This book was chosen by my online Book Club to read. I'm not sure I would've read it otherwise.
This is the book's description:
"Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book! "
The whole storyline involving Mack's daughter was interesting to me. More like horrifying, but I thought it would be interesting to find out what happened to Missy. The first few chapters after Mack receives the note from "Papa" a.k.a. God, take you through the story of Missy and what happened to her. The rest of the book - except the very last 10 pages or so - takes place in the shack, where Mack discusses theology with Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu (the holy spirit).
I am not a religious person. Maybe that's why I was so bored. Who knows? I only kept reading the book to find out what happened to Missy and the bastard that killed her. From the time Mack gets to the shack until he leaves, I was bored to tears! Horrible. It was all too much preaching for me.
Anyway, I only recommend this book to you if you really want to go through 125 pages of theological discussion. The description tries to suck you in with this murder of his daughter, but truthfully, the actual crime/murder only take up about 25 pages.
1/5.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
"Face of Betrayal" by Lis Wiehl with April Henry
"Face of Betrayal" is a mystery about a young girl named Katie Converse who takes her dog for a walk and never comes home. The story follows 3 women as they try to find out what happened to Katie: Allison the prosecutor, Nicole the FBI agent, and Cassidy the reporter. These three women are close friends, and work together throughout the entire novel, referring to themselves as the "Triple Threat Club". So what happened to Katie? Was it murder? Suicide? And where is her body?
The first thing I did when I got the book was look at the cover. The front is rather plain, just a scary looking woman's face and the standard text. But I turned it over and saw a picture of Lis and I immediately recognized her. If you've ever watched Fox News for more than five minutes, you will recognize her too. Lis chose a great topic for herself to write about, considering she has personal experience in every aspect of this book. She was a prosecutor, she works on TV, and her father was an FBI agent. Everything in the novel is very believable, and her true life experiences are what made that possible.
This is a classic crime mystery/suspense novel. I did guess the outcome early on in the novel, but there were many twists and turns throughout the book that had me questioning myself and even dismissing my ideas. I felt very connected to all of the characters. Sometimes when an author includes as many "main" characters as Lis did, it's hard to relate to each of them. In my opinion, she did an excellent job of making each of them feel "real".
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre, and here's to reading the next Triple Threat novel - "Hand of Fate" available April 2010. You can catch the first two chapters at the end of "Face of Betrayal".
Check out the book here. Preview the first 5 pages here.
5/5!
The first thing I did when I got the book was look at the cover. The front is rather plain, just a scary looking woman's face and the standard text. But I turned it over and saw a picture of Lis and I immediately recognized her. If you've ever watched Fox News for more than five minutes, you will recognize her too. Lis chose a great topic for herself to write about, considering she has personal experience in every aspect of this book. She was a prosecutor, she works on TV, and her father was an FBI agent. Everything in the novel is very believable, and her true life experiences are what made that possible.
This is a classic crime mystery/suspense novel. I did guess the outcome early on in the novel, but there were many twists and turns throughout the book that had me questioning myself and even dismissing my ideas. I felt very connected to all of the characters. Sometimes when an author includes as many "main" characters as Lis did, it's hard to relate to each of them. In my opinion, she did an excellent job of making each of them feel "real".
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre, and here's to reading the next Triple Threat novel - "Hand of Fate" available April 2010. You can catch the first two chapters at the end of "Face of Betrayal".
Check out the book here. Preview the first 5 pages here.
5/5!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Before I begin this review, I want to mention that I did not know that there was a prequel to this book, called Bloodsucking Fiends. That was quite upsetting. I figured it out about 3 chapters into the book after the author mentioned this previous "event" that had happened. This caused me to do some research on GoodReads. On that note - the book was still great without reading the first one. They work well as stand-alone books. HOWEVER - I am the type of person who would've liked to read BSF and get all the background info first! Now I have no desire to read BSF because I know what happens in the end. I may read it someday, if my "Books to Read" shelf suddenly is empty. It's very doubtful that will ever happen.
You Suck opens with "You bitch, you killed me! You suck!" This line pretty much sets the mood for the entire novel. In a world where suddenly we are somewhat obsessed with vampires (ahem.. Twilight), Christopher Moore brings us the new vampires Jody and her boyfriend Tommy. Jody has been a vampire a mere few months, and she has just brought over Tommy. Join them as they learn how to cope with this new "problem". Not only that, but the very old vampire who turned Jody has escaped, the police are after them, and Tommy's old pals (who happen to be vampire hunters) are getting a little suspicious about their buddy who is suddenly very pale.
This book is downright hilarious at times. I can say that I actually laughed out loud while reading parts narrated by Abby, the vampires' daytime minion. She is a stereotypical teenage goth girl who tries so hard to be dark and edgy, but deep down is really a cute bubbly girl who likes Hello Kitty. She narrates some of the chapters in the book, and I found that when I got to a chapter titled "Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal" I would get really excited.
I have only touched on a few of the ridiculously awesome characters in this book. You can't forget Chet, Blue, Jared, or the Emperor. However, I will leave it at that. Now you have to read it to find out more!
If you like books that make fun of just about everything, vampires, and making fun of vampires, I highly recommend this. You should really read Bloodsucking Fiends first though!
"The music coming from inside sounded like robots fucking. And complaining about it. In rhythmic monotone. European robots."
— Christopher Moore (You Suck: A Love Story)
4/5!
You Suck opens with "You bitch, you killed me! You suck!" This line pretty much sets the mood for the entire novel. In a world where suddenly we are somewhat obsessed with vampires (ahem.. Twilight), Christopher Moore brings us the new vampires Jody and her boyfriend Tommy. Jody has been a vampire a mere few months, and she has just brought over Tommy. Join them as they learn how to cope with this new "problem". Not only that, but the very old vampire who turned Jody has escaped, the police are after them, and Tommy's old pals (who happen to be vampire hunters) are getting a little suspicious about their buddy who is suddenly very pale.
This book is downright hilarious at times. I can say that I actually laughed out loud while reading parts narrated by Abby, the vampires' daytime minion. She is a stereotypical teenage goth girl who tries so hard to be dark and edgy, but deep down is really a cute bubbly girl who likes Hello Kitty. She narrates some of the chapters in the book, and I found that when I got to a chapter titled "Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal" I would get really excited.
I have only touched on a few of the ridiculously awesome characters in this book. You can't forget Chet, Blue, Jared, or the Emperor. However, I will leave it at that. Now you have to read it to find out more!
If you like books that make fun of just about everything, vampires, and making fun of vampires, I highly recommend this. You should really read Bloodsucking Fiends first though!
"The music coming from inside sounded like robots fucking. And complaining about it. In rhythmic monotone. European robots."
— Christopher Moore (You Suck: A Love Story)
4/5!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind
Wizard's First Rule is the first book in the Sword of Truth series, written by Terry Goodkind. This is his debut novel.
I recently reread this book. The first time I read it was in 2006 when a friend forced it on me. It sat on my desk for weeks. I had never read a fantasy before in my life, and I really didn't think it was something I could get into. I still have that same copy. I have read it multiple times and shared it with friends, family, and random people I hardly know. I always make sure I get it back. I am so glad that I finally chose to give it a chance. The reason I am rereading it again now is because I still haven't read the final book in the series, Confessor, and I would like to soon, but it has been too long, and I have lost many of the details of the series.
Wizard's First Rule is the beginning of an epic journey, starting with a simple man named Richard who is thrown into a whirlwind adventure that he did not choose for himself. Much of the book is his struggle with accepting that the fate of the world rests on his shoulders, and all because he helped save a woman's life. Little does he know that Kahlan is more than a simple woman. An evil wizard named Darken Rahl is attempting to take over the world using dark magic from the Underworld and only one man can stop him - The Seeker of Truth. Will Richard find a way to stop Darken Rahl from opening the Boxes of Orden and ruling the world? How will he find a way for Kahlan and himself to be together?
I don't want to give too much away. I consider this series to be one of my all-time favorites and would recommend them to anyone who knows how to read. My husband never read a book in his life and he read this series. Even the last one, which I haven't read yet!
Terry Goodkind takes you into his world and makes you fall in love with the characters. Once you meet Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd - there is no going back. These books are each around 1000 pages and take some time to read, but every second is worth it!
Some Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans do not like this series. Sorry, not everyone can be Tolkien, and if you expect this book to hold up to Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time, you may be disappointed. Terry Goodkind's writing style is very different. I think the difference is what makes it easier for non-fantasy folks like myself to get into this series.
If you have an opportunity to pick this up - DO IT!
5/5!
I recently reread this book. The first time I read it was in 2006 when a friend forced it on me. It sat on my desk for weeks. I had never read a fantasy before in my life, and I really didn't think it was something I could get into. I still have that same copy. I have read it multiple times and shared it with friends, family, and random people I hardly know. I always make sure I get it back. I am so glad that I finally chose to give it a chance. The reason I am rereading it again now is because I still haven't read the final book in the series, Confessor, and I would like to soon, but it has been too long, and I have lost many of the details of the series.
Wizard's First Rule is the beginning of an epic journey, starting with a simple man named Richard who is thrown into a whirlwind adventure that he did not choose for himself. Much of the book is his struggle with accepting that the fate of the world rests on his shoulders, and all because he helped save a woman's life. Little does he know that Kahlan is more than a simple woman. An evil wizard named Darken Rahl is attempting to take over the world using dark magic from the Underworld and only one man can stop him - The Seeker of Truth. Will Richard find a way to stop Darken Rahl from opening the Boxes of Orden and ruling the world? How will he find a way for Kahlan and himself to be together?
I don't want to give too much away. I consider this series to be one of my all-time favorites and would recommend them to anyone who knows how to read. My husband never read a book in his life and he read this series. Even the last one, which I haven't read yet!
Terry Goodkind takes you into his world and makes you fall in love with the characters. Once you meet Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd - there is no going back. These books are each around 1000 pages and take some time to read, but every second is worth it!
Some Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans do not like this series. Sorry, not everyone can be Tolkien, and if you expect this book to hold up to Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time, you may be disappointed. Terry Goodkind's writing style is very different. I think the difference is what makes it easier for non-fantasy folks like myself to get into this series.
If you have an opportunity to pick this up - DO IT!
5/5!
The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
I heard a lot of good things about this book, so I picked it up at the library. Luckily, it was a quick read. I don't think I could've held on much longer.
I hate to start my blog with a bad review, but this book lacked something. Brad Meltzer tried to create his own weird version of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code but it just didn't work. His attempt to tie Superman and Cain (You know, that guy from the Bible) was mediocre at best. I never really caught onto how these things were related. It was just a rat's nest of connections that were unbelievable and hard to follow.
In the end, I didn't care who lived or who died either, because the characters were not well-developed and I didn't feel like I knew them or cared about them in the slightest. I also guessed who the "Prophet" was about halfway through the book.
Also, why is Cal's hair white? The stress of seeing his father kill his mother? Who cares?
2/5
I hate to start my blog with a bad review, but this book lacked something. Brad Meltzer tried to create his own weird version of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code but it just didn't work. His attempt to tie Superman and Cain (You know, that guy from the Bible) was mediocre at best. I never really caught onto how these things were related. It was just a rat's nest of connections that were unbelievable and hard to follow.
In the end, I didn't care who lived or who died either, because the characters were not well-developed and I didn't feel like I knew them or cared about them in the slightest. I also guessed who the "Prophet" was about halfway through the book.
Also, why is Cal's hair white? The stress of seeing his father kill his mother? Who cares?
If you are a Superman fanatic or a fan of Brad Meltzer, borrow this from the library or from a friend who already mistakenly bought it. Otherwise, don't waste your time!
2/5
My Rating Scale
This is my rating scale that I will use in future book reviews that I write, and just a little insight as to what each one means. Thanks for reading!
1/5- One means the book was horrible. I will never read this book again. I won't recommend this book to anyone. I really hope I didn't buy this book!
2/5- Two means that the book was not good but I may recommend it to someone who is a die hard fan of that genre. I will not read it again. If I bought this book, I will give it away or donate it.
3/5- Three means that the book was okay. I will probably recommend it to someone who shares an interest in that type of book. I may read it again someday if I am bored and have nothing else to read, which is unlikely. This book may be permitted to hang out on my bookshelf until someone would like to trade for it.
4/5 - Four means I really liked this book. I will definitely recommend it to someone who I think would enjoy it. I will most likely keep this book if I have purchased it, and will probably read it again after waiting a year or so.
5/5- Five means that this book is in my list of all-time favorite books. I will tell everyone about it, even people who don't usually enjoy that genre of book. I will own a copy of this book and read it many times in the future.
1/5- One means the book was horrible. I will never read this book again. I won't recommend this book to anyone. I really hope I didn't buy this book!
2/5- Two means that the book was not good but I may recommend it to someone who is a die hard fan of that genre. I will not read it again. If I bought this book, I will give it away or donate it.
3/5- Three means that the book was okay. I will probably recommend it to someone who shares an interest in that type of book. I may read it again someday if I am bored and have nothing else to read, which is unlikely. This book may be permitted to hang out on my bookshelf until someone would like to trade for it.
4/5 - Four means I really liked this book. I will definitely recommend it to someone who I think would enjoy it. I will most likely keep this book if I have purchased it, and will probably read it again after waiting a year or so.
5/5- Five means that this book is in my list of all-time favorite books. I will tell everyone about it, even people who don't usually enjoy that genre of book. I will own a copy of this book and read it many times in the future.
Welcome!
Hi! I read a lot of books. It's my favorite thing to do. I like all genres.
People are constantly asking me what I think about the books I read, and I would like to share that with everyone!
I get books from many places. Lately I have been more into borrowing from the library. It is free and if you don't like the book, then there is no stress! The second place I like to get my books from is PBS - http://www.paperbackswap.com/. It is a great place to post books that you have on your shelf that you would like to trade. The only cost to you is shipping the book to the person who requests it. In return, you get a credit in which you can request a book from another member - and they pay the shipping to send it to you. It all evens out! No one seems to want any of the books left on my shelf, so I just buy credits on there. It's still tons cheaper than buying a book in a store, and you're helping someone else out by doing it that way. The last way that I do it is by shopping online for used books. Very rarely do I buy a book at full price. A paperback is $7.99 now! What is that?! Sorry, not happening!
What are your favorite books?
People are constantly asking me what I think about the books I read, and I would like to share that with everyone!
I get books from many places. Lately I have been more into borrowing from the library. It is free and if you don't like the book, then there is no stress! The second place I like to get my books from is PBS - http://www.paperbackswap.com/. It is a great place to post books that you have on your shelf that you would like to trade. The only cost to you is shipping the book to the person who requests it. In return, you get a credit in which you can request a book from another member - and they pay the shipping to send it to you. It all evens out! No one seems to want any of the books left on my shelf, so I just buy credits on there. It's still tons cheaper than buying a book in a store, and you're helping someone else out by doing it that way. The last way that I do it is by shopping online for used books. Very rarely do I buy a book at full price. A paperback is $7.99 now! What is that?! Sorry, not happening!
What are your favorite books?
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