Great mystery and wonderful story

I admit I probably wouldn't have come across The Cuckoo's Calling on my own; another mystery writer whom I follow on Facebook mentioned she had heard about Rowling being the author at a thriller writer's convention in NYC, and I promptly bought it off of Amazon. Apparently I didn't hit buy soon enough, so with the huge rise in sales it took a bit longer than typical to arrive. Interesting that the cover now states Gabraith is a pseudonym. I thought that aspect might take a bit longer. So, enough of that, onto the review.

I truly loved it. The writing, the character development, the plot lines, the exposition, the resolution....all of it are simply excellent. I loved both Strike and Robin, as well as their budding friendship.

Just as in the Harry Potter series, I am looking forward to the next in this.

I happen to think Rowling is immeasurably talented...she writes extremely well, whether it is Harry Potter, this mystery, or the sadder, truly realistic portrayal, she created in The Casual Vacancy.

Too Long

I loved the premise of Ripped, by Shelley Dickson Carr, and I enjoyed all of the characters (though it was easy to guess who Jack The Ripper was in this novel).

It was fun to learn a bit about Cockney Slang, and to learn more about the Victorian age.
I also enjoyed picturing conversations between Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
Katie, Toby and Collin were interesting in both the Victorian era, and in the present day. Katie's desire to change the past, and perhaps to solve the Ripper murders is, again, an interesting premise.

I fear though the novel was much too long. The resolution could have drawn to a close at about 3/4 of the length of this novel or perhaps even half. Even my most avid YA readers would probably give up on this, due to its' length. Not because they don't enjoy long novels, but this one just doesn't develop...the middle of the book goes on and on and on, without truly adding to the issues of time-travel, the solution to the Ripper murders, or Katie learning more about how to fit in, in the Victorian era.

At times I also thought there were either some gaps, or some editing glitches with continuity...perhaps this was due to the novel's length and my despair at wanting the resolution to appear sooner than it did.

All of this being said, the author does have some talent, and I will give a second story a chance.

Try a Little Tenderness

Wow...so I could title this post, "Must Read"..the book is just that wonderful. Told in alternating chapters, by Mandy and Jill, it is story that deals with love, loss, hope, tragedy, evil, good...well...life.

Both Mandy and Jill are dealing with intense issues, and as they gradually come to understand each other, through their alternating chronicles, the reader falls in love with both of them; with their stories, with their perspectives. Caring about all of the characters in this novel, is one of its' draws. (well, truthfully, two characters are awful, but described in a manner that allows you to picture them in a holistic manner).

I titled the review, "Try a Little Tenderness" because it is a central theme to the book, and the song plays an important role in Jill's life. Whenever she and her late father were arguing, one would say to the other, "Try a Little Tenderness" and the fight would stop..wow, kind of a perfect sentiment, right?

So, with Otis singing in the background, I plowed through this book. Yes, crying at the end, but these were tears of joy.

Jill's mother states about life, "be prepared for detours"...and again, how true that is. Some detours we are happy to encounter, others are tragic and throw us for a loop. The death of Jill's dad, throws her family into turmoil, but the detour they ultimately take will have you too crying tears of joy.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. So...now that I have raved about it, I suppose I should state the title:

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Great Beach Read

I thoroughly enjoyed, The Bookstore. The plot is fairly tame, but the author's ear for dialog is wonderful. A young woman, working on her PhD at Columbia, finds out she is unexpectedly pregnant. Her decisions regarding this are nicely depicted and realistic.

Her relationship with the father of the baby, is very nicely drawn out. Their dialog and interactions are often very funny, and the subtle manner of depicting his manipulative (and condescending) attitude towards Esme are spot on.

Esme fortunately has friends that support her, and the title of the book references her part-time job, at a used bookstore. The supporting characters are all nicely developed, and it is easy to see how this beach read, could translate to a summer rom-com movie.

If you want a nice, light, funny, beach read, pick up The Bookstore, by Deborah Meyler.
*it will be released August 20th...

Class is over, summer reading has commenced.

I finished my class on Tuesday, and am starting to go through a physical pile of books, interspersed with a list on my Kindle.
The first one I read was The Kill Room by Jeffrey Deaver. This is one of his Lincoln Rhyme novels, and brings back the Deaver I have known and loved. Some of his works in recent years have just been so so.

The plot is quite timely (whistle blowing and Drone killings), the main characters remain true to themselves, and the criminal players are quiet interesting. While one character seems a bit over the top, to be head of a NSA type of agency, it still seemed kind of plausible that he was in charge.

The questions raised throughout the novel are thought provoking, and actually are sticking with me. If you enjoy thrillers, political novels, and keep up with our current issues, I am sure you too will enjoy, The Kill Room

The other book I read is a non-fiction one called, Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and The End of American Debate by Greg Lukianoff. Truly interesting, thought provoking and maddening. I have learned a great deal about college life since my sons entered their respective schools. One main issue has been how very different things are in innumerable ways since I attended college. Many of these differences are addressed in this book. Prior to sending your child to college, you should read the college student handbook and read this book. In addition, tell your child if they are ever brought before a student or administrative hearing, they do need to tell you..you should be there for them, regardless of what the college says.

Engaging narrator

The narrator of the young adult novel, Twerp, was very engaging, and believable. I enjoyed the plot as well, but did feel the character of Eduardo was at times unbelievable. He seemed much older than 5th grade, which was explained at one point (he is actually 14), but even at that he was still slightly too knowledgeable and "all knowing"

The premise, that the narrator is writing a book in lieu of studying assigned books in his English class, worked very well. The teacher is also hoping the narrator, will deal with a bad situation that he hasn't fully dealt with. The supporting characters are likeable and believable as well.

I will encourage my staff, and students to purchase this book.

Gifted story teller

And the Mountains Echoed once again proves Khaled Hosseini is a master story teller. This one is intriguing due to the set up, intertwining tales, whose characters revolve around each other, impacting some directly and others indirectly. It is not done in the fashion of Crash, or other such stories, rather it is done in a much more developed manner in my opinion.

At times we do wonder how a particular story or narrator is connected, and the years their stories are taking place make you wonder how as well, but the nuances are so subtle as to be extraordinary. This novel clearly shows how connected the world itself is, whether one is in a village in Afghanistan, Paris or LA. Wars' devastating impact is also clearly developed.

I loved all of the characters, but of course the two young children who start the story are the ones my heart longed for.

I took longer to finish this novel than most, simply because I had a variety of fears for the characters, wondering who would meet up, and when. I found the ending satisfying, very realistic, and well developed. Overall, this is somehow a charming novel, that demonstrates the craft of writing an excellent story.

My heart feels A Thousand Splendid Suns was his best, but all three of his novels are to be read and treasured.

Interesting ending

The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart didn't quite have the energy that I have come to enjoy with the Dismas Hardy series. There were too few interactions between the main players, for my taste. I miss Glitsky's and Hardy's conversations...and though all of this is explained (Glitsky is pretty reticent to hang out with anyone that was involved in the shootout, depicted in an earlier book), I nevertheless miss that aspect of Lescroart's writing.

The plot of this story was somewhat predictable though it did have a very interesting legal dilemma, and court case. The resolutions were interesting...the court case decision and how that is resolved was thought provoking, what happens to a main character could be viewed as ironic, and some aspects the reader will have to infer, which in this case was okay. I tend to dislike some books that end in this manner, but it did truly work in Ophelia's Cut.

I will continue to read Lescroart, as I have truly enjoyed all of his books. This one, in my opinion, wasn't the best, but it was still definitely worth reading.

entertaining

I read Let Sleeping Dragons Lie, by Ty Burson primarily because the author is a fellow ACPS teacher, and I was impressed to hear he won a writing contest due to this novel.

It is an entertaining read, geared towards upper elementary. There were a few lines that seemed unrealistic for an 11 year old boy to say, one being when he compares a river's widening out to,"a beautiful woman's smile" but for the most part, the characters ran true to their age.

It is clearly a debut novel, but it is a worthwhile read. I think boys in 5th or 6th grade will particularly enjoy it.

Terrific Thriller

Accidents Happen by Louise Millar will be published June 25th, 2013.

The novel centers on a woman named Kate who deals with anxiety, brought on by various tragedies that have impacted her.

I truly enjoyed this thriller. I found the pacing to be excellent, as my anxiety increased with each chapter. I enjoyed the characters, and the plot was intriguing.

I thought the issues with Kate's anxiety were handled well, and were believable. The family members were portrayed nicely as well. Their interactions and concerns were believable.

The ending was satisfying, which was great as too often recently I have enjoyed thrillers right up to the end.

If you are looking for a decent thriller, with no large plot holes (or even small ones), then you should put this on your wish list.

Rick Yancey's latest

The 5th Wave is an exciting page turner. An alien invasion like no other, it pulls you in and doesn't let go. I liked the main characters, and I enjoyed the complexity building up to what is the 5th wave.

Of course it is part of a trilogy; hopefully the run of my favorite trilogy's will work out in a manner that while I am waiting for the next of one series, another one is available.

For me, the hardest series to wait for so far, has been the 3rd in the Lunar Chronicle series (Cress will be published in Feb., 2014..I am pretty much counting the days), so while I don't feel as intense about The 5th Wave, it is utterly enjoyable.

I highly recommend it, while you wait for Allegiant, the 3rd in the Divergent series :-).

Exciting debut

Wow...I am so excited by this series' debut: The Testing by Joelle Charbonmeau, which will be published June, 4th. The writing was compelling, and the suspense level was quite high. I was honestly nervous at various points.

While many dystopian novels are compared to The Hunger Games, I think in the future, they will be compared to The Testing.

I have read many of these series, and often feel they could have been better written if they had just remained a stand alone novel...that too many writers are creating trilogies where only one book is needed. Cinder and Divergent being the recent exceptions.

I don't feel that way about The Testing. I am so looking forward to reading the next book, and will re-read this one when I share it with my book club, colleagues and students.

The plot sounds trite, in a way...a young girl waits to see if she is chosen for...in this case, higher education in a bleak, war destroyed, future. However, Charbonneau ratchets up the tension via her writing style and plot points.

If you would like to read a prequel, here it is: http://www.hmhbooks.com/thetestingtrilogy/prequel.html

Reminds me of Pushing Daisies

I truly enjoyed, Remarkable, by Elizabeth Foley. The characters were interesting, charming and likeable.

The writing style was particularly reminiscent of the tv show, Pushing Daisies. I felt as if I could hear that narrator's voice as I was reading. Remarkable is a town where everyone, but the protagonist, Jane, is well... remarkable. She often feels left out, and rather average, but eventually through a series of events, secrets, and mysteries, she discovers she too is remarkable in her own, average way.

I plan on sharing this title with my colleagues, and my students.