Book: Four Past Midnight

 Book: Four Past Midnight

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 960

This is my 108th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

One Past Midnight: The Langoliers takes a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Bostoninto a most unfriendly sky.  Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't.

Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake - until the mysterious John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.

Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman has his terrifying sights set on businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind.  But another enemy lurks as well - the truth - and if Sam can find it in time, he might stand a chance.

Four Past Midnight: The Sun Dog comes in the form of a looming supernatural menace, appearing in every picture that young Kevin Delevan takes with his new camera.  Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, aims to exploti it for profit - but this creature is a very dangerous investment.

This was a pretty good book.  I listened to it because I have had hours and hours of driving and yard work over the last few days - it made the time fly by.  The first two stories were my favorite.  The Langoliers is a mini series I enjoyed years ago and it was nice to finally hear the story.  It followed the mini series very closely.  The last two were a little slower, but only at the end of each story.  Got a bit rambly.  But overall a really good one.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Big Dumb Eyes

 Book: Big Dumb Eyes

Author: Nate Bargatze

Pages: 240

This is my 107th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Nate Bargatze used to be a genius.  That is, until the summer after 7th grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and "my skull got, like, dented or something".  Before this accident, he dreamed of being "an electric engineer, or a doctor that does brain stuff, or a math teacher who teaches the hardest math on earth".  Afterwards, all he could do was stand-up comedy.  But the brain stuff industry's loss is everyone else's gain because Nate went on to become on of today's top grossing comedians.  Nate talks about life as a non-genius.  From stories about his car and his travels as a Southerner to tales of his first apartment where he was almost devoured by rats and his many debates with his wife over his chores, his diet, and even his definition of "shopping".  He also reflects on such heady topics as his irrational passion for Vandy football and the mysterious origins of sushi.

This was a great book.  I love Nate.  I have watched all of his standup from when he first started and love to see how popular he has become.  His book was 100% what I expected it to be - down to earth, and written in his cadence.  My favorite chapter was the one about his dad - made me cry!  He is a clean comedian and that comes through in his book as well as hilarious stories and anecdotes.  Check this one out and if you haven't seen Nate perform -I hightly suggest it.

Stars: 5

Book: What You Are Looking For is In The Library

 Book: What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

Author:Mickiko Aoyama

Pages: 304

This is my 106th read for the year

What Amazon says:

What are you looking for?  So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian.  For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for an provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.  A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother triest to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose.  This book is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection.

This was a good book.  The story is interesting and I like how the characters made life changes based on just being asked a simple question "What are you looking for?".  The story moves along nicely - with several characters becoming intertwined.  I will say it unraveled a bit at the end - got a bit rambly - but overall a cut and sweet novel.

Stars: 4

Book: Flight Behavior

 Book: Flight Behavior

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 448

This is my 105th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Set in present day Appalachia, this parable of catastrophe and denial explores how the complexities we inevitably encounter in life lead us to believe in our particular chosen truths.  Kingsolver's riveting story concerns a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain, and how her discovery energizes various competing factions - religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians - trapping her in the center of the conflict and ultimately opening up her world.

This was a great book.  After reading a book with my daughter about the monarch butterflies (non-fiction - "Bicycling With Butterflies) I was pleased that this book captured the story in partially fictional form.  I liked the characters and how the story develops bringing this town together because of the Monarchs and the scientist trying to figure out why they ended up there.  The story flows well and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Bloodsucking Fiends

 Book: Blooksucking Fiends

Author: Christopher Moore

Pages: 304

This is my 104th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Making the transition from the 9-5 grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where C. Thomas Flood fits in.  A would-be Kerouac from incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway.  But all that changes when a beautiful undead reahead walks through the door - and proceeds to rock Tommy's life - and afterlife - in ways he never thought possible.

This was a weird book.  Not bad for say - just weird.  Typical Christopher Moore in my opinion.  It was all over the place.  Silly?  yes.  Confusing?  Yes.  Bizarre?  Yes.  I liked the characters, but the story was just a bit too hard to follow to make it enjoyable for me.

Stars: 3

Book: Heartstopper

 Book: Heartstopper

Author: Alice Oseman

Pages: 288

This is my 103rd read for the year

What amazon says:

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning.  A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance.  But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understan the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

This graphic novel was fine.  There is so little dialogue I was done with it in an hour.  The draws are just okay - maybe a style?  It didn't say much so I don't really have a lot of feelings for it one way or another.  I know there are a lot of books in the series, so maybe you would really need to read them all to get a good feeling.

Stars: 3

Book: Small Wonder

 Book: Small Wonder

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 288

This is my 102nd book for the year

What Amazon says:

Whether Barbara Kingsolver is contemplating the Grand Canyon, her vegetable garden, motherhood, genetic engineering, or the future of a nation founded on the best of all human impulses, her writings are grounded in the belief that our largest problems have grown from the earth's remotest corners as well as our own backyards, and that answers may lie in both those places. 

This was a great little book.  I am a Kingsolver fan and have read several of her books this year and last year.  This one is non-fiction and full of stories that actually overlap a bit from her "Animal, Vegatable Miracle" that I read late last year (it was excellent).  Kingsolver is a gifted writer.  She is bright and thoughtful with just a touch of funny.  She seems like someone I would love to hang out with.  Her kids had a pretty amazin childhood growing up learning to live off the land during the summer - very inspiring.  Check this one out.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Nick and Charlie

 Book: Nick and Charlie

Author: Alice Oseman

Pages: 176

This is my 101st read for the year

What Amazon says:

From the mega-bestselling creator of Heartstopper, a must-have novella in which Heartstopper's lead characters, Nick and Charlie, face one of their biggest challenges yet.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder - right?  Everyon knows that Nick and Charlie love their nearly inseparable life together.  But soon Nick will be leaving for university and Charlie, a year younger, will be left behind.  Everyone's asking if they're staying together, which is a stupid question - or at least that's what Nick and Charlie assume at first.  As the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie start to question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart.  Charlie is sure he's holding Nick back - and Nick can't tell what Charlie's thinking.  Things spiral from there.  Everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever.  What will it take for Nick and Charlie to defy the odds?

This was a good little book.  I listened to it which made it fun.  It was less than 2 hours, so I finished it in a day.  It has a good story, and even though I have not read Heartstopper yet (but will this week), I was able to follow it.  Good character development and a cute little story.

Stars: 4

Book: The House of the Spirits

 Book: The House of the Spirits

Author: Isabel Allende

Pages: 504

This is my 100th read for the year

What Amazon says:

The House of the Spirits, which intoduced Isabel Allende as one of the world's most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family.  The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world.  When their daughter Blanca embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

This book was fine.  I did have a hard time getting into it.  I listened to it, which was probably a mistake - I couldn't quite get my head wrapped around this complicated story in that form.  It started out slow.  It did not like the Esteban character.  Felt very convoluted at times.  She is a good writer, but this book was just a bit of a slog and wordy.

Stars: 3

Book: The Cancer Ladies Running Club

 Book: The Cancer Ladies Running Club

Author: Josie Lloyd

Pages: 400

This is my 99th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

When Keira first receives her breat cancer diagnosis, she doesn't want to have to tell her family, or step back from work.  She doesn't want to sit in a hospital, or be part of a group of fellow cancer patients.  Cancer is not her club.  But as she accepts that her health is no longer something she can rely on, Keira finds herself embracing running.  And running in the company of a group of brillant, funny, women each going through treatment unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she needs.  Because the C-word is not going to define Keira's identity.  And with the Cancer Ladies' Running Club cheering her on, she's going to reclaim her life.  One Step at a time.

This book was just okay.  I really wanted to like it - it had a good premise and I thought it would be a neat read.  But it just isn't well written.  I didn't like many of the characters.  The main character was the worst of all - wishy washy, and a lot of her actions made no sense.  She owned a company yet she let her seconds in charge walk all over her.  The author kept writing about her support at home yet she didn't have it with her husband and children.  It was very fluffy and very surface of a read.  I gave it an extra half a star based on the author's note on the end.  This is her story in fiction form - she was Keira. 

Stars: 3

Book: In A Garden Burning Gold

 Book: In A Garden Burning Gold

Author: Rory Power

Pages: 432

This is my 98th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Rhea and Lexos were born into a family unlike any other.  Together with their siblings, they control the seasons, the tides, and the stars, and help their father rule their kingdom.  Thanks to their magic, the family has rules for an eternity, and plan to rule for an eternity more.  But Rhea and Lexos are special: They are twins, bonded down to the bone, and for the past hundrew years, that bond has protected them as their father becomes an unpredictable tyrant - and his worsening temper threatens the family's grip on power.  Now, with rival nations ready to attack, and a rebel movement within their own borders, Rhea and Lexos must fight to keep the kingdom - and the family - together, even as treachery, deceit, and drama threaten to strand the twins on opposite sides of the battlefield.  

This was a good book.  I found it just perusing the local used book store and I am glad I decided to pick it up.  The story is well developed and I liked many of the characters.  It takes place in a fictional land that is supposed to rival Greece.  The names of the characters are great.  The story flows well as the children do what they feel they must to keep their family united.  I will admit it got a little off the rails near the end, but did finish up nicely.

Stars: 4