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Archive for the ‘2013 Book list’ Category

Book 36 in the 2013 Booklist: The Shining by Stephen King

Monday, December 23rd, 2013

Finished: December 22
The Shining by Stephen King

This is a good book, not my favorite, but good.
Naturally, this is a reread for me, since I wanted Taylor to read it so we could read Doctor Sleep together.
We just started Doctor Sleep this afternoon, and so far it seems alright. It looks to be a longer one, so hopefully it will occupy us during our holiday travels. This book is just flat out creepy… that’s all I can say about that. Gave me chills both times I read it.
Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
The book in this case is much, much, much better than the movie. Mr. King, you have the most horrible luck when transcribing your books to TV shows and movies. The most glaring examples being The Shining and “Under the Dome”.
My friend RO wrote about her experience with reading The Shining. In fact, this could almost be a reversal on the book suggestion, as I read The Shining before she did! šŸ™‚
Anyways, the book at hand, is good. Like I said above, it’s not what one would call “marriage material” but it’s a Stephen King book, it had good chances of being decent. I liked the narrator for this, and wish he were around to narrate Doctor Sleep. I believe my favorite character in this was/is the chef… Dick Hallaran.
I suggest anyone who watched the movie “The Shining” to read the book for a better experieince with the characters.
Guess that’s it for this one… creeping ever closer to 40!
TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 35 in the 2013 Booklist: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Thursday, December 19th, 2013

Finished: December 18
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Yes, this book was another suggestion from, RO
She knew I had read Gone Girl earlier this year and loved it!
In fact, that was book 6 of the year, back in February!
Wow, it seems like forever ago.
Anyways, I digress.
RO knew I enjoyed that book, and had read this book which was written by the same author, just prior to Gone Girl.
I vowed to give it a shot, added it to my book wishlist, and waited to have time to read a book on my own.
Well, school is over for the year, and I had a bit of free time, so I bought the book and decided to give it a spin. I started out listening to this while I wrapped Christmas presents, and made up a fleece blanket for my 2 year old niece….
and then I couldn’t stop listening!
Holy wow Batman, this was a good book!
In fact, I finished this book in 3 days!
I am in awe of this woman, she is perhaps, the most twisted, ill minded, seriously fucked up person to write a book aside from Stephen King.
I had my suspicions of “who did it” about half way through the book, but she kept me guessing myself through out!
Yes, I highly suggest both of the books I have read by this author, she’s absolutely, freakin amazing!

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psychiatric hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful 13-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, she will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

With its taut, well-crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable.

Super creepy, gave me chills!
In fact, I found myself almost relating to the main character, remembering when I thought those things about myself. Only I didn’t do something as cool as cut words, I just made straight lines…

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book34 in the 2013 Booklist: Mockingjay, The Final Book of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Thursday, December 19th, 2013

Finished: December 13
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This book was sadly the final book in this trilogy! I loved this trilogy so much I would marry it!
RO and Ricardo, you guys out did yourself on the book suggestion this time!

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena live, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge….
Don’t read this post until you have read the first 2 books! šŸ™‚
Poor Peeta, he made me extremely sad in this book, I actually cried!
I think this book covered any emotion I could express in the span of reading a book. Bravo Ms. Collins, Bravo!
I only wish that were more books, I want to escape and be the fly on the wall watching Catniss, Peeta, Gale…
Oh man, the characters!
I fell in love with this trilogy, it ranks with 50 Shades and the Dresden Files when it comes to my favorite series of books!
*swoon*
TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 33 in the 2013 Booklist: Catching Fire: Hunger Games, Book 2 by Suzanne Collins

Thursday, December 19th, 2013

Finished: December 1
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

This was the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I honestly was not sure what to expect in this book, especially after the ending of the first book. I was not disappointed, this was a good book too. I’m still in love with Peeta though! šŸ™‚

Katniss Everdeen continues to struggle to protect herself and her family from the Capitol in this second novel from the best-selling Hunger Games trilogy.

That summary just doesn’t do the book justice, but I understand why it is so short, anymore and something might be revealed about the book. I will say that this book took many turns that I was not expecting, and it was good!
I have to suggest it, because I suggest the entire trilogy to anyone!

Go grab these books, they are soo good!
I especially like the narrator for these boooks, I am sure that’s she read a series I read before.
I believe she narrated a good portion of the Women’s Murder Club that is written by James Patterson.

That’s all for now,
TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 32 in the 2013 Booklist: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Thursday, December 19th, 2013

Finished: November 26
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
So, Taylor and I started this trilogy partly because he decided we should read them and partly because RO and Ricardo both suggested we read them. Normally, Iā€™m not a ā€œyoung adultā€ genre kind of person, but this was a really good trilogy!
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Ok, so, yeah, I loved this book! The characters are amazing, and I felt as if this was actually happening! I will say, I believe that my favorite character throughout the entire trilogy is Peeta. I couldnā€™t help myself. Of course, the love stuff in this book was good, but I found myself with a wandering mind to desiring some X rated scenes! ļŠ
I suggest that everyone read this trilogy! In fact, I bought my friend/reader the first 2 books as her Christmas present, and sheā€™s loving them!

TaTa for now,
Amanda Ellen

Book 31 in the 2013 Booklist: Dexter’s Final Cut: A Novel by Jeff Lindsay

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

Dexter’s Final Cut: A Novel by Jeff Lindsay
Finished: November 21

If I were ambitious and fair to whatever readers I have, I would tell you what number this is in the series of Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay, but since Iā€™m not, I wonā€™t. ļŠ

This series started out as the basis for a loose interpretation of the TV show that was on Showtime, Dexter. If you know anything about it, Dexter is a serial killer that kills other bad people. I think this is the first series that turned into a TV show or movie, that I enjoy each the book and the TV show. I will say that after season 1 of the TV show, the books and the show do not really have the same plot line, and this is probably why I enjoy them both.

Lights. Camera. Mayhem. You won’t find this story on television.
Hollywood gets more than it bargained for when television’s hottest star arrives at the Miami Police Department and develops an intense, professional interest in a camera-shy blood spatter analyst named Dexter Morgan.
Mega-star Robert Chase is famous for losing himself in his characters. When he and a group of actors descend on the Miami Police Department for “research”, Chase becomes fixated on Dexter Morgan, the blood spatter analyst with a sweet tooth for doughnuts and a seemingly average life. To perfect his role, Chase is obsessed with shadowing Dexter’s every move and learning what really makes him tick. There is just one tiny problem…Dexter’s favorite hobby involves hunting down the worst killers to escape legal justice, and introducing them to his special brand of playtime. It’s a secret best kept out of the spotlight and away from the prying eyes of bloated Hollywood egos if Dexter wants to stay out of the electric chair. The last thing he needs is bright lights and the paparazzi…but even Dexter isn’t immune to the call of fame.

Oh Dexter, the tangled webs we weave!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book30 in the 2013 Booklist: Lightning by Dean Koontz

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

Lightning By Dean Koontz

Finished: November 5

This was a book I snagged on the Daily Deals that Audible has started to do recently. The publishers summary seemed interesting enough, and I like a lot of Dean Koontzā€™s books so I thought of giving it a try.
Glad I did, while this book was not OMG fabulous, it was rather interesting.
This book is centered around WWII and time travel. Very different, and not what I was expecting.

A storm struck on the night Laura Shane was born, and there was a strangeness about the weather that people would remember for years. But even more mysterious was the blond-haired stranger who appeared out of nowhere – the man who saved Laura from a fatal delivery.
Years later – after another bolt of lightning – the stranger returned, again to save Laura from tragedy. Was he the guardian angel he seemed? The devil in disguise? Or the master of a haunting destiny beyond time and space?

I love the Ackerson Twins and many of the characters in this book I just love!
Congratulations Mr. Koontz, this was a very good book!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book29 in the 2013 Booklist: Gone: Michael Bennett, Book 6 by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

Gone: Michael Bennett, Book 6 by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
Finished: October 21

This is a series I started many moons ago when I was on a serious James Patterson kick. I found the series by accident, and have followed it ever since I caught up with it. This is one of the 2 series by James Patterson I read and look forward to the new installment every year.

A crime lord has declared war on America. Only Detective Michael Bennett knows why.
Manuel Perrine doesn’t fear anyone or anything. A charismatic and ruthless leader, Perrine slaughters rivals as effortlessly as he wears his trademark white linen suit. Detective Michael Bennett once managed to put Perrine behind bars, the only official in the US ever to accomplish that. But now Perrine is out, and he has sworn to find and kill Bennett and everyone dear to him.
Detective Bennett, along with his 10 adopted children, their nanny, and his grandfather, are hidden safely on a rural California farm, with guards courtesy of the FBI’s witness protection program. Perrine begins to embark on an escalating series of assassinations across the country, killings whose brazenness and audacity bring into question the possibility of safety and law in the U.S. The FBI has no choice but to ask Detective Bennett to risk it all in Perrine’s war on America.
With explosive action and fierce villainy that rivals James Bond movies at their best, Gone is the next astounding novel by James Patterson.

I really love the 10 kids, and the Priest AKA the grandfather heā€™s a hoot!

This book was good as advertised. I enjoyed it, and of course will be anxiously awaiting next years installment. I love this crew of characters!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book28 in the 2013 booklist: Cold Days: The Dresden Files, Book 14 by Jim Butcher

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

Cold Days: The Dresden Files, Book 14 by Jim Butcher
Finished: October 11

Letā€™s cue the tears now, and the sense of being lost. I have reached book 14 of the Dresden Files series. There are no more published books in this series yet. Whatever shall I do, this has been my go to series when I want a new book!

Harry Dresden lives!
After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasnā€™t all that bad – because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicagoā€™s only professional wizard. He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness.
After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasnā€™t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill. Guess which one Mab wants first?
Of course, it wonā€™t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his ownā€¦ his soul.

Now, that sounds really mellow dramatic, but it really is a good book. It was full of twists, turns, and a bunch of WTF moments!
I really enjoyed it, and it was left open for a book 15, and I researched and researched, followed Jim Butcher on Twitterā€¦ and found that there will be a book 15!
Oh happy day!
No word when it comes out, but I have seen that the editors have it, and publishing should happen soon!
I canā€™t wait, I have missed Harry Dresden and his gang of friends!
So glad to know the series isnā€™t over yet!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 27 in the 2013 Booklist: Ghost Story: The Dresden Files, Book 13 by Jim Butcher

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

Ghost Story: The Dresden Files, Book 13 by Jim Butcher
Finished: September 22

This is book 13 of the Dresden Files series. When we reached this book I was filled with dread because I realized that currently there were only 14 Dresden books! I did not, and still do not, want this series to end! I love it so much; I might just be able to marry it!

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin. But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own. To save his friends – and his own soul – Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic….
Due to scheduling conflicts, thereā€™s a new Dresden narrator in town. You may already know John Glover from Smallville, and we think heā€™s done a great job capturing Jim Butcher’s world. We hope you enjoy his performance.

Yeah, book 12 left in a cliff hanging, WTF kind of moment. I was a bit irked to see the short stories to be in between myself and book 13, but boy did things fall into place better thanks to the short stories.
Book 13 is interesting, as Harry is a ghostā€¦ but I liked it. I however was not pleased that this book has a different narrator then what I am accustomed to. I will say, despite my doubts, this narrator was not horribleā€¦ he gave it his own sound for sureā€¦ but it was tolerable.
So, yeah, next comes book 14ā€¦ dun, dun, dun
TaTa,
Amanda Ellen