The House at the End of the Street

The House at the End of the Street
       written by Lily Blake, David Loucka and Jonathan Mostow


Wow....an extremely good and very short read.  If you have a teen  that does NOT like to read...get this book.   If they have a book report or something where they have to read something...this book may actually turn them on to reading.  I read it in one weekend and probably could have read it in about four hours had I been uninterrupted.

Because it's so short, the fact that it was so surprising...had such good twists and turns and also quite a bit of suspense was actually surprising.  I won't do any spoiler alerts so I cannot tell you much but a girl and her single mom move to a new place due to the main character not focusing on school as much as a guy and some illegal substances at their previous residence.  So of course, she immediately gets involved with the town freak the second she moves to this new location.  Bad stuff happened at the house he lives in and she thinks he just needs a break...some friends, AND she thinks he is cute.

Well there really isn't much left to say without giving things away so I'll go on to my rating.  I think Teens who enjoy that kind of fiction will LOVE this book.  Those who don't like to read that much will enjoy it too.  Even adults!  Just don't see the movie first.  It would so ruin it.

Short and sweet, this book gets an overall 4 on my behalf.  The writing wasn't top of the line but with some suspsense it doesn't need to be.  This carried itself without too much character development.  Most of the focus is on our heroin and that s enough.

Read whenever you can and know that this one is a four!!!

Ciao for now!!!

The Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult

Sorry, the add the link and image button wasn't working so I had to add a different way. I hope it works!



Upon starting this book, I was hooked immediately, wanted to keep reading but I will say there were parts of it that were a bit unbelievable; The book is about a crime that happens in the world of the Amish...so there are crimes that are just against God in the world of the Amish, then there are crimes that are not allowed in the land of the law as well. There are some times when I started to think that Jodi was bringing us into some really forbidden territory but no, she didn't go there (sexual abuse between older brother and younger sister). In other words, my mind was guessing all over the place though I did guess the right answer a few times during the read, but my mind would shy away from that answer and back down a different road thinking that what I read couldn't be the truth.

The part that was unbelievable to me is the actual house arrest part with the lawyer staying on the farm...seriously? Most likely wouldn't happen...so I had to let that go in order to enjoy the read. Let's see...a lot has been going on in my life recently and I finished this book a while ago so am trying to remember all I have to say about it Oh there were other parts of the book that were different...strange...different...and probably not really needed for the storyline so I questioned what the author was doing with the character...maybe just seeing if she COULD write about that type of a character or figure? For those of you that are going to read this...I'm talking about the ice skating sister on the lake. You'll see what I mean. I liked it...a very sad story...a heartfelt glimpse into the mystery of the Amish world as seen by Jodi Piccoult.

I like the way Jodi writes...though this time there were different story line threads that didn't seem to go anywhere...and though they tied up a little at the end...you were still left wondering in some areas.  That's not always a bad thing though for writers to leave you to your imagination.

The premise of the story...there's a baby born...and found in the barn...that had passed away.  According to the Amish...no one was pregnant...but the clues lead to a young unwed Amish girl.  Did she have the baby and then rid herself of the burden so as to try to hide her turning from her faith's rules?  Or did someone else have a baby?  Or did someone else kill the baby?  So many questions.  Plus a lawyer who has to live amongst the Amish...someone typically used to electricity.

It's an enjoyable read...some long shots but easily forgotten...okay when i wrote that...I realized that the lawyer being ordered to live on the farm by the judge really bothers me...so other THAN THAT...I really liked this story.  But then again, I really enjoy stories about the Amish and the Little House on the Prairie way of living.

That's it for now...I will give Jodi Piccoult's The Plain Truth four out of five stars.  I may have to put her books on their own scale according to her style of writing...there are so many!!!

Happy Reading!  Spring...the rainy time of year when you can always curl up with a good book!!!

Best!

50 Shades of Grey by E L James

Fifty Shades of Grey
by EL James
#1 New York Times Bestseller





This book is all the rage.  It's all over the radio and television.  Dr. Oz is talking about it.  The ladies on The View are discussing it.  All the morning show radio hosts are reading it and talking about it and taking calls about it.  So, I work at a University and I happen to be in the bookstore (go figure) and noticed that they had the trilogy there.  So I think I better pick up the first book because not only was it 20% off but I get an extra 10% off as a Staff person.

I am not a wild woman by any means...but I used to be back in the day.  So needless to say I'm not a prude.  The way people were talking about this book though, I thought I was going to be blushing bright red the entire time I was reading.  As always, it's a matter of perspective.  I know people that explore sexuality in different ways, so I'm not easily shocked in areas such as this.  So I considered this book actually a nice tame story in the world of BDSM.

I would definitely expect that anyone reading this book would be 18 years of age or older.  As far as "sex" scenes go, I liked this author's style because there were no heaving bodices or naughty words used for body parts.  Everything was very natural and rated R as opposed to X.  E L James has a very nice way of describing erotic happenings in a way so as not to offend. 

I guess a good way to describe it would be to say it was clean erotica as opposed to nasty dirty erotica.  You didn't feel like you just visited some back door peep show where you paid a dollar to put your eye up to a hole in the wall.  And you didn't feel like you had to hide the book while reading in public...although that may be because of the publicity.  I actually ran into strangers reading the same book at the hair salon...and she didn't blush when I showed her my copy and said "enjoying the book?"  lol...she just laughed.

So it's clean, sensual exploration into a world most don't know a whole lot about but everyone secretly fantasizes about because let's face it, we all want someone else to take control...and who better than a gorgeous rich billionaire with his own jet, helicopter and a guy who wants to buy you an Audi to ensure your safety while driving?  Hey, I'd let a guy like that tie me up any day!!!!  Okay so he also bought her a laptop, blackberry, closet full of clothing with a monthly clothing allowance and was constantly surprising her with things like upgrading her airfare to first class and buying out the seat beside her so she could sit alone.

MY KIND OF MAN!!!!  LOL...okay so the me, the librarian did think Christian Grey was her kind of man...and Ana is a very lucky woman because she's not your typical tall blonde (yet everyone else in the story is including every woman working for Mr. Grey) but he doesn't want them...he wants plain mousy Ana.  It's an erotic spin on Cinderella minus the talking mice but let's throw in some spankings instead.

So her storyline is intriguing (obviously) because there is a lot of sensual scenes.  Characters are all wonderful...quiet Stepdads, loving Mothers, fun, protective roommates, Cinderella (Ana), our heroine and the Princely Christian Grey.

One (important) thing I didn't like about the book is actually the way the author describes conversations...the actual writing of these.  I almost feel her struggle during the conversations...Ana drops her eyes and looks at her hands, Grey closes his eyes, blah blah blah.  But I don't think people are reading the book to find out what these two have to say to each other...so most probably miss that part.  But I AM the Critical Librarian so I have to bring that up, and I do notice those things.

Oh and the ending?  It went from Cinderella happy to Cinderella not happy in about three pages...and I think it happened just to give you an ending that makes you WANT to read book number two.  So will I read book number two?  Yeah probably...but I'm going to take a break.  I feel like the author tried to force me into it...besides...you all know me and I have about four other books going at the same time and I'm WAY behind in my blogs as I have about four or five books at least that I need to blog about.  I don't like to be forced...unless it's Christian Grey doing it, of course.

So for good clean erotica...I give this book five stars...for writing quality...I'm only giving out two and a half stars so Fifty Shades of Grey averages right around three and three quarter stars as the ending felt forced so I had to take a little away for that as well.

I don't think E  L James has to worry though.  The book is hot enough to sell...and selling it is!  I cannot WAIT for the movie...rated X?

That's it for today, Readers!!

TTFN

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Tween and Teen romance novel)

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Lorian Legacies)

Wow!  This book was great.  Another teen book, and I know my son saw the movie but I'm not sure what made me purchase the book and read it.  I guess maybe it was the blurb on the back.  This is a book about nine aliens who look human who have to leave their planet and come to earth.  They each have one person with them to help care for them and keep them safe.  They are children when they reach Earth and go their separate ways.  They have to survive and sooner or later they will start to get their "gifts' when they become teenagers...which are some sort of powers...and they have no idea what their powers might be.  The book focuses on Number Four of the nine.  The reason the number is so important is that the bad aliens who are after these nine have to kill them in order.  The first chapter in the book is very short and basically lets us know that number three is now dead.

So our story starts with Number Four...he and his guardian are leaving (again) and moving to a new location to try and fit in and hide.  So this boy is an alien who has to fit in with humans...he makes friends but can never stay long in any place and he is waiting for some unknown powers to make themselves known to him at any given time.  He has to stay alive...so they can never go after Number Five.

I am going to do something I didn't really want to do in this blog but I have to because it is something I feel people should be aware of always.  My son saw this movie...he is not a reader (which drives me nuts).  He liked the movie a lot and I thought maybe if I tried to put the book around, he would pick it up...but much to my chagrin, he wanted nothing to do with it.  I read the book and absolutely loved it.  I cried and sobbed and could not believe it was filled with such emotion.  I was so attached to John's guardian Henri that I thought my heart would break at the end of the book (can't tell you why, of course).  Character development was great, the fact that these were aliens living among us was believable because they weren't coming in with hostility and tactile warfare.  They are humble and cute.  I grew very attached to these characters.

You have your typical high school issues with bullies and ex-girlfriend/boyfriend anger issues, and there's also a lesson in there about taking the high road and not following the crowd.

I like this book and give it a high five. 

This book is a hidden gem.  It looks like the book a tween would read for action and destruction but it has so much more.  Spread the word!

                                

What are YOU reading????

UP AND COMING REVIEWS AND READS.....

Hi, I just wanted to apologize for sometimes taking so long in between posts and then dumping a bunch on you at once.  Life just gets in the way.  Oh to spend all my time on updating things on the computer, right?

But no, there's parenting and working full time and then, of course, there is the actual reading of the books that I am reviewing.  But that, my friends, is my favorite part!!!!

Currently, I am reading or I have on my list to read, or I am finished reading but have yet to review::::::

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (read...review almost finished)
Salem's Lot by Stephen King (read...review next in line...an oldie but a goodie!!!!)
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (the next in line to the above)
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (hoping to read it soon)
Tara Road by Maeve Binchy (Just started reading...was in Oprah's Book Club)
Pirate Latitudes and Air Frame and Congo all by Michael Crichton


I will also be picking back up with a few Janet Evanovich's as she is in the high teens with Stephanie Plum and I am on #7 or 8 so I have to catch up!!!!  I also plan on reading a few children's books and I'll get as many teen books in there as I can.  Feel free to read along and also to send suggestions!

For my personal enjoyment, I am rereading some classics like The Swiss Family Robinson (my favorite when I was just a child).  I have no business rating any of the classics of course and will not do so but I will let you know that I am reading them and what I liked and didn't like about them.  Charles Dickens is always a favorite.

I'd love to hear what you are reading as well.

Happy Reading!!!!

Best,
Karen

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson

Kiss The Girls by James Patterson




I got this book at The Salvation Army thrift store in Portsmouth, NH.  Oh and by the way, that place is incredible.  There is an entire media room filled with books.  It's like heaven!!!


But because I got this second hand, I read this one first even though I was supposed to read Along Came a Spider (I think that is the name of the first).  There is a detective, Alex Cross, who lives with his mother and two little girls in Washington, DC.  He is a widower and his whole life and everything he does is overshadowed by the fact that he did lose his wife and he has to ensure he is around to raise those little girls who mean the world to him.


Suddenly his whole family is around because his own niece has been kidnapped from school in North Carolina.  Someone is kidnapping beautiful, smart, talented women.  Someone is collecting these women.  There's another case going on in Los Angeles.  Are the two cases related?  Hmmmmm.


This book is well written.  We know what the kidnapper is doing.  We know that he will kill and has killed.  We know what he is saying to these women.  We are basically in the room with the two of them and witnessing the kidnap victims fear and horror at what they are being forced to succumb to.  But we have no idea who it is...and I don't know about you, but when I was reading this book, I was suspicious of everyone that Alex Cross was in contact with.  Everyone he talked to, everyone he visited, every one who crossed his path.  THAT is the sign of a VERY well written suspense thriller.


Alex Cross is a very likable character.  We feel for him...we want to marry him...and be the mother to his children...so therefore, we do not want anything to happen to him.  That gives the novels a new twist.  We actually feel a heart felt warm kind of attraction to this character.  I think I even wanted Alex Cross to succeed in finding the kidnapper/murderer more than I wanted to save the women.  I guess that is because we know Alex and didn't really get a lot of character building with the victims except for Kate, a special victim in the life of Alex, of course.


So I guess we know the characters we need to know...we actually feel for the main characters and want everything to be okay for them...so as far as character building...I give this book a 4.  Storyline, susapense, thrill ride, it was a pretty good ride...so I give the book a 4.5.  As far as the ending...well I like the fact that you know there's going to be another book.  I did not like the ending as far as what happened between Alex and Kate.  They both seemed to understand why they couldn't be together...but for some reason, I never understood...and still don't.  So I was left feeling like I was missing something.  For that little piece of discomfort/bad taste I was left with, I give it a 3.  The book did translate well into a movie with Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman.  I may have to watch that again now that I've read the book.


Overall the book is good, worth reading...it's an older book so most of us have seen the movie and know how it ends...but lucky me, I fill my head with so many books and movies, I typically do not retain the info for long so the thrill was not lost on me.


I give Kiss the Girls a four out of five star rating.


Happy Reading!!!


Best, 
The Critical Librarian