Review: Deception Point

Deception Point by Dan Brown

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I like books that have a science/tech feel. Probably filled with inaccuracies and impossibilities but I enjoy it. I typically avoid books that involve politics, especially scandals, but the two themes are often tied together.

I liked the tech, didn't care for unbelievable escapes, enjoyed the plot twists. This is a good book to read when you have time to kill and want something solid enough to keep you reading.



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Review: Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



Perhaps this would be a better book if I wasn't listening to it. The audio version made me want to stab myself in the ears, though.

This is how it reads:
"Hello," he said.
"Hi," she said.
"What's up?" he said.
"Nothing," she said.
"Oh," he said.
"Yeah," she said.

He said, she said, he said, she said. Over and over and over and over. I couldn't even hear the dialogue after awhile because all I could hear was the never ending litany of saids after each short sentence. I couldn't even make it through the first disc. Horrible, horrible book to listen to on CD!



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Review: Kill Me If You Can

Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was *this close* to putting this book away when an interesting twist occurred and kept me reading. I can't say what it was without a spoiler but if you are considering whether or not to finish, at least wait until you get to a point where you sit up and say, "NOW it makes sense." If you put it down at that point, I wouldn't blame you, though.

I had a lot of issues with this book. I hate when a book comes down to a damsel in distress situation. I like to think that super villains are too smart to allow their loved ones to be captured. I mean, doesn't something set them apart from regular villains?? And then, how do characters that are portrayed as the all around good guy (even if he isn't) justify a plan that includes the potential for large numbers of innocent casualties? They wrapped up one 'victim' with a pay off but there was too much loss for the saving of one life. Blech.



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Review: Your Survival: The Complete Resource for Disaster Planning and Recovery

Your Survival: The Complete Resource for Disaster Planning and Recovery by Bob Arnot

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Not what I was expected. This book should be thought of a preparedness binder instead of a resource book. While it does talk about disaster planning and gives examples of the issues you will deal with after a natural disaster, it isn't much of a resource. If you do get this book, purchasing it is a better idea than checking it out of a library as it's designed to hold papers and collect notes/lists. I recommend an actual preparedness book for techniques and tips and would suggest that this is for the uber-prepared that have so much planning complete that they are ready to tackle potential landscaping projects to get their house ready.



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Review: Beginners Guide to Family Preparedness: Food Storage, Back to Basics, Survival Facts

Beginners Guide to Family Preparedness: Food Storage, Back to Basics, Survival Facts by Rosalie Mason

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



If you are looking at long-term storage for the first time and you need a book to explain the basics, this would be a good book. If you have started the process or have a preparedness plan in place, this is too basic.

The book was written in 1997 by someone I suspect is a Mormon (based on the 'this is not an official publication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' disclaimer,) mom of many (based on title page) that has real-life experience in food storage and rotation and has probably taught hundreds of other similar women to do the same. I also think this is a great person to learn from as real-life experience is valuable.

That said, the book was just too unfinished. There are so many books out there that cover everything in this book plus include so much more and it would be easier for you to find a larger, more complete book that can eliminate the necessity of keeping multiple resources on hand. Also, the book is outdated. It may have been republished in recent years but the text has not changed, making the examples too old for relevance. For example, the pricing descriptions are completely unusable.



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Review: Feed

Feed by Mira Grant

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This came up as a recommendation based on my having read other young adult, zombie books. This label is a bit of a misnomer, actually. More appropriately it's a book about how far journalists will go to find that ever elusive truth. In this case, it's a trio of young bloggers in a zombie world.

The world was interestingly designed, if completely unlikely. The one detail that annoyed me every time it came up was the near-constant blood tests. In a world of carriers and the exposed, how would this truly help? And the intentionally oversized needles that hit palms, wrists and all fingers simultaneously is too much. What on earth would show up in one spot that wasn't in another? And why wouldn't people have devised other systems that were less painful. I was also bothered by the zoning that determined zombie lands and had various rules in place. Wouldn't you expect two zones: Watch out for zombies! and You're safe.

I would have enjoyed the book more if the characters were even a little bit likable. I suspect they were intentionally written as unlikable. Bottom line - I wanted more zombies and less journalism. The unexpected twists and the overall readability earned it a third star.



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Review: Modelland

Modelland by Tyra Banks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I watch America's Next Top Model. Last season they had a challenge based on this book and I turned to my husband and said, "Tyra Banks wrote a book?" and we both laughed. A few minutes later, though, I was on my library site and had the book requested. I apparently have no pride or I wouldn't have made these confessions as I am certainly not the demographic the show and book are designed for. Oh, and for the record, the final reveal of the Tookie stand-in on the show was totally wrong. Just saying... I'm still irritated about who they choose as the original winner.

Back to the book, however. Any ANTM fans out there probably think the same thing my husband and I do (and if you think I'm embarrassed to admit I watch the show, imagine what a deep, dark secret this is for him!!) and ask yourself, "Her? A model? She's weird/freaky/odd looking." This book is Tyra's long-winded (this is a very, very long read for the genre) explanation of how those girls are chosen. It's easy to rely on typical beauty but to see beauty in faces that normally aren't considered beautiful is harder. Each season Tyra chooses unique faces and some extreme personalities and it's always worked. This book is very much designed with the same theory - be unique and love yourself for how you are different. Be beautiful by being yourself.

All the negative reviews based on the names are completely legit. Her names are lame. Tookie, Myrracle, Creamy, Ci~L, Zarpessa, Chaste, Bravo, Deco, etc. All are in this book and each is more outlandish than the one before. The people names have NOTHING on the place names, though. And the oddities that are apparently birth defects are just weird - someone with a hand instead of a head and a doctor with roller skates for feet are just two examples.

All that said, it was a book I actually felt compelled to finish. I was able to ignore the crazy stuff and enjoy the story, which is a fantasy retelling of what is very likely the process of forcing yourself into the modeling world and managing to rise above the others. If there is a book 2 (which her acknowledgments suggest but the reviews have me doubting), I will read it.





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Review: Deep Storm: A Novel

Deep Storm: A Novel by Lincoln Child

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A bit dull and predictable but with enough interesting technology to make up for a bit of it. Instead of a "what will happen next???" excitement the book was more of a "Gee. Foiled again. Just as expected." book. The drama and excitement was so forced. For example, we are told the mystery is solved...but then the solver is murdered! And then the laptop is destroyed...or isn't it...or is it? There's a bomb...when will it explode...why isn't it exploding...oh, look - it exploded. It's just a bit too contrived for me. The idea was good, the Sentinels unlikely, the doctor able to figure it out unbelievable and the plot twists too obvious.

All that said, it wasn't too bad of a listen. I did, in fact, finish the book. I even have a Lincoln Child book on my iPod right now.



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Review: Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I made it through 6 CDs before I finally gave up on this book. At that point I thought, "I can't take another 4 CDs of this!" and gave myself permission to quit.

This story is so, so, so long. Here's the deal. Society has deemed love a disease and now performs partial lobotomies on every citizen when they become an adult. Before that, they are kept segregated (which means that only heterosexual love is an issue?) and given only obligatory gestures of love at home. Main girl had a mom that had multiple lobotomies but they never took. Can't explain that as removed brain tissue is removed brain tissue but whatever. Said girl has rebellious friend who helps her meet a boy. Of course. Because what else would happen in such a world? Excitement and drama follow. Oh wait...no, they don't. If they do, they happen in the final 4 CDs because the first six can be summed up by the few sentences written above.

Terrible book. And the thought that it's part of a series (let me guess...another dystopian trilogy??) makes me shudder. Three books like this?!



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Review: Seven Ancient Wonders

Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Take Indiana Jones, remove all of the time spent at his college, and then cram seven movies worth of action into a single book and you have Seven Ancient Wonders. It was just non-stop - one adventure after another, all linked by a prophetic story.

This isn't my usual style but it was an enjoyable listen and certainly helped entertain me on several commutes. I liked that it wasn't too over the top on the 'all the good guys manage to avoid thousands of bullets while every bad guy dies' approach to action. Good people died, bad people survived, very few people had that obvious "they will survive" quality.



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