The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Started: 2/23/07
Finished: 2/28/07
Year: 2004
Pages: 839
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: finishing The Dark Tower series, borrowed from Natalie
Blurb (from back cover): "Set in a world of extraordinary circumstances, filled with stunning visual imagery and unforgettable characters, The Dark Tower series is unlike anything you have ever read. The final book opens like a door to the uttermost reaches of Stephen King's imagination. You've come this far. Come a little farther. Come all the way. The sound you hear may be the slamming of the door behind you. Welcome to The Dark Tower."
Opinion: I am very disappointed in this series. I feel that Stephen King could have done so much more with this series and didn't. I understand the taking of years to complete it, especially after taking several years off from writing the books. I'm just so disappointed in how it ended. Can't call it horror. Can't call it suspense. Can't call it thriller. Just disappointing.

Thinner by Richard Bachman

Started: 2/19/07
Finished: 2/23/07
Year: 1984
Pages: 318
Genre: Horror
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Billy Halleck, good husband, loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American Good Life: he has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career as a lawyer...but he is also fifty pounds overweight and, as his doctor keeps reminding him, edging into heart attach country.
"Then, in a moment of carelessness, Billy sideswipes an old gypsy woman as she is crossing the street-and her ancient father passes a bizarre and terrible judgment on him.
"'Thinner', the old gypsy man whispers, and caresses his cheek, like a lover. Just one word...but six weeks later and ninety-three pounds lighter, Billy Halleck is more than worried. He's terrified. And desperate enough for one last gamble...that will lead him to a nightmare showdown with the forces of evil melting his flesh away. And away. And away..."
Opinion: This was a re-read for me. I had forgotten certain details so I'm glad I read this one again.

Spanish Dagger by Susan Witting Albert

Started: 2/16/07
Finished: 2/19/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 308
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for myshelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Between the herb shop, the catering business, and now a weekend papermaking class, China Bayles and her friends have as much work as they can handle. Of course, that doesn't stop the rest of their lives from going on-or coming to an end, as the case may be. Ruby, for example, is troubled by her mother's recent strange behavior and upset that her ex-boyfriend has stood her up yet again.Meanwhile, China's half brother is opening up old wounds, trying to investigate their father's supposedly accidental death.
"Although she can't stop her husband from taking the case-after all, he's a PI who hasn't had a bite in months-she can at least put the unsavory business out of mind by gathering supplies for making paper. But in a patch of yucca plants, which make great paper, she finds a body-cause of death, unknown.
"Many residents of Pecan Springs live seemingly simple lives that hide complex and dangerous pasts. It appears this victim was one of them. And now, while unraveling secrets that hit close to home, China must set the record straight-and find a killer."
Opinion: A pretty good mystery. I really liked the little facts that Susan Witting Albert added to each chapter. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb

Started: 2/14/07
Finished: 2/16/07
Year: 1999
Pages: 132
Genre: Memoir
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "According to ancient Japanese protocol foreigners deigning to approach the emperor did so only with fear and trembling. Terror and self-abasement conveyed respect. Amelie, our well-intentioned and eager young Western heroine, goes to Japan to spend a year working at the Yumimoto Corporation. Returning to the land where she was born is the fulfillment of a dream for Amelie; working there turns into a comic nightmare.
"Alternately disturbing and hilarious, unbelievable and shatteringly convincing, Fear and Trembling will keep readers clutching tight to its pages, caught up in the throes of fear, trembling, and, ultimately, delight."
Opinion: A lot of outlandish things happen in this book-several are unbelievable. Lots of funny parts.

Tender Flame by Al & Joanna Lacy

Started: 2/12/07
Finished: 2/14/07
Year: 1999
Pages: 278
Genre: Romance
Grade: D
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Lieutenant Grant Smith and Lydia Reynolds are in love and engaged to marry. Their plans crumble, however, when Grant is sent with U.S. forces to the Mexican-American War and is reported killed. Devastated, Lydia sadly begins a new life and marries; Grant, who has miraculously survived and escaped from a prison camp, returns home only to find Lydia gone.
"Years later, Grant's daughter, Jessica, accepts a marriage proposal by mail from a young pastor living out West. Through Jessica, Lydia and Grant rediscover each other-and find out if they can rekindle the spark of love born almost a lifetime ago."
Opinion: If the cover had stated that religion was going to play a huge role in this book, I wouldn't have taken it to read. I'm all for sweet romances but without the religious parts.

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

Started: 2/8/07
Finished: 2/12/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 323
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Renowned anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton has spent his career surrounded by death at the Body Farm. Now he's being called upon to help solve a baffling puzzle in a remote mountain community. The mummified corpse of a young woman dead for thirty years has been discovered in a cave, the body bizarrely preserved and transformed by the environment's unique chemistry. But Brockton's investigation is threatening to open old wounds among an insular people who won't forget or forgive. And a long-buried secret prematurely exposed could inflame Brockton's own guilt-and the dangerous hostility of bitter enemies determined to see him fail...by any means necessary.
Opinion: A great inside look at a mystery solved with forensics. One of the authors is the founder of The Body Farm in Tennessee. Not for the faint of heart-indepth details.

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Started: 2/5/07
Finished: 2/8/07
Year: 1997
Pages: 423
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, one of the 1001 books you should read list
Blurb (from back cover): "As the American century draws to an uneasy close, Philip Roth gives us a novel of unqualified greatness that is an elegy for all our century's promises of prosperity, civic order, and domestic bliss. Roth's protagonist is Swede Levov, a legendary athlete at his Newark high school, who grows up in the booming postwar years to marry a former Miss New Jersey, inherit his father's glove factory, and move into a stone house in the idyllic hamlet of Old Rimrock. And then one day in 1968, Swede's beautiful American luck deserts him.
"For Swede's adored daughter, Merry, has grown from a loving, quick-witted girl into a sullen, fanatical teenager-a teenager capable of an outlandishly savage act of political terrorism. And overnight Swede is wrenched out of the longed-for American pastoraa and into the indigenous American berserk. Compulsively readable, propelled by sorrow, rage, and a deep compassion for its characters, this is Roth's masterpiece."
Opinion: A well-written piece of work with random scenes that didn't make sense to why they were there. Do I feel that my life is more complete having read this? Not really.

The Texan by K.N. Casper

Started: 2/5/07
Finished: 2/5/07
Year: 2000
Pages: 299
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Superromance)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back covers): "After the failure of her marriage, Marcie Browder returns to the the vast West Texas ranch she grew up on, to try to recapture her sense of self and security. But almost immediately she has an argument with her father. The next day she finds him murdered...with Tucker McGee, the new ranch foreman, standing over the body.
"McGee isn't the simple cowboy he sometimes seems, and Marcie suspects he had a hand in her father's murder. Then she finds out that McGee suspects her.
"To unearth the real killer, they have to trust each other.
"Trust leads to love.
"Or is it the other way around?"
Opinion: A lot more mystery than romance which is nice. The romance isn't overwhelmingly passionate or overboard as in other romance novels.

True Faith by Alan Gold

Started: 2/2/07
Finished: 2/5/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 297
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Rabbi Robert Geller was rumored to have had so many affairs with women that his congregation was like his own heavenly harem. When his wife is killed, the good rabbi is tried for murder, but the result is a mistrial. Two men who claimed to be hired assassins plead guilty to avoid the death penalty-and Rabbi Geller is released. But neither his daughter, Roberta, nor Lou Tedesco believes he's innocent. And when trouble strikes again, Lou peers into the darkest corners of the rabbi's life to uncover his most private sins..."
Opinion: Not one of the best mysteries I've read. I did however like the characterization throughout the book. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf next month.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Started: 1/26/07
Finished: 2/2/07
Year: 1997 (this edition)
Pages: 461
Genre: Classic Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "With her 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, CharlotteBronte created one of the most unforgettable heroines of all time. Jane Eyre is an orphan, penniless and plain, but full of courage and spirit. She has endured incredible hardship to secure her humble status as a governess in the household of her brooding employer, Mr. Rochester. Jane's sharp wit and defiant nature meet with Rocester's sardonic temperament. The two become enmeshed in a deep, intense bond. But Rochester has a terrible secret-a remnant from his past that could threaten any hope of happiness with his only love.
"An unconventional love story that revolutionized the scope of romantic fiction, Jane Eyre is ultimately the tale of one woman's fight to claim her independence and self-respect in a society that has no place for her."
Opinion: One of the best classics that I have read. I loved the spirit that Bronte put into Jane Eyre-in the beginning, it seemed that Jane was much older than she was due to the spirit that her character had. If you're a fan of classics or romance, pick up a copy of this book.

Unprintable by Julie Kaewert

Started: 1/23/07
Finished: 1/26/07
Year: 1998
Pages: 381
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "It is possibly the most repugnant piece of fiction in all of England. So why is Plumtree Press, one of the country's most respectable publishing houses, about to add the hotly controversial new novel to its list? Publisher Alex Plumtree isn't talking. So hardly anyone knows he has taken on the project as a favor to the Prime Minister. Forget the bad press and hateful reviews, Alex swiftly finds himself on the wrong side of a lawsuit, bugged, betrayed, roughed up, and implicated in murder. Suddenly Alex doesn't know who to trust. Suddenly Alex doesn't know who to trust. For someone is clearly determined to stop the presses at any cost. The only think Alex does know for certain is that going to press with this book may cost him more than just his reputation...it may cost him his life."
Opinion: Not as good as other Julie Kaewert's books. I had read one and loved it and was looking forward to this one but I found my mind constantly shifting to other things while reading this.

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde by Denise Swanson

Started: 1/22/07
Finished: 1/23/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 237
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A health spa complete with tofu turkey and 'Dress for Sexcess' lectures is the last place school psychologist Skye Denison wants to spend Thanksgiving. But when her best friend, Trixie Frayne, convinces her to take a complimentary weekend at the new Scumble River Spa, Skye accepts her fate and prepares to be slathered, wrapped, and roasted.
"Then an annoying quartet that includes both Skye's mom and her ex-boyfriend's mother impulsively joins her for a girls-only holiday, and Skye wonders just how bad things can get. She soon finds out-when she's confronted with treatments only a masochist would enjoy, a diet plan fit for a Barbie doll, and a troublesome trespasser searching for a cache of jewels supposedly hidden on the spa grounds seventy years ago. Worst of all, a famous former model turns up dead in the Miracle Mud bath. It looks like no one will be leaving the spa until Skye can identify which of the eccentric guests, pesky local protesters, or sneaky treasure hunters is also a killer deserving of special treatment-in the county jail."
Opinion: Not as clever as Swanson's previous books but still a good mystery. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

Started: 1/19/07
Finished: 1/22/07
Year: 1999
Pages: 210
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Twenty-four-year old Veronika seems to have enverything-youth and beauty, boyfriends and a loving family, a fulfilling job. but something is missing in the her life. So, one cold November morning Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. but she does-at a mental hospital where she is told that she has only days to live."
Opinion; I had gotten this title from the 1001 books you should read before you die list that was put out recently. It hit a little too close to home as I've experienced similar things as Veronika has. For that reason, it was important to read it.

Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth

Started: 1/17/07
Finished: 1/19/07
Year: 1929 (this edition 1986)
Pages: 251
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "It was Charles Moray's peculiar misfortune to have overheard some sinister words spoken in the dark. Something about a murder at sea, inheritance, missing documents. And he had seen a tall man in a grey mask disappear quickly into the night.
"A few days later London was stunned by some shocking news. Lord Standing was dead, washed overboard from the deck of his yacht. Then came a series of other deaths, all somehow related to the Standing case. It was clear to Charles that something had to be done. But involving the police was out of the question, since one of the voices he had heard in the dark was unmistakably that of Margaret Langton-the woman he loved!
"The case was tailor-made for the veteran sleuth Miss Silver..."
Opinion: Not one of the best mysteries that I've read. A certain character was beyond annoying-an 18-year old who acted like she was 12. Other than that it was a good read, the mystery itself was good.

Island Blues by Wendy Howell Mills

Started: 1/15/07
Finished: 1/17/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 268
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Sabrina Dunsweeney desperately needs a job. After moving to isolated Comico Island with her parakeet Calvin to start a new chapter of her life, Sabrina discovers that life in a beautiful, tropical environment isn't all fun and games. When the town council offers her employment as the island's first official ombudsman to cope with the burgeoning tourist influx, Sabrina is thrilled. Her first order of business is to deal with a number of burglaries. But as she digs deeper into the theftless break-ins, she begins to suspect that this mystery has its origins rooted in the rum-soaked days of prohibition.
"Then, Sabrina must face the "Hummers" who have booked a week at one of the local hotels. The Hummers claim that they can hear a hum that no one else can hear, and only by following very private riturals can they rid themselves of the annoying, persistent noise. Then the spokesman of the Hummers is murdered, and Sabrina begins to suspect that the origin of the humming may have an earth-bound-and deadly-source.
"When Sabrina finds herself the target of a killer' rage, she wonders if she will survive her first week on the job..."
Opinion: Lot of subplots to this story. Very easy to read. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Song of Susannah by Stephen King

Started: 1/12/07
Finished: 1/15/07
Year: 2004
Pages: 544
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading it: borrowed from friend, continuing with series
Blurb (from back cover): "Susannah Dean is possessed, her body a living vessel for the demon-mother Mia. Something is growing inside Susannah's belly, something terrible, and soon she will give birth to Mia's 'chap.' But three unlikely allies are following them from New York City to the border of End World, hoping to prevent the unthinkable. Meanwhile, Eddie and Roland have tumbled into the state of Maine-where the auther of a novel called Salem's Lot is about to meet his destiny..."
Opinion: Well, when Stephen King makes himself a character in a story is a little far-fetched. Overall, the story was good and enough action to make it worthwhile. Would I need to read this again? No.

The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr

Started: 1/11/07
Finished: 1/12/07
Year: 2005
Pages: 338
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: love the author, grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from the back cover): "Mycroft Holmes's encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh's Holyroodhouse to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men-horrific incidents that took place with Her Highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a manner surpassing human power. And while recent attempts on Her Majesty's life raise a number of possibilities, these intrigues also seem strangely connected to an act of evil that took place centuries earlier...
"For indeed, the slaying of David Rizzio, music master and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots, was an extraordinarily brutal and treacherous act-even for a time when brutality and treachery were the order of the day. Now, the ghosts of Holyroodhouse are being reawakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed, madness, and terror as Holmes and Watson set out to trap a killer who is eager to rewrite history in blood..."
Opinion: I didn't enjoy this book as much as I've enjoyed other Carr books. Probably because it was based on Sherlock Holmes and I wasn't expecting it. But it was well written in a similar style to Doyle's original Holmes stories. Still worth reading.

Tripwire by Lee Child

Started: 1/6/07
Finished: 1/11/07
Year: 1999
Pages: 401
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is enjoying the lazy anonymity of Key West when a stranger shows up asking for him. He's got a lot of questions. Reacher does too, especially after the guy turns up dead. The answers lead Reacher on a cold trail back to New York, to the tenuous confidence of an alluring woman, and the dangerous corners of his own past."
Opinion: Interesting writing style and enough adventure to keep readers' attention. Great twist at the end.

Sweet Enemy by Diana Palmer

Started: 1/5/07
Finished: 1/5/07
Year: 1978
Pages: 249
Genre: Romance
Grade: B+
Blurb (from back cover): "Wholesome Maggie Kirk had always been wary of commanding cowboy Clint Raygen. So if her best friend's forbidding older brother rubbed her the wrong way, how come she'd chosen his ranch to recover from a broken heart? She knew the dangers that her foe posed...yet every time she crossed paths with the hard-edged cattle rancher, her pulse would race out of control. Maggie secretly dreamed of awakening to womanhood in Clint's powerful embrace...but did these sweet enemies have a shot at becoming lifelong lovers?"
Opinion: There are some moments of really good emotional writing in this book. Readers will be able to relate to the emotions that both Clint and Maggie feel for each other and how they react. Were they cruel to each other? Yes, and some of it was taken way too far to be forgiveable.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Started: 12/28/06
Finished: 1/5/07
Year: 1994 (this edition) originally published 1907
Pages: 797
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Esther Summerson, one of the two narrators of Bleak House, shares in the processes of unrevelling the mystery surrounding her birth and exploring the strange connections which unite the rich and the poor, the exploiters and the exploited, the deranged and the corrupt. Hers is a journey towards painful enlightenment in which there is no turning back. For other characters enlightenment brings danger, disillusion, and death.
Bleak House is Dickens's densest study of the stark contrast and disturbing oddities implicit in the urban civilization of Victorian England.
Opinion: This is in typical Dickens' writing. Not as good as A Christmas Carol or Great Expectations but still worth picking up and taking a gander.