The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Alice Sebold's, The Lovely Bones, was not going to be on my reading list. I thought it was going to be gruesome. Okay, maybe it did have a gruesome part to it, but I decided to read it. Mainly because I had asked some kids what they thought about it and they liked it. Plus, they made it into a movie. Just because it was made into a movie doesn't mean it was going to be a good book, but it was.

Susie Salmon is the main character and as you can probably guess she is killed. She narrates the book while looking down from heaven at all those she left behind. Susie draws you into the story and you feel for her, her family, and her friends. I could envision the scenes that Susie was watching. The story is about loss, both for Susie and those she left behind. But it shows how life goes on, sometimes even when we don't want it to.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did, but it is well written and crafted beautifully into a story I was able to easily observe.

Persuader by Lee Child

Lee Child's Persuader is another Jack Reacher novel. Reacher's character envelopes you into the story and brings it to life. Jack gets involved with an undercover operation to assist in busting the operation. But Jack has his own motivation for not walking away. The story reveals things that have happened in the past that have caused Jack to want his own revenge.

I really enjoyed the suspense, although predictable. It reminded me of when I watched Columbo a TV series from when I was a kid. If you like shoot'em up, get the job done type books, this one will fit your appetite. Reacher is a tough character that takes the law into his own hands. I know being a vigilante isn't the way to go, but that's why I like to read fiction.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

Stephen Chbosky’s novel is written in a multiple letter format, dated and written about accounts of that particular day or several days. Charlie, the main character, is the one writing the letters. He writes about his feelings, family, and friends. You read the letters as if you  are the person they were written for. Charlie is also an extremely emotional boy, especially for his age, he has difficulty controlling his tears under stressful situations. The letters are his way of expressing himself and they progress throughout his freshman year, and continue through the summer before entering his sophomore year.


Charlie is a fifteen year old, high school freshman, who finds out early in the book, that one of his best friends commits suicide. Charlie is also exposed to many other high school issues, such as the use of cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. Charlie is introduced to cigarettes first, then weed, LSD, and alcohol by his new friends. If tobacco, alcohol, and drugs were not enough, adolescent sexuality is a major issue.

Some might think this book has too many issues for a teen to read. I have to disagree. Teens are subject to many or all of the things that Charlie is exposed to. Some kids are not able to talk to their parents and sometimes learn from reading. Books can be the only way some children are educated on these topics.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower does contain situations which are controversial. But sheltering our children may seem like we are protecting them, but it could backfire on us. We need to prepare our children to have the skills necessary to make good choices in life. Chbosky does a good job with this one.

Dan Brown's Inferno

Inferno by Dan Brown

Brown does it again. I have been a fan since I read Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. This time Brown connects Dante's Inferno and The Divine Comedy into his work. I have to admit I have not read Dante, but now I am intrigued and will have to give at least one of them a try!

The main character remains the same, Robert Langdon. He is now investigating symbols from Dante's work and most of the novel is set in Florence and Venice. The problem is that a brilliant scientist has created a plague and hidden it. Langdon must find it before it is too late. I love the way Brown writes. I need to visit Florence now, as I feel like I have been there in my head and will appreciate the visit that much more now.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The cover of this book does not do it justice. I almost didn't pick this book up, but I couldn't put it down! Full of adventure, magic and set in a futuristic warring society, Alina finds that she has special powers that she never dreamed of. Alina is faced with choices between good vs. evil. You have to read this to find out what happens, and I highly recommend it. Do not let the cover deter you!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion



I took a break from dystopia to read an advanced copy of Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project. Wow, what a great break! This book is about a man who has aspergers, but does not realize it.

I know, aspergers, really, how can a novel about aspergers be this good. Well, Simsion is able to make you really like the main character, Don. He is odd and has adjusted to life being different. His best friend and wife think that Don needs a wife, but he has yet to find one suitable for himself. I say suitable, as that would be something Don might say. He is a genetics professor and loves research. Don creates "The Wife Project" to find himself a wife. You can only imagine what he thinks is a suitable wife!

While in the midst of this he meets Rosie and starts a whole different project. I do not want to reveal more of this wonderful story, but what a great read. I smiled, laughed, and just took a break for a while to read this incredible story.

The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

I just finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver. It has joined the bandwagon of novels in a dystopian society. This was recommended to me and at first I thought, I don’t want to read another one of the same things.But the take on this is that love is a disease. I thought how can love be a disease? Well, Oliver does a decent job of showing how society can end up in this situation (not exactly, but you get my drift). I really enjoyed the story until the end. It seems that everyone is writing a trilogy. Don't get me wrong, I hate a good story to end, but then again, I hate to be left with, what happened? So, now I will have to read Pandemonium.

Never in a million years could I exist in the dystopia that Lauren Oliver has created in her novel Pandemonium. Lauren Oliver's 2nd in her Delirium series is Pandemonium. Okay, maybe I could exist, but I would never want to. The main character from Delirium, Lena, has similar traits to Katniss from The Hunger Games. This may be my attraction to the story line.
Lena learns to survive with nothing. I was a bit upset at the end of Delirium when I realized I was going to have to read Pandemonium. Maybe I need to stop reading trilogies. Sometimes I just want the story to end, but as you can tell, this one continues in the same way.

With that being said, Pandemonium was good, but I was frustrated as Oliver switches back and forth in each chapter between the journey to the city and life in the city. I may have appreciated the journey to the big city more if it had been written sequentially. Life in the city was much more exciting. Therefore, I raced through the chapters on the journey to enjoy the escapades of the city. I understand flashbacks and all, but somehow I got distracted between chapters.

Good vs. evil is what you believe the premise is, but Oliver throws a curve ball and that really surprised me! I like it when a book is not always predictable. There are also a few other unexpected events that make me want to read Requiem. I may take a break from the series, but you can bet that I will be reading the next one, Requiem, in a short while.

Okay, so I finished Requiem! Glad there is not another book in this series, but that does not mean I did not like it. I did! Like Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, I do not think everyone will be happy with the ending. But then again, we are talking dystopia. Things get a little crazy and the war revs up. Of course twisted love stories are involved and maybe everyone will not be happy with who falls for who, but then again, it is not our story, it's Oliver's.

I love a strong female character. Lena does not start out that way, but she develops into a great character, full of strength she had no idea she had.