Thursday, December 15, 2011

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Kill Me If You Can

Author: James Patterson
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (August 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316097543

Book Description:

Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge.

Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail--but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.


My thoughts:

Wow! This book starts out with a BANG and ends just as strong! The Ghost has just killed Walter Zelvas, a high ranking member of the Diamond Syndicate. An innocent art student by the name of  Matthew Bannon finds the diamonds Zelvas has left behind-- diamonds Ghost is looking for.  Will Bannon hold onto the treasure he has stumbled upon? Will they make his life more comfortable? Don't count on it!!

Kill Me If You Can is an exciting read from start to finish. The chapters are short and quick and filled with thrills. I liked it very much!

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.

Bitter End

Author: Jennifer Brown
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
(May 10, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316086959

Book Description:
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.
 
My thoughts:
 
Sometimes we fall in love and find the person who seemed perfect turns out to have serious flaws. Alex finds herself in that very situation when Cole starts to treat her in demeaning ways. What should she do? Should she stay in the relationship or move on?
 
This should be a "must read" for teenagers! What is true love? When should a relationship be terminated? What are the signs of abuse? Teens will relate to the well-developed characters and storyline. This is a book every girl should read.
 
Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Summer of Fear

Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316099074

Book Description:

From the moment Rachel's family takes in her orphaned cousin Julia, strange things start to happen. Rachel grows suspicious but soon finds herself alienated from her own life. Julia seems to have enchanted everyone to turn against her, leaving Rachel on her own to try and prove that Julia is a witch. One thing about Julia is certain-she is not who she says she is, and Rachel's family is in grave danger.

My thoughts:

I love Lois Duncan's books and pass them on to the young people in my family as soon as I'm finished reviewing them. Summer of Fear stands up nicely along side the author's Stranger With My Face; I Know What You Did Last Summer; and Down A Dark Hall. Filled with suspense and horror, Summer of Fear completely held my attention. A young reader in my family is going to love it. 5 stars***** (Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)

Stranger With My Face

Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English

Book Description:

Laurie Stratton finally has everything a sixteen-year-old could ever want. But just as her perfect summer comes to a close, things start to unravel when her boyfriend insists he saw her out with another guy-when Laurie was really home sick! More mysterious sightings convince Laurie someone very real is out there, watching her. . . .
The truth reveals a long-lost sister who has spent the years growing bitter and dangerous. She has learned how to haunt Laurie, but the visits soon become perilous. She wants something from Laurie-her life!

My thoughts:

I can always count on Lois Duncan to bring her best to any novel she writes. Stranger With My Face is about a young woman who is haunted by someone who appears to be her. How can that be? Who is this mysterious person? And will our main character be harmed? This book is solid all the way through. It begins strong and ends strong. I think teens and adults alike will enjoy anything Lois Duncan writes, especially, Stranger With My Face. 5 stars***** (Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Long Night (William L. Shirer and the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich)

Author: Steve Wick
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0230623182

Book Description:

The story of legendary American journalist William L. Shirer and how his first-hand reporting on the rise of the Nazis and on World War II brought the devastation alive for millions of Americans.


When William L. Shirer started up the Berlin bureau of Edward R. Murrow’s CBS News in the 1930s, he quickly became the most trusted reporter in all of Europe. Shirer hit the streets to talk to both the everyman and the disenfranchised, yet he gained the trust of the Nazi elite and through these contacts obtained a unique perspective of the party’s rise to power.

Unlike some of his esteemed colleagues, he did not fall for Nazi propaganda and warned early of the consequences if the Third Reich was not stopped. When the Germans swept into Austria in 1938 Shirer was the only American reporter in Vienna, and he broadcast an eyewitness account of the annexation. In 1940 he was embedded with the invading German army as it stormed into France and occupied Paris. The Nazis insisted that the armistice be reported through their channels, yet Shirer managed to circumvent the German censors and again provided the only live eyewitness account. His notoriety grew inside the Gestapo, who began to build a charge of espionage against him. His life at risk, Shirer had to escape from Berlin early in the war.

About the author:

Steve Wick is a senior editor at Newsday and the author of Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood and the Cotton Club Murder, among others. He has been a journalist for 30 years and has won dozens of writing and reporting awards, including sharing in two Pulitzer Prizes for local reporting.

My thoughts:

This is definitely a story worth reading; the story of a courageous journalist, William L. Shirer, and his exceptional message to the world. It is very well-written, historical in nature...a page turner. Highly recommended for the history buff.

Thank you to the author for my review copy.

Down a Dark Hall

Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316098981

Book Description:

Kit Gordy sees Blackwood Hall towering over black iron gates, and she can't help thinking, This place is evil. The imposing mansion sends a shiver of fear through her. But Kit settles into a routine, trying to ignore the rumors that the highly exclusive boarding school is haunted.

Then her classmates begin to show extraordinary and unknown talents. The strange dreams, the voices, the lost letters to family and friends, all become overshadowed by the magic around them.

When Kit and her friends realize that Blackwood isn't what it claims to be, it might be too late.

My thoughts:

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but it did not take long for me to become totally involved with the characters and the mysterious events within the story. Ms. Duncan has created a book that will appeal to readers who can't resist a hauntingly dark, spooky adventure...which is most of us. Down a Dark Hall churns with chilling suspense and the anticipation of evil lurking around every corner. Once I started reading, I found it to be a quick, exciting read.

(Thank you to Hackette book group for my review copy.)