The Nightmare by Lars Kepler

from goodreads

3.5 stars

I thought this would be a good one for Hallowe'en, it was spooky and somewhat scary. Lars Kepler is the pen name of a Swedish married couple who writes crime fiction. This is their second book. Their first book was The Hypnotist

Synopsis

Penelope and her boyfriend are being hunted by a man who will stop at nothing to kill them. Joona Linna, detective extraordinaire, has a mystery on his hands. A body is hanging in the middle of a room, suicide? murder?

Both story lines come together making it clear that a bigger plot is a foot. One that would change the international landscape forever.

The villain is quite creepy. He is able to find out your worst nightmare and if a deal goes south he makes sure your nightmare comes true. Death does not stop it.

My Thoughts

Lars Kepler has a interesting writing style. They write in the present tense. Sometimes the sentences are a bit short and choppy. That might be because of the use of present tense in describing the actions or it could be because of the translation. I'm not sure. The choppiness can be distracting, just because of its abrupt nature. In a way it sort of fits the action sequences.

The chapters are short, usually only two to three pages long. This keeps the pace of the story quick and you want to keep reading. It is very easy to say, "one more chapter", too many times. There was many a late night while reading this.

The author obviously did their research. The technical musical knowledge as well as musical history knowledge needed for this is amazing. It is nice when things are researched well. It helps the plot seem believable, which in this case is kind of scary. Sometimes I wonder if thrillers like this give bad guys ideas, I hope not.

If you are squeemish this might not be the book for you. There are some quite graphic and violent scenes. It is a thriller through and through. You are on pins and needles to the very end.

On the whole I enjoyed this book.

Harry Hungry by Steven Salerno

from goodreads

4 stars

I don't know about you, but I am haunted by the words, "Mom, I'm hungry." Usually I hear them when I have done my necessary tasks and have just gotten comfortable and opened my book. How do they know? The time I really hate it is 15 minutes after they have finished eating. It's like why didn't they eat more!!! (o.k. breathing has calmed and rant has finished.)

My six year old picked this one out.


Synopsis

This book is about a baby named Harry. He becomes hungry yelling, "Harry Hungry". The mother says "in a minute... in a second" and flies in with a snack before Harry gets too upset. But then, Harry keeps wanting to eat. He eats the refrigerator and the garden hose, both of which are just appetizers. He keeps eating and they have to call in the army. Will he ever stop? Read to find out.

My Thoughts

My kids really liked this book. They thought some of the things Harry ate were pretty funny. They laughed a lot. As a parent that is music to my ears.

While this is not my favourite children's book, I think parents will like it or at least empathize with Harry's parents. It is nice to know that you are not alone with the plight of a hungry child. Parents all over the world try to figure out what to stuff in their kids' mouths next.

So read this book, perhaps you will get some snack ideas. Garden hose anyone.

A Schedule/Format Change

Doing my book review blog over the past few months has been really fun. It is nice to read and share that experience with others.

Since I have been having so much fun I have decided to post more often. I will be posting every Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesdays will focus on children's picture books and Thursdays will focus on older children to adult chapter books.

Tomorrow will be my first post with the new schedule. It is exciting!

006 and a Half by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt

from goodreads

4.5 stars

When we go to the library, I unleash my girls on the children's section. They run around looking with a discerning eye for the best two books they can find (two books each is my limit).  Well, my four year old found a book with  pink spine and knew it was the book for her. I helped her pry it from the shelf and there on the cover was a girl with dark sunglasses and a mustache. Uber cool!

Synopsis

This is the story of Daisy, who decides to become a spy. She dresses the part, with sunglasses and mustache. She speaks in spy code. She fills her pockets with spy gadgets and gear. When her friends and neighbours don't understand her she gets discouraged and thinks about hanging up her spy stuff. Will she really?

My Thoughts

I loved this book. I found it funny and even my kids thought it was great. I loved it when Daisy uses her spy speak to tell her mother what she wants for dinner. "'Ostriches will be swimming in tomato sauce this evening,'...(which, as any spy knows, means 'a big portion of chicken nuggets and lots of ketchup, please!')"

The illustrations were awesome. I especially liked the thought bubbles showing what people are thinking her spy speak means. Hilarious!

This is part of a series. I have not read any of the other books but I am looking forward to getting them from the library. If they are anything like this book I know my girls and I will enjoy them

Kids young and old will enjoy this spy adventure. I am glad my daughter likes pink!

Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery

from wikipedia

4 stars

I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of the Anne of Green Gables series. Like the movies, can't stand the books. I've tried, oh my, how I've tried. I just can't do it.

When I found this book I was 12. I figured maybe this would help me get into Montgomery's writing. Well I fell in love with this book... still to this day cannot get into an Anne book. Jane of Lantern Hill has a sweetness to it that makes you feel full when done. Do books do that for you? Make you feel full?

Synopsis

This is the tale of Jane Victoria Stuart. The tale begins with Jane living with her mother in her grandmother's house in Toronto. Her mother is always off at parties or dinners, leaving Jane to be alone with her grandmother, who is jealous of anyone who tries to steal her daughters attention. Jane's grandmother makes Jane feel stupid and of little worth.

Jane always thought her father was dead but she discovers he is alive and he is demanding she comes to Prince Edward Island and spend the summer with him.

Jane is loathe to leave her mother but still goes. As soon as she sees her father laughter fills her heart and she comes to know her own worth.

My Thoughts

This is a book that teaches us the importance of standing up to people, communication and that our home environment effects our life. It is a book of heart ache for the emotional abuse Jane suffers and of triumph when Jane learns she is capable of many things.

You can feel the wind on your face and smell the salty air as you read. You long for a simpler time and want to be transported there. I love how industrious Jane is and often wish I was just as industrious (though I do have my days).

I highly recommend this book. If you love Anne I'm sure you will love Jane. If you don't like Anne, give Jane a try.

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

from goodreads

3 stars

I don't know why, but I have always had a curious fascination with the Queen. I remember when I was a little girl wanting to go to a tea party at Buckingham Palace. My parents aren't the most staunch of monarchists, I don't think they really care, so I have no idea where this love of all things royal came from. When this new biography came out I knew I had to read it.

Synopsis

This is an in-depth biography of Queen Elizabeth II. It starts at her birth and goes until the present, which at the time of writing was the wedding of William and Catherine and an epilogue that includes the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

It goes behind the scenes of what it is to be the sovereign of the Commonwealth. You get to see the interactions of the Queen between different heads of state, her family, and the greater populous at large.

It shows a woman doing the balancing act of wife and working mother. You see her ability to understand and appreciate the traditions of the past, but also understand the need of change to current and future circumstances. It is truly a book the shows, love, devotions and fierce loyalty.

My Thoughts

This was a great read. Though there were some sections, which mostly dealt with horses and state visits, that were rather boring. There were great little tidbits of information that showed her has human or showed her great humour. I would share them with my husband and we would both get a great laugh. I think the author did a good job of giving us rich detail without it feeling like a long list of facts. She managed to weave a story out of different events which meant even the boring parts were readable.

Because the Queen does not give interviews, we don't get to know how the Queen truly feels. We get other people's ideas of how she thinks and feels but it would be nice to know what she thinks about different situations and family fiascos. (The Queen won't have an official biographer until after she is dead, it will be interesting what comes out then.)

The book over all gives a very positive view of the Monarch. Even if she makes some unwise decisions  the author spins it positively. I am not sure if that is because of the authors own lopsided, pro Queen views, or if the Queen is just that awesome at spinning what could be negatives into positives.

The author got somewhat repetitive. For example there was probably nine or ten times when the author quotes someone as saying how the Queen put them at ease. We get it. The Queen puts everyone at ease, we don't have to hear about it from Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, and other random people.

One thing I learned is how much of a diplomat the Queen actually is. I did not realize how much behind the scenes negotiating and talking she did with other world leaders to help deescalate situations. I sort of viewed her as a figure head and not so much as being part of the diplomatic corp. I am not sure why.

I liked the parts about her interactions with her family. She fiercely loves them and wants the best for them. I wish there was more about her family relationships, but it is understandable as that is ultimately personal and private.

On the whole I was left a little bit in awe of this woman. She became Queen at the age of 25, an age when most people are still discovering themselves and developing their own views on things. She had to learn as she went along and she is quite amazing considering the pressure she was and continues to be under.

Picking My Book Club Selections

This year my book club has decided to have each member choose three books (there are four people in my book club). Usually we just throw our suggestions in a hat and pick at random. Though, there is always one month that is Tina's month as she sometimes didn't have suggestions. I love Tina's pick month.

This year there are three categories in which our choices are to fall into. A non-ficiton, a book from our childhood which we loved, and our choice. We are going to be making our list of books at this month's meeting, so I have been thinking about my choices a lot. I have really enjoyed reflecting on the books I read in childhood that has helped to shape me into the person, and reader that I am at this moment. I read Judy Blume, C.S. Lewis, Gordon Korman, Lois Lowry, and more. Some of the books I read I shake my head at now, silly romantic. I am still not completely sure which book I will choose. Right now it is between The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear. I still have a few weeks before I need to make my final decision.

What books did you like to read when you were young? What books are you thinking to add to your book club list?

The Village by Nikita Lalwani

from goodreads

1 star

Since I didn't read past page 50 I will use the synopsis from the cover.

Synopsis (as stated above this is not my own synopsis, but from the cover of the book)

After a long trip from London, twenty-seven-year-old BBC filmmaker Ray Bhullar arrives at the remote Indian village of Ashwer, which will be the subject of her newest documentary. From the outside, the town projects a cozy air of domesticity -- small huts bordering earthen paths, men lounging and drinking tea, women guiding bright cloth through noisy sewing machines. Yet Ashwer is far from traditional. It is an experimental open prison, a village of convicted murderers and their families.

As Ray and her crew settle in, they seek to win the trust of Ashwer's residents and administrators: Nandini, a women's counselor and herself an inmate; Jyoti, a prisoner's wife who is raising her children on the grounds; Sujay, the progressive founder and governor of the society. Ray aims to portray Ashwer as a model of tolerance, yet the longer she and her colleagues stay, the more their need for a dramatic story line intensifies. And as Ray's moral judgement competes with her professional obligation, her assignment takes an uneasy and disturbing turn.

My Thoughts

I think the idea of the book is interesting. There is probably a great story in there, but I could not get into the book.

The main character, Ray, was hard to figure out and feel any kind of emotion for. I didn't know if I wanted to like her, sympathize with her, dislike her, tell her to get a life... it was one crazy roller coaster.  She seemed more interested in how people thought of her than actually trying to make any kind of connection with them. I just found her frustrating and thus didn't care what happened to her. That in turn, meant I really didn't care if I knew more about the story.

This might have been a case of trying to read the book at the wrong time. Sometimes you try out a book and it is not for you. Then you pick it up a few years later and it is a great read. So, perhaps, I may try it again, but it won't be for a long time.

To be fair, I did skip ahead to see if there was anything that piqued my interest enough to keep trying to read it. I did not find a thing.

So to sum up, interesting subject, lacklustre execution.