May, 2011
"Following My Toes" by Laurel Osterkamp
When Faith is dumped by her boyfriend of two years for her best friend; she decides that it is time for a new start. She moves from the small town of Duluth to Minneapolis, where her friend Carolyn lives. She soon finds herself dealing with a crazy stalker, a phone-sex operator roommate and a demented coffee shop customer. Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the plot was fun and entertaining. Although not quite as good as her other book, this one is definitely worth a read.
"The Inheritance" by Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm
I have always been a fan of Robin Hobbs, but had never read any of her Megan Lindholm stories. After reading this collection of short stories that will soon change! From science fiction to fantasy, this book had it all. I highly enjoyed the stories and would love to read more.
"Shades of Magic" by K. D. Wilson
Edgar is a typical young adult, he has no idea what he wants to do with his life however, he knows he doesn't want to be a farmer. When he has the opportunity to travel with his uncle, and master magician Magnus, he jumps at the opportunity. Adelaide is apprenticed to an herbalist in a world where women are not allowed to use magic. Half-way through the story, the reader discovers that magic is fading. In order to fix magic, Edgar, Magnus, Adelaide and Hesita, the herbalist, travel on a journey to recover a vitality shard. Half of the book past before the plot line actually started. Once the characters discovered that magic was failing, they undertook an extremely simple journey to solve the problem. The dangers and encounters of the journey were extremely simplistic and very easy to overcome. Overall, I thought this book was a bust.
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
A great classic, this is the story of Huck Finn and his adventures rafting down the Mississippi with Jim, a runaway slave. Although I enjoyed it this go around, I enjoyed it more as a teenager when I read it the first time. Overall, if you haven't read it, you should!
"Shelter" by Tara Shuler
Forget what you know about vampires, the stereotypes are wrong! Alice Write, a teenage vampire, is going to high school for the first time during her senior year. She soon finds herself at a party, where she meets Kai, a nineteen year old dark and brooding young adult. They quickly develop a strong attachment, and she vows never to leave him. Shortly afterward she meets Max, a drop-dead gorgeous high school student who she falls herself falling for.
I found this book interesting, exciting and fast-paced. It had me immediately picking up the sequel to discover what happens next. Overall, it was well written, the characters were engaging, and it is definitely worth a look.
"Storm" by Tara Shuler
I did not find this book as exciting as the first. It felt like it was all about character development with very little plot thrown in. I lost track of how many times Alice was taken or kidnapped, and then easily rescued. Despite all of this, it wasn't an awful book. The characters remained interesting, but I quickly became frustrated with Alice's immaturity and lack of insight into the three men she has fallen for.
"Too Near the Edge" by Lynn Osterkamp
Cleo is a grief therapist, one who combines her skills in psychology with the paranormal. Through her practice, she connects loved ones with the recently deceased through a combination of soul searching, meditating, and the paranormal. When Sharon is referred to her by a friend, Cleo is in for more than she bargained for. With an unusual and quirky cast of characters, this book kept me up reading all night long. I definitely enjoyed the myriad of twists and turns, as well as the author's writing style. Overall, this was a homerun!
"Any Witch Way" by Annastaysia Savage
On Sadie's thirteenth birthday, she is whisked in the magical world when she discovers that she is a witch. Hunted by the Syndicate, who are working to exterminate magical creatures, Sadie is immediately forced to hide and flee. Although touted as a young adult book, I thought the story line and plot was extremely juvenile, yet the language used throughout the book was more appropriate for adults. I don't think the book was bad, I enjoyed parts of it, I just felt that the characters and plot were a bit stereotypical.
"Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing" by Larry Brooks
This book outlines the basics of writing in a well written, easy-to-follow way. If you are just getting started with writing, this book will provide lots of advice on how to write successfully. If you have read multiple "how to write" books, then this book is probably not the one for you. Overall, I thought it was fairly interesting and concise.
"Dewey the Library Cat" by Myron and Witterg Fate
I have to admit right off that I am a cat person and that I am in library school. So it wasn't hard for me to just fall in love with Dewey. I highly enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read. If you are not a cat person, you probably won't find this book as interesting and wonderful as I did. Further, I think this would be a wonderful book to read with a child/pre-teen.
"Shifting Fate" by Alexis Leno
When the royal family of Alii is targeted by a rival, Brynn find herself trying to alter the predestined future to save the world she knows. I'm not really sure what to say about this book. The writing wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. The story-line and characters was fairly stereotypical, although some of their actions were absurd and highly unusually. For example, after finding out her life is in danger, the princess goes to an inn with a complete stranger because she is tired, rather than going back to the castle to sleep. When Brynn is targeted by Shifters, the resulting magical power seems to be something straight out of X-men. Overall, I was fairly disappointed with this book, but I found myself finishing it, just to see what absurdities the characters did next.
"Half and Half" by Lensey Namioka
Eleven year old Fiona is half Chinese and half Scottish. She is more connected with her Chinese roots, but also considers herself Scottish. When all of her grandparents come to visit, she finds herself torn between pleasing her Scottish grandparents and her Chinese grandmother. With Seattle's annual Folk Fest looming, Fiona must decide if she will dance in the Scottish exhibit, or dress as a Chinese girl for a talk her father is giving. Fiona's desire to please everyone and her worries about fitting in are very relatable. Overall, I think children would highly enjoy this book.
"Silver Shoes" by Caroline Binch
Molly is beginning to take dance classes, and more than anything she wants a pair of silver dance shoes. Although being bi-racial is not mentioned throughout the book, the illustrations depict Molly as a beautiful African American girl and her grandmother as Caucasian. Overall, this is a cute picture book, one many younger children, especially girls, will enjoy.
"Republic: A Novel of America's Future" by Charles Sheehan-Miles
Ken Murphy, a veteran of the Iraq War, is faced with a desperate situation when he is laid off from a Micro systems plant and faces the loss of medical benefits for his terminally ill son. The plant, which employed most of the small town, is outsourced to Indonesia, despite making a profit. The townsfolk come together and attempt to buy the plant. When they are turned down, they decide to "go back to work" in protest. The Department of Homeland Security sweeps in, killing and wounded several people. As more and more similar situations happen in West Virginia, the populous decide to submit a proposition to secede from the union. This book, with the DHS raids, blatant disregard for civil rights and growing discontent with the federal government, depict a world spiraling out-of-control. It is well-written, the characters are very engaging and overall it was a fast read. Overall, I highly recommend this book.