November Reads

92.  The Language of Flowers (Diffenbaugh) ~ 3/5

93.  Wonderstruck (Selznick) ~ 3.5/5

94.  The Murder of the Century (Collins) ~ 3.25/5

95.  The Stranger You Seek (Williams) ~ 4.5/5

96.  A Spy in the House (Lee) ~ 4/5

97.  The Sisters Brothers (DeWitt) ~ 3/5

98.  Lost in Shangri-La (Zuckoff) ~ 3.75/5

99.  Stalked (Freeman) ~ 3.5/5

Short Story (not counted)

Bold titles made Best Reads of 2011 list

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

MONTHLY  -  YEARLY STATS:

TOTAL:  8 - 99

Audiobooks:   6 - 64

Best Reads:   1 - 11

Books:   2 - 19

DNF:   0 - 7

eBooks:   0 - 16

New-to-Me Authors:   6 - 68

Off My Shelf:   1 - 29

Published in 2011:   6 - 38

Short Stories:   0 - 41

YA:   1 - 14

Ratings

Monthly - Yearly Stats:

5.00 =   0 - 3

4.75 =   0 - 0

4.50 =   1 - 8

4.25 =   0 - 5

4.00 =   1 - 19

3.75 =   1 - 11

3.50 =   2 - 22

3.25 =   1 - 7

 3.00 =   2 - 12

2.75 =   0 - 2

2.50 =   0 - 2

2.25 =   0 - 3

2.00 =   0 - 5

1.75 =   0 - 0

1.50 =   0 - 0

1.25 =   0 - 0

1.00 =   0 - 0

__________

average =   3.56  -  3.57 

STALKED

Author: Brian Freeman

Genre:  Thriller, Jonathan Stride Series #3

Published:  2008

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  99

Maggie, Jonathan Stride's former partner, reports the murder of her husband.  Her behavior is questionable and she becomes the prime suspect.  At the same time, there is a blackmailer, a missing woman, and a serial killer all smothered in a shroud of s*x.  

OMGoodness!  I didn't like the second one in this series because of all its nasty talk, but decided to go ahead with this after a friend said it wasn't that bad.  Well, it wasn't, but I still don't like reading about these types of clubs and even though I rated this one higher than the second in the series, I think this is my last.  The author apparently isn't moving away from his favorite topic, so I'll be doing the moving (moving on, that is).  It's too bad because I liked Jonathan Stride.

  

LOST IN SHANGRI-LA

Author: Mitchell Zuckoff

Genre: Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 3.75 (Good +)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count: 98

In May, 1945, a sightseeing trip over New Guinea brings devastation when the plane crashes, leaving only 3 of the 24 passengers (soldiers and WACs - women's army corp) alive.  Due to their injuries and the natives, their exit out of the jungle was dubious.

This trip gone awry was an interesting look into the tribal customs of the natives and the rescue mission.  Although, I was not riveted or eagerly awaiting my return to the audio after each listening period.  There were just too many details that were of no interest to me.  Overall, the story was worth the listen, though.

THE SISTERS BROTHERS

Author:  Patrick DeWitt

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Audiobook

Yearly Count:  97

During the 1850s, Eli and Charlie Sisters have been contracted to kill Hermann Warm.  This unsavory job takes them from Oregon City, Oregon to Sacramento, California, and they discover more about themselves during their trek.

Westerns aren't my genre of choice, but thought I'd give this highly acclaimed book a chance.  The good news is that I found it to be more interesting than the last western I read (here), but it definitely hasn't inspired me to read any more.  However, I do still want to finish Lonesome Dove that I started years ago (and was enjoying), but I'd have to start from the beginning again, and that's a big deterrent.

My dislike for this book had nothing to do with the writing; it mainly was the general western lifestyle and attitude.  The actual story contained little bits of everything from serious to darkly humorous events.  (I recognized that certain scenes were supposed to be funny, but I did not crack a smile.  It just wasn't my type of humor.)  And, it had its moments of gore (some animal cruelty, too).  So for me, it was just okay, but I can understand why others may have enjoyed it more.  

  

A SPY IN THE HOUSE

Author: Y. S. Lee

Genre: YA Fiction, Mary Quinn Series #1

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  96

From the streets of London in the 1850s, Mary Quinn finds herself rescued from the gallows and taken to an academy for girls.  After years of study, Mary's skills are tested when she is placed in the home of Thorold to gather information about why his ships are sinking in the night.  A murder adds to the seriousness of the situation.    

This reminded me of a YA version of the Maisie Dobbs (Winspear) series (my thoughts), which is one that I thoroughly enjoy. This first in the Mary Quinn series was very engaging.  I loved the historical details and the plot.  I did have some little quibbles here and there, but nothing too serious. I like that Mary had a sketchy childhood, because it added to her edginess and provided her with street smart skills she needed.  I will definitely read the next in the series titled The Body at the Tower (2010).






Recommended By: Nicola from Back to Books

THE STRANGER YOU SEEK

Author: Amanda Kyle Williams

Genre: Thriller, Keye Street Series #1

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 4.5/5 (excellent)

Format: Book

Yearly Count:  95

From the ARC Cover:

A serial killer is tormenting Atlanta, writing letters to the media, promising to slay again. Under pressure before another victim dies, the Atlanta Police Department turns to Keye Street, a disgraced FBI profiler who is now chasing down bail jumpers, doing some (very) odd detective work, and trying to stay off the bottle. While Keye tries to make the elusive connection between the victims and one of the South's grisliest, most skillful serial killers, the stranger she seeks may be far closer than she realizes.

Woo hoo! I found myself another series to follow! It's graphic (very Karin Slaughter-like) and on occasion, a bit shocking, and like Slaughter, held together with a solid plot. There were surprising twists and turns, some wit and some interesting characters and relationships, too.  My only complaint was that sometimes I would feel a jolt in the flow.  I thought I had missed something and would go back to find I had not. The holes would eventually be filled in, so once I caught on to her writing style, I was fine. Can't wait for the next one!

My thanks go to Random House Publishing Group and Self Awareness for sending me this ARC!

THE MURDER OF THE CENTURY

Author: Paul Collins

Genre: True-Crime, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  94

Parts of a body are discovered which trigger questions like:  Who is it?  What happened to the rest of body?  How did it get where it was found? and Who did this?  The answers to those questions and many more are what the author sets out to divulge in the rest of the book.

I loved the bits and pieces of history that were scattered throughout, in addition to the 1890s timeframe, but overall, I didn't really like it.  There were just too many characters mentioned (and oodles of details) without really getting to know them; hence, no real connection to anybody.  I also wasn't all that intrigued with the journalism wars.  The mystery and courtroom activity were what kept me interested.

WONDERSTRUCK

Author: Brian Selznick

Genre: Children's Fiction GN, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Format: Book

Yearly Count:  93

A little boy seeks out his father, and a little girl seeks out the actress in her detailed scrapbook.  Their individual stories are told in words and pictures, respectfully, yet 50 years apart.  Ultimately, they blend together in a gentle way. 

There was nothing I disliked about this book. I actually really enjoyed my purposeful, slow read/perusal, but I didn't think it was excellent like the majority of readers are proclaiming. I didn't think his illustrations were as special as his last book (redundant, too) and the story, while still interesting, was not as compelling. It's another great choice for reluctant readers, but ultimately I was not wonderstruck.

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Audiobook

Yearly Count:  92

As a young girl, Victoria, is bounced around from one foster home to another.  Eventually, she lands upon someone who teachers her about the language of flowers, and it becomes a gift to her.

This was a major disappointment.  All the hype had me geared up for a wonderful read, and I didn't get what I had anticipated.  Boo.  I found there to be so many plot points that were unbelievable, and the main character was not likeable.  The only thing I sort of liked were the flower definitions, but those didn't keep me entertained for too long either.  The whole thing just fell flat.  Glad I read it though, because I would have forever been curious.