Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall

Started: 4/16/09
Finished: 4/28/09
Year: 1932
Pages: 379
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: 1001 Books you should read before you die, Booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Cherished as one of the most thrilling sea adventures ever recorded, Mutiny on the Bounty has sold millions of copies and enthralled generations of readers around the world in the seven decades since its initial publication. The novel reprises a true story-the strange, eventful, and tragive voyage of His Majestry's Ship Bounty in 1788-1789, which culminated in Fletcher Christian's mutiny against Captain Bligh-and reaches peaks of narrative excitement that mark the book indelibly as a modern classic."
Opinion: I really enjoyed reading this. It wasn't dry like other classic novels I've read. I hadn't realized that it was part of trilogy that I will now be looking to read the rest of it.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson

Started 4/11/09
Finished: 4/16/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 248
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "When school psychologist Skye Denison stumbles over the body of pushy Promest chairperson Annette Paine during a Halloween fund-raiser, it looks like a clear-cut case of promicide. Annette was not the only prom mom desperate to see her daughter crowned queen-and her skirt-chasing hubby is no prince either.
"Skye's anxious to investigate, but she keeps getting sidetracked by the overeager new social worker at school and also by her beau's emotional distance. Still, one question haunts her: Since Annette Paine was wearing a witch costume identical to Skye's, which witch was the intended victim? Will Skye realize too late that finding this killer is a matter of her own life or death?"
Opinion: Definitely not as good as Swanson's previous novels. Still enjoyable. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com in the upcoming months.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

The Good Guy by Dean Koontz

Started: 4/5/09
Finished: 4/11/09
Year: 2007
Pages: 447
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: fan of author, grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): Timothy Carrier is an ordinary guy who enjoys a beer after work. But tonight is no ordinary night. The jittery man sitting beside him has mistaken Tim for someone else-and passes him an envelope stuffed with cash and the photo of a pretty woman. 'Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she's gone.'
"Now everything he thought he knew-even about himself-will be challenged. For Tim Carrier is the one man who can save an innocent life and stop a killer as relentless as evil incarnate. But first he must discover resources within himself that will transform his idea of who he is and what it takes to be..."
Opinion: Somewhat of a typical Koontz book-guy and woman trying to fight something bad. The way that it was presented was different in this book. No sidekick dog like in most Koontz books.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Ghost Stories of the Old West by Dan Asfar

Started: 4/5/09
Finished: 4/5/09
Pages: 216
Year: 2003
Genre: History/Paranormal/non-fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree book
Blurb (from back cover): "Gamblers, gold rushes and ghosts-the Old West has it all. Join Dan Asfar as he unravels the haunted histories of some of America's most infamous gunslingers, lawmen and frontiersmen, as well as the forts, prisons and saloons where the region's recklessness found its truest expression.
"The phantom rider of the Pony Express, the West's legendary mail service, races past Hollenberg Station in Kansas-the only stopover still located on its original site.
"Ordered to destroy the Alamo, Mexican soldiers are frozen in their tracks by six imposing apparitions, each armed with a flaming saber.
"In the Canadian Rockies, foolhardy prospectors search for the Lost Lemon Mine and its legendary riches.
"The spirit of a Chinese maid, who committed suicide long ago, haunts Cain House in Bodie, California-one of America's best preserved ghost towns
"Determined to find her missing children, the ghost of a sorrowful mother wanders around historic Fort Leavenworth.
"Cree warriors in Alberta refuse to heed the warning of a mysterious seer, whose vision comes true after her tragic death.
"The ghost of Seth Bullock, a prominent lawman and entrepreneur, lends a helpng hand at his historic hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota.
"Near Cripple Creek in Colorado, miners are terrifed by the voices of the ferocious creatures they call the 'Tommyknockers.'"
Opinion: This was a quick read. Enjoyable pits of history but not a lot about the ghost sitings or what has been investigated. Wish that it had more of that.

Never Say Sty by Linda O. Johnston

Started: 3/30/09
Finished: 4/5/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 295
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): Wealthy dreamboat and pet-supply magnate Dante DeFrancisco thinks Kendra's the cat's pajamas. So one of his conditions-before he signs on as producer of her new reality show, Animal Auditions-is that she dine with him. The meal is delicious, the kiss is steamy...so why does Kendra have a hunch Dante's up to something?
"Meanwhile, on Animal Auditions: Potbellied pigs are to be judged by a panel. But things screech to a halt when a nasty judge is found strangled to death by a pig harness. The suspects include Kendra's cop friend, Ned, his sister...and Dante. For their sake-and that of the show-Kendra must work like a dog to clear their names. If only Dante didn't make such a sexy suspect..."
Opinion: Not as strong as previous Johnston novels but still entertaining. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf in the upcoming months.