Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne

one sentence summary 
An inquisitive scientist goes on a journey to the centre of the earth.

review
The writing is antiquated, the story is timeless and the characters are charming. I love the attention to detail and the general quality of the writing, it seems to me that authors used to write better than they do now. I recommend everyone read this great adventure.

8/10

Spellbound Falls -Janet Chapman

one sentence summary:
When ancient gods need help with their parenting they turn to a modern day family camp... and find love

review:
Better writing than a harlequin, but just as much romance and happily ever after endings. The plot moves along at a clipped pace and some details are brushed over but the adventure is not, two single parents falling in love always adds an interesting dimension to the story. Both of the child characters in this book are really endearing and I enjoyed their personalities. There was also a healthy dose of family drama which didn't add anything to the story, but didn't really deter from it either (possibly will make more sense if I continue reading the series). I recommend this to people who enjoy reading easy romances.

6/10
10/10

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

one sentence summary:
Max gets sent to his room for misbehaving.

review:
This is a beautifully illustrated story. The story is simple, easy for beginner readers and even better to read out loud. It is a story which tells everyone that your mother will always love you.
10/10
10/10

House Rules - Jodi Picoult

*post #2 for today, just so you don't think everything by Picoult is awful*

One Sentence Summary:
The next Sherlock Holmes is a boy with Asperger Syndrome, or is he the next Moriarty... (dun dun duuuun)

Review:
This was a well written look at the world with a teenage boy with Asperger's as our central focus. Picoult did a brilliant job of putting an autistic child at the forefront without it becoming too much of a gimmick, she makes it clear just what kind of an impact a special needs child has on his whole family and the community around them. A lot of the plot is implausible and ridiculous but if you can ignore that it is a really interesting study of a struggling family. I did not approve of the debate about vaccination that was threaded through the novel. VACCINATE YOUR KIDS! I recommend this if you enjoy family dramas / soap operas.

7/10

My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

one sentence summary:
a pair of deranged parents decide the best way to cope with their child's leukemia is to have another child who can act as donor to the sick one.

review:
This book was terrible, the writing was ok at best and all of the characters were well conceived but poorly executed. The plot just pissed me off, time and time again I was scoffing/yelling in my head at the book because it was so stupid and annoying. I recommend you watch the movie instead, at least the actors brought some life to the characters. the writing came across as "hey look I can use big, grown up words" which added nothing, and at times actually took a lot away from the story. Picoult plays on your emotions like Liberace plays the piano but in this case it is just loud, jarring and irritating. I recommend this only if you are trapped in a cabin and bored to death. I read it when it first came out and was on the best sellers list for ever, I had to see what the fuss was about (due to this it will forever be synonymous with Fifty Shades of Grey in the "what was the fuss all about" way)

3/10

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah

one sentence summary:
two middle aged sisters are very different from each other but both want what is best for their elderly mother.

review:
Kristin Hannah is really really good at writing family dramas, full of adversity and love, this is no exception (in fact this is my favourite of all of the books by her I have read). The novel is split between current time Sitka Alaska and Russia during WWII. The characters are two sisters (American born) and their elderly mother (a Russian immigrant). The prose are very well done, well developed characters and descriptions of the setting that may make you want to head on up to Alaska on your next vacation. The depiction of love in this novel is so well done it could even force the most unfeeling people to realize how much other people matter to them. Be warned you may end up in tears more than once. I recommend this to anyone who has emotions, it is like a cleanse for the soul.

8/10

Angelfall - Susan Ee

one sentence summary
Angels have been sent to earth to destroy the modern world. A true apocalypse.

review
I was surprised at how well written and well thought out this book was. It is categorized as young adult but has more violence than the Hunger Games series by far. The plot is enthralling and fast paced. The characters are very sympathetic (I dare say I feel more for Penryn (this book) than I did for Katniss (hunger games)) and well written. The novel also touches on mental illness and some of the less glamorous aspects of a post-apocalypse world that most novels skim over.  If this quote makes you squeamish I do not recommend you read this book, "six butter knives stick out of his chest in a circular pattern. Someone has drawn a powder-pink lipstick pentagram with the knives at the end of the points. Blood bubbles up...My mother is safe. She has purposely missed his heart, and he will slowly bleed to death." I highly recommend this novel to anyone who still want's to read it after reading the above quote. It is beautiful and haunting, violent and full of compassion. It is an all around good read.

8/10

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

one sentence summary:
an "artist" is born, see the process as never before

review:
a really interesting character study, told from the third person perspective. The language was beautiful and oft times harsh and jilting. I found the religious aspect of it a fascinating look at the levels of irrational insanity people can reach, when given a frame work of religion (just look at West Burrow Baptist). The way in which an individual comes to term with their own beliefs is something that I enjoy having the chance to watch unfold and Joyce has done a brilliant job at putting that struggle to paper.  I would hate the main character for being a pretentious twat should I have met him in real life. This is often listed on lists of great literature, it is that but it is only literature, I would not recommend this to a casual reader.

6/10

Moirin's Trilogy - Jacqueline Carey

One Sentence Summary:
Moirin is not like anyone else that she knows, strange gods speak to her and she must find out why.
8/10
10/10


Naamah's Kiss (Moirin's Trilogy #1)
One Sentence Summary:
The child Moirin is raised to adulthood and begins her quest to discover and follow her destiny.
Review:
Carey tackles this new series with the same ability to look life in the face and not shirk away from the more difficult subjects. The prose are beautiful and the descriptions of scenery are moving. The characters are all very well thought out and Carey is successful in making you love them or hate them. The action and adventure is a bit slow to start but once it does you will not be able to put the book down.
10/10
10/10

Naamah's Curse (Moirin's Trilogy #2)

One Sentence Summary:
Moirin continues her journey travelling from far to find her true love.
Review:
The adventure in this volume has snowballed and can not be stopped. Carey thrives on description and as Moirin travels the world she encounters new lands and new people which Carey describes with such detail that you honestly feel that you are part of the adventure. Reading this, like anything by Carey, is an experience you will not soon forget.
8/10
10/10

Naamah's Blessing (Moirin's Trilogy #3)


One Sentence Summary:
Moirin and her love, Bao, travel to Terra Nova and the adventure continues.
Review:
More beautiful prose and more thrilling escapades. This concludes the story arch very well, in an unexpected way and closes the door on the story of Moirin and Bao. Carey has said she has no intention of returning to the world of Phedre and Moirin but I hold out hope that one day she will have a new story to tell as the world is such a wonderful place I hate to think I will never return to new adventures.
9/10
10/10

Notable Quotes:
"I seek words of such surpassing beauty that they might melt the hardest heart of stone." - Kiss

"Our eyes met. We had so very many shared memories between us, Bao and I. Some were wonderous, and some were terrible. Some were both." - Blessing

"I have seen the impossible. I have seen great and terrible wonders, and I tell you, the world is a vaster and stranger place than ever I had reckoned." - Blessing
If you enjoyed this read:

Everything else by Jacqueline Carey
The Wayfarrer Series - Sara Douglass

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thomas

one sentence summary:
overindulgence leads to insanity
review:
This is a great work of American Fiction, it aptly throws the reader into the hedonistic drug culture of the 1960/70's. IT is a highly entertaining read full of unbelievable circumstances and outrageous claims, which when coupled with the drug induced feeling of the work it is one of the most fascinating novels I have read in a long time. I recommend it to anyone who wants an in depth look at the world of indulgence without actually doing the drugs. The writing is fantastic.
8/10

Texas! Sage - Sandra Brown

One Sentence Summary

the youngest daughter in a family business tries to live up to what she thinks are the expectations of her family

review

this is book three in a trilogy. It is an easy romance for a dull afternoon. I related well to Sage's struggle to find a place in the family business. The writing is mediocre 

4/10

A Child's Garden of Verses - Robert Louis Stevenson

one sentence summary:
A collection of poetry extolling the wonder of being a child.

review:
This is a wonderful read, very Victorian in it's language which adds to the appeal of the child like joy the poems evoke. I recommend reading it out loud to any and every small child in your life. On the internet there seems to be much complaint about the language used being un-relatable to today's children, well if that is the case maybe we need to make smarter children.

7/10

The Giver - Lois Lowry

one sentence summary:
with great responsibility comes an ample dose of crazy.

review:
This, for most people, is one of the first looks at a dystopian/utopian world. A coming of age story that is relatable to by almost everyone in our vastly media savvy world where everyone wants to be the same as everyone else. On first read through as an adult it seems very preachy with religion thrown in your face nearly every time you turn the page, but on a second read through it is a much better read. It is a really well written poignant story using beautiful language to contrast with the harsh sameness of the subject matter. On a personal note (coming from someone who has read an awful lot of dystopian fiction) this is the kind of "utopia" I imagine could actually work for a limited number of generations, familial bonds are kept strong (but not too strong), tasks are assigned based on aptitude and evolution has continued in humans to make maintaining the sameness possible. This is well worth reading, it is a short book so just take an afternoon and do it.

8/10
8/10

Land of the Lone Star Series - Tracie Peterson

one sentence summary:
Following the American Civil War Texas is in turmoil, but despite it all love finds a way.

review:
The writing is surprisingly good for the genre of "Christian Romance", you may be wondering what the heck I am doing reading a Christian romance novel to begin with, well I have a soft spot for Amish romance stories, and I do enjoy historical romance, so I decided to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised, I think that the historical setting had a lot to do it, being Christian made sense back then, the lack of scientific discovery and the need to be able to explain why life was so hard. I believe that if I were reading a novel with this many God references set in modern times it would just drive me up the wall, but the historical setting made it all ok. As I said the writing was surprisingly good, with the historical details and the characters being front and center of the story. Peterson did a fantastic job of creating bad guys you couldn't help but hate and couples that you couldn't help but root for. I learned a lot about the history of Texas at this time as well which was really interesting. I also really liked (in the first book) how Peterson tried to reconcile Christianity with the Natives as well, it was interesting to see the characters develop and draw conclusions about their own faith based on the beliefs of others. I recommend this for someone looking for light, romantic, well written, smut-free reading.

6/10

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

one sentence summary:
a boy and girl fall in love, she marries someone else, he beds 622 other people, what will happen when they meet again?

review:
This is not an easy read, thus is not recommended for occasional readers, but if you consider yourself a reader I would most likely recommend it to you. It is a beautifully written work and while I understand that love is a difficult thing to write about in a realistic way, the love in this novel is so possible it almost becomes surreal. It moves from love to hatred/obsession and back to love in a rather believable story line. the characters are all well thought out and wonderfully flawed. Well worth reading if you enjoy reading.

6/10

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J.R.R. Tolken

one sentence summary:
there is a ring that must be taken on a long journey and then thrown in a volcano.

review:
This is the epitome of fantasy writing, they made the genre more popular, first when the novels were published and then again when they were made into films. In my opinion they are well written but long winded, the details go on for pages, so much so that it gets a bit boring from time to time. The plot is good, the action is detailed and the characters are all endearing. I recommend this only to fantasy fans and never ever as an introduction to the genre.

5/10

The Frankenstein Series - Dean Koontz

one sentence summary:
What if the story of Frankenstein was true, a man was really created hundreds of years ago, and survived.

review:
This series has an interesting premise which is what made me pick up the second book (which was the best of the three) but the writing is mostly lack lustre. Most for the characters rely heavily on stereotype and, for an author who has written as much crime as Koontz, to procedural bits were truly awful. the core characters are all well developed though. The dialogues are really the strongest aspect of the series, and the interactions between the character are really well thought out plot devices, apparently this project was started as a tv script, and from the writing that makes sense. Light on the descriptive prose (and what is there feels out of place) but well thought out on the character interactions. I am not sure I would actually recommend this series but it is entertaining enough.

6/10
I have only read the first three books in the series and am not sure I will ever continue with the series.

Beyond the Dark - 4 novellas - Angela Knight, Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, and Diane Whiteside

one sentence summary:
a supernatural element always makes smut somehow smuttier.
review:
All four of these stories were pretty all right. The strongest was the one by Lora Leigh, another of her breeds stories, genetically altered humans who are biologically compelled to mate for life once they have found their destined partner. A lot of pre-coitus drama and not all that much smut, but the drama was entertaining. The second and third strongest were pretty well the same level of entertaining, Whiteside and Holly both have strong females as their protagonist. Whiteside  is more of an alternate history style story where as Holly's can be categorized without any second guessing as erotica. I would say 75% of her story is sex. It is highly entertaining. Angela Knight had the weakest story of the bunch, which is odd because usually she is good, but she fell into the trap of trying to fit to much plot into to few pages. I must admit, by the time I finished the book I didn't really remember much about her story, it is the first or second story in this edition. I recommend it to people who like this sort of thing

6/10 *smut rating based on actual smut may be as high as 8 but the stories were not all particularly good*

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales - The Brothers Grimm

one sentence summary:
Before there was Disney fairy tales were much more gruesome.
review:
I happen to know a lot about the brothers Grimm and I can tell you that they did not come up with all of these stories on their own, rather they collected all the folk tales in Eastern Europe and wrote them down, thus they get all of the credit. I do not recommend these for children unless you stop reading and add your own happy endings because none of the true endings of fairy tales are happily ever after ones. These are all timeless classics and I believe no library is complete without them in it. Translated into almost every language these are all brilliant stories. Personally, I have a beautiful copy that was given to me by one of my mom's friends at my baby shower.
10/10

Eragon - Christopher Paolini

one sentence summary:
A boy finds a dragon.
review:
This is a novel that does it's job very well, it is written to bring preteen boys (and girls) into the world of reading and expand their vocabulary while at it. It is not particularly well written and the story is not particularly original, in fact it is one of the most unoriginal works of fantasy I have ever read. That said it is a good introduction to the fantasy genre as it touches on almost every trope of the genre. I recommend it to preteens without a lot of experience in the genre.
4/10
6/10

Eve Duncan Series - Iris Johansen

one sentence summary:
Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor she gives faces to forgotten bones.
review:
This is a decently written entertaining series. Eve Duncan, the protagonist is a very strong character but there are many other notable ones as well. Some of the books Even takes centre stage and in others she doesn't and that is what makes the series so interesting. The writing and settings are pretty standard for the genre, the plot of each novel is interesting as a stand alone with an over arching mystery covering much of the series. Well worth the read if you like that sort of thing.
6/10

Check out: Tami Hoag, J A Jance, Lisa Gardner 

The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

one sentence summary:

Holmes is a bit of an egotist, but well tempered by his friend Watson.

review:

This is fantastic reading, a good mix of story lengths. All well written and entertaining. The characters all interact with each other in most interesting ways, especially the relationship between Holmes and Watson. With driven, fast paced plots the stories are all page turners. Because they were written so long ago they have taken on a historical feel which adds to the general awesomeness of great writing. I recommend everyone read at least one of the stories of Holmes, after all the stories are a huge part of our culture.

8/10

Lincoln Rhyme Series - Jeffery Deaver

one sentence summary:
an interesting take on the cop drama, one partner a paraplegic the other on the trail of the criminals

Review:
Well written (for this genre) with an interesting idea at the core of it all. Strong characters create really rather interesting situations and interpersonal issues that add a lot to the typical crime solving suspense. Each novel seems to have a plot twist that is actually a twist. You relate to the protagonists and really worry for them in dangerous situations. I recommend these to anyone who really enjoys suspense type stories.

6/10
*i have only read the first 5 books in this series, in fact i didn't know there were more.*

if you enjoyed this series check out James Patterson, Lisa Gardner, Michael Connelly and the like

Sphere - Michael Crichton

one sentence summary
Why the fuck would anyone explore a spaceship so deep in the ocean that the pressure outside would kill you?? read this book to find out why...(tho I am still pretty sure it is a terrible idea)

review:
The writing is above average for the genre, the story is really quite interesting (once you make the assumption that some people just need to know, and that need outweighs any sane reasoning they may have had) and the characters are all horribly flawed and entertaining. The novel is written in what I like to think of as the Crichton style, long explanations of science, decent dialogue, rushed action and plot holes the size of the grand canyon. I recommend this for plane or cabin reading, a fast paced story whose details don't matter. I recommend it to anyone looking to read an action movie with shoddy science.

8/10

i recommend checking out Robin Cook, Carl Sagan (his fiction), Steve Alten etc

Julie & Julia - Julie Powell

one sentence summary:
Julia decides to do a blog by cooking every recipe in Julia Childs "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year.

review:
This book, while far from great writing is entertaining in an easy read type way. One of those grand quest, kind of funny, memoirs that hit the best seller lists. It covers all aspects of her life, not just the grand quest, and that is what made it worth reading. Both Julia and her husband are bona fide yuppies but that kind of adds to the charm of them. Quirky in an "influenced way the eff to much by Disney ideals" way this is a very interesting look at the quest for a "perfect relationship". I enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone who this description appeals to.
6/10

if you enjoyed this check out A J Jacobs