Teratologist by Edward Lee and Wrath James White

Started: 8/30/06
Finished: 8/30/06
Year: 2003
Genre: Horror (novella)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb: There is no posted blurb on this book. It's basically good vs. evil-trying to find God in the madness.
Opinion: You really need to have a strong stomach or a very poor imagination to make it through this book. Or really openminded. Luckily, I'm of the openminded variarty and even though some of the graphic details of this book have left a strong mark on my brain, I enjoyed this quick read regarding good vs. evil. Sometimes it's amazing what a character would have happen in order to find God.

Women Who Kill by Ann Jones

Started: 8/19/06
Finished: 8/29/06
Year: 1981
Genre: Sociology/True Crime
Grade: A
Reason for reading: picked it up at a used book store in VT-I enjoy true crime and thought that this would be a good book to read.
Blurb (from back cover): "When battered and abused women began to fight back-and kill-men began to fear that this would become an epidemic. Some felt that women were getting away with murder. But were they? They were not. In fact, in many cases their punishment was harsher than that of men.
"But this book is much more than a description of battered women who kill in self-defense. It is a social history and a fascinating story of women on the edge of society-women driven to kill for a multitude of reasons. Here are tales of crime and punsihment that reveal hard truths about American society and women's place in it."
Opinion: One of the best books I've read this year. Very detailed history of women who have murdered others and the punishments that they were forced to serve. Also contains some feminist history of how many women fought to get equal punishments for the same crime as men. I highly recommend it.

Tomorrow They Will Kiss by Eduardo Santiago

Started: 8/14/06
Finished: 8/20/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Like her native Cuba, Garciela Altamira is beautiful, defiant, passionate, and constantly threatened with some kind of trouble.
"Far from her tropical home, toiling in a New Jersey doll factory, Garciela longs for the same happy ending that seems always to come in her beloved telenovelas-a kiss powerful enough to erase the sins of her past and the haunting memory of her homeland.
"But how can she forget when she lives among the ghosts of the little Cuban town? With Caridad and Imperio-two women Garciela has known since girlhood-by her side in the factory, it seems she'll never be free of her past, never truly able to pursue the possibility of love she finds quite unexpectedly in the cold, gray New Jersey winter.
"Tomorrow They Will Kiss is a novel as irrestible as gossip, as addictive as soap opera-a tale of love pursued at any cost, of how friendship and history unite us for better or worse, and of the hope for that redemptive kiss capable of reconciling estranged lovers and countries."
Opinion: A pretty good story that focuses on 3 different main characters. A relatively quick read. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.

Marley & Me

Started: 8/12/06
Finished: 8/14/06
Year: 2005
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: I love animals and people have recommended this book.
Blurb (from back jacket): "John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
"Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good-Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, 'Don't hesitate to use these.'
"And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pieced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn comes in many forms.
"Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans."
Opinion: I can see why this has been a best-seller for several months. Any animal lover would love to read about the crazy and sweet Marley. I cried. I laughed. I imagined Marley's antics. Marley actually reminds me of Ramon's border collie, Oreo. A definite must for any animal lover.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Started: 6/23/06
Finished: 8/13/06
Year: 1968
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com and trying to read up on classics
Blurb (from back cover): "War and Peace, probably the greatest novel ever written, stands alone in its vast scope and minute detail, its immense diversity and final unity. Set in the years leading up to and culminating in Napoleon's disastrous Russian invasion, the novel focuses upon an entire society torn by conflict and change. Here is humanity in all its innocence and corruption, wisdom and folly, painful defeats and enduring triumphs. Here is the seemingly effortless artistry of a master capable of protraying with equal power the clash of armies and solitary anguish of the heart. Here, finally, is a view of history and personal destiny that is perpetually modern."
Opinion: I am glad that I read this classic and continue to find myself amazed that I liked it as much as I did. I'm not one for historical books but for some reason, this book gripped me. I probably will not reread it due to its length but if there was an occasion to reread it, I might do it.

Laguna by Michael Putegnat

Started: 8/8/06
Finished: 8/9/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Myshelf
Blurb (from back cover): "What happened to Octavio Paredes?
"Thunder rumbles over the Laguna Madre on the Texas Gulf coast, echoing through the hallways of Congress and the canyons of Wall Street, shaking the foundation of a century old ranching dynasty.
"John Magne, a powerful fourth-generation ranching patriarch, is faced with a financial crisis. He must transform an environmentally delicate coastal bay, the Laguna Madre, into a natural gas field or lose everything. Descended from a long line of masters of influence and manipulation, he deftly executes a plan that reaches deep into Washington and state house politics and New York investment banking.
"Against Magne's overwhelming political power, stands one unwilling and unwitting ex-government worker, with a deep aversion to conflict and a record of running from it...and five women, each on different missions, all converging on a shocking conclusion.
"Laguna is a mystery set in our times, where lies, power and greed are the new religion and love is an accident. It is a world where truth is irrelevent, redemption impossible, and murder is just business. Or are they?"
Opinion: I've been reading War and Peace and needed to get some review books read so picked this one up to break up War and Peace. A little choppy but great action throughout the book. For a complete review, visit MyShelf.com next month.

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Started: 7/17/06
Finished: 7/23/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit...
"His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to prepetrate a horrific crime...
"A young woman with an extraordinary past, on the edge of a violent breakdown...
"An ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala..."
Opinion: This was a first Preston and Child read for me. I have some of their others in my huge TBR pile. I found it very entertaining and contained all the things that make horror/suspense/thriller books good. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.

A Groom for Red Riding Hood by Jennifer Greene

Started: 7/16/06
Finished: 7/17/06
Year: 1994
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Desire)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "When Mary Ellen Barnett found herself facing a church full of guests and no groom on the way, she did what every self-respecting woman would do-she ran! And foolishly ended up in a wilderness town just crawling with big, burly, single men!
"Steve Rawlings just couldn't figure out what a woman who didn't want a date was doing in a town filled with wolves-of the two-legged variety. But since Steve had the biggest eyes of all for this Little Red Riding Hood, he decided it was his job to shelter her from the hungry pack and claim her for his own."
Opinion: A quick read. Very predictable romance. The chemistry between Steve and Mary Ellen was almost believable. Wish that I could have seen the wolves in person but due to the descriptions, I have a fairly good idea of how cute they were.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Started: 7/15/06
Finished: 7/16/06
Year: 1982
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: attempted the series awhile ago and decided to give it another shot, booksfree.com book
Blurb (from front page): "This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations-the Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend.
"The Gunslinger's quest involves the pursuit of The Man in Black, a liasion with the sexually ravenous Alice, and a friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, here is stunning proof of Stephen King's storytelling sorcery."
Opinion: Still not high on my books that I like. I like it enough to continue with the series but probably will never buy for myself. Definitely a quick read and entertaining.

Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

Started: 7/13/06
Finished: 7/15/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Laura is awakened in the middle of the night by her teenage daughter, Cassie, who has barely spoken a word to her in months. Following Cassie up to her attic room, Laura learns her daughter's shocking secret.
"Abby's wedding day was one of the happinest of her life, when the shame of her past fell away and she could finally make a fresh sart. But lately she has been consumed by doubts. Can she really stay in this marriage?
"In the glory days of her celebrity, Juliet could barely get out of a limo without flashbulbs going off in her face. Now she's lucky to get the lead role in an infomercial. By Hollywood hasn't seen the last of Juliet Jansen.
"What do these people have in common?
"They have all been seleced to compete on Lost and Found, the daring new reality show. In teams of two, they will race across the globe-from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England-to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.
"But the rigors of competition are not the only challenges. Will Laura be able to heal her fractured relationship with Cassie before she loses her altogether? Will Justin and Abby be able to spread their message of faith, or will their love pale in the limelight? Will Juliet betray her only friend to make her dreams of superstardom come true? And can any of the players keep their most painful secrets hidden even as the show's creative scheme to revel them to the world?
"What started as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. The question now is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost."
Opinion: As a fan of reality shows, I really enjoyed reading this book. However it was very much like reading The Amazing Race in a book. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

Haunted Spouse by Heather Allison

Started: 7/12/06
Finished: 7/13/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Romance)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Normally, architect Jared Rutledge wouldn't be caught dead designing a haunted house-he considered them 'frivolous structures.' But then he was asked to build one to raise funds for a physical rehabilitation clinic, and he agreed to do it. After all, how hard could it be?
"Before long, he realized that building a haunted house could be an absolute nightmare. And when things started to go wrong, Jared was forced to ask for help. that meant calling the Scream Queen, Lizzie Wilcox-a renowned haunted house designer who just happened to be his ex-wife!"
Opinion: Loved the different concept of an architect who designs haunted houses. Enjoyable romance (yes, predictable). A good quick read.

A Merry Band of Murderers edited by Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns

Started: 7/10/06
Finished: 7/12/06
Pages: 311
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery/Short Stories
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A Merry Band of Murderers is more than a compilation of short mystery stories from some of the genre's finest writers. It is also an exploration of music. Conceived by Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns, the collection is staged in two acts: the first is a non-fiction discussion of short stories, mysteries and music; and the second is a compilation of musical short mysteries.
"Act I opens with an essay by Bishop explaining the role of the short story in mystery writing and a separate essay by Burns discussing writers who play, sing, and compose.
"Act II is more whimsical. There are 13 music-centered stories from authors Rhys Bowen, Tom Corcoran, Jeffrey Deaver, Mary Anna Evans, Jim Fusilli, Rupert Holmes, John Lescroart, Val McDermid, Bill Moody, Peter Robinson, Nathan Walpole and, of course, the editors themselves. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction, song lyrics, and an interview with the writer."
Opinion: Great concept and a lot of fun to read. This was an advanced reader copy so I didn't get the pleasure of listening to the CD that will be accompanying this when it is released in September. For a more complete review, be sure to check out My Shelf next month.

All She Wanted by Aphrodite Jones

Started: 7/5/06
Finished: 7/10/06
Year: 1996
Pages: 317
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Loved the movie Boys Don't Cry so I bought the book.
Blurb: "Living as a man, twenty-one-year old Teena Brandon hit the dust bowl town of Falls City, Nebraska, on the run from her family in Lincoln-and from the law for forging checks. Handsome and sophisticated, Brandon was an instant success, with young women hanging all over him. But when Brandon started to date the beautiful blonde Lana Tisdel, her luck ran out. In a terrifying incident on Christmas Eve, Brandon's true sexual identity was unmasked. On New Year's Eve, Brandon, her roommate, and a friend were found shot to death in an isolated farmhouse.
"Writing with the exclusive cooperation of Brandon's ex-girlfriends and family, the accused murderers, and numerous other sources, New York Times bestselling author Aphrodite Jones explores the extravagant life and violent death of Teena Brandon, as well as the investigation and murder trial. Jones lays bare an America where many young people boldly experiment with gender identity, challenging our ideas of male and female, gay and straight-and where Teena Brandon and her friends paid a terrible price for sexual freedom."
Opinion: An awesome read. I don't quite know which was better: the book or the movie. A definite must for any true crime fan or anyone who dislikes the discrimination that takes place everyday in the world. Nicely organized and evident that Jones did a lot of research before writing.

Extraordinary People by Peter May

Started: 7/3/06
Finished: 7/5/06
Year: 2006
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "What has happened to Jacques Gaillard? The brillant teacher who trained some of the France's best and brightest at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration as future Prime Ministers and Presidents vanished ten years ago, presumably from Paris. Talk about your cold case.
"The mystery inspires a bet, one that Enzo Macleod, a biologist teaching in Toulouse instead of pursuing a brilliant career in forensics back home in Scotland can ill afford to lose. The wager is that Enzo can find out what happened to Jacques Gaillard by applying new science to an old case.
"Enzo comes to Paris to meet journalist Roger Raffin, the author of a book on seven celebrated unsolved murders, the assumption being that Gaillard is dead. Enzo needs Raffin's notes. And armed with these, he begins his quest. It quickly has him touring landmarks such as the Paris catacombs and a chateau in Champagne, digging up relics and bones. Then Enzo finds Jacques Gaillard's head.
"The artifacts buried with the skull set him to interpreting the clues they provide and to following in someone's footsteps-maybe more than one someone-after the rest of Gaillard. He must also review some ancient and recent history. As with any quest, it's as much discovery as detection. Enzo proves to be an ace investigator, scientific and intuitive, and, for all his missteps, one who hits his goals including a painful journey toward greater self-awreness. With Extraordinary People, Peter May beigns a fascinating series set in modern France, driven by an outsider to French culture."
Opinion: Lots of twists and turns. Fast-paced. Lots of energy throughout the book. For a more complete review, check out myshelf.com next month.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

Started: 7/2/06
Finished: 7/3/06
Year: This version-2005
Pages: 161
Genre: Young Adult
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Taking the beloved symbol of merriment out of his conventional trappings and into the world of folklore, Baum gives Santa Claus an exciting life that evokes all the charm, warmth, and fantasy that made his Oz stories American classics.
"We discover the boy Claus growing up in an enchanted forest with a whole cast of mythical creatures-elves and wood nymphs, evil Awgwas, and the Master Woodsman Ak. We see how Claus makes his first toy and find out why he goes down chimneys, how he chooses his reindeer and what it's like when he ventures out on Christmas, delivering his message:
'Have some fun, even in the middle of winter. A toy delivered by a stranger in the middle of the night may almost be enough to convince you that the invisible world, every one in a while, is on your side.'"
Opinion: This was a fun read-nothing that I had to truly focus on. Baum amazes me with his intellectual imagination with his Oz books and now with this one. Definitely glad that I picked it up to read.

Queens of Woodlawn Avenue by Regina Hale Sutherland

Started: 6/28/06
Finished: 7/2/06
Year: 2006
Pages: 282
Genre: Contempory Romace
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Dear Friends, Life is certainly full of surprises. First my husband dumps me for a D-cup Hooters waitress. Sceond, I buy a tumbledown 1920s Tudor with the oldest-and most ironic-living room arch. Yup, it's heart-shaped. Then, just as I'm starting to adjust, my perky new neighbor comes calling with an incredible announcement. My home is one of four houses built by the original members of the Woodlawn Avenue Bridge Club. I'm now the 'Queens of Hearts'! I can't play bridge, but she and the other two queens are determined to teach me-'Fifty is not too old to learn anything!'-and help me start dating, live life my way, and deal with my ex, who suddenly can't resist the new me."
Opinion: I've been curious about the Red Hat Society since it started becoming popular a while ago. So when I saw this one in the box of books that the creator of MyShelf.com, I was skeptical. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For a complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll

Started: 6/28/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 126
Year: 1962
Grade: C
Genre: Poetry
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Ever since Lewis Carroll's nonsense epic appeared in 1876 readers have joined his ten-man Snark-hunting crew and pursued the search with great enthusiasm. What are they hunting for? What is the Snark? Numerous theories have been proposed, Carroll himself provides a helpful Preface to the poem and is recorded as having explained to one reader: 'In answer to your questions, 'What did you mean the Snark was?" will you tell your friend that I meant that the Snark was a Boojum. I trust that she and you will now feel quite satisfied and happy.'
"This edition, previously published as The Annotated Snark, reproduces the original illustrations by Henry Holiday, including the suppressed Boojum drawing, Martin Gardner provides an introduction, notes and bibliography, and an Appendix contains F. C. S. Schiller's 'Commentary on the Snark' and J. A. Lindon's 'Fit the Seven-and-a-Halfth.'"
Opinion: The illustrations were great-wish that there were more. I had problem with how the footnotes were done and seemed to overtake the actual poem. Any fan of Alice in Wonderland or other Carroll works would appreciate the silliness of this children's poem.

The Devil of Nanking by Mo Hayder

Started: 6/20/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 471
Year: 2004
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Grey is a solitary Englishwoman who comes to Japan looking for a piece of rare film footage shot during the 1937 Naking Massacre-a clip that documents an enormity beyond the reach of history books. Her quest leads her to Shi Chongmiing, a reclusive scholar who is one of the massacre's few survivors; to a crippled gangster who clings to life with the help of a mysterious elixir; and to a handsome American whose interest in her may be more sinister than romantic. Moving from decadent hostess clubs and yakuza mansions to the killing fields of the past, The Devil of Nanking is a pitch-perfect spine-chilling tour de force."
Opinion: Not as good as The Birdman but still has enjoyable moments. I like how the past storyline coincides with the current storyline. For a complete review, please look at MyShelf.com next month.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles by Sheree Bykofsky, Jennifer Basye Sander, and Lynne Rominger

Started 6/13/06
Finished: 6/20/06
Year: 2000
Pages: 300
Reason for reading: trying to launch my writing career
Blurb (from back cover): "You're no idiot, of course. You have a reporter's eye, a poet's touch, and you absolutely love to write. Stories, journal entries, letters to the editor-you name it, you know you can write it. But when it comes to selling your ideas to magazines, newspapers and web sites, you feel like the less said, the better. Seeing your words and wisdom printed in black and white seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth.
"Don't write yourself out just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles will help you get where you belong-in print. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get answers to all your questions:
"Who hires writers?
"What newspaper, magazine, and online editors want from freelancers-and how much they might pay for it!
"How to write effective query and pitch letters.
"How the internet can help your writing career take off"
Opinion: It was a little outdated but overall contains a lot of useful information. It's a little repetitive with other reference books that I have but the more information I have, the better it is for me.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Started: 6/8/06
Finished: 6/13/06
Pages: 357
Year: 1931
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Though more than sixty years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. "I can only write what I know, and I know nothing but China, having always lioved there," wrote Pearl Buck. In The Good Earth she presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.
"Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel-beloved by millions of readers-is a universal talk of the destiny of man."
Opinion: Finally finished a book! The first page grabs you just because of the great writing. This is one of the award-winners that I can understand why they won the reward. A truly great book to read.