Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman

Vacation Read

The premise of this book and the promise of a new thriller (a "heart-stopping debut") was more hype than what I actually found between the pages.  The humor? - not quite funny, the suspense? - occasionally had me wondering what would happen next, but certainly not on the edge of my seat.  The plot was neatly wrapped up, but it felt more like it was written to be seen on the big screen than in a reader's mind.  I was never able to connect to the main character and my heart didn't stop once.

Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier

20th Century Publication

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but found myself pleasantly entertained by it.  It's not the nail biting suspense of Harlan Coben or Gillian Flynn, but I can certainly see why Alfred Hitchcock adapted it.  It's the type of suspense that makes you jump every time a floor board squeaks even when nothing is happening in the story; just the idea that something MAY happen!

So much of what duMaurier writes in this 1938 Modern Classic is still accurate to today's time.

Quote:  "Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind."

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Historical Fiction

A remarkable story when women made astounding discoveries, but had to remain seen but not heard (and in some cases, could not even be seen).  When women, but not yet society, appreciated an unmarried life as a freedom, as independence, as full.  A time when scientific discoveries turned the world upside down.  Amazing to think about all the things society once believed that have been proven to be untrue and it changes everything (the world being flat, the sun revolving around the earth and creatures becoming extinct)!  Chevalier has once again brought these characters and this era to life.  She leads with her heart, which what makes all her books fantastic!

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

New Author
The best part of this book for me was coming home.  The book takes place in a fictional town in Northeast Ohio.  There were numerous references to the places I grew up in and around:  Perry, Geneva, Ashtabula, Route 7, Route 90, Geauga Lake (riding the Gemini and slapping hands with the neighboring cars!)  While I was expecting this to be more of a suspense novel, the only thing that kept me flipping the pages was to see what "back home" reference I would find.
The characters never got off the page for me, so I had little empathy for them and what they were going through.
I had been wanting to read a Stewart O'Nan and I'm glad I did, and while I'm not giving up him I'm not going to be rushing out to get another one anytime soon.

O' Jerusalem by Laurie R. King

Series
The fifth in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, but it wasn't in chronological order of the four prior novels.  Not sure the purpose the author had unless she had the idea for this book after publishing the other ones.  It threw me off a little bit, but not enough to distract me from reading the book.

Unfortunately it was the slow pace of this one that made reading difficult; as if the author was trying to make the reader feel like they too were walking miles and miles and miles to Jerusalem.  King has an MA in Old Testament Theology and her schooling certainly comes out in this book.  Readers who are well versed in the Bible will appreciate the historical references in the Holy City.

Some of the characters I met here will appear in the next Russell/Sherlock book, and hopefully it will move alot faster - maybe they will have cars this time!

When Max is born, his body is already old. As old as a 70 year old man. As he ages, his body grows younger. His Grandmother told him to be the person that they see, not who he is. Max leads a very lonely and sad life,even when he falls in love with Alice, but he learns to make the best of life. Enjoyable story.

This book is what I believe would be called a 'character development' book.  It was well written about a woman who is running away after murdering her husband and her two brothers-in-law are trying to track her down.   The year is 1903 and the setting is Canada. The descriptions are lovely and the characters she meets along her journey are interesting and quirky,  but for me, it lacked a real exciting plot.  

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A Frosty the Snowman for adults.
I bought this book at  Parnassus Books in Ketchikan, AK while on a family cruise this past spring; Ivey's descriptions of the Alaskan landscape make me want to go back every season to see the awakening and blooming of spring and the stark beauty of winter.
A beautiful, mystical story about love and loss and a reminder that in a world in which we all suffer, we must celebrate and cherish the joy that does come into our life - in whatever form and for however long.

This is a debut novel by an author we met in Salem, Massachusetts. Not a bad little story set in a small town called Starvation Lake in Michigan.   Gus Carpenter returns to his hometown after failing in the big city of Detroit and begins to investigate the murder of his former hockey coach.
  The story starts out slow, a lot of info about playing hockey but picks up in the second half of the book.  Like, does what Gus remembers about his coach the truth,  what are the secrets that the people he knows are keeping and what is the town covering up??

 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

With so many references in literature, film, TV, and in society in general, I felt like I was missing something by not having read Golding's Lord of the Flies; so on my bookpile it went and I finally got down to reading it.  I'm glad I did, but what a disturbing book and commentary on human nature.  Mostly disturbing, because of how accurately it describes humankind.

We all know a Ralph, a Piggy and a Jack and sadly we see the behavior depicted in Lord in adults all over the world, to this day.  I think I'll take back all those times that I said I wanted to escape humanity by going to a deserted island; I'll stick to the imperfect civilization of which I am a part!

What Alice Forgot

Alice hits her head and when she comes to she has lost 10 years of her life.  Instead of being 39 she thinks she is only 29. Everything she is remembering isn't. The way she thought her life should be is not the way it is and she doesn't like it.  What would it be like if our younger selves were able to meet our older selves?  Would we like ourselves or be disappointed in how we turned out

Light Between Oceans

What would you do for the 'want' of a child?   What would you do for the  'love' of a child?  Isabel  ' wants' a child so much and has suffered several miscarriages, so is it  a 'gift from God' that Lucy comes into her life?  What about the guilt that her husband, Tom, carries with him, not only from the war but concerning Lucy. What would you do when there is no 'right ' answer.    Good read and thought provoking. 

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

First in the Chet and Bernie mystery series.  A quirky take on the detective genre - told from a dog's point of view, complete with naps, table scraps and peeing on trees!  It's a light easy read that resembles more of a typical mystery than suspense thriller. Reminded me of the old Benji movies where the dog seems to understand more than he possible could (or can he?? Hmmm - certainly will make me look at my dog in a different light.)  Looking forward to the next book in the fun, tail-thumping series!

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Not on my toppling book pile, but I read it so now I review:

While I have another book by Ahern, I've not yet read it, but I soon will as I truly enjoyed this latest book by her.  The narrator is a snarly 16 year old girl that I found humorous and yearning to be loved.  There was a mystery that kept the reader guessing till the end and Ahern did a good job of tying up all the loose ends.  The book was thoroughly captivating, light but with a depth that made you think: if you knew what would happen tomorrow - would you change it, would you let things play out the way they originally would or would you rather not have a window into your tomorrows.

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter

Considering Carter typically writes non-fiction, this was a very well written fictional story.  Though at times I felt that it dragged.  As one reviewer put it (and many agreed) "Those who enjoy a leisurely pace to their suspense...will enjoy it." (Library Journal - Jennifer Baker) There were some cliffhanger moments, but because of the unhurried tempo they often lost their momentum.  Given time to take in this tome, it is a worthwhile read.