March Reads

18. Shutter Island (Lehane)

19. Little Bee (Cleave)

20. Push (Sapphire)

21. Pictures of Hollis Woods (Giff)

22. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Berendt)

23. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Larsson)

24. First Rule (Crais)

25. Promise Not to Tell (McMahon)

26. Orange is the New Black (Kerman)

* 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: 0 - 0

Classic: 0 - 0

Fiction: 2 - 6

Memoir: 1 - 1

Mystery/Police Procedural: 3 - 5

Non-Fiction: 0 - 0

Non-Fiction Graphic Novel: 0 - 1

Short Story Collection: 0 - 1

Suspense/Thriller: 1 - 5

True Crime: 1 - 1

YA Classic: 0 - 0

YA Fiction: 1 - 3

YA Graphic Novel: 0 - 0

YA Non-Fiction: 0 - 0

YA Science Fiction: 0 - 0

YA Short Collection: 0 - 1

YA Thriller: 0 - 1

Children's Fiction: 0 - 1

Children's Thriller: 0 - 0

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

Short Stories: 0 - 5

Audiobooks: 3 - 11

Books: 6 - 15

Total: 9 - 26

Best Reads: 0 - 0

Series: 2 - 8

DNF: 0 - 0

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Author: Piper Kerman

Genre: Memoir, Standalone

Published: 2010

Personal Rating: 3/5 (just okay)

Yearly Count: 26

Product Description:

A compelling, often hilarious, and unfailingly compassionate portrait of life inside a women’s prison.


When Piper Kerman was sent to prison for a ten-year-old crime, she barely resembled the reckless young woman she’d been when, shortly after graduating Smith College, she’d committed the misdeeds that would eventually catch up with her. Happily ensconced in a New York City apartment, with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her very brief, very careless dalliance in the world of drug trafficking.



Kerman spent thirteen months in prison, eleven of them at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where she met a surprising and varied community of women living under exceptional circumstances. In Orange Is the New Black, Kerman tells the story of those long months locked up in a place with its own codes of behavior and arbitrary hierarchies, where a practical joke is as common as an unprovoked fight, and where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated.



Revealing, moving, and enraging, Orange Is the New Black offers a unique perspective on the criminal justice system, the reasons we send so many people to prison, and what happens to them when they’re there.

My rating does not reflect the writing. I enjoyed Piper's writing style and felt she articulated her experience with honesty. She took me through the process of how she learned the ropes and how she developed friendships. If I had no idea of what the basic mode of operation was in a prison, then this would be a good book for getting acquainted with the women's prison system. However, even just watching TV one gets the idea, so I did not find anything new or truly intriguing. Unfortunately for me, it was a bit bland. That's probably good for Piper and her experience there, but as a reader - not so good.

My thanks go to LibraryThing Early Reviews program and Random House, Inc. for sending me this ARC. It is scheduled to be released on April 6, 2010.

PROMISE NOT TO TELL

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Genre: Mystery, Standalone

Published: 2007

Personal Rating: 2/5 (not enjoyable)

Yearly Count: 25

Kate Cypher, a 41-year-old, returns home to take care of business regarding her mother's care. There is a murder upon her arrival, and it brings up questions regarding an unsolved murder that took place when Kate lived there as a child.

There was very little I liked about this book. Although, I did enjoy all the parts regarding the commune in which Kate lived as a child - that saved the book for me. All the rest - just didn't hit me the right way. After looking forward to reading this since it came out, I was quite disappointed.

The FIRST RULE

Author: Robert Crais

Genre: Mystery, Series #2

Published: 2010

Personal Rating: 3/5 (just okay)

Yearly Count: 24

A man and his family are executed in their home. The man is from Joe Pike's military days, so he's determined to get to the facts of the murders.

Well, unfortunately, I did not care for Robert Crais (author) reading this audiobook. It may be interesting to hear how the author intends for his book to be received, but for me - nope, didn't work. I did not like the inflections in his voice and the way he portrayed Pike. Now, the mystery and intrigue of Pike have been diminished even more. I think, in general, I would prefer Pike to remain Elvis's sidekick in the Elvis Cole series only.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Author: Stieg Larsson

Genre: Mystery, Trilogy #1

Published: 2008

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

Yearly Count: 23

After having his career take a dive, a once-respected journalist is hired to write the biography of a wealthy man. However, the assignment behind the assignment is to solve the mystery of his niece who has been missing (presumed dead) for decades.

I was disappointed when the end quickly arrived, but realized that I had a very good time throughout the reading process. I didn't consider this one a page-turner in the same sense as a thriller (even though some consider this a thriller), but I became completely immersed whenever I had some reading time. The writing, in and of itself, had such a flow, and the many components of the storyline merged together seamlessly. It wasn't without its flaws, though. I didn't necessarily care for some of the moral issues (or lack thereof), but they didn't bother me immensely; however, that being said - I didn't have any connections with the characters either. BUT, apparently for me, a very good story, in conjunction with very good writing skills equals a worthy read even without the connections.

I will definitely go see the movie of #1; I have #2 on my TBR Shelf and #3 is on its way. Lots to look forward to!

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL

Author: John Berendt

Genre: True Crime, Standalone

Published: 1994

Personal Rating: 3.75/5 (better than good)

Yearly Count: 22

Historic Savannah, Georgia is the setting of this travelogue/murder mystery/gossipy book. It is tailored around the beauty of the city and its unique individuals - including a wealthy middle-aged man who murders his part-time, 21-year-old companion.

I wasn't ever bored with this story, but I wasn't enthralled with it either. It was definitely a character-driven book, but it encompassed the intrigue and ominous aura that a murder brings. The community does have its share of unusual people and their passion for keeping their city "as is" was prevalent.

I've had the opportunity to visit Savannah several times, but just haven't taken the step to make it happen. This book has revitalized the desire to visit, so the next time the opportunity arises - I'm there! :)

PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS

Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Genre: YA Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2002

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Yearly Count: 21

Hollis Woods is a notorious runaway - a runaway from foster homes. She is 12-years-old and has not been able to find a home that fits her needs. She tells her story in the present and through the description of pictures of the summer past.

Hollis was a great character. I found her to be a loving, little girl. Even though this was a fast YA read, it had depth and suspense. Wanting to know what really happened during that particular summer was the driving force for me to read this in virtually one sitting. A delightful book - one for tweens and adults alike.

PUSH

Author: Sapphire

Genre: Fiction, Standalone

Published: 1996

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Yearly Count: 20

Clareece Precious Jones narrates her life of abuse and redemption.

Oh my. This was an extremely difficult book to read. The raw language, brutality and just plain ugliness is very heart-wrenching. I was in the position of knitted brows and open mouth throughout most of the book due to its shock value. It was very difficult to grasp the cruelty. What I liked was that I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Precious, so I kept turning those pages. However, I'm not so sure I want to see the movie anymore - too much hardship and very disturbing. I don't think I'm interested in watching what I read.

LITTLE BEE

Author: Chris Cleave

Genre: Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Yearly Count: 19

This dually narrated story is based on the lives of two females, one being a 16-year-old and another being a married woman with a 4-year-old son who believes he's Batman. These two women have nothing in common until one day they meet on a beach. Their lives are forever intertwined.

The greatest strength in this book was its ability to keep me turning the pages. I love when a book does that. Cleave did a great job in revealing the plot with interesting characters. However, there were several pieces to the book that I didn't feel fit the situation, and I didn't find a major distinction in the narrators. On a couple of occasions, I had to remind myself or figure out who was speaking. You would think the age difference alone would place a large enough gap in the language. Regardless, it was a compelling read and one that I'm glad I finally got to.

SHUTTER ISLAND

Author: Dennis Lehane

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published: 2003

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Yearly Count: 18

Two U. S. Marshals are summoned to investigate a woman's escape from the criminally insane facility on Shutter Island just off the Massachusetts's coast. During their investigation they discover more than they anticipated.

This book was going along fine, actual very well, until the ending was in sight. At that time, it became muddled and made me flip-flop my thoughts too often. In general, I thought the plot, characters and setting were all intriguing, and I really did enjoy it, but the book ended with unfinished business - not a favorable way to go out for this reader. The bit of humor that was sprinkled between the marshals was always appreciated.

This was my first introduction to Lehane, and it has spurred some curiosity in me regarding his other work.