was. Her ability to distance herself from her emotions saved her life. She stayed calm and was able to observe her situation, because of this she learned a lot that she used later to her advantage. She wasn't completely cut off either, she still felt emotions, she just hid them from the public and only let them out in private. Yet this was also her weakness. At times she appeared cold to the other characters, and she hurt people who were important to her. I felt bad for her a times because I understood that she was only trying to protect herself and those around her. She may have appeared cold but it was just her way of dealing with the hard circumstances around her. She is a strong female character, who doesn't like that?

I also like how the book rewarded compassion. It did a good job of saying that when you are kind to others, even if its seems pointless at the time, it will come back later to help you when you most need it.

I thought this was a great book. It gave importance to the qualities kindness, resourcefulness, compassion, and braveness, and made them something you have to have in order to survive. All within the dangerous and brutal war that is the Hunger Games.

A 5/5
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Now You See Her by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

I just finished reading Now you See Her by James Patterson, and I can't wait to write the review; the book was great.

It's about a successful lawyer named Nina Bloom. When she hears about a case involving a man about to be sent to death row, she is compelled to take it. She gets on the first plane to Flordia because she knows for a fact that the man is innocent. The reason she is so sure is because she has a secret, one she has kept for 18 years....

The minute I picked up this book on a train ride home, I couldn't stop reading it. I know I say that a lot, but its true. I was caught up in the story after the first pages. The book starts several years in the past. Nina was a nice, normal, young lady on spring break, when one mistake changed her whole life. I was immediately pulled into Nina's story, first I had to find out what happened on her trip that ruined everything, then when everything seems safe a new adventure starts. The action never stops in the book, chapter by chapter new problems arise for Nina. She spends the whole book either running from danger or fighting back. She is a smart independent women who won't rest until justice is served. Even the villain was a well written character. He was cunning and sly, I hated him as much as Nina did. When he showed up in the story I almost didn't want to keep reading because I was afraid for Nina and what he would do next.

I don't have any bad things to say about this book. The story line kept me constantly engaged, and at every point in the book I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The only problem I had was that I read it so fast that it almost seemed short. It was an e-book version so I don't know how long it was, probably average sized. I
This book definably gets a 5/5 from me.

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Quinn by Iris Johanson

As you know I started Quinn very excited. The book continues exactly where it left off in Eve. Following the pattern in Eve, Quinn begins by establishing the relationship between Eve and Quinn. This book starts by introduces us to when Quinn and Eve first meet, and we follow them as they get to know each other and become a couple. I'm feeling a lot better about Quinn's character now that I've got to know him better in this book. He still has the character traits that I was uncomfortable with in the last book, but this time I understand him better, and because the majority of the book is in his voice I can see why he makes the decisions he does and what he is thinking during them. He still has the Superman complex, where he must swoop in and save the day, and is always intent on protecting Eve from any harm. I found this annoying and although I still don't like this part of him, he is still a good character.

I read the first half of the book quickly because I just wanted to get through it and into the good present day stuff. Although it was nice to see how Quinn and Eve met, it wasn't very exciting since we already know that they get married. It all took place right after Eve lost  Bonnie, so the backdrop to their relationship was Eve's search for Bonnie's killer. Separately this could be a good story line but didn't hold my interest since I also know that Eve is not going to find the killer.

After the well written, yet un-climactic beginning I finally got to the present day. From here the book picks up and I couldn't put it down. Catherine plays a bigger role in this book then she does the last. This book focuses on two searches, the search for John, and the search for another possible killer.

The book ends in a spooky setting, with gripping action, and high tension. Then it stops, right in the middle of it all. I was even more disappointed then last time. At least in Eve they wrapped up the search for Paul Black, then left us with a new mystery and a new enemy. This time nothing is concluded. And the name of the next installment... Bonnie. Judging by the formats of the previous books, I'm going to assume that this one will start with Bonnie's perspective right before she is taken. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope this is the last one and it wont be followed by another book titled Catherine or Gallo.

Ok, its getting a 5/5 too, because of how much I am anticipating the next one.

Ease of Reading: 4/5
Lasting Effect: 4/5
Amusement: 5/5
Creativity: 4/5
Length: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

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Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz is my favourite author, I have read many books by him and thoroughly enjoyed most of them. I think he has a great sense of humor. This book is one of his lighter funnier stories. It starts with Rudy who receives a prediction from his dying father that his son would have five terrible days in his life. The book continues exploring the son and each of his five terrible days.

This book deals with fate, and whether knowing the future, like what days will be terrible, can make any difference in the outcome. Can you change fate if you have a head start or will it happen no matter what you do?

The son, Jimmy, is a big clumsy man. The best this about his character is how calm he is with the world around him. No matter what happens Jimmy takes things as they are and his observations about the world are great. When faced with a difficult situation, or even just walking down the street, he comes up with crazy possibilities where it all might lead. Most of them are grim and highly unlikely, cartoon-ish even, but it is his ability to assume the worst yet make rational decisions which makes him so funny. As the reader inside of his thoughts, you are aware of all the crazy things he is thinking, but at the same time you see the calm and rational exterior that everyone else does.

This book is exciting and full of action and humor. The characters in it are larger then life. The grandmother is colourful, inappropriate, and full of laughs. If you like Koontz's humor, similar to Christopher Moore at times, you will love this book.

Lasting effect 2
This isn't the type of book that makes you think or has a message. Its good entertainment.

Amusement: 5
I love Koontz's sense of humor and think this one of his best books. The characters have a unique banter between them, and feed off each others jokes.

Plot: 5
Great plot with many twists and unexpected turns.

Creativity: 4
Koontz always has original ideas. This book is not exception.

Characters: 5
All the characters are lovable, even the evil ones in their own way grow on you.
8B8BXXFRHTQ6

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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

If you don't like Harry Potter or Twilight it is possible you will not like this book. It is a fantasy story, but written for adults. When I started this novel I was very much into it. I found the "science" behind it very intriguing and creative. To start with I should mention that the book is based on three different types of supernatural beings living among us: witches, vampires, and daemons. (Of course they are separated in society and taught not to interact. Naturally to add tension and danger between the characters.) The book goes in depth about the DNA differences between them, and I found it got very technical and confusing at times. The author does do a great job making the existence of these creatures very believable and explaining the evolution of them over history.

Harkness created a amazing world that is hard not to get drawn into. She created 3 very different species. They are mostly cliches; The dangerous, silent vampire, with the dark past, and the quirky, yet powerful witch. But being so strict in the traits of each species she created a world where it is impossible not to stand out if you are different.
The relationships between the characters grow slowly. At times it reminded me of 1800 England, no touching aloud, and of course the relationship grows stronger as they respect each others minds. But their interaction are also modern, because Diana, a witch and the books main character, is a strong independent woman. Along with the main character Harkness goes in depth with their families as well. Each family has very different identities. As you get to know them you learn to better understand the characters, where they have come from, and how it shaped who they are. Diana's aunts and her childhood house bring light-hearted humour to the book, which is needed to break up the tension and action.

I have to say it, but Diana's family reminds me of the aunts from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", The TV show with Melissa Joan Hart.Yes, I watched that, and I loved it.

The book focuses on self discovery, accepting who you are and being proud of it, and falling in love and the struggles it involves.

 I must admit that the book is very long. I know you can see that by looking at it, but it was also noticeable long. I have read large books before and am so entangled in them I don't notice the length, but I did notice it in this book. She is a good writer and despite the length there is always something going on. It was just that sometimes I felt all the events were not necessary to the story. A few times it dragged. I eventually got to the point where every time I put it down I caught myself checking how much more was left.

Despite the length and the cliches it was still a great story, and deserves a good mark. 4/5

Lasting Effect: 3
Amusement: 4
Plot: 5
Creativity: 4
Length: 3
Characters: 4

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Eve by Iris Johansen

I choose this book because I had previously read other books by Iris and remembered I had like them. Not until I looked back to see which ones I read did I realize that one of the book I read years ago was another story about Eve. I wish now that I remembered that book better considering its the same character.

So since I didn't realize at the time, I started this book meeting Eve for the first time. I was surprised at the start of this book. I was expecting an action suspense story, but the first half of this story reads more like a romance. I have nothing against romances, I like them just as much as I do suspense and action, and I admit that the book wouldn't have been the same if this portion of it didn't exist. The first half really establishes the characters and I became really attached to them. So when the second part started, the story I expected going in, I had a hard time with the jump forward and how the characters had changed.

When we came back to the present I could not accept Jim as Eve's husband. As you know, the author has written other stories about Eve. So you would already know she was married to Jim. I dont remember Jim from previous book I read, but I did not like his character at all. I found that he kept putting himself where he wasn't wanted. No matter how many times he was told to stay away, he was intent of saving the day. I found this very dis-respectful of Eve's wishes. Why couldn't he just trust that she could handle the situations on her own, instead of trying to be the hero, and making everything worse?

This book focused on the relationship between the main characters. The story line involving Eve's search for her daughter I found a little weak. I wasn't interested in it, and was solely focused on what was going to happen between the characters. This is quite possible the author's intentions, and the search for the daughter was always a secondary storyline.

John was the most compelling character of them all. The book constantly keeps you guessing as to his motives, and if he is a good or a bad character. While reading I wished I could go deeper into his thoughts so I could better understand what was going on, and if Eve could trust him or not.

In the end, this book finishes wide open, with no questions answered. I must warn you it finishes to be continued, with the second part titled 'Jim.' Bad luck for me, because now if I want to find out what happens I need to read a whole book from Jim's perspective. Lucky for Iris I must know the ending of a story, and I will read it. Maybe I'm just blinded by my crush on John.

Overall, good read. The first part was good and really got me attached to the characters. Second part I cant complain since I couldn't put it down, but I feel the beginning was stronger. I was really hoping for better ending but am still confident it is coming in the next installment.  4/5

Ease of Reading: 4/5
Lasting Effect: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Creativity: 4/5
Length: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

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