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Books (110)

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- Hybrid (2)
- By Brian O'Grady
- Reading since Jun 11, 2011
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- Completely in Blue (1)
- Dispatches from the Edge of Insanity
- By Chris Curry
- Finished on May 16, 2012
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- The Priest's Graveyard (5)
- By Ted Dekker
- Finished on Apr 15, 2011
  
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The Priest's Graveyard

Great thrill read!

Dekker has a knack for fast paced, page turning, thrill a minute writing and he didn't let us down with this one. It's more than just a thriller. Each chapter builds the suspense and you never see the twists and turns that come. I didn't see the end coming as it did and quite honestly I'm still not ... (continue)

Dekker has a knack for fast paced, page turning, thrill a minute writing and he didn't let us down with this one. It's more than just a thriller. Each chapter builds the suspense and you never see the twists and turns that come. I didn't see the end coming as it did and quite honestly I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It's good. It fits the life of the story and saying that, I think when my emotions over the book come to a rest I'll completely accept the ending.
The story is told from the heroine's point of view. I use the word heroine loosely because she is a very unlikely hero. She's flawed and at times annoying in her weakness. But in that weakness is a realist strength I think many of us can relate to. She tells her story and then in the next chapter the story of the hero, Priest Danny Hansen's story is told. This goes on until their paths cross and as they say the plot thickens! I don't want to give too much away. This book is great. I really enjoy Dekker's style. It has some violence and at times some may think a little to graphic in that area but I found it appropriate. You quickly build a relationship with these two unlikely heroes and find yourself cheering them on in their vigilantly style justice. You could dig into the pages and find all sorts of allegoric meaning but for me this was simply an entertaining, thrill a minute book. There aren't too many places in this book that you can rest without a twist or shock coming at you. I loved it and will probably reread it. It was that good.
Here's a run down: Ex-Bosnian Danny Hansen, now Father Hansen is a priest who dispenses his own brand of justice to right the wrongs done to woman and children. Renee Gilmore is an ex-heroin addict who was rescued only to lose the man that saved her to mysterious circumstances. Their paths cross while after the same evil man. Nothing seems to go as planned. What happens next you won't see coming.
I recommend this book highly. I've read other Dekker books (mostly the fantasy ones) and enjoyed them but this was the best I've read of him. I'll be looking into some of his other thrillers. He has an excellent command of language and emotes emotions through pages of the book. You don't feel that you are reading words but feeling the events take place. I look for this book to quickly become a best seller like many of his other books. He's a got a gift for finding not only the right words but also an imagination that keeps you riveted.

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— May 8, 2011 | Add your feedback
- Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me! (1)
- By Pat Cooper
- Finished on Mar 26, 2011
  
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Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me!

Good laughs regarding how an up and coming got his up and coming

To be honest, I couldn’t place the name but the face and characteristic glasses looked so familiar. Getting his “big break” on The Jackie Gleason Show, Pat Cooper opened for the likes of Bop Hope, George Burns, Tony Bennett, and even Bobby Darin. At age 82, Pat Cooper is still going; appearing in An ... (continue)

To be honest, I couldn’t place the name but the face and characteristic glasses looked so familiar. Getting his “big break” on The Jackie Gleason Show, Pat Cooper opened for the likes of Bop Hope, George Burns, Tony Bennett, and even Bobby Darin. At age 82, Pat Cooper is still going; appearing in Analyze This and Analyze That. Chalked full of anecdotes and humorous stories, Pat Cooper, Rich Herschlag, and Steve Garrin tell the story of how the son of Italian Immigrants stumbled upon the career of a life time. Born Pasquale Caputo, Pat Cooper was given his stage name by a stage manager who couldn't say his name. Mistaken for a Jewish guy impersonating an Italian guy, Pat - who shtick was rambling on about his Italian family and life-tells his story in the same stand up humor his shows were done in. You get lost in the pages as he tells how his mother and father felt he was a failure for not becoming a bricklayer. You can almost hear the Italian oozing off the pages.
His account of life and show business is humorous, sad, and enlightening. Like many greats before him, he builds his routine around real life trials and tribulations but with an honesty that makes you laugh out loud because you know it’s all too real to be fake. His stubbornness and pull no punches approach to life and his routine allows his talent transcends decades.
What I liked: His honest telling of his life. He doesn't hold anything back good or bad. Some autobiographic telling of one's life tends to steer towards the positive side and not shine any light on the wrongs in their life. Pat Cooper doesn't do that. If he screwed up, he tells you he did. If someone else screwed up, he tells you. It's a refreshing turn on an autobiography.
What I didn't like: It's written as if he sitting there telling your his story. At first, it's somewhat cumbersome to get the hang of it. But once you do the story flows well. You get lost in the pages and feel like you're right there in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and even the 80's as he takes on the comedy world.
Overall, this was a great book telling the story of overcoming many obstacles from a difficult family, being in the right place at the right time, and learning as went. Even if you’ve never heard of Pat Cooper this book is a great read.

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— May 8, 2011 | Add your feedback
- This Side of the Grave (75)
- (Night Huntress, Book 5)
- By Jeaniene Frost
- Finished on Mar 18, 2011
  
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This Side of the Grave

2 people find this helpful
This Side of greatness

Like a fine wine, The Night Huntress series only gets better with age. Jeaniene Frost has not only continued the great world she’s developed in This Side of the Grave, she also shows what growth of both her writing ability and her character development can do. This is the fifth book in the Night Hun ... (continue)

Like a fine wine, The Night Huntress series only gets better with age. Jeaniene Frost has not only continued the great world she’s developed in This Side of the Grave, she also shows what growth of both her writing ability and her character development can do. This is the fifth book in the Night Huntress series and the seventh book all together in the Night Huntress world. Frost has continued to carry Cat and Bones forward in their commitment to one another as well to their people. Best of all, Frost has the best command of wit and humor I’ve ever read. At times, I find myself laughing out loud and at others tears dropping on the pages. It’s nearly effortless to read her words and you find yourself invested in her characters whole heartedly.
What did I like about the book? Besides the action, which was great, I loved that for once a writer takes the chance and doesn’t have to make the tension about the worn out tale of boy and girl don’t get along. At this point in the relationship between these two main characters it would have been trite to create tension. Many writers would have though. Frost takes the opportunity to allow the characters to grow and realize where they are in their relationship. Kudos Jeaniene for keeping true to their characters! I also liked that stories from the past tie in very well and angles you might not have even thought of are pursued.
What did I not like? Honestly, I cannot say that there was anything that I didn’t like. It’s rare to come across a book, especially a book this far into a series, that balances everything near perfectly but this one really has a great balance. Perhaps a few more fight scenes. The only things not resolved in this book were apparent that they would be addressed in future books. What was left “hanging” was done so because, well, that’s how it would have been in real life as well. (If your life consisted of being a freakish half-breed vampire who’d turned only to have your heart still beat from time to time….but still, it fits.)
Over the years I’ve become engrossed in the story and the characters. When a new book comes out it’s like a reunion of your closest friends and those you love to hate. Each book brings back someone from previous books and you learn a little something new. While this is an ongoing series, Frost writes each book with enough backstory crafted in to read smoothly yet still be able to follow along without having read the others. Fair warning though…Read one and you’ll want to read them all.
Once again, I find myself grinning ear to ear and my heart wanting more.

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— Mar 19, 2011 | Add your feedback

- Shutter Island (334)
- By Dennis Lehane
- Finished on Mar 3, 2011
  
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Shutter Island

Shutter Island

It’s a simple story of nothing is as it appears to be. It’s quite difficult to review this book without giving away too much. Let me just say it’s worth the read. A pair of US Marshalls go to an island in Boston Harbor that houses a hospital for the Criminal Insane to investigate a patient’s disappe ... (continue)

It’s a simple story of nothing is as it appears to be. It’s quite difficult to review this book without giving away too much. Let me just say it’s worth the read. A pair of US Marshalls go to an island in Boston Harbor that houses a hospital for the Criminal Insane to investigate a patient’s disappearance. From the first moment they arrive they are suspicious of everyone. Things just do not add up. With the approaching Hurricane, all heck breaks loose allowing the Marshalls to do more snooping around. This leads to even more questions that they cannot answer. To top it all off Marshall Teddy Daniels is dealing with the loss of his wife and just knows that her killer is on the island. He’s running out of time as he tries to find the patient, the killer, and keep from losing his own mind or at least for the hospital to make others think he’s lost his mind. You know that there is going to be twists and turns but when they happen you really can’t imagine that it happens the way it does. It’s a good thing though. The entire first two-thirds of the book lays out an intricate world and sets up a great plot only to be completely spun out of control in the last third in a very good way. The book ends with you in just amazement. Trying to understand everything that happened and coming to terms with it. It was great.
The movie gave too much away in my opinion with eye contact and the way that the dialogue went. There were too many things crammed together in an attempt to get as much of the story together as possible within the constraints of a movie. I understand that but the book was so good at listing the background within the flashbacks that I just wished they could have put more of it in the movie. I will add; however, I loved the last lines of the movie which were added and not in the book. They left you with the feeling that things were still not as they appeared.
My overall feeling was this was a great read. The transitions from flashback to present were well done and the twists and turns you go through are also well done. I loved the writing and I loved the story. Even if you think you’ve figured it out…you haven’t. It’s well worth the read. If you saw the movie, it’s still worth the read. It’ll give you a much better understanding of what’s going on. Happy reading!

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— Mar 6, 2011 | Add your feedback
- Hide and Watch (1)
- By Jill Hicks Lawson
- Finished on Sep 25, 2010
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- Eternal Kiss of Darkness (67)
- By Jeaniene Frost
- Finished on Aug 9, 2010
  
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Eternal Kiss of Darkness

1 person find this helpful

I put off reading the second book of The Night Huntress World for awhile because frankly, I was a little disappointed in the first Night Huntress World book and the last Cat & Bones book. I finally decided since I've been in a reading rut that I'd go ahead and read it. After all, I can pour through ... (continue)

I put off reading the second book of The Night Huntress World for awhile because frankly, I was a little disappointed in the first Night Huntress World book and the last Cat & Bones book. I finally decided since I've been in a reading rut that I'd go ahead and read it. After all, I can pour through one of Frost’s books without looking up.
After finally reading Eternal Kiss of Darkness, I am happy to say I was quite pleased with this one. Even with this book being the story of most readers least favorite characters, Mencheres, I found myself falling in love with this guy. Frost gives a great background on why he’s behaved the way he has throughout all the other books. I found myself actually liking him because of the things he did solely because of the reasons he behaved so badly. The heroine was strong but for a reason. It seems that some strong women in books ate just strong. Kira, however, had things in her life that made her strong or at the least things that caused her to put up a strong front. I was much happier with the events that lead Kira to the supernatural world than I was to Denise's in the first book. It was believable and heart breaking at the same time. It was great how this event fueled the rest of the story in such a believable way.
What I liked about this story was the character development. To take a pretty unliked character, give the back story of why he's done the things he's done and show his regret and self condemning was well handled. The supporting characters brought in from previous books were true to their original natures and added more than just a cameo appearance in this story. They added sustenance not only to the story but growth to themselves. (Especially, Vlad).
I was disappointed by the last two Frost books but i thoroughly enjoyed this book. Frost went back to her roots with this one and the pacing, humor, and story line was just right. Now I’m once again looking forward to the next Night Huntress book, This Side of the Grave to come out...Spring 2011

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— Aug 12, 2010 | Add your feedback
- Lover Mine (295)
- A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, 8
- By J. R. Ward
- Finished on Jun 4, 2010
  
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Lover Mine

Another great in an addictive series

This was what I expected and more. JR Ward's writing is maturing with each book. This has been my favorite of the BDB series. Ward continues her tradition of including previous books characters and back stories. I was amazed at how this book brought back things that were in books in the beginning of ... (continue)

This was what I expected and more. JR Ward's writing is maturing with each book. This has been my favorite of the BDB series. Ward continues her tradition of including previous books characters and back stories. I was amazed at how this book brought back things that were in books in the beginning of the series. The main story was John Mathews and Xhex and it was great. The back story of Blay and Quinn was very well done too.
I was a little confused about the out of place story of a ghost hunting tv show in another city but it finally tied in at the end. It wasn't my favorite but it was still better than the earlier Lesser stories from the first books.
I love this story and feel like the characters are growing and developing nicely. I am really looking forward to future BDB books. They're very addictive.

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— Jun 5, 2010 | Add your feedback
- The Sacred Paths (2)
- Understanding the Religions of the World
- By Theodore M. Ludwig
- Finished on May 1, 2010
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- Kiss of Midnight (85)
- Midnight Breed series Book 1
- By Lara Adrian
- Finished on Apr 21, 2010
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- First Drop of Crimson (79)
- Night Huntress World- book one
- By Jeaniene Frost
- Finished on Apr 8, 2010
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- The Shack (8)
- Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity
- By William Paul Young
- Finished on Mar 20, 2010
  
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The Shack

I was excited about this book because of recommendations of others. I love Christian fiction especially Mysteries) this book however, wasn't what I was looking for. It was difficult at times for me to stay tuned in to what was going on. But I will say that on the audioversion, the author's monologue ... (continue)

I was excited about this book because of recommendations of others. I love Christian fiction especially Mysteries) this book however, wasn't what I was looking for. It was difficult at times for me to stay tuned in to what was going on. But I will say that on the audioversion, the author's monologue at the end was great.He gives an insight into how the book came about and the processes he went through. Overall, its a decent book but for an avid reader it leaves you wanting. Still the message is good.

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— Mar 21, 2010 | Add your feedback
- The Ruins (67)
- By Scott Smith
- Finished on Mar 10, 2010
  
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The Ruins

Ruined

This story had great potential but I felt it was a little stale. It fell flat. I knew how it would end halfway through the story. I was also disappointed that there wasn't any real explaination of the why's or how's. This of course is just my opinion and many others like it.

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— Mar 11, 2010 | Add your feedback
- The Lost Symbol (1727)
- By Dan Brown
- Finished on Mar 5, 2010
  
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The Lost Symbol

Nice

This was the first Dan Brown book I've read. I'm happy to say it won't be the last. The story telling is excellent and the plot and twists mad me actually put the book down and yell at it once. Overall the story was great and had quite a bit of suspense and anticipation. The only downside was that a ... (continue)

This was the first Dan Brown book I've read. I'm happy to say it won't be the last. The story telling is excellent and the plot and twists mad me actually put the book down and yell at it once. Overall the story was great and had quite a bit of suspense and anticipation. The only downside was that after the great climax the story continues which is good but pretty anticlimatic. Now I think I'll revisit the books I missed

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— Mar 6, 2010 | Add your feedback