Eoin Colfer - "Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code"




The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3)

      Well, ol' Artemis is at it again.  This thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind is once again looking for a grand scheme to increase the holdings of the Fowl family coffers.  This time though, he's less motivated by money and world domination and much more motivated to save the life of his long-time bodyguard, Butler. 

     The book opens with Artemis negotiating a deal with a greedy businessman, and it goes very very wrong!  Artemis has created a C-cube, that uses fairy technology (gleaned from previous encounters with the fairy folk) to basically scan all kinds of electronic devices and allows the user to basically commandeer them.  During this scene Artemis realizes that the cube is capable of "tracking" the underground fairy technology and is therefore very dangerous to the magical creatures below.  The deal goes poorly, and ends in a shooting match.  Butler ends up saving Artemis' life (again) by literally taking a bullet to the chest.  Artemis is then highly motivated to retrieve the stolen cube so as to protect his friends, but he also needs them to help save his beloved Butler's life.  In exchange for using fairy technology to save Butler and get the cube back, Artemis agrees to succumb to a mind wipe which will eliminate all memories and knowledge of The People. 

     With Butler on ice (literally), Juliet Butler, Mulch Diggums, Holly Short, and Foaly all work together to not only to get the cube back, but to get the greedy, tricky businessman put behind bars.  As always, our favorite juvenile criminal mastermind has concocted a genius plan that covers all bases, and accomplishes all that he sets out to do.

     I have to give Mr. Colfer props for being so imaginative in his books.  He does a good job of marrying the real and fantastical worlds into an interesting and fun read.  I love how Artemis is this amazing genius mastermind, yet he still isn't old enough to drive; he has so much knowledge, but he still has to experience "growing up."  Another theme that runs throughout the book is that Artemis Fowl Sr. has regained consciousness and is healing nicely, and as he's returning to health, he vows that the Fowl family will be putting their life if crime behind them.  He introduces the idea to his son that there are more important things in the world than money.  This idea is brought to the forefront for young Artemis as he experiences the possible loss of Butler, his friend. 

     As in all Fowl books, there is a unique code along the bottom that adds another level to the story.  I had to buy a book from New Zealand (thank you Abebooks.com!) to get the edition with the "non-Gnomish" code.  Apparently the American versions are all in Gnomish, so I had to do some research to get the unique code.  Thank you for not commenting on how ridiculous I can be sometimes ;)

Happy summer reading!

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

   

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

     Ahhhh, I love that feeling you get when you can check something off of your to do list.  I can finally do that for all 4,100 pages of the 7 Harry Potter novels.  (Yes, it's an EXACT page count; please withhold all comments regarding my nerdiness, I already know.)  It was a thrilling ride, and I have to say that I was missing out on something great whilst I was refusing to read them simply because they are popular.  (Again, refrain yourself from making the dweeb comments.)

      This book picks up right where the last left off, with Harry newly returned to number 4 Privet Drive days before his 17th birthday.  He is grieving the loss of Dumbledore and is also trying to figure out how to accomplish the mission of destroying the remaining 5 horcruxes Voldemort has created in order to attempt to achieve immortality.  The action in this last book starts right from the get-go when 6 members of the Order of the Phoenix ingest Polyjuice Potion to make themselves identical to Harry so as to hopefully confuse the Death Eaters as to which Harry is the real one while they attempting to move him to one of the Orders' safe houses.  There is a massive airborne battle between the 2 groups, and the ever-growing list of casualties continues to grow.  

     The majority of the book is spent following Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they try to figure out what and where the horcruxes are, as well as how to go about destroying the one they already posses.  Throughout their travels, this little group also learns (by means of the items that Dumbledore bequeathed the trio in his will) of the possible existence of the "deathly hallows" - a trio of objects that allow the beholder to overcome death itself.  Now their search is expanded to include those items as well.  This little band of friends accomplishes a few pretty amazing feats, not the least of which is ***spoiler alert*** breaking into Gringott's bank, rescuing a dragon, and attempting to steal a valuable item right out of the ministry of magic.  *** 

     One of the ideas that runs throughout this novel is that there is a shadow cast upon the reputation of Dumbledore.  Harry genuinely questions the character of his greatest mentor, and it's a struggle that Harry must deal with throughout almost the entire story.  Also, the idea that either Harry of Voldemort will have to die in the end is brought to the forefront of the story as the end draws neigh.  There are also seeds of discord sown into the tight little group of the three friends as tensions run high.  It's interesting to see how all of these intricately woven ideas exhibits themselves through the story to provide the reader with a fantastic piece of literature to enjoy as we watch the tensions build and the ensuing war finally take shape.         

    

     As expected, this is the most "adult-oriented" book in the series, and it tackles some really intricate ideas..  It was really really exciting to see all of the loose ends get neatly tied up as the book (and series) drew to a close.  Ms. Rowling did an extraordinary thing with this entire series by being so intricately detailed.  i could really see that she had the whole storyline drawn out before she even wrote the first book.  It is evident that she knew what she was trying to accomplish from the very inception of the books.  It's hard to accept that the series has come to a close, and that there is no more for me to enjoy, but it was a great ride while it lasted, and I hope this isn't the last we hear from such an amazing writer.

Cheers to you Ms. Rowling!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loraine Despres ' "The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell"

    The spirit of Sissy LeBlanc lives on!  In a more technical sense, it BEGINS with Belle Cantrell and her bad behavior, actually.  Loraine Despres has created another literary gem in the same vein as Ms. Sissy's story.  This is the story of Belle Cantrell, Sissy's feisty grandmother, and it serves as an entertaining prequel to "The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc."  It's set again in the small town of Gentry, Louisiana in the 1920 during the age of jazz, prohibition, the rise of the KKK, and woman's suffrage.  Just as in Mrs. Despres' previously published work, the reader will find themselves pouring through this book that is full of strong women, romance, murder, young love, and controversial issues of the day, not to mention a healthy dose of adventure and sharp wit.

     At the tender age of 16 Belle is passionately in love with Claude Cantrell, and very soon afterwords comes to find herself a young mother and bride.  Claude is called off to war leaving his wife and daughter to live on the family farm with his mother, Miss Effie.  Upon his return home, he is murdered, and Belle feels herself responsible.  Talk about a bad day!

     After a few years of recovery from Claude's death, Belle starts to set her sights on advancing the rights and roles of women.  As with all great new periods in our lives as women, it begins with a fabulous new hair cut.  She begins this journey of promoting the "fairer sex" by getting her hair bobbed, buying a cloche, and attending suffragette meetings.  I think from the get-go Belle knew the rules of society as she was practically raised by the well-bred and proper Miss Effie; however, I feel that she finds the execution of said rules a bit harder to carry out and somewhat unsavory to her free spirit.

The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell: A Novel

     The bob is just the beginning of Belle beginning to live her life as a liberated and unfettered woman.  She and her unsinkable spirit woos the eligible bachelor Rafe Berlin (who just so happens to be her best friends' brother).  He is down in Gentry from Chicago to help the Rubenstien family get their business streamlined and in tip-top shape.  Part of this involves collecting old debts from some of Gentry's oldest families.  This, in addition to an unwillingness to accept the fact that times were changing, irks the ire of the newly re-established Gentry chapter of the KKK.  One of the other ways in which Belle outwardly bucks society (other than kissing a man in public and wearing her form-fitting riding breeches right into the middle of town) is to takeover the position of "foreman" and to work the fields of her very large family farm once the infamous Bouree LeBlanc is dismissed from that position.  Some of the controversial issues of the time that are addressed in Mrs. Despres' second novel include her characters dealing with racism, birth control, prohibition, adultery, woman's suffrage, even the mention of free love.

     Throughout this delightfully twisting tale of friendship, love, determination, and  the idea of standing up for what one thinks is right we see our heroine not only endeavor to take on the world and to pass the benefits on to future generations, but also we see her inspire others to stand up for themselves and for what's right.  Another thing that I love about this book is Belle's ongoing references to the "Primer of Propriety" and the "Southern Girls' Guide to Men and Other Perils of Modern Life."  They are the "literary"version of the "good angel / bad angel" that reside on each of our shoulders.  They also exhibit the contrast between the small town old guard and the new, brash generation that came behind them almost as dramatically as the characters of Miss Effie (who refers to automobiles as "a good time house on wheels") and Belle (who was caught making out  in a closet at a party by her daughter), and I found them quite entertaining and even practical for many situations.              
 
     All in all, I'd say it was a good read!  Loraine does a great job of making her characters easy to relate to and describing her settings well.  I felt myself grow frustrated with some of the things Belle felt encumbering her and found myself thinking Rafe was a hottie.  I even felt a sense of pride when the girls got the final count from the senate and gained the right to vote.  I think in some ways this book is "tamer" than Sissy's Scandalous Summer, and I enjoyed it from cover to cover!  I think you should do the same.

     Summer is upon us, stay cool!

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince"

     Welcome once again to the wonderfully weird wizarding world of young Mr. Harry Potter.  Of the six books that I've read so far, this one is quite different.  I think it may even be my favorite one so far too.  This book opens with a description of how there seems to be a cloud of misery over everything and everyone as well as a very mysterious meeting between Severus Snape, Malfoy's Mother, and Aunt Belliatrix.  From that droll scene, the reader is transported to Harry's bedroom at the Dursley's.  He's grieving his lost Godfather when a letter from Dumbledore arrives telling him to be ready to take a little trip with him then head to the Burrow to spend the rest of the summer with the Weasley family. 

     Pretty much from that point on, it's a non-stop magical ride.  Harry and Dumbledore make a stop on their way to the Burrow for the purpose of visiting Horace Slughorn in order to persuade him to resume his post as the Potions Professor at Hogwarts.  Once again the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is empty after another year, and Snape finally gets his dream job!  In the last book, Dumbledore assigns Snape to take Harry on for private lessons, and it did not bode well.  So this time Harry begins private lessons with Dumbledore himself in which Harry learns a lot about Voldemort's personal history.  At the end of the last episode there is a prophecy revealed that basically states that there will be a great fight between Harry and Voldemort and one will end up killing the other.  This is one of the reasons that it is so very important that Harry learn as much about Voldemort as he can; he must know what he's up against as well as the weaknesses of his greatest enemy.  One of the most interesting things that our hero discovers is the reason for Voldemort's "immortality."
 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

      Not only is this whole novel a wild ride for Harry, but also for those reading along!  Young Mr. Potter yet again finds himself in situations that far exceed his level of education, yet he still manages to overcome them, even if it does require a little help from time to time.  But then again, don't we all?

     I do have to say that even though this was one of my favorite Potter books so far, I did have quite a few unsettled questions at the end.  It left me hungering for more, craving the satisfaction that only answered questions can provide it's readers.  ***Spoiler Alert*** It was also downright heart-rending when Harry has to literally force a questionable potion down Dumbledore's throat in order to complete their mission, even as Dumbledore begs him to stop.***  This book was not as riddled with teenage angst as the previous, but there is a lot of attention placed upon the growing love interests of our main characters.  Harry Potter is growing up, right before my very eyes....  Yes, I am FULLY aware of how terribly nerdy I am, thank you very much! ;)

     I really have enjoyed this series so far, despite the fact that I really didn't want to read it in the first place.  This book is no exception; it's a great read from start to finish.  Check it out, and let me know what you think.

     Summer is here, what better time to delve into a stack of amazing literature!?

Ted Dekker - "The Martyr's Song"



The Martyr's Song (The Martyr's Song Series, Book 1)

      There may only be 144 pages between the two covers of this book, but they are a powerful 144 pages!  This novella is the first book in "The Martyr's Song" series, and is a beautiful melding of two stories in one.  One story is set in modern day (Atlanta, 1960's), and involves an elderly lady who works as a florist and takes an interest in a young "outcast" girl named Marci.  Eve, the older lady, notices Marci and the troubles she's having at school and invites her to her house and offers to change her life.  To say the least, Marci is skeptical, but shows up on Eve's doorstep anyway. 

     Eve proceeds to tell Marci that the story she is about to hear will change her life and make her beautiful.  Marci is instructed to listen and to figure out which of the characters in the story she relates to most, in essence, which character she is and what part she plays in the story.  The worn red book that Eve begins to read from transports both the reader and the listener to a small Bosnian village back in WWII.

     The villagers, composed only of women, children, and an old priest are celebrating a birthday for one of the little girls in town when five soldiers arrive on the scene.  The commander of the small group is incenced that this small village church is still standing and that the town seems to have been unaffected by the war.  Karadzic, the leader, proceeds to wreak havoc upon the villagers and their beloved priest.

     Although the things that the soldiers did were atrocious, to say the least, there was a silver lining to it.  Throughout the terrible and torturous things the priest had to endure, he kept finding himself awakening in a beautiful field of white flowers that is filled with laughter and singing.  He finds that as he endures extreme physical pain for the sake of his Lord, he sees that the world in which his body occupies is not the true reality, and he longs to relinquish his hold on his life in order to enter into the world that he knows he was destined for. 

     Marci finds herself not only enraptured by the story she is told, but finds that she can be made beautiful by it, as are all who hear it, and seek out their place in the story. 

     As in some of the other books that I've read by Mr. Dekker, I found myself completely immersed in the story.  He is an amazing storyteller with a way of pulling his readers into the pages in a very vivid way.  Just like Marci, I wondered where I fit in.  I found myself longing to have the kind of strength of faith that the priest and his flock of women and children exhibited.  I want to know that should I find myself in the situation where I am to deny Christ and live or to stand by Him and die, that I would have the fortitude to make my stand.  Like I said, it's a powerful story...

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

     What has young Mr. Potter gotten himself into this time?   It is now Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and so far it's one of the most stressful yet as his O.W.L. exams are fast approaching.  The story begins as usual with him trying to survive life with his miserable muggle family, the Dursleys.  Summer is coming to a close and all the while his two best friends, Hermione and Ron are totally incommunicado, and there has been no word whatsoever about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named despite the fact that Harry saw Voldemort return to his own body with his very own eyes.  Just as Harry is at his lowest, a pair of dementors from the wizard prison, Azkaban, approach him and his terrible cousin, Dudley, right there on bland ole' Privet Drive!  Harry casts a charm to defend himself and Dudley, and comes to find out from his crazy neighbor, Mrs. Figg (a person from a wizarding family that isn't able to do magic), that the man assigned to protect him had fallen down on the job and Dumbledore would not be pleased to hear about it. 

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

     It's at this point that Harry finds himself being rescued from his locked bedroom at the Dursley's house by a motley crew of witches and wizards who scuttle him off to the headquarters of the order of the phoenix.  This "order of the phoenix" Harry discovers is a secret society of magical folk dedicated to raising up an army against the newly arisen Voldemort.  This group includes the Weasley family, Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius Black (Harry's godfather), Professor Snape, Dumbledore, and a number of other characters.  Just as the Order is beginning to from a resistance to the Dark Lord, the Ministy of Magic is taking it's own strides to deal with the recent turn of events.  One of these ways is to discredit Harry and those who believe his talk of Voldemort's return, as well as to attempt to meddle in the education of the Hogwart's students.  This is where Hogwart's newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Deloris Umbridge comes into the picture. 

     We have seen in previous books that Harry has a fairly active dream life, but it is even more so in this episode.  Harry has a reoccurring dream throughout this book that involves a long dark hallway with many doors, and usually some kind of strong emotion.  It's very interesting to see how this function plays a significant role in the telling of this tale.  One other prominent storyline involves the beautiful Cho Chang.  In the last book she had caught Harry's eye, but at the time she was dating the now deceased  Cedric Diggory.  Just as in the last story, Harry finds himself attracted to her, but he actually begins to find himself wanting to impress her and to get closer to her, but is at a loss of how to go about doing so.

     This is almost a 900 page book so there are NUMEROUS different threads of storyline wafting throughout it's copious pages, and this is a poor attempt to sum up quite so many pages.  As usual, I recommend reading the book to get a  taste of what's going on in Mr. Potter's life.  Also, as I've said in previous blogs that the overarching story matures with it's readership, and this is especially true in this novel as Harry begins to explore the world of girls, and is having to begin to think about his future after his education is finished at Hogwarts.  I would say these are characteristics that most 15-year old's deal with; I would also say that in this book, Harry is especially "angsty" and anxious just as most kids are at that age.  It makes me think that Ms. Rowling has had some pretty in-depth experience with teenagers.  Of all of the book in this series that I've read so far, this one is probably my favorite because it really feels like there were a lot of questions answered, and there were MANY events that take place that make the story feel like it's really starting to progress quickly.  This book, more so than it's predecessors, begins to paint a picture of what is to come as the series draws to a close.  ("The Goblet of Fire" (book 4), in my mind, gives this one a run for it's money for the title of "favorite so far" just because that one was so imaginative and generally fun to read.)  It was a little tough to read this one as poor Harry was pretty "riled up" most of the time, but I think that is just something that goes with the territory of being a teenager...

     What does the future hold for Harry James Potter?  I guess we'll find out soon...

Baroness Emmuska Orczy - "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

     If you're in the market for a good historical fiction, filled with lords and ladies, crafty disguises, sneaky spies, dire situations, and ingenious escapes, then I recommend you check out this much beloved classic!  This tale has been retold in various movies, and stage productions, but in my humble opinion, the book is always better ;) 

     Our tale opens in 1792, "the year of grace" with a captain in the army of the republic bragging about how none of the sneaky members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel have gotten any royal refugees past his barricade because of his keen eyes!  Shortly after, a loathsome, haggard old woman takes her vegetable cart through that very same barricade to visit her grandson with smallpox.  Lo and behold, that very same "woman" was in actuality the man, the myth, the legendary Scarlet Pimpernel himself! 

     According to Baroness Orczy, during the French Revolution, there was a band of English spies who risked life and limb to smuggle those who were headed to Mme. Guillotine out of the country to their neighboring refuge, England.  This group consisted of about 20 young, gallant, and even wealthy English gentlemen who were lead by one resourceful and daring genius who called himself The Scarlet Pimpernel (named after a small red English flower).   

The Scarlet Pimpernel

     Some of the main characters are Sir Percy Blankney, Marguerite (his wife), Armand St. Just (her brother), Chauvelin (a malicious French spy), Andrew Ffoulkes, and a hoard of other minor characters.   Marguerite is a young French woman who is hailed as the wittiest woman in Europe, and everyone is surprised when she marries Sir Percy as he is said to be somewhat dimwitted and foppish (a lovely English term used to describe vain man who is mostly concerned about their appearance and dress).  With Sir Percy's vast fortune and lovely wife, he is touted as one of the luckiest men around, as well as one of the most popular and fashionable as he is always impeccably dressed for every occasion.  Marguerite and Percy have been married about a year at this point in the story and their love has grown cold, she feels trapped in a marriage that began wonderfully, but due to an earlier indiscretion on her part, they grew apart.  She tries throughout the story to re-ignite that love.

     One of the biggest plot lines that comprises this story is that of the rescue of The Comte de Tournay.  At the beginning of the story, Sir Andrew delivers The Comtesse de Tournay and her two children to the Fisherman's Rest, a little inn near the coast of Dover, England.  As this plot is unfolding, Chauvelin makes his way to England in an attempt to solicit information regarding The Scarlet Pimpernel so that the next time our hero sets foot upon French soil, he can be arrested and escorted to the Guillotine.  As fate would have it, Chauvelin discovers information about Armand St. Just and uses it as leverage against Marguerite.  He offers her a deal: She finds out what she can about The Scarlet Pimpernel and his identity, and Chauvelin will personally see to it that Armand gets out of France safely.

     What happens????? You'll just have to read it to find out!  This is certainly an action packed story that boasts some pretty tense moments throughout.  There is a fair amount of mystery and suspense within these pages as well.  I do have to say, that it took a chapter or two to really grab my attention, but from that point on, it was a page-turner, through and through!!!!

Jim Butcher - "Storm Front"

     Question: what kind of story do you get when you add 15 years to Harry Potter's age, mix in a little sci-fi, stir in some strange murders, gently fold some of Dean Koontz style + dry humor in, and set it in modern-day Chicago?  Answer: The Dresden Files, a series by Jim Butcher.  I knew I would like the book a) when one of my best girlfriends (who openly admits that Star Trek is cool) thrust the book into my hands AND b) when I read the mini-bio about the author on the back flap... "A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane.  He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog."  along with this photo:

Go ahead, admit it... YOU LOVE HIM!!!!!  I know, I know, I do too :D  and you may not have even read the book yet.  Is your appetite whetted yet?  Oops, did I just let my inner-geek show????

     Harry Dresden is a wizard who has literally set up shop in Chicago as, well, I'll just let you read for yourself:  "HARRY DRESDEN – WIZARD  Lost items found. Paranormal investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates. No love potions, endless purses, parties, or other entertainment."  He's serious and dry witted with a side of quick thinking and honesty to boot.  The story opens with a brief introduction to our main character, Harry.  The next thing you know, he is called in by the Chicago P.D. to help investigate a pair of gruesome and certainly paranormal murders. 

     This is a geniusly written novel, and I love how Mr. Butcher mixes the extra-ordinary in with the ordinary to create a tale that is comfortable and doesn't force tooooo many mental exercises, but also allows the reader to expect the unexpected.  Even though it's a pretty serious story, I found myself giggling too.  It was the kind of book that kept me thinking about it when I was at work, and all I wanted to do was be at home in my fuzzy socks with my nose firmly in place within the pages of this book.  There were twists and turns, trolls and mob bosses, potions and VW Beetles, faery's and Chicago pizza; I told you, this tale has it ALL.  The author does an astounding job of placing the supernatural into the mundane.  

     Although it contains faeries, wizards, and the like, I would not by any means call it a kid's book!  It's most definitely a grown up "fairy tale."  It's got the elements of the classic white magic vs. black magic, but is much more complex that just that.  As I mentioned above it hints at Koontzesque elements of the macabre.  I highly recommend this book (maybe even the whole series, I bought the next 2 novels the day after I finished book one) for a quick, exciting, "something out of the ordinary" kind of read.

Cheers Mr. Butcher!

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

 

 

Janet Evanovich - "Fearless Fourteen"

     At this point in my literary life there are only two more Stephanie Plum novels available for my viewing pleasure.  (Three if you count the "seasonal" novels.)  So until I find out that Mrs. Evanovich has written another for my consumption, I'm trying to make these last two Plum-tasty books last, and I find that to be a bit of a challenge as I tend to begin reading them and find that they're over in a mere matter of days :(

     Stephanie, Morelli (yum), Ranger (sigh), Lula (of course), Rex, Bob, Connie, Grandma Mazure, and a few other zany characters find their way into "Fearless Fourteen."  This episode starts when Stephanie goes to apprehend an FTA (failure to appear - to court) named Loretta.  Loretta, who also happens to be one of Morelli's cousins, is willing to go in without a fight, but only if Stephanie promises to collect her teenage son from school while she's going through the process of getting re-bonded.  For sake of ease, Stephanie commits to do so.  Guess how long the paperwork process lasts for poor Loretta?  Guess who's now stuck "parenting" a teenage boy who is obsessed with an online RPG (role-playing game) called Minionfire?  You guessed it, 1. a long time, and 2. Stephanie.

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum)

     In the midst of all of the "usual" in Steph's life, she find herself helping Ranger and his cronies to work private security for one of the biggest entertainers and Divas of all-time, Brenda (think of a Cher + Dolly Parton in Paris's wardrobe).  Brenda is a handful to say the very least!  She's got a bad attitude, a crush on Ranger, a nasty temper, and a penchant for hogging the spotlight, and not being on time.  While juggling all of these items, Stephanie and her crew are thrust into solving a ten-year old bank robbery.  She is involuntarily involved in the solving of the case because the robbers (and the rest of Trenton, for that matter, seem to believe that the money is buried in Morelli's house)  Does this poor girl EVER catch a break?!?!?!

     I was a little disappointed that not one car got blown up.  I suppose the fact that Bob the hungry dog got spray painted will suffice.  Overall this was much better than the previous few books in the series.  I was giggling quite a number of times throughout Ms. Plums escapades.  I find these books comforting to me like a favorite pair of shoes.  You know, the kind that aren't too dressy, they're not too casual, and even though they may not always be practical or all that "flashy", they're the most comfortable one's in your closet, and sometimes you are simply compelled to wear them despite their lack of appropriateness for the outfit.  Okay, maybe you don't know what that's like, but it's the best I can do for now.

     Check out this book if you need a quick read with a few laughs and are expecting the unexpected.  Bye for now...

Louisa May Alcott - "Little Women"

     Long time, no blog, I know, but here is the latest edition, and it's hot off the press too!  I've just finished Louisa May Alcott's famous classic, "Little Women."  I read it when I was a kid, and have enjoyed the movie over and over so I figured it was time to revisit this much beloved book.  I don't even know if I can do this book justice here in my humble blog.  It's so good, and I'm afraid there's nothing I can say here that will express the greatness that is this story.  Seriously?!?!?! What does one write about "LITTLE WOMEN"??? I'll give it a go regardless...

     This lovely little gem tells the story of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March.  It is both written, and set in the 1860's during the Civil War.  The story starts in the winter while their father, Mr. March, is away doing his duty with the Union army as a chaplain, and the five March women (the four girls and their beloved mother, "Marmee") are home waiting for his return.  The family is suffering financial poverty, and the book tells of how they all learn to make do with what they do have.  The story begins when the girls are young, Meg is about 16, Jo 15, Beth 13, and Amy is 10 or so, and it follows their lives throughout their, "coming of age." 

    Each of the girls has their own passions that are explored throughout the length of the novel.  Meg is a very prim and proper young lady who longs to have a carefree life, and to be able to "live in the lap of luxury" as some of her wealthier friends do instead of have to work as a governess.  She's very conscious of others' view of her.  Jo is a tomboy who fancies herself a playwright, actress, "man of the house," adventurer, poet, and author.  Beth is quiet and caring; she's a homebody, the mother to a family of dolls, the care-taker of cats and their kittens, and a gentle domestic servant of the household.  Beth is the musician in the family; she loves to play her piano, and continually longs for new music to learn and play for the family.  Amy is a precocious little blond girl who wants to marry a wealthy man and be a gracious and elegant gentlewoman in the upper echelons of society as well as a great artist.

Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

    The story tells of both the public and private lives of all of the characters, and I found myself getting attached to them all.  Each girl's story is about their own struggles they face as they experience the rites of passage one encounters on their journey to womanhood.  It's an interesting peep into what life was like for girls in that era.  So much has changed since then, some things for the better, and others...not so much. 

     There is a very strong "message of morality" woven throughout the book, and for the most part it is truly, "woven into" the story as opposed to being preached outright.  The girls all make decisions throughout their coming-if-age and are all experience the consequences.  These little women are encouraged to live rightly and to become good women. 

     As I said before, there's no way I can do justice to such an enduring classic, and I haven't really, so I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the past, and what it was like to live as a woman then.  As cliche as it may sound, reading this made me want to be a better person.  It contains a truly heartwarming tale, and I'm so glad I re-read it to refresh my memory.

     Enjoy the classics; they're "classic" for a reason ;)
    

Francine Rivers - "Unafraid"

     She's most certainly done it again!  This is the fifth book in the "Lineage of Grace" series by Francine Rivers based upon the five women listed in Matthew's account of the genealogy of Christ.  I've read the other four books in the series, but this was my favorite.  This is the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus as told from her perspective.  It is based on the Biblical account of her life as well as some of the events in Jesus' life.  Mrs. Rivers prayerfully takes artistic license throughout the story to create dialog, character feelings and motivations, and the like to create a poignant picture of what Mary's life of obedience very well might have been like. 

     Mary was an average, poor peasant girl in Nazareth, but she chosen by God to bear his son, Jesus, the Messiah.  She was probably about fourteen years of age when an angel appeared to her and delivers the message that God had chosen her as his vessel.  She was betrothed (engaged) to Joseph at the time.  Could you imagine having to tell your fiance' that although you are a virgin, that you are pregnant with God's baby.  GULP!  Although there is not too much mentioned in the Bible about Mary's life, Mrs. Rivers delivers a beautiful telling of this woman's tale. 


Unafraid: Mary (The Lineage of Grace Series #5)

      Mary (and Joseph for that matter) is a inspiring example of obedience regardless of the cost.  She said "yes" to what God asked of her.  She said "yes" to being willing to become pregnant as an unwed woman in a culture that stoned adulterous people.  She said "yes" to following her husband from place to place when God told him to go regardless of the seeming absurdity of it.  She said "yes" (though with some difficulty) to releasing Jesus into his season of ministry even though it meant having to wonder who would provide for her and her family.  Astounding! 

     I pray I have the courage to say "yes" to what God asks of me.  Mary had "built a history" with God in her faith by trusting Him in the everyday little things.  As she chose to follow God in the little things, He asked bigger and bigger things of her.  Because she had seen His faithfulness in earlier examples throughout her life, she trusted Him with the big things too.  Kinda' like "practice makes perfect;" practice saying "yes" and trusting and it becomes easier to do over time.  He always showed Himself faithful to her even when things didn't turn out as she expected.  Does it EVER happen that way?

     Please read this book, it is TRULY inspirational, and in my case brought about a renewed fervor to examine my life and the choices I make.  God has blessed Francine Rivers with a talent, and she in turn, honors Him with it.  Lovely!

     I encourage you to read this and then step back a little, and see what God does.

 

Emily Giffin - "Baby Proof"

     I've had this book on my shelf for who knows HOW long, and I finally got to!  I have read two of Mrs. Giffin's other books, "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue."  I stumbled upon her work when I was the cafe' girl at Barnes & Noble quite a few years back.  There was an ARC (advance reader copy - A copy of the book that is given to the store before the book is actually released so the staff can familiarize themselves with it.) in the break room that I got to read, and I really liked it.  Thus was my introduction to Emily Giffin's talents.

     In this story our protagonist is Claudia, a 30ish woman, and editor for a small publishing house, who, from very early on in her life, KNEW that she just never wanted to have kids.  She relishes the idea of a life of total freedom, and a completely unfettered lifestyle.  All of her boyfriends have not been able to make a future with a woman who does not want kids, until she meets Ben...  He shares her sentiment on the subject of procreation as well as a great many other ideals; he is her soul mate.  They wed and are blissfully happy until one day Ben realizes that he wants a baby.  Claudia feels betrayed and refuses to have a baby just because of Ben's "passing" whim.  At some point Claudia must make a decision: have a baby with Ben, or don't have a baby and be without Ben.  I'll let you put two and two together (or you can read the book...) and see that a split is "inevitable." 
   
     Our heroine flees her apartment to the refuge of her best friend's (and former roommate, Jess) apartment and back to the lifestyle of the single Manhattaner.  Throughout her divorce and its aftermath, Claudia has a lot of time for introspection and is able to take a long, hard look at her life before Ben, with Ben, and after Ben.  She moves on with her life with some difficulty, but ends up dating Richard, a publicist for her company and finds herself "moving on."  Or does she???

     I have to say that it took me three days FLAT to read this book.  I admit, I unexpectedly had some time to kill this week, but I really had a hard time putting it down.  I don't know if I could actually call this a "page turner," but I certainly did feel compelled to know what was going to happen next.  I think that's a sign of good writer; they don't have to end the chapter or paragraph with an obvious cliff-hanger, but you still feel an express eagerness to resolve the issue (plot point) at hand, and QUICKLY!  I mean, your head cold explode with possibilities of which way things could go.  Seriously, I've seen it happen... Okay, not REALLY, but it SURE feels that way sometimes.

    The author does an exceptional job of creating very real, very easy-to-relate-to cast of characters as well as slew of situations.  I mean, everyone has had the experience of running into an ex and being at a loss as to why you have ice cream, complete with rainbow sprinkles slinking it's way down your arm while he stands awkwardly and introduces you to his Barbie Doll companion.  We've all been there at one time or another.  Mrs. Giffen really breaks down the emotions one feels when dealing with heartache, introspection, new love, regret, and a myriad of other raw feelings.  I really enjoyed the story and the way she tells it.  Claudia's family is good for a few laughs, as is her roomie, Jess.  I wouldn't say it was a laugh-riot, but there were certainly a few chuckles sprinkled in for good measure.  I found myself really invested in this one.  PMS?  Maybe.  I found myself choking up and being somewhat stressed out throughout the course of the story because I have had similar experiences, and the writing just drew me in completely.

     In conclusion, you should check this one out.  It's certainly falls within the genre of bubblegum literature, but this one has a little substance behind it.  There were some really valid questions and point asked and made, respectively, between the covers that is somewhat of a rarity in this subset of literature.  Let me know what you think.

Baby Proof

     Well done, Mrs. Giffin, now that I find myself in a somewhat sappy mood, I think I'll read some Francine Rivers.  It's about time, don't you think?

Rick Riordan - "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief"

dan

The Lightning Thief (Movie Tie-in Edition)
(Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

     Well, well, well, my young mythology fans, I have JUST the thing for you...  I've been in need of something lighthearted as well as something that would be a quick read.  This was recommended to me by not one, but two of my friends as just what I was looking for, and I do believe that they were right. 

     Percy Jackson is an average New York middle schooler who struggles with dyslexia, tends to get into fights, and only really enjoyes Mr. Brunner's Latin classes.  His best friend is a little whimpy, and strange things always seem to happen to him, and they usually mean he gets kicked out of school every year.  It's not until his class trip to the art museum that things REALLY heat up for him.  I mean, it's not everyday that your Algebra teacher suddenly grows bat wings, fangs, and makes an attempt on your life, although, of all the teachers I've had in my life, I'm fairly certain that it  WOULD be the Algebra teacher that has such capabilities.  (Chemistry teachers aren't far behind either!)

     He discovers after the "Algebra teacher affair" that things are not always what they seem.  For example, his puny best friend, Grover, isn't actually puny, he's a satyr who's job it is to protect Percy until he can get to Camp Half-Blood.  After an exciting series of events, that involve a trip to the beach, a destroyed Camero, and a Minotaur, Percy and Grover reach their "home base" of Camp Half-Blood.  It's at this point that Percy learn's that he's actually the son of one of the ancient Greek gods which is why he has never really "fit in" anywhere.  Upon his arrival, Percy isn't exactly sure which god he's a product of, but will soon find out.  Shortly after his appearance at the camp, Percy is summoned by the camp director, Mr. D(ionysis), and is issued a quest to complete aided by two companions to retrieve what was stolen...

     I loved this book!  It was written in first person from Percy's point of view, and Mr. Riordan did a great job of really getting inside the head of a 12-year-old boy.  Percy has a great character and a cute sense of humor as well as a strong sense of honor.  This book was action packed from cover to cover, and did a fabulous job of teaching Greek mythology to young (or not so young) readers by making these powerful beings of yore literally spring to life.  It was educational and fun to read!  Think of it as the Kix of the literary world: "Kid tested, Mother approved."

     I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did; I'll be reading the sequel soon...

Stieg Larsson - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

     If Dan Brown and Dean Koontz had a literary baby, it would be Steig Larsson.  His writing is fast-paced, highly detailed, well thought out, filled with many layers of mystery, a puzzle of multi-layered plot lines, and  macabre (if not bordering on grotesque).  Once I go to the 1/2-2/3 point, I COULD NOT put it down until it was finished!!!  Of course I had to because at this point in my life, I am only rarely able to dedicate entire days to my favorite hobby, AND although I fancy myself a fast reader, I'm incapable of reading 350+ pages in the space of a few hours.  I digress...

     One of my dearest regulars from work lent me his copy to read, and I'm so glad I did finally get to it.  I resisted reading it at first because it's such a popular series right now, and in my opinion, being popular doesn't necessarily mean it's any good.  I suppose I was waiting for a recommendation from someone I know.  The story begins with Mikael Blomkvist, a respected investigative journalist who is convicted of libel because he had "false" information regarding one of Sweden's wealthiest businessmen.  The other main character is Lisbeth Salander, an emotionally troubled, and very mysterious girl who is not what she seems.  She works for a security company to be a  researcher.  She's hired to find out all she can about Blomkvist for one off her company's biggest clients.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

      The next thing you know, Henrik Vanger, one of Sweden's oldest and wealthiest industrialists hires Mikael to spend a year trying to solve a forty-year-old mystery that has been haunting Mr. Vanger.  It involves the disappearance of his niece, Harriet who mysteriously vanished a lifetime ago.  Henrik gives Mikael the pretense of writing a chronicle of the Vanger family so there are not too many eyebrows raised at all of the research.  As Mikael digs further and further into the case, he finds some literal skeletons in some of the Vanger family's closets as well as some very dark and somber secrets. 

     This is a long and involved story, and it's somewhat "unorganized" in it's delivery.  Don't get me wrong, it's a good story that takes you by surprise time and time again, BUT I had a little trouble sometimes figuring out where I was in the story.  This may be due in part to the fact that it has been translated from Swedish into English, or to the fact that it was published posthumously, or that it's just the way it is.  Maybe I'm just a little slow on the uptake?  The chapters are very long, but have various "breaks" throughout to switch between story lines a la Dan Brown.  All in all, I have some mixed feelings about the book due mostly to the graphic and violent nature of some of the content.  I have found over the years that the stories I read have a way of slithering into my dream life, so I am somewhat sensitive to certain subjects and in order to protect my coveted "sleep time" I have to watch what I read.  That may not be the case for you, but now you know just a little more about me than you did yesterday.

     I do like how involved and engaging the story is, I was constantly wondering, "well what's gonna happen next?!?!?!"  Also, the character if Lisbeth Salander (aka the girl with the dragon tattoo) is so intriguing.  She in herself is an enigma and is, I believe, a truly unique literary character.  She has piqued my interest enough that I'll will most likely be reading the next book, which promises to reveal a little more about Lisbeth's personal history. 

Until next time...

Steve Dublanica - "Waiter Rant"

     Did I just stumble onto my own autobiography????  I wonder if anyone's ever thought that before?  Ummm, this may seriously be in my top three best books EVER!!!!  (After you count all of Francine Rivers' works, naturally.)  A little, personal side note about me:  I've been waiting tables now for about a decade (plus or minus a few months here and there while I tried my hand at other professions) and have been a server in the fine dining arena for over four of those years.  I ate this book UP (pun totally intended!), which was recommended to me by a waiter friend of mine.  I cannot wait to run out and buy Mr. Dublanica's second book.  Hubby had to literally tell me, "Babe, I'm glad you're so entertained, but you either need to stop reading or go in the other room." on not one, but TWO different occasions as I read through this book.  

     So a few years ago, "The Waiter" began his blog, www.waiterrant.net to detail and sometimes rant about his life as a server in one of New York's fine dining establishments.  He is a college educated middle-aged man who through a topsy-turvy stream of events finds himself thrust into the restaurant business aka service industry at the age of 31.  It's a great insight for those of you who've never worked in the retail or service industries.  Eventually his blog garners quite a bit of attention, which at some point leads to a book deal.  And here we are...

     Steve's memoiresque (yes I created a word... just go with it) book contains snapshots of what it's like on the other side of the table and in the typical commercial kitchen.  Now, do keep in mind, this is one person's take on it, but honestly I can say that in my nigh ten years of experience I've run into 85% or more of the exact situations.  Honestly, for the VAST majority of this book, I seriously wondered if someone had planted a bug in my brain.  I am fortunate in that I work for a great company with fair and respectable management and owners, and most days, I really enjoy my job, but that has not always been the case for me (or for Steve and probably the majority of waitstaff everywhere).  He has very accurately (and cynically - he warned you on the cover of the book...) relayed the "waiting experience" in an easy-to-read, relateable way that is laced with humor, honesty, and a super quick wit.

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (P.S.)

   

     He articulates a lot of things that go on in an restaurant in a way that pretty much anyone can understand, relate to, and hopefully use to get a glimpse into the life of the average American server.  He is correct in saying that, "80 percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining 20 percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths."  If you have ever worked in a restaurant, you KNOW it's true.

     Throughout the book, Steve paints poignant portraits of life in a restaurant.  He talks sincerely and humorously, and cynically not only about the woes or working in as a server (of which there can be many) but also about the really great times and people he got to meet throughout the course of his employment as waitstaff.  I love that's he's given a voice to the 2 million servers in the U.S.  As a matter of fact, I think Mr. Dublanica should be nominated for sainthood; Server Steve - patron saint of waitstaff everywhere.  I think he's dead on when he "breaks down" the various types of guests as well as what it's like to work any of the major US holidays.  If you are a server, enjoy the camaraderie that you feel, and if you are a regular diner, see what it's like to wait on folks; you may learn something about something you didn't know before?

     One more note on my newest favorite book, there is a LOT of profanity in there.  It is a normal part of working in the industry, and the book would've lost a lot of it's true-to-form-nature had he excluded most of it.  Steve actually explains why he thinks this much profanity is part of the "behind the scenes" look at a restaurant staff in the book....  Just so you're warned, now, go and read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

(My normally busy life + the super bowl being hosted in my neck of the woods) /  the fact that I work in the service industry     =   Not much time to read

     I'm not exactly AWESOME at math, but I think it all adds up to give you a semi-accurate picture of my life as of late.  We did just experience an "arctic blast" (Texan for cold weather coupled with frozen precipitation that doesn't melt immediately) that did allow me a few days off to catch  up on reading.  You may think, "With all that time, you should have been able to finish a book or TWO?"  Yes, I should have, but this is a 734 page book.  Plus, I got beaucoup amounts of housework done, including, but not limited to: laundry, ironing said laundry, sweeping, cleaning the shower, vacuuming, hanging all of the wall art that we bought for the new place and haven't had time to hang prior to now, washing dishes by hand due to the line to the beloved dishwasher being frozen, AND giving myself a hard-earned pedicure.  Oh, yeah, and I read some...

     Now, on to the good stuff!  Of the four Harry Potter books that I've read, this one is so far, my favorite. 


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

As I've said in previous Harry Potter posts, this series "grows with its readers," and this book really proves that point to me.  Harry is now 14 and entering angsty teenage-hood along with his cohorts, Ron and Hermione.  Also, as I said in the last Potter post, this book and it's most recent predecessor both have grown a little bit "darker" than the one before.  In the last book Harry was pursued by creepy beings called Dementors while Voldemort's power slowly grew.  ***spoiler alert***  In this book, Voldemort grows even stronger, and Harry actually comes "face to face" with Voldemort, and for the first time in a Harry Potter book, someone bites the dust! ***end of spoiler***

     Another thing I liked a lot about this book is that there were quite a few different story lines drifting in and out of the spotlight.  I know all good books have few different threads of story peeking out every now and again, but this one had at least five or six; a couple of those were not just interwoven tales, but were mysteries in themselves.  What I mean to say is that there was a lot of mysteries to be solved throughout the various stories.

     I really didn't have many gripes about this book at all.  It was a bit long, and I did have a harder time "getting into it" that it's predecessors.  Once I was about 200 pages in, I was hooked and had trouble putting it down (except to do all of that grizzly housework).  This book was also a little "scarier" that it's ancestors,
too, but I don't know if I'd call that a gripe, per se.

     I do have something to say about the movie though.  Yes, this IS a BOOK blog, but my movie-loving Hubby insisted that we watch the flick.  I believe the movie in itself is as entertaining as all of the others, and it was just plain fun to watch.  It did leave a LOT to be desired when compared to the book though.  There were so many parts left out, that it felt like it only covered half of the contents of the beloved book.  I know it would take six hours to watch a movie that had all of the book in it, but I was still sad to see so much missing.  This just proves that I was right to read the book first so as not to be disappointed in the book that takes much longer than 157 minutes to read.  On the flip side, if I had seen the movie before reading the book, I may have just been pleasantly surprised to see that there was more between the two covers than the movie had led me to believe.  Hmmmm, it'll always be a mystery...

     Well, looks like there's more snow headed my way, I'll try to avoid the housework and keep my nose in my literature.  ;)

Lauren Willig - "The Masque of the Black Tulip"

     Hello one, hello all!  It seems like it's been an eternity since I've had a chance to blog.  Of course my blogging involves me having the time to FINISH a book so I have something interesting (or not, depending on the book in question) to blog about.

     I've just finished the second novel in Lauren Willig's "Pink Carnation" series.  This is a series of books set in the late 1700's - early 1800's (during the Napoleonic war) in various European countries (namely England and France).  There are actually two distinct story lines throughout the book; one is in the aforementioned era, and the second is current day.  The more modern story's star heroine is Eloise Kelly, an American grad student who is in England doing research for her dissertation on espionage during the Napoleonic wars.  She's primarily interested in the Pink Carnation (and discovers that the Pink Carnation was actually a woman!) and comes in contact with an elderly woman who is a descendant of the Purple Gentian (yet another flowery-named spy).  Mrs. Aderly allows Eloise access to personal documents regarding her family history and Eloise's topic of interest.  It's also very convenient that Mrs. Aderly's grandson who is in charge of these historical documents happens to be a good-looking intelligent guy named Colin.  Never a bad thing, right?!
    
     As Eloise is pouring over the old correspondence and journals of Colin's ancestors, she becomes totally immersed in the story of Miles Dorrington and Henrietta Selwick.  Henrietta is the younger sister of Richard Selwick, otherwise known as the Purple Gentian, and Miles is Richard's best friend since their childhood.  In the last book, "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation," Richard and Amy (his now wife) were the main subjects of the story, but this one picks up where the last book left off, and shifts it's focus from them to Miles and Henrietta. 

     We learn in this book, that the Black Tulip, a notorious and dangerous French operative is in London!  With Richard and Amy out of the picture (read the previous book) the English War Office recruits Miles to help discover the identity of the renown spy and capture him.  Henrietta is an adventurous and precocious (not to mention verbose) seventeen-year-old debutante who is dead set on being a spy and contributing to the war effort.  All this while Jane Wooliston, the Pink Carnation and Henrietta's cousin, is in France attempting to sabotage the French operations and asks Hen to act as her eyes and ears on the English front.  The two women write copious amounts of letters to one another in a specific code designed to bore anyone who might happen upon it to tears whilst still imparting important information.  They use terms like "Coffee, the taking of" which REALLY means "a situation of extreme peril, frequently requiring urgent assistance."  Pretty clever if you ask me.  On a more personal note, Richard asks Miles to keep an eye out for Hen as he is no longer available to play the protective big brother.  As you can guess, just as in the last book, the two main characters end up falling in love.  Didn't see that one coming, right? 

     Overall this book is a fun, very entertaining, and adventurous read.  Ms. Willig does a great job of researching the time period and goes so far as to correct any inaccuracies she made in the name of artistic license in the back of the book.  I love how easy it is to really picture yourself in the time period that the story takes place.  The author has created a colorful cast of characters who are easy to relate to along with an espionage story line that keeps you guessing.  She transitions nicely between the modern and historical story lines and does a great job of creating necessary tensions without causing the reader stress.  It was a good, quick read for me with AWESOME vocab.  (If you hadn't noticed by now, I'm a HUGE fan of parenthetical phrases and authors with impressive and creative vocabularies.)

     I do have to say that this is MOSTLY a chick-lit, historical fiction novel, but it can easily be construed as a historical romance as well.  Yes, most bubblegum reading has a strong love story contained between the covers, I do realize that, but not all of them have a fairly detailed "bodice-ripping scene" or two among the pages.  Definitely a PG-13+ scene or two in here.  In defense of the scene-in-question, (and keep in mind that this was characteristic of the time period) **mild spoiler alert** the lovers didn't love until after their wedding.**end of possible spoiler**  However, there might have been a "flash of brief nudity" nestled in the "dating" stage of the relationship.  Yes, I may be old fashioned, I may use too many "quotes," and I may like some romantic elements in my "pink" books, but I'm really not a big fan of detailed love scenes.  There, you've been warned.....

     Happy reading!

                   The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation)

Janet Evanovich - "Lean Mean Thirteen"

     Crappy cars, chocolate cake, crazy grandmother, good looking guys, poison green spandex mini-skirts, murder scenes, disappearing awful ex-husband, and exploding rodents are just a few things that our heroine encounters this go-round.  Wonder Woman?  Bat Girl?  Joan of Arc?  NOPE, you guessed it... the one and only Stephanie Plum!  She's back again with yet another Jersey-style adventure in "Lean Mean Thirteen."

     Just as in all of her other exploits, Stephanie finds herself surrounded by junk food and mayhem.  The story opens with the disappearance of her terrible ex-husband, Dickie Orr and what seems to be a murder scene.   Steph's main concern in this situation is that she is the prime suspect!  Talk about being motivated to solve the mystery.  As she and Ranger delve a little deeper into Dickie's case, she finds herself in the middle of something big and something terrible.


Lean Mean Thirteen [LEAN MEAN 13] [Mass Market Paperback]

     Whilst attempting to get to the bottom of the Dickie disappearance, Stephanie is also juggling a few FTA cases (big, bad bounty hunter stuff).  With the help of some of her trusty amigos (Lula and even Grandma Mazur) Stephanie traipses after a grave digger with a twelve-foot python, a taxidermist with a penchant for exploding stuffed animals, and is being hunted by a bad guy who seems to think that she has the "key" to his missing $40 million (EEK!!).

     While this is an easy-reading, entertaining tale, it's not the best of Mrs. Evanovich's work.  I usually find myself laughing-out-loud, but not so much in this book.  The plot was full of the eccentricities that are common and expected of a Stephanie Plum novel, but it just didn't quite make the "hysterical mark" I was expecting.  While it was good  book, there was something missing... I can't quite put my finger on it, but it fell a little shy of the "awesome" that this series usually inspires.  I'm not going to complain about a book that I consumed in three days, but you should read it for yourself and let me know what you think!

     I hope everyone had a healthy, prosperous, and enjoyable New Year!