Book Reports

Shadowbridge by Gregory Frost

2008-12-15T13:21:39Z

Shadowbridge is a book that I happened to find by just browsing the bookstore. Upon entering the bookstore a beeline is made for the Sci-fi and Fantasy section. And more often than not at least one book is found that comes home with me. The latest one was Shadowbridge.

It's a story about stories. Which I found to be an interesting way for the book to be written. Each sub story seems to connect with the main character in some way, and they will draw you in of their own accord.

One of the sub stories is rather large, but does fit into the overall arc of the book. Unfortunately though the main character is not really involved in this sub story that sets up another character of the novel. This did annoy me somewhat because I was so invested in Leodora that I didn't want to branch off of her story quite that far. Once the sub story ended it was brought around full circle and was then understandable as to why it had been included. The character that story set up, Diverus, became a central character to the story.

There is a sequel called Lord Tophet that I will be buying next time I go to the book store. It will continue Leodora's story, which is good because Shadowbridge almost ended without an ending. It's a story that definitely isn't over yet. I'm looking forward to reading Lord Tophet and learning the rest of Leodora's story.

Goody Goody Gunshots

2008-10-27T05:11:23Z

Goody Goody Gunshots by Sammi Carter is the 4th book in her Candy Shop Mystery series.
When Abby Shaw witnesses a stranger being gunned down on the highway, she's convinced she's seen a murder. Problem is, there's no body. But days later, when a body does turn up, wishy-washy witnesses make things sticky. Even elbow-deep in hot syrup, Abby is determined to find out the truth. And it's not as if she can take her own sweet time figuring it out - she's busy running Divinity, training a new employee, and helping coach her nephew's basketball team. Not to mention that nosing around for too long could get her killed...
It's an okay, quick read series. I love the recipes! ☺

Feast of Fools

2008-10-21T04:58:21Z

Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine is the fourth book in the YA series The Morgansville Vampires. Fans of the Twilight series should check this series out. They may be shorter books but the pace never lets up.
In the college town of Morgansville, vampires and humans have learned to live in relative peace. Still, students like Claire Danvers know that after dark, studying can take a backseat to staying alive. But the tenuous good-neighbor policy is really turned on its head with the arrival of Mr. Bishop.

Bad to the bone, the ancient old-school vampire cares nothing about harmony. Staying at the top of the food chain is enough. What he wants from the town's living and dead is unthinkingly sinister. It's only at a formal ball attended by vampires and their human dates that Claire realizes Bishop's plan - and the elaborately evil trap he's set for the warm-blooded souls of Morgansville...

The End of the Alphabet

2008-10-20T17:31:35Z

The End of the Alphabet by C.S. Richardson

This is the last book I read, about a week or so ago. It's pretty short and simple, yet tells a good story. I enjoyed reading it although the format is a little different compared with traditional books. It follows a gentleman who learns he has a limited amount of time to live. He makes a list of places to go corresponding with the alphabet. It's a very moving tale, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Hello...

2008-10-16T15:00:03Z

Many of you are probably seeing this on your friends page and going "Am I member of that community?" Book Reports has been quiet for a long time. I've let it slip through the cracks and I haven't kept up with it at all. I'm sorry. So I was thinking I'd try to revive this poor old thing. So if you have some books you've read, please share them with the group. I'll try to remember to start posting mine.

Now may not be the best time to try and revive this community, as for the month of November I'll be writing rather than reading. But I do have some books I've read recently that I can post about. The guidelines for the community haven't really changed, but feel free to have a look at the userinfo if you need a refresher.

Hope to see some good books posted!

Cyn

Charlie Bone

2007-07-25T15:47:49Z

The latest entry into the Charlie Bone series is "Charlie Bone and the Beast"

This story focuses again on Charlie and the world of Bloor's Academy. There are of course new students, new clues to the history of the Red King, and new trails to overcome. The Bloor's are always trying to undo Charlie, and Charlie has the responsibility of stopping the Bloor's from their evil plans. The children also have to deal with Asa Pike and the choices he made at the end of the previous book.

I really like this series of books, and for those who like Harry Potter but don't think they are appropriate for children anymore try Charlie Bone.

Yes, I am spamming Book Reports

2007-07-25T15:32:02Z

"House" by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

Excellent read! Don't try to figure out what is going on, just go with it. Get lost in the character's terror and confusion and go along for the ride. Although, I never want to take a back woods short cut, or go into a basement again. But, then again I never really like basements.

Story about two people struggling to keep their marriage together after some rough times stumbling into a trap set by Mr. Uber Crazy Man (my title) and having to face their pasts and their deepest feelings. Makes you think about how your feel about others and how that effects how you feel about yourself.

If you like scary stories, and stories that make you think - check it out.

Thoughts on Harry Potter

2007-07-25T15:27:14Z

No real spoilers just some thoughts for something that the world keeps calling a children's book:

1) I understand that 17 year olds use much worse language than "effin" but do the third graders that read Harry Potter need to add that to their vocabulary?

2) Mrs. Weasley wouldn't use that word - not even in those circumstances.

3) No children's book has not one but two character set on fire, with one actually being burned to death.

4) What kind of children's book kills off over 60 of the "good guys"? I know this is supposed to be the supreme battle between good and evil, but in that light we should at least mourn those Death Eaters that died as well. Yes, they were the "bad guys" and had no problems killing others, but I am not sure we want children to summarily dismiss death if they think the person is bad.

Ok - other than all that it was ok - oh and JK Rowling hates parents.

Blues4Kali- A Cult Classic for the End Times

2007-02-07T13:47:24Z

What will Winter Solstice bring in 2012? ...an instant of Karma? ...an ethereal spiral dance of the collective soul? ... cosmic judgment leveled against civilization's expanse? ...destruction of the world as we know it? ...a chance for a new start? ...the rise and the revenge of the Goddess? or simply another day in the life of paranoia? These are the false prophesies that your pastor warned you about!
Reality Exchange Program
"Makes DMT seem like a whip-it."
Crazy Bear said there'd be days like this. As usual, no one believed him. Now, all I want to know is: where IS that lifeboat, and how DO I ditch this ship of fools, without any of these bliss ninnies noticing that I'm already gone?
Captain, my ass. We are equal in this sea of madness.
That iceberg is looking awfully big.
Amana Mission is on a quest to save the world, and the only problem is, she can't remember why she got involved with such an obvious scam in the first place. Jesus saves. Christ. What a loser.
Kali kills first, and recycles later.
Hitchhikers, load up for a ride to the Other Side. You may wish you had gone Greyhound.
"What the...?"
*A cranky band of prankster peace warriors who absolutely cannot resist messing with each other's minds, no matter the cost.
*Cocky alchemy-dabbling quantum surfers, navigating the Ethersphere with hand-held computers, switching timelines to find a better party vibe and swap tips about the best temporary toilets for use as interdimensional portals.
*A burnt-out visionary hippie millionaire on a mission from Gaia to build a better "communitopia" by underwriting a convoy carrying telepathic priestesses.
*A wheelchair-bound mindpilot propelling a crystal-powered Seed Bank toward the post-Apocalyptic Garden, with psychic precision...and a predilection for high-velocity extreme driving.
*Hermaphrodite time-jumper fleeing a fate worse than death.
*Anarchist ghettoes where anything goes-except escape.
*Ancient Principals vying like sweatsoaked carpetbaggers for our loyalty as the Final Vote is tallied.
*Long-haired security patrols collecting a cannabis tribute tax from all pilgrims to the Valley of Fun.
*And an underground meat mafia bringing a black magic revival to a bloodless dreamworld gone bland.
All brought together by a secret psychedelic superdrug that tunes users in to reality through the eyes of another archetypal avatar inhabiting a different state of space and time. Mahayana made easy. Budding Buddha natures are running amuck on a virtual superhighway where all roads lead to the Bo tree and singularity.
Twenty-first century Tantra is about more than sex, drugs, and rock and roll.Confronting the Karma of every wasted breath is only the first step.
Welcome to the End Times. Kali awaits. She already knows who you are.
Do you?
The 21st century counterculture is even weirder than it appears on the surface. This is not your mommy’s MTV Road Rules.
Ride along on this mesmerizing, metaphor-packed bus trip toward ecstasy and enlightenment, as three real-time guides-Amana, Sissy, and Deva, let you in on what they learned when they asked what It was really all about, after all.
Become them for a multilevel metafictional tour of infinity and awaken yourself to the miracle-a-minute magic of mighty Mother Kali!
Online New Age Books
Read Online Novel Blues 4 Kali at www.blues4kali.com
Prophecy 2012

their eyes were watching god by Zora Neale Hurston

2007-01-06T06:56:55Z

I really liked this book and found it very engrossing. There were a few times I felt bored out of my mind. This is the second time I've read this book (first time its not for class) and I'd give it about 3 out 5 stars. It's basically about love as the main character Janie experiences it. One thing about the book though, I remember feeling this way the last time I read it, iI fetl as though I were missing something. Like there was a moral or a theme that I just didn't get. I really liked it besides that though.

New Community

2006-11-29T08:31:51Z

I'm not really sure if this is allowed...if not then I'm sorry and please feel free to delete this. But I've just started up a new community :) If you love reading and books then feel free to come over and check it out! You'll be able to meet new friends and other people who enjoy reading and books. Feel free to post about your favourite books, favourite authors or genres, about a book that you've just finished reading, maybe a movie that's been based on a book that you've read, reviews...anything to do with books/reading! It's called books_au so come on over and check it out :)

The Last Vampire (3, 4, 5, & 6) by Christopher Pike

2006-10-06T12:51:26Z

The Last Vampire (3, 4, 5, & 6) by Christopher Pike

Okay, so I was gonna post two at a time. But then I got sick on Wednesday and didn't feel like really doing anything. So I read all day. I didn't get through all four of them that day (Lost came on) but I read about the equivalent of three (the last half of 3, all of 4 and 5, and the first half of 6). I just finished 6 last night so it would be done before I left for the weekend.

After the first book I really didn't remember much more of the plot. I guess the first book made a bigger impression when I read them oh so many years ago. I really enjoyed reading these books again. I really like Pike's writing style. He uses simple sentences, and it's easy to understand, yet at the same time some of it is very profound.

The story follows Sita/Alisa through her many adventures and the friends she meets along the way. It becomes intertwined with destiny and there are many psychological aspects as well. Plus the general supernatural feel of the book, since it is about vampires. She ends up being the person who can save humanity, but to attempt that she has to travel a very long road. Each book has it's own plot, as well as carrying this character forward for the final installment. I believe that you need to get to know Sita, and know what's she gone through, in order to accept the ending of the series.

I still really like these books and now I will definitely be picking up some of my other Pike books and re-reading them. I'll have to read one of his adult novels and see how the writing compares. I'm wondering if they're really written differently, or perhaps just a tad more intense or complex than these. I don't remember the difference striking me as I read them, but that was still a long time ago.

If you enjoy the supernatural, with a twist of destiny, then I'd say these are good books for you to read. If you happen to pick them up, let me know what you think.

The Last Vampire 1 & 2 by Christopher Pike

2006-10-04T11:46:01Z

The Last Vampire 1 & 2 by Christopher Pike

I picked up The Last Vampire the other day, after unpacking all of my Christopher Pike books. I became addicted to Pike when I was in 8th grade and basically devoured everything he wrote as soon as it came out. There might be a couple I missed, but I have almost all of them. They were packed up for years because I had run out of room on my bookshelves. When I ran across them while unpacking my apt. I decided they had to come out.

I have to say I still enjoyed the story. I still really like Sita and I think I am much more intrigued by all the spiritual references to Krishna and so on. When I read it while I was younger I probably didn't even pay attention to all that, probably just thought it was made up or something. After having a religion class in college (which I can't remember a whole lot of) it made me look at it a little differently. The second book continued the story, about a month or so later I believe. I also really enjoyed it.

The sentence structure seems short to me, probably because I have grown to love complicated fantasy novels and classic literature like Jane Eyre. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing though, especially when the age range for these books is young adult. The story is easy to follow and is very engaging. Sometimes I think the shorter sentences actually puncate what the character is trying to say much better than a long drawn out explanation would.

I am currently reading the third book in the series. There are a total of six, so I'll try to post ever two books and let you know if I'm still enjoying the story or whatever. So far I'm glad I decided to pick these back up. I have a ton of other Pike books I must go back and re-read now.

The Dream Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn

2006-10-03T15:07:52Z

Read a while back, just now posting!

The Dream Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn

This is the third book in the series by Sharon Shinn, and I think it might be my favorite. Although I still love the second one too, and the first one as well. *laugh* Maybe I should just be content to say I love them all.

One thing I think I love about these stories is that they seem to balance the good and the bad. It seems to capture how crazy life can be and the roller coaster ride we all go on while just trying to live our lives. This book had a very happy ending and one that made me cheer! I think that's why I like these so much, they give me hope that things will turn out for the best, even if it doesn't seem like it.

Highly recommended!

The Truth Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn

2006-10-03T15:05:28Z

Actually read a while back, just now posting.

The Truth Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn

I just got done reading this book. It was just as good as the first one. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to find out more about the characters from the first book, but this book had it's own amazing characters and story. I absolutely love the twins. I guess part of it is because they seem like two sides of my own psyche.

I'm a person that people confide in, yet I am very very bad at telling a lie and can very rarely pass off anything as true that's not. The only way I ever do that is to stretch the truth or not tell all of the truth. If people ask me something outright I answer them honestly.

Adele and Eleda both connected with me in a way that characters in a book don't often do. Usually I find traits in a character that I'd like to have, not ones that are already so close to my own characteristics. A highly recommended book. What a wonderful way to spend the morning!

The Safe Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn

2006-10-03T15:03:24Z

I read this book a while back, and decided I should go ahead and post it! I'll be copying posts for the other two in the series as well.

The Safe Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn

I just got done reading this book. It was sitting in the living room, I was half paying attention to the VH1 top 20, so I decided to pick it up. And then continued reading it until I was done, minus a bathroom break or two. It was a very enjoyable experience. The kitty curled up in my lap, a very nice way to spend the morning.

I loved the book. I love most books I read so that's probably not a surprise. But it was very engaging and still simple. The premise of having Safe-Keepers, and Truth-Tellers, and Dream-Makers is one I find intriguing. I really enjoyed this book, a very good, fast read that made me feel good. I now have to read the next book, The Truth-Teller's tale. I hope that it at least touches on the characters from this story, because I want to know more about them.

The Frog Princess Series by E.D. Baker

2006-10-03T14:56:39Z

The Frog Princess, Dragon's Breath, Once Upon a Curse, and No Place for Magic by E.D. Baker

I actually read these a while ago, but am just now getting around to posting about them in here. I believe they're considered young adult books, I'm not sure what the actual target age is for them. They're really good books though. The author takes a fun twist to all the well known fairytales and such. Things are thrown in there so subtley that sometimes you're not sure if it's from a fairytale you know or not.

The first book, The Frog Princess, introduces us to the main characters and builds the story from there. The other books continue that story with new plots and all the characters you've grown to love. There are singing swords, dragons, fairies, witches, wizards (or warlocks - can't remember which they call them), trolls, and all manner of mischief and adventure along the way.

Granted I'm well above the age range for these books, but I still enjoyed them immensely. They're good, fun, light reading that left me feeling good when I was finished with them. It wasn't anything to take too seriously and I didn't have to really work to understand the book, which is nice sometimes when you just want to escape.

Highly recommended for people of all ages!

Mixed by Angela Nissel

2006-09-30T11:42:03Z

I just finished reading Mixed by Angela Nissel. Nissel also authored the hilarious Broke Diaries. I was very excited to find out that she had written another book.

Mixed is a bittersweet autobiography of Nissel growing up as biracial in Philadelphia. I cried during her struggles and laughed at her quirky observations of people and society as a whole. The book gave me a different perspective of race relations in the U.S.

Given the light-heartedness of her last novel, I was a little bit surprised by serious tone of Mixed, but I enjoyed it just as much. I reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in race relations and identity struggles.

http://www.angelanissel.com/

Crossposted

bookreports @ 2006-09-17T00:12:00

2006-09-17T07:12:03Z

i need some ideas of what i should read on the plane to florida on thursday and what to read while i'm in central america during the following week. plz n ty. #1 on my list is this. but what else?

Battle Royale- Koushun Takami

2006-09-17T06:04:20Z

This book really is not something I would usually read, but when it came highly recommended by 2 of my friends, I had to pick it up. Basically the background is, (don't worry no spoilers) A junior high class is taken to a deserted island where they are ordered to fight to the death. It is has really good action scenes, though it is dry in some places. I didn't really like the ending, but it works for most people I guess. This is a very memorable read. It's only about 617 pages too.

Oh and I think it may be banned in some places.

Guardians of Time

2006-09-04T16:11:20Z

The Named, The Dark, & The Key comprise this YA Fantasy series known as The Guardians of Time by Australian Author Marianne Curley.
The Order of Chaos travels into the past in order to change the future while the Guardians of Time go back into time to stop the alteration of the past thereby insuring the stability of the present. The problem is you can only go back to the same time in the past once. No matter what side you're on, if you fail, you can't go back and try again.

From Publishers Weekly
Magic blooms in Angel Falls, the setting of this promising launch to Curley's (Old Magic) time travel trilogy. At the edge of a national forest, where two worlds co-exist, 16-year-old Ethan Roberts guards time or, more specifically, history ("My job is to make sure it all happens the way it's supposed to, the way it already did"). As one of the Named, a Guardian of Time, he has been doing this since age four, not long after his 10-year-old sister, Sera, was killed. Her murderer, an evil half-faced monster, Marduke, is an Order of Chaos minion who wishes to alter the past in order to change the future-and to avenge his own losses. As the novel opens, Ethan is given an Apprentice to train, 15-year-old Isabel Becket, younger sister of his ex-best friend. With the help of Arkarian, a 600-year-old Guardian who lives deep inside the mountain, Isabel quickly takes to the apprenticeship, and her power to heal strengthens. But the forces of good and evil are headed for a Final Conflict foreseen by the Prophecy found in Veridian, the ancient city hidden deep under Angel Falls. No machine is required for time travel here; a strange "sleep" is the conduit between worlds past and present. Told in convincing alternating chapters by Isabel and Ethan, the novel reveals a mystery, the clues to which unfold via the duo's trip back in time to John of Gaunt (during the reign of Richard II) and details of Sera's death. Readers will likely be swept up by the ever-growing complications and want to return for the series' next installments. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Alice, I think

2006-06-14T04:08:53Z

I know I'm far, far behind on things but I recently finished ALICE, I THINK by Susan Juby. Being a guy, I was kind of turned off by the chick-lit cover. I'm glad I finally cracked it open because the book really cracked me up. This was the best kind of comedy because it felt as though it could really happen and it came from a realistic voice.

Art

Who Let That Killer in the House? by Patricia Sprinkle

2006-03-12T23:53:02Z

I just finished #5 Who Let That Killer in the House? by Patricia Sprinkle in her Thoroughly Southern mystery series. I rate this one a 6; for personal preferences of subject matter dealt with in the book. It is written just as well as the others...and I didn't have a clue to whodunit! It has a darker ending than her other books though things do work out in the end. I didn't have a clue what was going on until the ending.
Years ago, a dark cloud moved over the small town of Hopemore, Georgia, after the murder of a little girl. One man was sent to prison for life - and two young boys were changed forever. Eventually, the skies cleared - and although the tragedy left its mark, the folks in Hopemore settled back into their routines. But that dark cloud seems to have returned with the apparent suicide of one of the town's most beloved citizens - DeWayne Evans, a favorite high school chemistry teacher and dedicated softball coach.
MacLaren Yarbrough uncovers more than one reason why DeWayne might have killed himself, but the evidence isn't adding up. And in this cozy Southern town, where "crime" usually involves nothing more than late library books, a murderer may be lurking in places where even a sharp-eyed MacLaren would never think to look.

Who Left That Body in the Rain? by Patricia Sprinkle

2006-03-11T20:40:15Z

Who Left That Body in the Rain? is the fourth book in A Thoroughly Southern Mystery series by Patricia Sprinkle. I rate it a 7.
In Hopemore, Georgia, good ol' boy Skye MacDonald lives life large as a dedicated family man, backslapping civic leader, and flamboyantly successful owner of a local automobile empire. Very little happens in this cozy town without Skye's full knowledge and participation. So the whole community is shocked when his body is found on a muddy road, run over by his own car.
Judge MacLaren Yarbrough and her husband, Joe Riddley, have known the MacDonalds for many years. So they can't help but get involved in this baffling murder investigation, especially when it produces more questions than answers: Why has Skye's son skipped town? How many secrets was Skye keeping? And...Who Left That Body in the Rain?

Who Invited the Dead Man? by Patricia Sprinkle

2006-03-09T21:41:17Z

I just finished Who Invited the Dead Man? by Patricia Sprinkle. The first two books in this series were published in trade paperback in the late 1990s as the MacLaren Yarbrough series. Starting with this 3rd book in the series, they are published in a regular paperback size with the series called A Thoroughly Southern Mystery. I rate this 250 page mystery a 7.
Judge MacLaren Yarbrough is the new magistrate of Hope County, Georgia - appointed to replace her husband, Joe Riddley, after he receives an injury. But when a local man is found murdered at Joe's birthday gala, MacLaren almost ends up on the wrong side of the law. And when she finds clues that hit too close to home, this savvy southerner becomes determined to uncover the roots of the crime - and clear her family's name.
MacLaren tries to sweet-talk clues out of affluent matriarchs, shady drifters, and even a disgruntled parrot. But all her efforts simply raise more questions: How many secrets can one small town hold? Which party guest had the strongest motive? And...Who Invited the Dead Man?