Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Fade Away by Harlan Coben

Myron gets the chance of a lifetime. He gets to play basketball but there is a catch. He needs to find a famous basketball player before it gets out that he's missing. An alleged injury has taken the ball player out for now. But can Myron figure it out in time? Or is there more to this that even he cannot solve?

Mr. Coben does it again in the third book of the series. He moves the plot in a great way. The friendship between Myron and Win still cracks me up. The mystery at times had more questions than answers. Yet Myron never gave up and kept his obligations to the other players. Mr. Coben knows how to make you really believe in what is going on and keep you guessing till the very end. Or he does with me anyways.

I love Myron. He is a great character who I never get tired of reading about. His best friend Win cracks me up at every turn. He is a man you definitely would not want to cross. The man has knowledge that serves him well in any situation. Esperenza is a woman who speaks her mind and doesn't hold back. While sometimes that is good, it often drives Myron bonkers. Yet they find a way to still work together.

This is one series I don't want to see end. Though I know that time will come eventually. Mr. Coben keeps me turning pages and does little to disappoint me. I cannot wait to pick up the next one and plan on it soon!

Harlan Coben/Mystery/ Myron Bolitar series/ 384 pages/4 out of 5

I finished this one awhile ago. But being wiped out, I haven't had a lot of time on my laptop. I am hoping to finish my current book to add to my month's list. We'll see.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Losing It-And Gaining it Back One Pound At A Time by Valerie Bertinelli

In this non-fiction memoir, Valerie shares her journey from beginning of her career as an actress to when she started on Jenny Craig and how that was successful. It delved into how her mind worked from the beginning and how she was able to change her way of thinking. She always made sure to mention it wasn't easy at first but the results she saw kept her motivated to keep going.

I admire Ms. Bertinelli for sticking things out. There was a lot of stress on her life maybe even more so than I can think of. Being an emotional eater certainly didn't help but she was able to work on it and work through it.

It's an every day thing that she works on. I really enjoyed her honesty. I do my best not to pry into other people's lives. Celebrities need their privacy too. Yet if it is blasted across the papers, it's difficult to ignore it. A lot of the book happened before I realized what was going on and I applaud for Ms. Bertinelli for sharing her journey. It definitely takes some guts. And now she is finally happy and knows that to herself she must be true.

Valerie Bertinelli/ Non-fiction/277 pages/ Memoir/4 out of 5

I finished this book yesterday but with work and everything never got a chance to write my review. This was a great book and I highly recommend it!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Chet is a loyal dog and his master Bernie runs a private investigator business. Their first case in awhile seems like just a routine missing persons case. Yet Chet can tell his master is bugged by something. There is more to this case than either one of them can imagine. But can they solve it in time so the young lady isn't hurt?

Mr. Quinn tells the story from Chet's point of view and I really liked it. It gave the book a different feel which is rarely found in books today. There is action, adventure, loyalty and a twist that I didn't even see coming. Seeing the characters through Chet's eyes, you can tell who is good and who has ulterior motives. It was a fun book and I couldn't get enough.

Chet is a loyal dog and I really liked him from the beginning. Bernie was a little rough around the edges but after all, he was a man who had been kicked down. He is picking himself off but he may have a long way to go. These two together make a good team even though they don't always understand each other but that's reality.

This is a book that is first in a series that the second one cannot come out soon enough! Mr. Quinn has a fantastic way with words that keeps you turning pages. I was impressed with the book from the beginning. Definitely an author to keep an eye on.

Spencer Quinn/ New Author/Mystery/320 pages/Dogs/4 out of 5

Great new mystery series but a great new author! Off to another non-fiction!

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Domestic Affairs by Eileen Goudge

Three women are portrayed in this book. Lila, who had everything and lost it all due to her husband's bad decisions and needs to start over. Abigail, who was best friends with Lila and whose mother was their house keeper till her mother made some bad decisions and they had to leave. Conception who worked in a factory and could not save her daughter from a fire that happened in the factory. She now wants revenge of the Senora who took her daughter's life. These women might just be the healing balm the other needs.

Ms. Goudge writes stories that grip your heart. Her characters have a lot of things that they need to process. The story grabs your attention from page one and doesn't let you go. The lives of all the characters involved might just change drastically if things are not taken care of. There is heart, humor, love and healing throughout the book. I was impressed with how well each delicate situation was handled and shown such tender care. Nothing was taken lightly and each action was thought out to some extent.

Lila was working on rebuilding her life. Abigail couldn't see what was missing in front of her while having her illustrious career. Conception just wanted to make sure that the Senora knew what her decisions had caused. Each woman had their motives and they just had to find their healing.

This was not an easy book to read at times but I was curious to see how it would all end. And while in my mind, it was a happy ending. I'm not sure if everyone would agree. Things were difficult and change had to happen. It would just have to be seen if the change worked well or not at all. The three women were strong of heart and had more courage than they realized. They just had to find it and embrace what was before them. Ms Goudge is an author I would definitely see what her other books are about and would pick them up in a heart beat.

Eileen Goudge/ New Author/ Relationships/ Friends and Family/ 437 pages/ 4 out of 5

This was a good book but difficult to get through at times. Off to another review book.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Leap of Faith: Memoris of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor

Not knowing a lot about Jordan, I was taken captive by this book. The beauty of a country not known much about was just part of the book that was captivating. The Queen herself had such ups and downs in her marriage, I kept wondering if something was just going to fall apart. Yes, she had dedicated her life to serve her new country but that didn't mean she never wanted to give up. Though she never did say that anywhere.

The love between her and King Hussein was so beautiful. Each day they made sure that they were near each other though they never held hands in public. They kept all their emotions, feelings, and physical actions in private. Of course, the media ripped apart everything that they could get their hands on, which was very upsetting.

The whole journey that they had shared was amazing through supporting each other and knowing when to debunk rumors and when not to touch them with a ten foot pole. The relationship was so tried and true, it inspired me. I would love to visit their country and see some of the places that were described in this book.

This is one book that I won't soon forget.

Queen Noor/Non-Fiction/ Jordan/ Marriage/ New Author/Chunkster/ 496 pages/ 5 out of 5

I cannot say enough to how much this book impressed me! It was truly helpful!

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Monthly Stats and Reads for February

Well my hours went up and down and well other things have started to be dealt with so my reading time wasn't the greatest! But here we go. :)

1.The Messenger by Daniel Silva 01-30-09 through02-04-09 A
2.Darling Daughters by Debbie Macomber 02-05-09 through02-06-09 A+
3.The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark 02-06-09 through 02-12-09 C
4.The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury 02-12-08 through 02-23-09 A
5.Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult 02-23-09 through 02-25-09 A+
6.Love in the Fast Lane by Jenna McKnight 02-25-09 through02-26-09 B

Stats:
Total Books I read: 6
New Authors: 2
Fiction:6
Non-Fiction:0
Chunksters: 1
Romance: 2
Mystery: 1
From the Stacks: 5
Books for Review: 1
PBS Sent:0
PBS received: 0
Books I Bought:1
Total Pages Read: 2, 464 pages

No non-fiction, I just didn't finish it in time so will have to read a second one this month. :)