THE KITE RUNNER

Author:  Khaled Hosseini

Genre:  Graphic Novel, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  37


From Goodreads:

Since its publication in 2003, nearly 7 million readers have discovered The Kite Runner. Through Khaled Hosseini's brilliant writing, a previously unknown part of the world was brought to vivid life for readers. Now, in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel adaptation, Hosseini brings his compelling story to a new generation of readers.

This graphic novel version of The Kite Runner was very good.  I had forgotten much of the story, so this was a great refresher.

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THE NIGHT STRANGERS

Author:  Chris Bohjalian

Genre:  Fiction (ghost story), Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Fraser and Gramhall

Yearly Count:  9

From NetGalley:

In a dusty corner of a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door has long been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts.

The home's new owners are Chip and Emily Linton and their twin ten-year-old daughters. Together they hope to rebuild their lives there after Chip, an airline pilot, has to ditch his 70-seat regional jet in Lake Champlain after double engine failure. Unlike the Miracle on the Hudson, however, most of the passengers aboard Flight 1611 die on impact or drown. The body count? Thirty-nine - a coincidence not lost on Chip when he discovers the number of bolts in that basement door. Meanwhile, Emily finds herself wondering about the women in this sparsely populated White Mountain village - self-proclaimed herbalists - and their interest in her fifth-grade daughters. Are the women mad? Or is it her husband, in the wake of the tragedy, whose grip on sanity has become desperately tenuous?

Blah.  I did not enjoy this.  First of all, I didn't know that it was a "ghost story" (not scary).  I am not a fan of that genre.  The other element of the story that I didn't like (at all!) was that a main character was written in 2nd person.  You do this and you do that.  UGH!  That made it so disjointed and uncomfortable for me and simply just messed up.  It sounded so awkward.

On the other hand, I have enjoyed Bohjalian's writing.  I just didn't care for this story or choice of person he wrote it in.

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My thanks go to Crown Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

ONLY TIME WILL TELL

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Genre:  Fiction, The Clifton Chronicles #1

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Roger Allam & Emelia Fox

Yearly Count:  8

Set in England, Only Time Will Tell is a family saga revolving around the Clifton clan in the 1920s - 40s.

Saga.  Saga.  Saga.  That's what I had to remember as I began this book.  Once I had my head around the idea that it was going to be slow going, I was able to just listen.  Ultimately, I actually thought it was good, maybe even a little better than good.  AND, I'm not opposed to picking up the second in this mini-series.  I definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this type of book, though.  

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WHEN SHE WOKE

Author:  Hillary Jordan

Genre:  Dystopian, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Heather Corrigan

Yearly Count:  2


Due to Hannah's indiscretion, she has been chromed Red.  She spends her time figuring out how to navigate her new world.     

I had no idea where this book was going and was surprised at some of the paths it took.  There were times when I was engrossed and wanted to hear more, but other times when I was disconnected and could care less.  It was definitely not Mudbound quality and not necessarily a read worth recommending, but not a total disappointment.

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PAGE BY PAIGE

Author:  Laura Lee Gulledge

Genre:  YA Graphic Novel, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  95

Paige and her parents have moved to New York from Virginia.  Paige struggles with adjusting to a big city and all that a new environment brings.  Her love of drawing also suffers.

This had good insight into an artist's struggles (teen or not) and had interesting drawings.

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DEAD END IN NORVELT

Author:  Jack Gantos

Genre:  YA Fiction, Norvelt Series #1

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  2.5/5 (eh)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Jack Gantos

Yearly Count:  79


Jack is grounded for the summer, yet his mother loans him out to an elderly neighbor to do chores.

I enjoyed some of the humor, but I didn't like the story.

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AN INVISIBLE THREAD

Author:  Laura Schroff

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Pam Ward

Yearly Count:  78

A 12-year-old, not 11 like the extended title states (discovered later he was 12 and not 11 - big deal!) asks for money from a woman walking by on a New York City street.  She offers him lunch at McDonalds and a relationship begins.

I have very mixed feelings about this book and think it's best to keep my specific thoughts to myself.

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WHAT ALICE FORGOT

Author:  Liane Moriarty

Genre:  Chick-Lit, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Caroline Lee

Yearly Count:  55

Alice (estranged wife and mother of 3), hits her head while working out at the gym and loses the last 10 years of her memory.

This kept my interest, but I was always waiting for something BIG to happen.  I never got that.  Maybe reading/listening to many, many thrillers has trained my mind to think something was going to really elevate the story.  Like I said, that didn't happen; however, I still enjoyed the time with Alice as she worked through her memory loss.

Side Note:  The cover doesn't do the book justice.  

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LONG GONE

Author:  Alafair Burke

Genre:  Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Tamara Marston

Yearly Count:  43

After finally landing her dream job as an art gallery manager and proving herself through a successful show, Alice goes to work one day to find the gallery empty!  The only thing left behind was a dead body.  Alice becomes the center of a homicide investigation.

This was somewhat of a complex storyline and a little confusing at times, but I was still interested.  It didn't have me glued, but I was curious as to why and how this happened.  There were a few bits and pieces of the storyline that I didn't care for, but the worst thing of all was the language.  I suppose reading it wouldn't have been so bad, but I hated the foul language and almost made it a DNF because of it.  Can't say I'm glad I continued, but I did.

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SAVE ME

Author:  Lisa Scottoline

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Cynthia Nixon

Yearly Count:  38

A volunteer lunch mom is put into a peculiar predicament when an explosion goes off in the school kitchen and a fire breaks out.  Does she save the girls she's with or does she go save her daughter?

The storyline goes beyond her decision.  It also becomes so boring and ridiculous at certain points that I just rolled my eyes.  When she becomes an amateur sleuth, I sighed out of exasperation.  The narrator didn't help the blah characters at all.  She actually made the young daughter sound like she was stoned.  This was not an enjoyable audioread and a bit disappointing.

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PEOPLE WHO EAT DARKNESS

Author:  Richard Lloyd Parry

Genre:  True Crime, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Simon Vance

Yearly Count:  36

Lucie Blackman, at the age of 21, moves to Toyko to work for a few months to pay off her debts.  She never returns home.

This unfortunate, true story could have been told in half the amount of pages/hours.  It dragged so many times for me that there were times when I lost interest.  Not to say there weren't interesting parts -- there were.  Those were what kept me going.  Ultimately, I'm glad to be done and moving on.

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ATTACHMENTS

Author:  Rainbow Rowell

Genre:  Chick Lit, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Laura Hamilton

Yearly Count:  27

An almost 30-year-old man works at a company in the technology department.  Part of his menial job (his opinion) consists of monitoring emails through a program that flags inappropriate words.  His job allows him to learn about people in the company, particularly two females.

My biggest complaint is that the entire book didn't feel like the intended adult book.  It felt as if the characters were all teenagers.  If it was a YA book, I think I would have liked it more.

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FALLEN

Author:  Karin Slaughter

Genre:  Thriller, Will Trent #5

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/

Shannon Cochran

Yearly Count:  22

Will Trent's partner, Faith, is in need of help when she discovers her mother missing from her home and a hostage situation in her place.

Oops!  I accidentally skipped #4.  However, that didn't matter too much.  There were a few things that I didn't remember or didn't know, though.  I didn't remember Will ever talking so much, and the most interesting aspect of the storyline was the relationship between Sara Linton and Will.  I didn't remember them meeting either.  Maybe all of that was in #4 or I just don't remember.  Needless to say, this one another very good progression in the series.

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DOWN THE DARKEST ROAD

Author:  Tami Hoag

Genre:  Thriller, Oak Knoll Series #3

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Kirsten Potter

Yearly Count:  20

A child was abducted and never to be seen again.  The family (and police) have a clear suspect, but they don't have any hard evidence.  Each individual family member handles their grief in different ways as they seek to find peace.  

I was getting bored of the constant reference to the mom's anguish.  I can sympathize with her sorrow and suffering, but telling me over and over was redundant and annoying.  The storyline did keep me interested, but there were too many graphic s*x scenes for my liking.  My preference is no details, thank you very much.  Overall, it was an interesting story, but too much of this and that. 

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HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

Author:  Sara Zarr

Genre:  YA Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Ariadne Meyers and Cassandra Morris

Yearly Count:  15

A mother and daughter grieve over the death of their husband/father.  The mother decides to adopt a baby and the daughter struggles with relationships.

I enjoy Zarr's writing; however, I didn't find the storyline in this one to be as realistic as the other book I read by her.  That won't stop me from picking up another, though.

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STOLEN

Author:  Lucy Christopher

Genre:  YA Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Emily Gray

Yearly Count:  8

Gemma, a 16-year-old, tells the story of her abduction in a letter to her abductor.

This was just okay.  Both Gemma and her abductor were a little blaze, and it was incredibly unrealistic, but I was somewhat interested.  I didn't necessarily tune-out, but it wasn't captivating either.

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THE 7 HABITS OF HAPPY KIDS

Author:  Sean Covey

Genre:  Children, Standalone  

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  99


This is a kid version of The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey).

I think this book's transition from adult to kids was very well done.  It demonstrates each habit through stories with the animal characters from Seven Oaks:  Pokey Porcupine, Jumper Rabbit, etc.  It also provides a Parent Section that suggests questions to prompt conversation and change in behaviors.

THE FIFTH WITNESS

Author:  Michael Connelly

Genre:  Legal Thriller,

Mickey Haller Series #4

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Peter Giles

Yearly Count:  90 

Mickey Haller defends a woman whose home is being foreclosed.  She has been charged with killing the banker who is responsible for the foreclosure.

The majority of this book was pure courtroom dynamics.  I really enjoyed the realistic manner in which it was portrayed and the ending was perfect.  Other than it being a bit on the long side, it was a very good audioread.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Author:  Rick Geary (Emily Bronte)
Genre:  Classics Illustrated Graphic Novel Series #14

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)  

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  86

Wuthering Heights is about a famous romance between Heathcliff, an orphan, and Catherine Earnshaw a member of the family he grows up with.

I have never read Wuthering Heights, so once again, Geary comes to the rescue and helps me add a classic book to my reading.  Even though this one still maintains the fantastic abilities of Geary to move the story along with a few words and pictures, I got a little confused a time or two.  Looking back now, there wasn't much to get confused about, but I did.  I had difficulty keeping straight the two houses and characters involved, so a little rereading was required.  Purely my fault for not paying attention, I'm sure.  : /

DIVERGENT

Author:  Veronica Roth

Genre:  YA Dystopian, Divergent Trilogy #1

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Emma Galvin

Yearly Count:  85

A Chicago society divides its members into 5 factions:  Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent).  Once a child turns 16-years-old, they enter their calling on Choosing Day.  Beatrice is about to make her choice.  Does she choose the faction she grew up in or make a new life without her family members?

I loved the idea of this book much more than its actual content.  And, I can't help but compare it to Hunger Games.  The suspense wasn't as strong, the plot wasn't as deep, and the relationships weren't as mature.  Perfect for its targeted audience, though.  I'm iffy on continuing the series, but most likely will watch the movie when it comes out in 2014.  Again, great concept, but it didn't move along as I had hoped.