Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

One Sentence Summary:

In a future where Henry Ford is worshipped as a god and children are grown in sterile conditions Bernard doesn't feel like he fits in. 

Review:

This classic has a spot on every best books list and rightly so, it is well written, the characters are genuine and a hypothetical future that is one hundred present believable. The juxtaposition between the savages and the Alpha / Beta society shows us what could happen to society if we let it. When I was a teenager I was convinced this would be a good way for society to go, everyone in their place and everything being planned by a single group. (Now I see that to some degree that is how the world does work, economically speaking at least). I recommend this novel to everyone who hasn't read it yet (which is not many people as most schools had it on the required reading list at some point. 

10/10

10/10

Memorable Quotes:

"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand." 

"I want to know what passion is. I want to feel something strongly." 

"Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced." 

"Chronic remorse, as all the moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment. If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time. On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean." 

If you enjoyed this I recommend you read:

1984 - George Orwell

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury 

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter J Miller Jr

Z For Zachariah - Robert C. O'Brien

One sentence summary:

Ann thinks she is the only survivor of a nuclear holocaust that occurred over a year ago. 

Review:

Written for the young adults this look at isolation and the end of the world is interesting. Ann, the protagonist is suddenly confronted with the outside world coming into her safe valley and bringing with it an overwhelming uncertainty. It is written for teens and as such uses a vocabulary that your average seventh grader would be familiar with and a character they can relate to (that adults may think is stupid). I recommend it for anyone who is on a post-Apocalypse disaster-story kick. 

6/10

6/10

If you enjoyed but would like to read something better written this please read:
On The Beach - Nevil Shute
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The Giver - Lois Lowry

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

one sentence summary:
in a future where firemen start fires it is illegal to possess books.

Review:
I enjoyed this novel it made me think and made me angry. It has a very strong opening and even stronger characters. The protagonist is a fireman paid to burn books, one fateful day he keeps one of the books he was meant to burn and his life is forever changed. Typical of this genre (dystopian fiction) there are revelations about society and the general direction we are heading and what we should do to stop the slide. I recommend this novel for everyone.

10/10

memorable quotes:
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” 

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

If you enjoyed this you should read:

1984 - George Orwell
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham

A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mystry

one sentence summary:
In this dark look at India circa 1975 four people from different worlds are thrown together to live in one apartment together.

review:
This is a really well written and terribly depressing novel. The writing is beautiful and sweeps you up and doesn't let you go until it is done (and then it leaves you rather hollow feeling). The four characters are so well crafted that you feel as though you personally know each one, and years after finishing the novel will still thing about them on occasion. Be warned you will cry. Mistry uses this setting and these characters to show the world an India (a terrible unjust world) that has been ignored for far to long, a history that is worth knowing no matter where in the world you are from. A good read for everyone.

8/10

memorable quotes:

"...you have to use your failures as stepping stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair. In the end it’s all a question of balance."

"Flirting with madness was one thing; when madness started flirting back, it was time to call the whole thing off."

"But nobody ever forgot anything, not really, though sometimes they pretended, when it suited them. Memories were permanent. Sorrowful ones remained sad even with the passing of time, yet happy ones could never be recreated - not with the same joy. Remembering bred its own peculiar sorrow. It seemed so unfair: that time should render both sadness and happiness into a source of pain."

"After all, our lives are but a sequence of accidents - a clanking chain of chance events. A string of choices, casual or deliberate, which add up to that one big calamity we call life."

"...the face has limited space. My mother used to say, if you fill your face with laughing, there will be no more room for crying."

"You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair. In the end it’s all a question of balance."

if you enjoyed this you should read:

Three Day Road - Joseph Boyden
Mercy Among The Children - David Adams Richards
The Englishman's Boy - Guy Vanderhaeghe

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World - A. J. Jacobs

one sentence summary

A.J. Jacobs decides to read The Encyclopedia Britannica in one year. 

review

I have a real soft spot for this type of memoir, the grand quest type of thing. A.J. Jacobs is full of wit and wisdom (though the latter mostly comes out of the encyclopedia itself), an easy read that follows the life of Jacobs (and his family) as he follows his quest in the most entertaining fashion. I recommend this for beach (or bathroom) reading - it is broken up into very short segments. Most anyone will enjoy it, or at least parts of it.

8/10

Memorable quotes:

"I can’t help but notice that you keep writing love poetry to my wife. Well, you see, I married her, which makes her my wife. You know what you might want to try? Writing some poems about the sunset. The sunset isn’t fucking married."

If you enjoyed this read:

Julie and Julia - Julie Powell
anything by Bill Bryson
the other books by AJ Jacobs

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

one sentence summary:
The apocalypse is coming... the antichrist has been misplaced and is eleven, the horsemen are bikers who mostly bicker and best frenemies Crowley (a demon) and Aziraphale (an Angel) are trying to stop it all from happening.

Review
This is a hilarious look at the end of the world co-written by two of my favourite authors. It is a pee-your-pants-laughing novel. The plot is like a roller-coaster, fast and full of twists and turns. The Characters are all highly entertaining in their own rights, well thought out and each with very unique personalities. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to laugh (and has a decent vocabulary and isn't easily offended).

8/10
8/10

Memorable quotes"

"God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time."

"Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a treeful of monkeys on nitrous oxide."

The Millennium Trilogy - Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Book 1)
One Sentence Summary:
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander are thrown together in an attempt to solve a decades old mystery.

Review:
This is one of the most hyped books I remember ever being published. It was well-enough written and it had an entertaining plot. It did not deserve the level of hype it got but it was an enjoyable read for the most part. The characters were the best part of the story.
8/10

Memorable quotes:
"Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble."

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Book 2)

One Sentence Summary:
Lisbeth is in trouble, accused of murder, only Mikael believes she is innocent.

Review:
Written to the same standards as the first. If you really enjoyed the first novel please continue reading the series... if you didn't really enjoy it - it doesn't get any better so don't read with the hope that it does.
8/10

Memorable quotes:
"There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility." 

"Always retain the ability to walk away, without sentimentality, from a situation that felt unmanageable. That was a basic rule of survival. Don't lift a finger for a lost cause."

"No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on something else, to pass the time and to distract her from the situation she was in, the fear came trickling out. It hovered like a cloud of gas around her, threatening to penetrate her pores and poison her."

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (Book 3)

One Sentence Summary:
Lisbeth is back and she is seeking vengeance.

Review:
Written to the same standards as the first two in the trilogy. If you really enjoyed the first novels please continue reading the series... if you didn't really enjoy themt - it doesn't get any better so don't read with the hope that it does.
8/10

Memorable quotes:

"Nobody can avoid falling in love. They might want to deny it, but friendship is probably the most common form of love."

"I'm unhappy. I don't want to fall in love with you. It'll hurt far too much when it's over"

"Salander was afraid of no-one and nothing. She realized that she lacked the necessary imagination - and that was evidence enough that there was something wrong with her brain."

Catcher in the Rye - J D Salinger

one sentence summary
There is a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield...you will want to kill him because he is a little shit.

review
When you are a teenager and you read this book you love it. You relate to Holden, he "gets" you, you "get" him. When you read this as an adult you want to smack Holden upside the head and teach him respect. Either way it is a really well written book, you just have to remember that Holden is just a character and that Salinger, who created the character, is a brilliant writer to make you feel all the feels you feel. This novel will not make you a better person but it will help you realize when you are being a little shit.

6/10 (though everyone should read it once, most people do this when in their teens)
10/10

memorable quotes

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though." 

"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry."

"Mothers are all slightly insane."

if you enjoyed this read

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chobsky
Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy

The Island of the Day Before - Umberto Eco

one sentence summary:
A shipwrecked young man seeks shelter aboard an abandoned ship and with no hope of escape contemplates life.

review:
I enjoyed reading this when I was in my late teens, I do however warn that even I had to have a dictionary on hand while reading it and I have a rather extensive vocabulary. At the time I was questioning everything about life and thus related well to the protagonist, Roberto, who can see the island, and could swim to it and salvation if only he could swim. I viewed this as a parable for life, how we can see our futures, and how to save ourselves from any situation but can't always get there on our own. I also enjoyed Eco's look at religion and extensive historical knowledge (as I always do).   Roberto spends his days reflecting on his life and through these reflections Eco touches on every subject from religion to love to science and everything in between in his typical introspective fashion. Also Eco has this amazing ability to make me forget that he did not in fact write during the era that his novels are set in and this is no exception to that rule. I recommend this to anyone who isn't scared of reading with a dictionary in one hand and the book in the other.
7/10

memorable quotes:
"To survive, you must tell stories." 

"It is necessary to meditate early, and often, on the art of dying to succeed later in doing it properly just once."

"the first quality of an honest man is contempt for religion, which would have us afraid of the most natural thing in the world, which is death; and would have us hate the one beautiful thing destiny has given us, which is life." 

if you enjoyed this I recommend:
The Once and Future king - T. H. White
the other writing of Umberto Eco

C’mon Papa: Dispatches from a Dad in the Dark - Ryan Knighton

one sentence summary:

Blind father, Ryan Knighton, writes this memoir about his experiences with his daughter. 

Review:

This was a wonderful read, Knighton writes in such a way that though you feel sorry for him it is clear he doesn't feel sorry for himself. He proves again and again that just because he can't see what he is doing does not mean he can't do it. Through wit and wisdom Knighton tells us the terrifying story of raising a child in this day and age and how it is even more of a challenge when you can not see. You will laugh a lot, possibly cry a little, and absolutely have your heart in your throat at least twice. I recommend this for anyone who likes memoirs or thinks that they might. 

8/10

Memorable quotes:

"A monumental decision such as starting a family requires persuasive dissertations, licences, spreadsheets and field research. That's what I assumed until one night when we were lying in bed and, if I recall correctly, I asked Tracy if we were ready to have a family now, and she said sure. That was it."

"A tiredness crept over her that would shame narcoleptics. She could sleep anytime, anywhere, in any position. No hyperbole. I mean, we'd be at the dinner table, and I'd be in mid-sentence when I'd detect a fresh, eerie silence in the room, the kind that didn't sound to my blind man's ears like somebody listening. I'd just carry on with dinner, and hope that she'd made it to bed this time." 

If you enjoyed this please read:

Everything else by Ryan Knighton
also check out Bill Bryson

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

one sentence summary:
after crawling away from the massacre of his family Bod is raised by the spirits in the graveyard.

Review:
Neil Gaiman has done it again. A story that will have you shaking your head and laughing out loud. Written for the younger audience, adults will also enjoy this look at what family means (though it may make them nostalgic for their younger days). A coming of age story that spotlights the letting go of childish things, the prose used are rather moving and (as always with Gaiman) beautiful to read. I recommend this to everyone who enjoys reading stories with a pound of magic and a dash of the macabre.
10/10
10/10 (knows about death and up...) 

Memorable Quotes:
“You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

“It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.”

“Face your life, its pain, its pleasure, leave no path untaken.”

If you enjoyed this please consider reading: 
Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching Series
Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland Series
the other YA books by Gaiman

The Shannara Series - Terry Brooks

The Sword of Shannara

One sentence Summary

an epic fantasy adventure set in a magical world.

Review

Riding on the coat tales of the 1970's resurgence of high fantasy Brooks decided to try his hand at it. The world he created is very much like Middle-earth, The characters are all now fantasy stereotypes  I believe they were already stock characters when Brooks began writing. The plot is typical of the fantasy of the era, the protagonist has to journey across the world to destroy something and save the world (sound familiar?). The writing at least isn't awful. I recommend it to teenagers or adults who really like The Lord of the Rings and have read everything else.  

5/10

The Elfstone of Shannara... I will eventually continue this series... eventually

Gentleman Bastard Series - Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard series book 1)
One Sentence Summary:
A not so typical orphans trained to be pick-pockets story.

Review:
A beautifully written fantasy novel set in a Renaissance equivalent era in a city that is clearly Venice this story is full of lovable characters you will never forget. Though the plot hearkens back to Dickens' Oliver Twist this is in no way your Grandma's story. Full of over the top violence and threats based entirely on the characters ability to lie and misdirect the story moves along at such a clip that you will not want to put it down.
8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"Some day, Locke Lamora,” he said, “some day, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope that I’m still around to see it.”
“Oh please,” said Locke, “it’ll never happen”."

"There are only three people in life you can never fool--pawnbrokers, whores, and your mother. Since your mother's dead, I've taken her place. Hence, I'm bullshit-proof." 

Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard series book 1)
This is on my to read shelf...

Percy Jackson & The Olympians - Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief (Book 1)

One Sentence Summary:

Percy Jackson has found out he is part god, that's right part Greek-god, he makes two demi-god friends and they go on a grand adventure.

Review:

This is written for the Harry Potter sect, and as such I recommend it to them. It is written to a grade five level and both boys and girls (and adults who like young adult writing) will enjoy it. Full of adventure and great characters this is a do not miss for the younger readers. 

8/10

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself."

"Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment,as if the garment was stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' underwear?"

The Sea of Monsters (Book 2)

One Sentence Summary:

more demi-god adventures. 

Review:

same quality of everything as the first one, I recommend it if you enjoyed the first one. 

6/10

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum." 

"[My mom's] funny that way, celebrating special occasions with blue food. I think it's her way of saying anything is possible. Percy can pass seventh grade. Waffles can be blue. Little miracles like that."

The Titan's Curse (Book 3)

One Sentence Summary:

more adventure... 

Review:

from this point on if you have enjoyed the previous books just keep going...

6/10

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeleton army that had come to kill us."

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Book 4)

One Sentence Summary:

the greatest adventure so far, a real by the seat of your pant's adventure

Review:

see above...

6/10

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong." 

"Don't feel bad, I'm usually about to die."

The Last Olympian (Book 5)

I have not read this one yet... but will... eventually

Untouchable - Mulk Raj Anand

One Sentence Summary:

In the caste system of India there is a level of "untouchables" this is the story of one of them.

Review:

It should have been a very boring story, a day in the life of one of the lowest caste members in Colonial India. Instead it was absolutely fascinating, the story was written in such a way that once you start reading you can not put it down. The content disgusted me and made me question how humanity can be so cruel. The story also looks at three very different perspectives on how to correct such a corrupt class system. That said I recommend everyone read it, it is a real eye opener. 

8/10

If you enjoyed this read:

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

A Passage to India - E M Forester 

Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus 

Santa Olivia Series - Jacqueline Carey

Santa Olivia (Santa Olivia Book #1)

One Sentence Summary:

Loup is a genetically superior teenage girl who has to come to terms with he special abilities. 

Review:

I have loved all of Carey's novels so far and this is no exception. The main character is the daughter of a biological experiment and a human mother in post-influenza America. The novel covers Loup's whole eighteen years of life and moves along at a rapid trot. The characters are easy to love and the writing style is very good, Carey is very consistent with her quality of writing. I also love the way that Carey isn't afraid of tackling hard relationships and successfully making them real to the readers. I recommend this for anyone who isn't homophobic and enjoys a good adventure.

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"After you, it's all cheap tequila."

Saints Astray (Santa Olivia Book #2)

Not as strong as Santa Olivia still a worthy while read. It felt a bit rushed at times and because of that I would say it would be ok to skip reading it, what ever you imagined after reading the first one was probably a better story than Carey actually wrote.

The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

Disclaimer: I have only read book one in this series, but I do intend to continue reading it eventually and will add reviews as I go

Storm Front
One Sentence Summary:
A wizard for hire works with the police to solve a murder involving black magic.

Review:
A great start to the series, full of action, lovable characters, a gritty setting and witty dialogue. Left me wanting more (but I seem to have misplaced my copy of Fool Moon)...

9/10

Notable Quotes:

"Kids. You gotta love them. I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect."

"Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face."

"Have you ever felt despair? Absolute hopelessness? Have you ever stood in the darkness and known, deep in your heart, in your spirit, that it was never, ever going to get better? That something had been lost, forever, and that it wasn't coming back?" 


"I'd made the vampire cry. Great. I felt like a real superhero. Harry Dresden, breaker of monsters' hearts." 

If you enjoyed this you should read:

Mercedes Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
The Gunslinger Series - Stephen King 
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman 
Allie Beckstrom Series - Devon Monk 

Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

one sentence summary:
1947: India has gained its independence and on the first day as an independent nation the first children of independence were born at midnight, this is the story of one of those children.

review:
I love Rushdie's writing, the language and flow of every phrase is so beautifully crafted reading anything by him is an absolute treat. The characters are easy to love (and hate), the story is an interesting one and the way it is framed is brilliant (narrated through time and space in a rather slapdash way). The story and the beauty of the language makes it worth taking the rambling path trough reading it. BUT I do recommend being prepared for a  bit of a challenging read so maybe save it for when you don't have ten thousand other things on your mind.

9/10

memorable quotes

"Memory has its own special kind. It selects, eliminates, alters, exaggerates, minimizes, glorifies, and vilifies also; but in the end it creates its own reality, its heterogeneous but usually coherent version of events; and no sane human being ever trusts someone else's version more than his own."

"Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems - but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems more and more incredible."

if you enjoyed this please read

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding - P N Elrod et al

One Sentence Summary:

A collection of short stories by the best urban-fantasy authors on the market today. 

Review:

A collection of short stories, all well written and all parts of different series. This collection of sub-plot short stories which are attached to various series is a very good read if you are not certain if you would like the series. I came to this book reading some but not all of the series with mini-stories included in it and finished with the desire to read all of the series by all of the authors, so it did what it was supposed to do. Some of the stories relied a bit heavily on cliches but still worth reading if you like that sort of thing. 

7/10

8/10

Entertaining Quotes from the collection

"I let out a battle cry. Sure, a lot of people might have mistaken it for a sudden yelp of unmanly fear, but trust me. It was a battle cry." - Jim Butcher

"There can be no faith without doubt. No strength without temptation." - Sherrilyn Kenyon

If you enjoyed this read:

Stroke of Midnight - Sherrilyn Kenyon et al

Blood Lite - Kevin J Anderson et al

Bite - Laurell K Hamilton et al

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

*Disclaimer: I am an Agnostic-Atheist ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic_atheism )*

One Sentence Summary:

Dawkins argues that belief in God has caused most of the worlds large-scale violence since the first mentions of God. 

Review:

Well written in an academic way this book is well worth a read if you have any questions about "Capital G God". Dawkins, through extensive research, has correlated most of the awful things people have done since the first mention of God has been in the name of God. Thus it follows without God there wouldn't be so much awful in the world. Not all of Dawkin's research seems to be properly cited but the points he makes are logical. I recommend this as reading for everyone, but be prepared to be offended if you are strongly religious, I recommend reading with an open mind. 

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further."

"There is no such thing as a Christian child: only a child of Christian parents."

"One of the truly bad effects of religion is that it teaches us that it is a virtue to be satisfied with not understanding."

"Let children learn about different faiths, let them notice their incompatibility, and let them draw their own conclusions about the consequences of that incompatibility. As for whether they are ‘valid,’ let them make up their own minds when they are old enough to do so." 

If you enjoyed this I suggest:

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever - Christopher Hitchens et. al.
The Art of Happiness - Daili Lama

The History of God - Karen Armstrong

The Year Of Living Biblically - A.J. Jacobs

Cupid Cats - Katie MacAlister et al

One Sentence Summary:

A collection of three love stories all featuring cats.

Review:

It is a collection of love stories involving cats, what's not to love?!? All three authors are very light hearted writers which works well with this genre. Each story has it's own laugh out loud moments and, of course, a happy ending. The writing is average for the genre so if you have read any harlequins you know what to expect. Perfect reading for a rainy (or sunny) afternoon. 

7/10

10/10

If you Enjoyed this read:

My Zombie Valentine - Katie MacAlister et. al.

On The Prowl - Patricia Briggs et. al.

the Mysteria set - MaryJanice Davidson et al

Unholy Night - Seth Grahame-Smith

one sentence summary:
The three wise men are hardened criminals and one of them stumbles across the new born Jesus and feel compelled to help the family escape the terror of Herod. 

Review:
In the style and quality we have come to expect from Grahame-Smith comes this fantastical retelling of the oldest story of the Christian world. He manages to navigate this story without offending anyone, taking the existing story and filling in the blanks with his own imagination. The writing style and vocabulary is a pleasure to read and the characters are all developed brilliantly. The interaction between the characters and the development of historical figures into meaningful fictional characters is handled brilliantly. The novel is an emotional roller-coaster with love, lost love, tears, humour and  rediscovered love. Oh and it is really violent, even by biblical standards, really violent. 

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

"Nothing would surprise him. Nothing could anymore. But it didn’t matter. Even if it meant the most painful, hideous death a human being had ever experienced, they weren’t getting the baby, and they weren’t getting her. Twenty yards… He gripped the handle of his sword tightly…​breathed deep of the desert air. Okay, Balthazar…let’s die."

"there was no honor in betraying a loyal friend."

If you enjoyed this you should read:

everything else by Seth Grahame-Smith
Lamb - Christopher Moore (if it was the retelling the bible bit you liked the best)

The Soul Screamers Series - Rachel Vincent

Disclaimer: I have only read the first book and unless someone has a compelling reason it is all I will ever read.

My Soul to Take

One Sentence Summary:
A teenage girl, with teenage problems, gains a psychic connection to souls about to die.

Review:
I enjoy Rachel Vincent's adult books to a degree but this was painful to read. The story line was interesting but the writing itself was dumbed down to the degree that it is almost like she thinks her target market (teenage girls) can't read, she has less faith in her readers ability to read than Stephanie Meyer. The characters are stereotypes and  the dialogue is god-awful. I do not recommend this book to anyone but teenage girls who do not care about the writing quality and have read every other thing ever written.

3/10
5/10 (teenaged girls who don't care about writing quality)

Notable Quotes (for an idea of the writing quality):

"My aunt and overprivileged cousin only recognize two states of being: glitter and grunge. And if you weren’t glitter, well, that only left one other option." 

"Nash Hudson. Holy crap. I almost looked down to see if ice had anchored my feet to the floor, since hell had surely frozen over. Somehow I’d stepped off the dance floor and into some weird warp zone where irises swam with color and Nash Hudson smiled at me, and me alone."

If you enjoyed this you should read (which are all way the eff better writing believe it or not):

Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare 
House of Night Series - P. C. Cast
Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

One Sentence Summary:

Charlie is a freshman with no friends, this is about his attempts to fit in and make friends.

Review:

I loved the writing style of Chbosky, the novel is written in the form of letters which follow language very typical of the way high-schoolers think, a bit disjointed with just the right amount of self-loathing and confusion. The story was great and I related well as a bit of a social outcast myself. There were time I wanted to slap Charlie and times I felt so bad for him I wanted to get him a bus ticket to run away. A well thought out character, I would find it difficult to believe Chbosky himself wasn't a bit of a wallflower.

9/10

Memorable Quotes:

"we accept the love we think we deserve."

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"I would die for you. But I won't live for you."

If you enjoyed this you should read:
Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. - Judy Blume
The Catcher in the Rye - J D Salinger
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

As The World Dies Series - Rhiannon Frater

The First Days (As The World Dies Book 1)

One Sentence Summary:
Zombies have taken over the world, Katie and Jenni team up to survive.

Review:
This fast paced adventure is an "up till 2 am to finish it" type of book. The writing is very good (it gets better as you continue reading), Frater's specialty is character development and her characters are great! You genuinely care for the characters and worry about them as the story progresses, each new character is introduced in such a way that you feel immediately bonded with them (as I imagine you would in an end of the world situation). Frater is going to be an author to watch and I can not wait to finish the series, she isn't afraid to shine a light upon the unthinkable choices the end of the world will bring about. I recommend it for everyone who isn't prone to nightmares and isn't homophobic.

8/10

Memorable Quotes:

“Tiny fingers. So small. So very, very small. The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She couldn’t stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on the porch.”

"Katie let the curtain fall back into place. Standing before the window, she felt herself let go of the old world and embrace the new. She would survive this. She would go on. That was all there was to it. She wouldn't give up without a fight. She would do whatever it took to survive."

"Well," Jenni said with a wry smile, "at least we live in Texas, where people actually own guns and hunt."

"She'd been questioning Jenni's sanity for a while now, but then again, they were all slightly insane now, weren't they?" 

If you enjoyed this you should read: 

The Walking Dead Graphic Novels
The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology - Christopher Golden et al
World War Z - Max Brooks

Bite - Laurell K Hamilton et al

One Sentence Summary:
A collection of stories from a selection of today's best selling paranormal romance authors.

Review:
Each story is written in the authors typical style and quality. Well worth reading if you like any of the authors included as they are all of about the same calibre and you might be introduced to someone new you will love.  

8/10
9/10

If you enjoyed this I recommend:
Over the Moon - Angela Knight et al
Dead Over Heels - MaryJanice Davidson et al
Holidays are Hell - Kim Harrison et al

Night - Elie Wiesel

One Sentence Summary:
A true account of the Holocaust.

Review:
Wiesel is a very stirring writer and his real life account of what happened to him and his family during the holocaust is horrifying  As a thirteen year old boy in a death camp his perspective of the atrocities was very interesting to read as most of the accounts of this are written in a more detached way or are fiction. Unlike Anne Frank, Wiesel tells us all about what happened inside the camps as well as what was going on in his life before his family was caught by the Nazis. This book made me hate the world and that was a good thing. Wiesel's writing made me a more compassionate person and more in tune with what is happening on the other side of the world.  I recommend you read it (but not before bed).

10/10

Notable Quotes:

"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed....Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never."

"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere."

"For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." 

If you enjoyed this read:

The Diary of Anne Frank
Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosnay
Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

One Sentence Summary:
There is a circus that is only open at night and shows up without warning.

Review:
This is a beautiful story and the language used to tell it incredibly moving. Every page paints a beautiful, ugly entrancing picture. BUT the plot moves slowly and the blurb on the back of the book is total bullshit. The main characters, the opponents, are a bit flat as though never given personality, probably because they weren't. They were both raised apart from the world so that could be used to explain the lack of development but I still think it is a bit sad that they are so flat. Their story however, is beautiful. The way Morgenstern sets up every scene and the detail she uses to describe the circus made me want to go there. The story jumps around across time and continents. The only thing I can say is I wish there was more about Bailey and the twins (you will agree when you get there). All in all - well worth reading. 

8/10

Notable Quotes:

"The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones."

"You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift."

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."

"People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told that they see."

If you enjoyed this you should read:

The Gentlemen Bastards series

The Key Trilogy - Nora Roberts

One Sentence Summary:
Three women have to find three keys to unlock their destiny and they each find love on the way.


5/10
8/10

Key of Light (The Key Trilogy #1)

One Sentence Summary:
Mallory finds her key and falls in love. 

Review:
This novel does a good job of setting up the series, it introduces all of the characters and has enough adventure to get us to bite. As always I enjoy the banter between the characters, Roberts always does a great job of using dialogue to draw the reader in. I also enjoyed the Celtic myths that runs through the story, clearly Roberts researched this well. The writing is up to Robert's usual standards. 

5/10
8/10

Key of Knowledge (The Key Trilogy #2)

One Sentence Summary:
Dana finds her key and falls in love.

Review:
The story continues, same level of writing, same level of story telling. Dana is a librarian so I like her the best of all of the characters because I see myself in her a lot (yeah I am that much of a nerd). A few to many metaphors for my tastes but typical easy reading Roberts.

6/10
8/10

Key of Valor (The Key Trilogy #3)

One Sentence Summary:
Zoe finds her key and falls in love.

Review:
This does its job and concludes the story. Same quality of everything. 

5/10
8/10

Notable Quotes:

"Do you know what happens when you always look before you leap?" ... "You hardly ever make the jump." - Key of Light

"She surrounded herself with books at work and at home. Her living space was a testament to her first and abiding love with shelves jammed with books tables crowded with them. She saw them not only as knowledge entertainment comfort even sanity but as a kind of artful decoration. " - Key of Knowledge

If you enjoyed this you should read:

The Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Wind Dancer Trilogy - Lisa Jackson
Highlander Series - Karen Marie Moning