July Reads

80. The Actor and the Housewife (Hale)

* By Hook or By Crook (Drees)

81. The Blue Notebook (Levine)

*The Letter (Dunbaugh)

82. The Sleeping Doll (Deaver)

83. Ravens (Green)

84. The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (Geary)

85. This Lovely Life (Forman)

86. Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis)

87. Victorian Murder (Geary)

88. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Lockhart)

89. Fear the Worst (Barclay)

* Spectral Evidence (Gallison)

* Knife Fight (Goldman)

90. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

91. The God of War (Silver)

*Short Story (not counted)

BOLD titles made my Best Reads List

Clicking on a title will link you to "Thoughts of Joy...".

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Monthly - Yearly Genre Stats:

Chick-Lit: 1 - 3

Classic: 0 - 1

Fiction: 2 - 24

Memoir: 1 - 3

Mystery: 0 - 13

Non-Fiction: 0 - 1

Non-Fiction Graphic Novel: 0 - 1

Short Story Collection: 0 - 3

Thriller: 3 - 16

True Crime: 1 - 2

YA Classic: 0 - 1

YA Fiction: 1 - 11

YA Graphic Novel: 2 - 3

YA Non-Fiction: 0 - 1

YA Science Fiction: 0 - 3

Children's Historical Fiction: 1 - 1

Children's Thriller: 0 - 1

Children's Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 0 - 3

Short Stories: 4 - 32

Audiobooks: 5 - 52

Books: 7 - 39

Total: 12 - 91

Best Reads: 2 - 14

Series: 3 - 32

DNF: 0 - 3

THE GOD OF WAR

Author: Marisa Silver

Genre: Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Yearly Count: 91

In the late 70's, 12-year-old Ares Ramirez is growing up with his mother and 6-year-old disabled brother (undiagnosed autism) in a poor community in California. As he struggles with his past memories and what the future may hold, Ares finds himself in the throws of adolescence which causes him to act out in a variety of ways in the attempt to handle the internal turmoil.

This was a good coming-of-age story. I enjoyed meeting the characters and found that the story being narrated by Ares added an interesting perspective. There wasn't any great connections for me, but a good story nonetheless.

*Recommended By: Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR. WHICHER

Author: Kate Summerscale

Genre: True Crime, Standalone

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (better than just okay)

Yearly Count: 90

Three-year-old Saville Kent was murdered in 1860 on the grounds of the family's country estate. Mr. Whicher is one of the first detectives in England, and he demonstrates his best work in trying to solve the case.

This case appealed to me and some of the details relating to the timeframe were of great interest; however, overall - I felt it lacked some spunk. There were many facts repeated, and the story dragged a bit. The book also contained the history of other family members and the era, most of which I liked learning about.

KNIFE FIGHT (7 of 22)

Author: Joel Goldman - Edited by Linda Fairstein

Genre: Short Story Collection

Published: The Prosecution Rests, 2009

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

(ss) Yearly Count: 32

A man charged with murder is assigned a Public Defender and neither are too happy with one another.

The dialect in this story was fun to read. It really helped to portray an interesting character. The story line required me to read it straight through because I had to know the outcome. And, there was a couple twists to boot!

SPECTRAL EVIDENCE (6 of 22)

Author: Kate Gallison - Edited by Linda Fairstein

Genre: Short Story Collection

Published: The Prosecution Rests, 2009

Personal Rating: 2/5 (not enjoyable)

(ss) Yearly Count: 31

Goodwife Rebecca Nurse is on trial for being a witch.

My dislike for this short story is mainly based on the topic. I did not find any enjoyment in reading about a witch trial. It just wasn't for me.

FEAR THE WORST

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Yearly Count: 89

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From the ARC cover:

One evening your child doesn't come home for dinner, and just like that the world you thought you knew becomes a strange and terrifying place.

Tim Blake thought he knew his teenage daughter as well as he could know anyone. But when Sydney vanishes into thin air, all she leaves behind are questions. At the hotel where she was supposedly working, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends can't tell Tim what Sydney was really doing in the weeks before her disappearance. Now, as the days pass without a word, Tim uncovers secrets about a daughter he didn't know and a dark world of corruption, exploitation, and murder right around the corner from his once seemingly safe life.

Linwood Barclay is becoming an author that I can count on for a good read. This is only the second book that I have read by him, but I see great potential. Both books (No Time for Goodbye as the other) had good mysteries and continually kept me interested. Linwood Barclay's style reminds me a lot of James Patterson.

In Fear the Worst, I didn't find the action to be heart-pounding or it to have edge-of-your-seat type scenes, but there was plenty of action and twists to keep the book moving along at a fairly fast pace. There was a scene or two that I thought was pushing it a bit, but overall I always looked forward to picking the book up again, because I thoroughly enjoyed being on the hunt with Tim.

In general, I liked the characters - they all served a purpose, but what I liked most was how the expressive words and interactions clearly defined the connection or lack thereof between them. It was nice to not have a relationship explained to the nth degree. Ultimately - another good book for Barclay!

My thanks go to The Random House Publishing Group for sending me this ARC. Fear the Worst will be published on August 11, 2009.

Also received by Library Thing's Early Reviewers program and will be going to a good home.

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS

Author: E. Lockhart

Genre: YA Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 2.75/5 (better than eh)

Yearly Count: 88

Frankie Landau-Banks attends an elite boarding school. She becomes disgruntled when she is excluded from the boys' secret society, so she decides to make a statement.

This has been on my iPod to listen to for quite some time now. The cover is what drew my attention, and I saw many reviews that highly recommended it, but it just didn't hold its own. Unfortunately, the story didn't meet my expectations or match the cover either.

Frankie was a fine character, and the writing was fine, too. There was just nothing that truly kept my interest. It was just ho-hum. I liked Frankie's final thoughts about herself, so the book did end well.

VICTORIAN MURDER

Author: Rick Geary

Genre: YA NF Graphic Novel, Series

Published: 1987

Personal Rating: 4.25/5 (better than very good)

Yearly Count: 87

This short treasury consists of 1 mystery and 2 crimes during the Victorian Age.

Again, this book was not much different from any of the other Geary non-fiction graphic novels. I find his work to be very succinct, interesting and educational. Being that this one was on the short side (in relation to his others), all I can say is that I would have liked more. That shouldn't require a demotion in ratings, but I wasn't satisfied -

so, . . . it did.

BLOG ANNIVERSARY!

Yep! Today is my 3rd year of blogging!

(and I almost forgot to post about it)

I have no new revelations or plans to announce this year. The only thing I hope to do is get back on track with my original goal for 2009 - read from my shelves! I've been so swept up in ARCs (for the most part I've enjoyed it) that I haven't made much of a dent. Therefore, I have promised myself to read two books from my TBR Shelves by the end of August: Tilt-A-Whirl (Grabenstein) and Pope Joan (Cross). After that, I will continue to choose at least one book a month (whether I read it or listen to it) from the densely packed stacks on my shelving units. That way I will at least make a little headway. I feel such a deep yearning when I look at the unread books in my library. Most of them have been purposefully chosen, so hopefully, the monthly plan will satisfy some of that desire. Anybody else feel that book draw?

Thanks for stopping by throughout the year. Things have changed since I haven't been hosting or participating in challenges, but I'm truly grateful to those that still visit and leave a comment. It's much appreciated!

BUD, NOT BUDDY

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Genre: Children's Historical Fiction, Standalone

Published: 1999

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (better than just okay)

Yearly Count: 86

Bud, not Buddy is a 10-year-old boy who has been abused in a foster care home in Flint, Michigan. So with very little knowledge, Bud decides to head out on his own in search of his father in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I'm kind of so-so on this one. I see its value from the historical perspective (1930s), but I didn't find the 'running away' portion very realistic. Also, while I really liked Bud (especially in the beginning) his personality became annoying with the repetition of certain phrases. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were a child.

THIS LOVELY LIFE

Author: Vicki Forman

Genre: Memoir, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 2.5/5 (eh)

Yearly Count: 85

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From the ARC cover:

Vicki Forman gave birth to Evan and Ellie, weighing just a pound at birth, at twenty-three weeks' gestation. During the delivery she begged the doctors to "let her babies go" -- she knew all too well that at twenty-three weeks they could very well die and, if they survived, they would face a high risk of permanent disabilities. However, California law demanded resuscitation. Her daughter died just four days later; her son survived and was indeed multiply disabled: blind, nonverbal, and dependent on a feeding tube.

The Lovely Life tells, with brilliant intensity, of what became of the Forman family after the birth of the twins -- the harrowing medical interventions and ethical considerations involving the sanctity of life and death. In the end, the long-delayed first steps of a five-year-old child will seem like the fist-pumping stuff of a triumph narrative. Forman's intelligent voice gives a sensitive, nuanced rendering of her guilt, her anger, and her eventual acceptance in this portrait of a mother's fierce love for her children.

Vicki Forman won the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference Bakeless Prize for this book and thus far has received very positive reviews. I'm happy for her accomplishments and hope that it has brought much healing.

The struggles that Vicki and her family went through are certainly devastating and life-changing, and my heart truly goes out to them. However, putting her experience into words seems to be more of a cathartic measure than a message or encouragement to others. My thoughts or rating has nothing to do with what she endured or carries with her the rest of her life - it has everything to do with my feelings while reading it.

I'm going to end this with a warning: If you are in the child-bearing years, my suggestion is that you do not read this. Although, others that have had similar experiences may find comfort in reading Vicki's experience - assuring them that they are not alone and that their feelings are valid.

Thank you, Mariner Books, for sending me this ARC. It is scheduled to be released on July 23, 2009.

THE MURDER OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Author: Rick Geary

Genre: YA NF Graphic Novel, Series

Published: 2005

Personal Rating: 4.5/5 (excellent)

Yearly Count: 84

This graphic novel covers the timeframe from March 4 - May 4, 1865 of Abraham Lincoln's life and death.

Another winner by Rick Geary! I love this series of Victorian Murders. Geary does a fabulous job in researching, depicting and telling the facts of particular murders. The story of Abraham Lincoln's murder was no different. The maps of the cities and homes are so helpful in visualizing the actual places, and the drawings of the people give so much character to the individuals that they become very realistic. The full story has been sifted through and the major remaining events and people have been highlighted. Geary does an excellent job with this genre, and I'm looking forward to more.

RAVENS

Author: George Dawes Green

Genre: Thriller, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 2.75/5 (better than eh)

Yearly Count: 83

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From the ARC cover:

The Boatwrights just won 318 million dollars in the Georgia State Lottery. It's going to be the worst day of their lives.

That night, he visits the Boatwright home and takes the family hostage, while Romeo patrols the streets nearby, prepared to murder the Boatwrights' loved ones at any sign of resistance. At first, the family offers none. But Shaw's plot depends on maintaining constant fear -- merciless, unfaltering terror -- and soon, under the pressure, everyone's sanity begins to unravel....

At once frightening, comic, and suspenseful, RAVENS is a wholly original and utterly compelling novel from one of our most talented writers.

I couldn't wait to find out how these two were going to scheme their way into the family and then confiscate half the winnings. The plan ended up being interesting, but the execution turned out to not be fully developed. It became implausible, therefore a bit silly to me. I did enjoy a couple of the characters - they actually added some stability to the plot.

Thank you Miriam, from Hachette Book Group, for sending me this ARC. Ravens is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2009.

THE SLEEPING DOLL

Author: Jeffery Deaver

Genre: Thriller, Series #1

Published: 2007

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Yearly Count: 82

A Sleeping Doll begins a new series featuring Kathryn Dance. She was previously introduced and consulted for her kinesics (body language) expertise in Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series. In this first book, "Dance" is the lead interrogator of an inmate charged with murder who escapes from prison. She continues as lead during the chase.

I love Kathryn Dance's job! Watching people and determining if they are lying or not is fascinating stuff. (I love the new TV series Lie To Me, too.) The book actually follows along the lines of the TV series - giving explanations of movements or choice of words, and definitions of the terms used when interrogating someone.

As for the plot, it was very good. There were a time or two when I wasn't buying in, but for the most part it was a smart written book with many twists. It wasn't on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, but the story was still very good. The 2nd Kathryn Dance novel just came out last month and it's titled Roadside Crosses. I'm looking forward to it.

THE LETTER (5 of 22)

Author: Eileen Dunbaugh - Edited by Linda Fairstein

Genre: Short Story Collection

Published: The Prosecution Rests, 2009

Personal Rating: 3.75/5 (better than good)

(ss) Yearly Count: 30

During the Great Depression, Sadie's father was assigned to publicly defend an indigent man who was being tried for the death of a little girl who was found amongst his possessions.

This was not a very intense story, but a mysterious one. Doing the job Sadie's father was assigned to do was riddled with tough choices. It was interesting to find out the reasons behind those choices. I would have preferred some clarification on a few events; therefore, I dropped my rating down a little.

THE BLUE NOTEBOOK

Author: James A. Levine

Genre: Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 4.5/5 (excellent)

Yearly Count: 81

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From the publisher Spiegel & Grau:

"It all began, Jim Levine told me, when, as part of his research for Mayo Clinic, he was interviewing homeless kids on a famous street of prostitution in Mumbai known as the Street of Cages. A young woman writing in a notebook outside of her cage caught his attention, and he interviewed her at length. The powerful image of a young prostitute engaged in the act of writing haunted him. And his career as a novelist was born."

From the ARC cover:

A Haunting Yet astonishingly hopeful story of a young Indian prostitute who uses writing and imagination to transcend her reality.

A tribute to the powers of imagination and the resilience of childhood, The Blue Notebook tells the story of Batuk, a precocious fifteen-year-old girl from rural India who was sold into sexual slavery by her father when she was nine. As she navigates the grim realities of the Common Street, Batuk manages to put pencil to paper, recording her private thoughts and stories in a diary. Taking us where few writers have dared to explore, The Blue Notebook is a devastating look at a global crisis. Yet it is also an unforgettable, deeply human, and beautifully crafted novel about the ability of stories to give meaning to our lives.

All of the U.S. Proceeds from this novel will be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.

WOW! What an eye-opener. The story of Batuk is absolutely heart-wrenching and deplorable. My experience reading this book was filled with cringing and gasping moments - just sickened at the possibility of this being remotely realistic. After a little bit of research (it didn't take much), I unfortunately discovered that variations of Batuk's story are not uncommon. My stomach literally flips and my skin crawls at the images left in my mind.

Interestingly enough, the story is told in a factual manner instead of from an emotional viewpoint. I was thankful for that. The facts alone were enough to trouble my heart. The dramatic, devastating events shocked me from the get-go, but without a doubt I was wide-eyed by page 4. The book is filled with explicit acts of violence and is hard to believe that it really happens. Even though, the subject is beyond tough, the author tells the story well, but leaves an ambiguous ending. Unfortunately, that did not leave me satisfied. Although, throughout the book - I was glued.

I applaud James A. Levine for addressing such a brutal subject - one that has to come to the surface. Also, my heart is hopeful that more awareness will create more action. Thank you, James for donating all the US proceeds of this book to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children to help in that process. I respect your work.

Thank you, Cindy, from Spiegel & Grau, for sending me this ARC. It has left a lasting impression on me. The book will be released on July 7, 2009.

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK (4 of 22)

Author: Charlie Drees - Edited by Linda Fairstein

Genre: Short Story Collection

Published: The Prosecution Rests, 2009

Personal Rating: 4.25/5 (better than very good)

(ss) Yearly Count: 29

A court-appointed attorney is assigned to defend a "two-time loser" who is charged with murder.

Sounds simple enough. However, defending someone who has already been in prison is one that already knows the ropes, making this particular task not so simple after all. This story is full twists and turns that were easy to follow, yet cleverly created.

THE ACTOR AND THE HOUSEWIFE

Author: Shannon Hale

Genre: Chick-Lit, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 3/5 (just okay)

Yearly Count: 80

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this book, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From the cover:

What if you met your number-one dream celebrity - you know, the one your spouse has agreed you could run off with if ever you had the chance? And of course since it'll never happen it doesn't matter . . .

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity heartthrob Felix Callahan. A few hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later something has happened, though nothing has happened.... It isn't se*ual. It isn't even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what's hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends - talk-on-the-phone, drop-everything-in-an-emergency, laugh-out-loud-at-stupid-jokes best friends.

Becky's loving and devoted husband, Mike, is mostly unconcerned. Her children roll their eyes. Her large extended family and neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special, something unusual, something that seems from the outside - and sometimes from the inside too - completely impossible to sustain.

On the surface, Becky's story of a steadfast housewife and the handsome star is the ultimate romantic fantasy. But the depth of emotion that Shannon Hale shows us in Becky is the srength that underpins only the strongest relationships. It is what makes this story resonate beyond the glitter of Felix's movie-stardom to the deeper understanding of the kinds of true love we all dream of having.

Shannon Hale has created a magical and often hilarious story that explores what might happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life, and changes everything.

I requested this book because it was written by Shannon Hale. I have enjoyed a couple of her other books, so I thought I'd give this a try without knowing anything about it. It turned out to be not what I expected - at all! I can't say what I expected, but I know it wasn't this. And, "this" wasn't bad by any means, just different.

In general, I was surprised by the voice behind Becky! Was this really Shannon Hale's work? Not that she wasn't capable, but again - just not what I expected. The sarcastic wit was very fun and feisty, and for the most part was entertaining, but some times it seemed forced. Also, I didn't necessarily care for the plot. There are many ways in which to view Becky's choices and mine tended to side on the "not too pleased" side. For being a professed Mormon housewife (referred to in several scenarios, but not pushy), I would expect more from her. Also, Felix and Becky's husband, Mike, were not believable characters.

As a unique departure from strict chick-lit, The Actor and the Housewife was an okay read for me. Although, those that love humor and relational books should find themselves laughing and loving this one.

Thank you Kristina, from Bloomsbury USA, for sending me this book.