Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

You know, I say I'm not a sci-fi fan but then I loved the Hunger Games trilogy and enjoy me some sci-fi films so, when I found a website that listed the "must reads before you see the movie" Ender's game (as well as Divergent and the City of Bones) were on the list.  I remember dating Bob in the 1990s and he raved about this book but of course, back then, being the "English Major" that I was, I was too good for sci-fi...God I was such a righteous ass back then.  Anyway: the premise:

Ender Wiggin is a brilliant 6-year old...the youngest (a "third) in a family of geniuses. Future Earth, has survived two attacks by an alien race called Buggers.  It is well-known, however, that a third invasion is coming and the results of this one will either be complete triumph or total defeat. The government is scrambling to make sure this never happens by training the next set of star fleet commanders from childhood.  Based on Ender's accomplishments and his keen mind, he is chosen for Battle School.  Here he learns military strategy and how to be a leader.  The cost, however, is the loss of his childhood, seclusion and loneliness.  The question:  Is Ender the one?  Can he be the savior for all humankind?  And what's real and what is the Game?

I LOVED this book...and again...sci-fi has apparently never been my thing.  I know I may be a 43-year old woman (God, am I really that old?  I still feel like I'm 25!  Except for the aches and pains in my hips sometimes and the fact that I can't sit Indian-style for very long anymore) but there's nothing quite like the complete escape from a world that doesn't seem possible.  Even if you think sci-fi isn't your thing, try this book out...I guarantee you will like it!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...how excited am I when I find an AMAZING series to read?!  Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight!?  Well, thank you Jesus (or better yet, Veronica Roth) for A) this new series and B) bringing my attention to it.

So the premise - the world (which is the futuristic and much changed city of Chicago) has been re-shaped into five factions: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). At the age of 16, children choose (based on the results of testing) the faction in which they will spend the rest of their lives.  When Beatrice Prior is given unclear results on the best faction for her, she is torn between choosing family or where she believes her talent really lies. In the end, she surprises herself in her choice and from there moves on to a training that will challenge her physically, mentally and emotionally. 

Loved, loved, loved this book.  Loved "Tris"...loved the turmoil she went through, loved how she was true to herself more than anything or anyone else.  Can't wait to read Insurgent (the next in the trilogy) and can't WAIT to see the movie (which also stars Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn).  If you read nothing else of my recommendations - read this one.  You won't be sorry. 

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

My latest is from an author I've never read before but he is now on my list...I plan on buying and reading all his books as soon as possible.

This Is Where I Leave You is the 5th novel for Jonathan Tropper. The main character - Judd Foxman - has just lost his father, he just found out his wife has been sleeping with his boss for the last year and she's just delivered the news that she's pregnant.  If that isn't enough, his atheist father made a last wish on his death bed that he would like his family to sit Shiva. This could prove bad for all involved considering his 1 sister and 2 brothers (along with his mother) haven't been in the same room without fists and insults flying in years.  What ensues is a week of shocking revelations and the beginning of a new life for some.

I mean, I haven't laughed so hard while reading a book in a long time.  I wish I were as clever with my writing as Jonathan Tropper. In fact, I wish I were as witty with my insults and sarcasm as well.  Of course if I let those fly to my own family they would disown me. But for the Foxman family - it comes from love and an fear/inability to effectively display their emotions.  So funny...you MUST read!

The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

This was the type of book that I tried to savor for as long as possible but couldn't because it was too good.  I didn't want to put it down.

The synopsis: Arthur and Jake Dunn are brothers growing up in Struan, Ontario (a fictional in the Canadian Shield) during the 30s/40s...a time of struggle, on the cusp of war. They are the sons of a farmer and as opposite as two people could be.  Arthur is strong, solid, dutiful and set to take over the farm.  He is the pride of his father.  Jake is the younger, attractive, can-do-anything son who has the ability to wrap every person around his manipulative finger. His mother's pride and joy.  And with all this, of course there is a rivalry that is sure to tear lives apart. 

In the same town, 25 years later, there is Ian Christopherson, the son of the town doctor.  He's a good kid, with a level head who is slightly afraid of the future but more than that, afraid of falling into a rut, doing the thing that is expected of him.

Somehow, these two world intermingle and become locked together by fate.  And as sometimes happens, fate deals a shitty hand every now and then.

The cover of this book (shown) sums it up best: Heartbreak, truth, lies, tears, grief and hope. This book had reminders of East of Eden (John Steinbeck) and of course with that, the story of Cain and Abel.  You hated who you were supposed to hate; loved the lovable characters and cheered for the good to slay the bad.  Sure signs of a gifted author.  Mary Lawson can keep on writing them because I will always want to read her books.  Such amazing story telling.  A definite must read!

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

A new author for me...and I'll be adding his other books to my list.

The Synopsis: Silas "32" Jones and Larry Ott were once "friends" during the 70s. They were an odd mix, however: Larry, the son of white parents and lower-middle class and Silas the black son of a single parent, poor and sometimes homeless. They shouldn't have gotten along, should never have even met, but for a couple months, they shared a bond. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Larry took a girl on a date and then she disappeared, never to be seen again.  Larry was never charged with a crime but only because a body was never found and he never confessed.  The people of his town, however, sentenced him with the crime and proceeded to make him "pay" in tortuous ways. Silas, in the wake of the "crime" left town. Twenty-five years later, Larry is living his lonely life in the same town and Silas has returned to the town as constable.  Through similar circumstances, Larry is put into the spotlight again when another girl disappears.  Larry and Silas are once again thrust into each others paths. 

This was a superb book.  Great writing, great characters, a great mystery.  So good...I don't want to say any more because I don't want to ruin it...read it though...you'll love it!

A Week In Winter by Maeve Binchy

My latest read is Maeve Binchy’s last novel A Week In Winter. Sadly, Maeve died a short time after completing the novel. I must say – I have ALWAYS loved reading Maeve and I am sad to know that I will never get to read a new novel of hers again.

 

So the storyline: Chicky Starr has recently returned to Ireland after many years of living in the U.S. She had left her home to follow the man she loved but when he left her, she was left with nothing.  Now, she has returned so she can finally build a life worth living.  The life she builds revolves around Stone House – a place near her home of Stoneybridge - and turning it into a hotel of sorts where travelers who love nature and beautiful views can come and relax.  She recruits many people in her plans and together, they prepare for the opening of her retreat on the cliffs of western Ireland.  During her opening week – the reader is introduced to several characters: John – a well-known movie star who thinks no one knows who he is; two married doctors seeking solace after their careers have left them heart-broken; Winnie and Lillian, two mismatched ladies taking a holiday together and a few more guests to add to the mix. 

 

Maeve Binchy has become a beloved novelist in her use of characters and the way she ties these people from such different walks of life together.  Once again, she has managed to entrance and enthrall.  I loved this book.  I tried to read it slowly so as to savor but alas, I was finished with it too quickly.  Read for yourself.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

It's been a while, hasn't it, since I've experienced a truly deserved 5-star read? This one is certainly worthy.

Here's the synopsis: It's a lovely Friday (Good Friday to be exact), on a twisted mountain road and our narrator, high on something and drinking to boot, wrecks his car causing it to tumble down a ravine.  As he lies , trapped, upside down in the wreckage, his car bursts into flames, leaving him to burn along with it.  Fortunately (or unfortunately as our narrator sees it) there's a stream nearby that saves his life.  In the months following he recovers, against all odds and so he plots and plans for his release and a most amazing suicide. Several months into his painful recovery, a woman unknown to him (a psyche ward patient it seems), Marianne Engel, begins visiting him. She claims that they were lovers in 14th century Germany and this is his third serious burn. She's there to see him through his rehabilitation and in doing so she leads him through their years together with stories of their many past lives in Iceland, Japan, Italy and of course Germany where the journey began.  The narrator finds himself looking forward again and her stories breathe life back into an existence he thought was destroyed forever.  Their journey together is unbelievable and yet...

I had this book on my shelves for a long time before finally picking it up and deciding to read...it doesn't scream "feel good", that's for sure. The first few chapters are quite repulsive as the reader suffers the descriptions of our narrators horrible burns. It turns out, this book is, actually, a feel good book, however, one has go through a bit of suffering to get to the good stuff.  But doesn't suffering sometimes go hand in hand with love? It certainly does for our narrator and Marianne Engel.

Read this book.  It was incredibly powerful and one of the greatest love stories I've read in a long time.  LOVED!

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

My most recent read is a book about Ernest Hemingway’s first wife – Hadley Richardson. The two met in Chicago, 1920. She was 8 years Ernest’s senior. She had lived a very sheltered life in St. Louis (having been sheltered by a mother fairly worried and even obsessed about Hadley’s health) until her mother died and she paid a visit to a childhood friend in Chicago. There she met Hemingway and after a whirlwind courtship, the two married and moved to Paris. It was during this time that Ernest struggled to become noticed and where he wrote The Sun Also Rises. The two lived the high life (though they struggled financially) rubbing elbows with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda; John Dos Passos; Ezra Pound; Gertrude Stein and many more. The Roaring 20s were well underway and they lived it up to the fullest: drinking, travelling, going to Spain for the annual bullfight etc. They had a child and as often happens when a life seems so out of control, their marriage fell apart.

I really liked this book (5 stars). It is a definite must read, although I was exhausted just reading about all the boozing and dancing and more boozing this “lost generation” did. And though it wasn't a book about Ernest Hemingway so to speak, it made me want to read Ernest Hemingway again because it gave me better insight about who he was and why he wrote the way he did – glorifying such things as war and drinking and bullfighting and generally living a life out of control. Mostly, however, I loved Hadley Richardson and I felt bad for her because it was so easy to see from the minute she met Ernest Hemingway, she was on the road to hurt and loss. Such a man could never be happy or content with any ONE thing. (And this wasn't due to mental illness for he certainly suffered from that). She was always at risk for personal disaster but seeing it, she still powered through and fought. In a way, when her marriage ended, I believe Hadley finally found herself. Her whole life with Ernest was Ernest and only Ernest and when he moved on to something more exciting, she was finally able to live a fuller life. Read this...you will enjoy!

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House takes place in the midst of America's worst period of history - slavery. Orphaned while on board ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is forced to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house and an indentured servant. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes a part of her adopted family even though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the "big house", where the master is always absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia's world is a constant balancing act between her two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are revealed and lives are put at risk.

I LOVED this book. The subject matter is obviously disturbing but it tells an amazing story based on a truth that our country would probably like to forget (but shouldn't). The characters are wonderfully developed and the writing is super. Such a good read!

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Oh, The Forgotten Garden...SO GOOD!!!  Kate Morton is a superb writer.  This is my second jaunt with her novels and like the first one (The House at Riverton) this one doesn't disappoint.

The Forgotten Garden starts in 1913 in London with a small girl, 4 years old, playing a game of "hide-and-seek" on the deck of a ship.  She's told by the woman who left her there that she will return but to stay hidden until she does.  Unfortunately, the girl is still alone when the ship pulls away from the dock and arrives scared and alone in Australia several days later.  Thankfully, the dock master in Australia takes the child, names her Nell and he and his wife call her their own.  On her 21st birthday, her father finally tells her the truth about her past or what he knows of it.  Nell thus goes back to England to try and find from where she comes.  Unfortunately, Nell is never able to find her truth becuase she is forced to raise her young and abandoned granddaughter, Cassandra.  When Nell dies at a ripe old age, Cassandra picks the investigation up on her own to find the truth.  What follows for the reader is a journey back and forth between the past in 1913, the past in the mid-70s and present day.

This book was (high-pitched singing) AMAZING!!!  A MUST READ!!!  Loved it!  Couldn't put it down.  Such a sad but at the same time hopeful book!  READ IT!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Let me start by saying, I LOVE this author.  She does such a great job  explaining medical jargon and conditions without sounding pedantic and dry, thus boring.  BTW - this is my second book of Lisa Genova's - Left Neglected was read just prior to reading this one.

So, Still Alice is actually Lisa Genova's first novel and it's about Alice Howland, a 50-year-old Harvard Psychology professor who is tragically diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.  (UGH!  Sounds uplifting, huh? Don't let this deter you, however). Alice is a happily married, mother of three (grown and out of the house).  She is very successful - she travels to give lectures all over the country, her classes are always well attended and reviewed - as is her husband.  Things start to change, however, as she realizes, on her own, that she often has weird bouts of confusion that can't be explained by lack or loss of sleep, menopause or simple forgetfulness.  So, she goes to her doc and long story short, she is diagnosed. The rest of the novel focuses around Alice struggling to maintain a lifestyle similar to what she had while living for every moment.  The story is told through Alice's eyes and so the reader gets an idea of what it must be like to literally lose your mind.

Don't let the subject matter of this book keep you from reading it...the ending isn't a complete downer and if you've known anyone who has had this horrible diagnosis, it will give you such great insight to what they may be going through.  I loved this book and would recommend it to all.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

Wow, this was a good book!  I'm not sure where I heard of this author but she is new to me and I'm on a mission today to find her first novel (Still Alice) which had great reviews too.

Left Neglected is about Harvard grad, successful business woman Sarah Nickerson.  She's a woman who "has it all": an equally successful and loving husband; 3 relatively healthy kids and a home in a fairly affluent neighborhood in Boston.  The one thing she doesn't seem to have is a minute to spare in her busy 70-hour work week.  She and her husband, Bob, however, seem to balance it all out equally, sharing in shuttling their kids around, preparing dinners etc.  On a busy Friday (Friday is the one day that Sarah and Bob don't have an assigned person to shuttle the kids so they usually "throw" for it - rock/paper/scissors) Sarah is on her way to work with a few unexpected minutes to spare, having won the "throw" when, while searching for her cell phone, she takes her eyes off the road for a split-second and ends up totaling her car and suffering a traumatic brain injury in the process.  Sarah is forced, through her injury, to relearn parts of her life and body that she always took for granted.  She is forced to slow down and in doing so, she learns that life doesn't have to be rushed and having it all can be simple and enjoyable.

I loved this book.  I loved the characters.  There wasn't a character that bothered me or annoyed me or seemed unrealistic.  Lisa Geneova, a neuroscientist in her "real life" gave such great explanations for the injury that Sarah suffered and turned what could have been a tragedy into something miraculous - a second chance at life.  Can't wait to read her first novel (Still Alice).

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Every once in a little while, you read a book that speaks to you.  It's a definite page turner but one that you want to savor so you read slowly to really absorb all that happens.  Rules of Civility was that for me (thank you Aunt Kathleen for sending it to me).

Plot:  The novel takes place (mostly as a flashback) in New York City, 1938 - post Depression, post-1920s, pre-WWII.  It follows three friends in their twenties, Katey Kontent (emphasis on the tent rather then the kon), Evelyn Ross and Tinker Grey through a year of jazz-filled, martini swilling enlightenment mixed with tragic adventures. The three are all dynamic characters but the real star of the novel is  Katey - a woman unique in her strong sense of self as life continues to throw her curve balls.  She knows what she wants, she knows it will be a struggle to get it and she lets nothing deter her from a fulfilled and dynamic life.  In addition, she wants no shortcuts, no handouts and no one in her life that isn't genuine.  As a result of having these convictions, Katey is forced to sacrifice love and handouts that could give her a life of luxury which in turn makes her a true heroine.

About 125 pages in the book I found a quote that I think sums up Katey and her philosophy on life to a tee (as well as the book).  She's thinking back to her deceased father and the invaluable things that he taught her.  He told her one day that   "however daunting or dispiriting the unfolding of events, he always knew that he would make it through, as long as when he woke in the morning he was looking forward to his first cup of coffee."  Katey years later finally understood the meaning of this:  She states "when a person loses the ability to take pleasure in the mundane - in a cigarette on the stoop or the gingersnap in the bath - she has probably put herself in unnecessary danger."  This spoke to me because there are times as I'm lying in bed and thinking about the next morning and what I need to do, I think, "Mmm...I can't wait for coffee tomorrow!"  I don't live a life that many would think is HUGE and DYNAMIC but to me it is.  To my own line of thinking my life is full and who else really matters? I don't need to have riches and a huge house and adventures that take me to the far corners of the world.  What is rich to me is home and family and friends.  A fulfilled life is about the individual and what makes a person feel content (Ah! Kontent) in their own existence.  That is what this book made me think about:  No matter how small a person's life may seem to others from the outside - as long as they are true to themselves and find pleasure in the day to day events that occur (no matter how mundane...or exciting for that matter), it can be defined as a big and bold life.  No one can define happiness for anyone else.

Obviously I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone...I'm sure it speaks to people in different ways but the language and words used are truly poetic and I look forward to other novels written by this first-time author.  Read it you will thoroughly enjoy!

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

So my latest...I got it in the mail from Aunt Kathleen and was tres excited to read...always loves me a good baseball story!

The synopsis:  When I was thinking about what to write here, I was thinking about the main character.  Initially, I thought of this as Henry Skrimshander - a young college student whose talents as a shortstop have him destined for an amazing if not perfect future in baseball.  However, upon further reflection, I realized that the main character in this novel wasn't Henry but rather baseball itself.  I think Henry is certainly our "tragic hero" but the one constant (to steal a line from Field of Dreams) remains baseball.  The game itself - the character of baseball in this novel - never disappointed me; never let me down; never pretended to be something it wasn't.  That being said, here's what:  The Art of Fielding is about several different characters, all at a pivotal point in their lives; all searching for their own truth. Henry Skrimshander - as stated - is an outstanding baseball player, destined for greatness.  On the eve of breaking the record for games without errors, set by his hero, he makes a routine throw that goes disastrously wrong and leaves him, for the first time, unsure of who he is and if he's anything without baseball. Wetish College president, Guert Affenlight, has for the first time fallen unexpectedly in love with Henry's roommate, Owen.  It's an affair that has all the potential of happiness and disaster.  President Affenlight's daughter returns to Wetish after a ruined marriage to start her life over but she seems destined to continue making mistake after mistake.  And Mike Schwartz - Henry's best friend and motivator - realizes that in focusing so much of his time and attention on Henry's future, he's forgotten to make one for himself.

Why did I love this book?  Well, 1) Baseball - I love baseball.  And though it is definitely a book surrounding America's favorite pastime, it is so much more than that.  2) I loved the flawed characters of this book.  I didn't mind hating some of the good guys sometimes because their flaws were so human and worthwhile.  (Interestingly, the most unflawed, not-searching-for-his-truth-because-he-already-knows-who-he-is character is Owen, the gay, environmentalist having a clandestine affair with his college president, 40-some years his senior.)  3) I thought about the characters in this book, long after finishing.  I wondered what they were doing and if they were still on the path toward their "truth".  Now that's a good book!  I love a book that wraps things up but not so neatly - leaving that room for wonder and hope for the, though fictional, very real characters.

Definitely read this book!  You won't be disappointed.

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas

My latest is a memoir...another memoir.  I don't know why I don't read more memoirs because I almost always find them fascinating.  Anyway, this one caught my eye because of the dog on the cover.  And then I read the jacket which said:

"When Abigail Thomas's husband, Rich, was hit by a car, his skull was shattered, his brain, severely damaged.  Subject to rages, terrors and hallucinations, he was sent to live in a nursing facility that specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries.  He had no memory of what he did the hour, the day, the year before.  This tragedy is the ground on which Abigail had to build a new life.  How she built that life is a story of great courage and change, of moving to a small country town, of a new family composed of three dogs, knitting and friendship, of facing down guilt and discovering gratitude."

Sounds depressing, right?  Well, parts of it were but the overall message, the overall lesson that Abigail learns when her world is turned upside-down and inside-out is inspiring.  This is a woman who had before thought of in terms of future.  After the accident, however, the future went out the door and her thoughts are stuck in the present.  But truly, the word, "stuck" isn't right because that sounds like she's in a bad place; in a place she isn't happy.  Quite the contrary.  Abigail has learned to be happy again and loves her life, even when it isn't anything like she'd imagined or hoped.  This book was a great lesson on how to overcome those events that some may call a tragedy but others just call life.  You'll read this in a single sitting.

Oh and I also loved the opening quote from Wikipedia that said, "Australian Aborigines slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a "three dog night".

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

I've never considered myself a "Fan" of Rob Lowe's.  Sure, I've liked his work...I've seen About Last Night, St. Elmo's Fire (too many times I'm sure than is normal), West Wing...but I've never gone out of my way to see all that he does.  He's cute.  I admit, I may have fanticized a time or two when I was a teen but, again, he wasn't on my list anytime recently.  That being said, after reading his memoir, I may have to change my mind. 

Obviously, unless you live under a rock you know that Rob Lowe was a teen idol who got his start really at  fifteen when he starred in The Outsiders.  He then became an icon and unwilling "founder" of the Brat Pack. Eventually, he became one of Hollywood's top stars.  In his book he details for the reader his rise to the top, his family dynamics (fascinating that again, an acclaimed actor is the product of divorce) his failures due to alcoholism and his eventual ability to attain peace and thus an idyllic life with his wife and two sons.

I was surprised at what a good writer Rob Lowe is.  I was flabberghasted at the people he just happened to grow up and become friends with.  I would recommend this book to anyone and considering I wasn't a "fan", it's definitely a book for everyone.  The only negative point in this book which almost lost Mr. Lowe a 1/2 star was the fact that he's a Pittsburgh Steeler fan.  He should be ashamed being a Reds fan AND a Steelers fan!  That is BLASPHEMY!!!

Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies

I read this book several months ago and totally forgot to review it!  Which sucks too because it was such a good book. 

Isabel Gillies was an actress (promising or not, who knows?) on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.  She met and married the love of her life and eventually quit her acting job to follow her husband to Oberlin College where he was to be a poetry professor.  Not one time did she regret her move and decision and she did in fact embrace everything mid-western including the snowy winters.  She threw herself into raising her two sons, renovating her dream home and teaching drama part-time.  Her life, however, was on a fast track to disaster when her husband decided he didn't love her nor want to be married anymore.  (Men don't leave because they're unhappy, by the way, the leave for another or the thought of another...this proved true with her scoundrel husband!).

Gillies could have written a book slamming her husband and blaming him for the "dreams" she gave up but instead (through, I'm sure, miles of hindsight) she brought humor, some sorrow and a lot of realization and acceptance to her memoir. Interestingly, though she never seemed angry, I wanted to hunt her ex down and throttle him.  Scream at him.  And smack "the other woman" until a tooth or two fell out.  Her book definitely made a sure point that men can indeed be dirty dogs but at the same time, she doesn't blame him totally for the total failure of their marriage.  A really, really good read that I'd recommend to anyone - married, not, or in the midst of not being married. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Oh boy, oh, boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!  I haven't been this excited about a book since - maybe the Twilight series?  So good!!!  I finished the first book this morning and can't wait to finish typing here so I can go start #2!!!

Picture it:  It's the future and The United States - North America - has collapsed.  A new country has been created called Panem.  It consists of the Capitol and 12 districts.  There used to be 13 districts but several years back, the districts rose up against the capitol and tried to overthrow it.  The 13th district was destroyed and the other 12 were defeated by the capitol.  As a punishment for this and reminder that the capitol is still all-powerful, every year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games - one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18.   The televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to kill their fellow competitors until only one victor is left.  When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the 12th District's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker will be pitted against bigger, stronger reps who have trained for this their whole lives.

When reading this, I had to force myself to read slowly so as to NOT miss a thing.  I already know that I'm going to read this with my kids next year!  It's so good...you MUST read this!  You may not think you like science fiction but you will LOVE this!  A must!!!  And BONUS!!!  In the movie!!!???  They've cast LENNY KRAVITZ as Cinna!!!  Oh how excited am I?!

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

New author alert!!!  New author alert!!!  So excited too because he's written at least 3 other books that are a series!!!

Okay, so, first of all, this book starts on chapter 12 and works backwards!  So clever.  The main character, Nick Quinn is in police custody for killing his wife, Julia.  While in custody, a man visits him (Nick thinks at first it's his lawyer) and asks him if he would save his wife, given the chance.  He then explains that Nick may still be able to save her.  He hands him a letter and a gold watch and tells Nick he has twelve hours. After he's left, Nick is thrust back in time two hours.  At that point Nick has one hour to try to find a way to save his wife and find the killer before being thrust back another two hours.  This will happen 12 times.  In his "travels" Nick soon realizes that single events are the result of a complex set of occurrences and every bit of interference from him changes things unbelievably for countless people.   

I LOVED this book!!!  So good!  So clever!!!  Such a great, fun ride.  A great, thrilling, mystery and adventure.  It kept me thinking and wondering the whole time.  I actually figured "IT" out on page 254 (it was an "Oh!!!!  I know, aha moment") but that didn't ruin anything for me.  So good and so excited I found this new author.  Read it, you will love it. 

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb

Loves me some Wally Lamb!!!  Thanks Aunt Kathleen!

Wishin' and Hopin' is definitely 10 steps away from Wally Lamb's usual path.  Here he turns to the hilarious and lighthearted.  This holiday tale focuses on a fifth grader named Felix Funicello - third cousin to that famous Mouseketeer.  It's October-December 1964 and Felix, along with his fellow 5th graders at a fictional Catholic grade school are preparing for a Christmas pageant that they'll never forget.  The book is filled with 10-year-old hilarities like the confusing "birds and bees", scary movies that you pretend don't scare you, weird catholic nun teachers who you can't pretend don't scare you and so much more.

I loved this book.  It is such a fun, easy read.  I flew right through it and would love to read it to my kids at school (except for all the "birds and bees" humor - which they probably wouldn't get anyway).  Read this!  You will love it!