Saturday, August 04, 2007
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
Friday, July 13, 2007
I was afraid that this book would just be a take-off from the Kay Scarpetta series since both involve medical examiners. There are many similarities, but I love Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta and I love Gerritsen's Dr. Maura Isles. A thriller and mystery combined, I raced right through it. The front cover is a little misleading as it shows the body of a thin naked woman when, by all rights, this body should be at least eight months pregnant. That's right, the main victims in this gripping tale are all pregnant women making the story that much more compelling. The investigation by Maura and her friend, Detective Jane Rizzoli begins when Maura's doppelganger is discovered murdered outside Maura's house. Maura returns from a trip to Paris to find cops all over the place and looks of shock on everyone's faces when they see her. This murder leads to all kinds of personal problems for Maura as well as the discovery of the mass murders of numerous pregnant ladies and we soon learn who the killer is. So the rest of the story is involved with tracking him down before he kills again, plus all kinds of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing right to the end. I'm looking forward to reading more books involving Maura Isles.
Rating: 4.75
Posted by Framed at 7:16 PM
5 comments:
SuziQoregon said...
I haven't read any of Gerritsen's books yet. I've got The Surgeon scheduled for one of my Medical Mysteries.
7/13/2007 10:32 PM
Literary Feline said...
I'm going to be reading my second Tess Gerritsen book (ever) for the Medical Mystery Challenge before it's over. I really enjoyed the one book I did read by her and she instantly became a favorite. I think I may have a copy of the one you read around here somewhere even. Your review makes me eager to start reading her books again.
7/14/2007 9:01 AM
Joy said...
I liked this one, too. I rated it a 4.5/5. :)
7/14/2007 1:04 PM
Framed said...
After looking into the series, I gues it's really "The Jane Rizzoli" series. In this book, Dr. Isles is the main character. I hope she is in all of them. I really liked her.
7/15/2007 5:00 PM
heidijane said...
Ooh I'm hoping to read this for the Medical Thriller challenge too. I'm excited already!
Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Right off the bat, I dislike Andy Carpenter, the hero and narrator of Rosenfelt's novel. He is a sleazy lawyer who wins cases by pulling cheap tricks. But Andy grows on you. Turns out he may do tricks to get his clients off, but he is also a brilliant defense attorney defending a man on Death Row who gets a retrial based on a technicality. The District Attorney who got Willie Miller convicted seven years earlier is Andy's father who asks Andy to defend Willie even though he hasn't a prayer of winning. Thus begins a series of events in which Andy finds himself framed, threatened and even shot at. The court room scenes had me riveted. Apparently, Andy is also a good-looking man, so romantic complications follow the rest of the action. I found this book to be a great mystery with wonderful twists and turns. By the end of the story, I decided that I really did like Andy and I definitely liked this book.
Rating: 4.5
Posted by Framed at 7:23 PM
5 comments:
Literary Feline said...
Thank you, Framed, for beginning your review the way you did. Certain perspnalities and behaviors by main characters can detract from a book I am reading, but when I'm forewarned I can get past that quickly. I've heard mostly great things about this one and so am looking forward to reading it. Great review!
7/12/2007 11:21 PM
Joy said...
I enjoyed his fifth book DEAD CENTER. I hope to start at the beginning sometime. :) Glad you liked it, Framed.
7/13/2007 5:53 AM
SuziQoregon said...
I'm glad to hear you liked it. I discovered Andy a few months ago and have read the first two in the series. I'll be reading #3 soon.
7/13/2007 12:57 PM
Carrie K said...
I'm glad to hear you liked it too, I'd just discovered David Rosenfelt recently and really enjoyed the first 3 in the series (and then got distracted.) It's possibly his love for Tara was the clincher for me.
7/13/2007 5:17 PM
Bookfool said...
I loved this one and can't wait to get my mitts on the second.
A Tangled Web by L M Montgomery
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
I love to read Montgomery's books. They are funny, lighthearted with just the right touch of human truth. Her characters come to life as any one knows who has read "Anne of Green Gables." "A Tangled Web" is filled with quirky folks who all belong to the Penhallow and Dark clans. Most claim relationship to both as the clans intermarry on a regular basis. The book begins with the levee thrown by Aunt Becky as she lies in her death bed. Aunt Becky owns the old Dark jug and everyone wants to inherit the odd object. Of course, Aunt Beck draws out the suspense even after her death, and it is a full year and a half before we learn the final disposition of the jug. During that time, we follow the ups and downs, romances and heartbreaks, and general goings-on of various clan members. This book is such a fun, light read, just the things for a carefree evening or two. She writes such beautiful descriptions of the landscape of Prince Edward Island; I am quite jealous of Booklogged for being able to go there. One passage describes a starlit night that brought to mind that scene in "It Happened One Night" where Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are traipsing through an orchard. It's filmed in black and white and the night just sparkles all around them. 9Well, that was off the subject.) The whole novel is evocative of a completely different time than what I know. I'd hate to give up my modern conveniences but wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a slower-paced more innocent world?
Rating: 4.25
Posted by Framed at 8:18 PM
2 comments:
Tristi Pinkston said...
Hey there,I don't know if you play tag -- but I just tagged you!http://tristipinkston.blogspot.com/2007/07/whats-person-got-to-do-to-get-tagged.html
7/11/2007 11:56 AM
gautami tripathy said...
I had forgotten I read this book long time back. You brought back memories.Thanks!
The Ambidextrist by Peter Rock
Monday, July 09, 2007 I bought this book at the Great Salt Lake Book Festival after listening to Peter Rock discuss writing. He did autograph my copy, "With all joy, may this reward you." Rock impressed me with his humor and interesting take on authorship. "The Ambidextrist" takes place along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia where vagrants exist and teenagers hang out. The novel deals with three main characters: Ray, an old homeless man who builds a garden from makeshift items and rides a broken-down bike, Scott, a drifter new to the city who earns money as a subject in medical experiments, and Terrell, a black teenager who has become involved with three other boys causing mischief and worse along the river. The story shows how day-to-day life brings these three in and out of contact. You can feel their loneliness and confusion in an unforgiving world. "The Ambidextrist" was not an easy book to read, quite dismal and hopeless. Rock creates interesting characters, but I couldn't relate to them although I did like Terrell's older sister, Ruth. She is doing her best to make a living and raise her younger brother while trying to find a possible relationship with a co-worker. Rock writes very well, doesn't waste words or emotions yet conveys the bleakness of the world along the Schuylkill. Rating: 3 Posted by Framed at 7:01 PM 5 comments: 3M said... Congrats on finishing the TBR Challenge! 7/09/2007 11:55 PM Literary Feline said... Congratulations on completing the challenge, Framed! The title of this book caught my attention. It sounds interesting. I sometimes like bleak novels--depends on how well the author writes. I may have to look into this one. Thanks for the review. 7/10/2007 11:59 PM Matt said... I'm glad you wrote this review because... I had no idea there was a Great Salt Lake Book Festival. I will certainly be attending this year, I'm glad I haven't missed it!I have also never heard of this book, and I'm not sure whether to look into it more or not. 7/11/2007 8:38 AM Orange Blossom Goddess (aka Heather) said... The cover alone makes me want to read it! 7/11/2007 11:51 AM Framed said... Thanks 3M and Feline for the congrats. Feline, it had some good ratings so you may like it; it's a little too bleak for me.Matt, maybe I will see you there.Heather, I chose the book based on the cover. I just thought it would be a touch more light-hearted |
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Monday, July 02, 2007 Many years ago, I read a science fiction by Card and really didn't like it. So I avoided his books and science fiction thereafter. Luckily, during my A to Z Challenge, I came across "Enchantment" and loved it. If Orson Scott Card can write fantasy that well, maybe I should give his science fiction another shot; especially since so many raved about Ender's Game. I now understand why. This book held my attention immediately and kept it right to the end. Ender Wiggins is such an unforgettable character. My mind keeps going back to him, trying to think how things could have been different for him. The story begins seventy years after Earth is almost wiped out by an alien attack. Humans win the war by a fluke and spend the intervening time preparing for the next attack. Part of the strategy is birthing genetically superior military geniuses. In the Wiggins family, Peter, the eldest, is found to be too cruel and perverted, and Valentine, too passive. So the Wiggins are encouraged to have an almost unheard of third child, Andrew, called Ender by his sister. All three children are brilliant by only Ender passes the criteria to join the Battle School at the ripe age of six. Most of the book deals with his training and interaction with the other children at the school They talk like adults and think way beyond the range of most adults, but Card never lets you forget these geniuses are just kids ranging between the ages of six and twelve. They can be cruel and funny. And Ender's story is heartbreaking as he is manipulated and set apart from the rest of the children. What he learns, how he copes, and finally, what he accomplishes make for a totally engrossing story. I understand this book is the first in a series. Are the rest as good as this one?? Rating: 4.75 Posted by Framed at 10:55 PM 13 comments: Melissa said... Speaker for the Dead is excellent. In fact, I enjoy it more than Ender's Game. Ender's Shadow is interesting, because it's Ender's Game from Bean's perspective. The rest, IMHO, suck. 7/03/2007 2:32 PM Dance Chica said... I enjoyed this story too, though I'm surprised I did (I'm not usually into science fiction). I don't know if I'd read more in this series, but I definitely thought this one was good. And I had no idea Ender's Shadow was written from Bean's perspective. That sounds interesting. 7/04/2007 8:47 PM 3M said... I MUST read this sometime soon. I'm glad you liked this. 7/05/2007 12:18 PM Matt said... This is one of those books that has been on my list forever. I really need to get to it, it should help that it's now on my Book Award Challenge list. 7/06/2007 8:17 AM Nicola said... I've read all the Ender books and I think they are all as good as this one. The other's are a bit different in that I would classify them as adult books while Ender's Shadow is much more a crossover into YA. The Bean series I've only read Ender's Shadow so far and it is very good. I'm a big Card fan, wondering which book you read first and didn't like. Another of my favs by him is Lost Boys which is actually kind of a horror story. 7/08/2007 2:15 PM Nicola said... P.S. - I meant to say Ender's Game is more YA than the others. 7/08/2007 2:17 PM Nymeth said... I loved Enchantment too, after avoiding Card for years. I need to give this one a try! 7/08/2007 3:24 PM Bookfool said... I think it's a matter of opinion; I loved Ender's Game but thought Speaker for the Dead was a little too bizarre. And, yet, I can't deny he's an awesome writer. I thought Ender's Game was brilliant. Card just didn't take the series where I expected it to go. 7/08/2007 5:10 PM Framed said... I've never read sci fi before so I was really happy that I enjoyed this book. All I remember about the book I hated was that the Salt Lake Valley was flooded during some nuclear attack and the main character rowed a boat to the Salt Lake Temple and entered through an upstairs window. Weird, huh? Any ideas on the name of that book? 7/08/2007 8:57 PM Bellezza said... I've only read one Hugo Award (besides Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire): The Moon is A Harsh Mistress. Normally, I'm not such a sci-fi fan, but your review sounds intriguing. 7/09/2007 9:16 AM Anne Bradshaw said... I'm slowly becoming a sci-fi fan. My latest book, which isn't yet published, is partly sci-fi--in a mild sort of way. Thanks for your comment on my blog, Framed. I'm looking forward to getting plenty of Youth Contest entries to read, also. 7/09/2007 11:06 AM jenclair said... I read Ender's Game YEARS ago and enjoyed it very much, but never pursued the rest of the series (there may not have been a "series" at the time). After reading your comment saying you'd read the first science fiction you liked, I had to come find out what it was. Good choice. You've aroused my interest in Orson Scott Card again, and I may have to reread Ender's Game, and then try the rest of the series. 7/13/2007 10:07 PM Julie Wright said... Ender's Game is a favorite of mine, and Speaker For the Dead is even better. It is such a raw and poignant look at humanity. I can't rave enough about it. |
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Saturday, June 30, 2007 I am a true fan of Shannon Hale. She just writes so well. This book is a complete departure from her other books that I have read. Those three were a fantasy triology written for young adults and were so creative. Austenland is a romance written for adults, especially those adults with a fixation on Pride and Prejudice. Oh, grow up, you know who you are. Jane Hayes is unable to find lasting love because none of her "boyfriends" can measure up to the elusive Mr. Darcy. It doesn't take much to be classified as Jane's boyfriend as she tends to rush into relationships. A rich aunt bequeaths Jane a trip to Austenland where its guests experience Regency England for three weeks. The actors do their absolute best to make the guests feel like they have been romanced in the best of Jane Austen's style. It was so funny to read Jane's modern mind trying to play into the whole Regency scenario. There are a couple of twist and turns that made the novel even more enjoyable. The whole book made me laugh and was a fun, quick read, but it didn't have the same impact as her young adult novels. Still, I remain a dedicated Hale fan and look forward to her next book. Rating: 4.25 Posted by Framed at 10:52 AM 7 comments: Framed said... Sorry, Blogger is having a problem with its Edit HTML function and I can't fix these huge spaces in my post. Does anyone have an idea on this? 6/30/2007 11:02 AM Alyson said... That happens to me sometimes, and I don't know what to do to fix it. I enjoyed this book as well. I still need to write a post about it though...I'm about 6 books behind on my book blog. I agree with you comment about it not having the impact of her YA books. I think Hale is a better YA author, but I still loved this book. 7/01/2007 11:47 PM Tristi Pinkston said... I've got this book on hold at the library. I'm about 345687 out of ten million in line. :) I may cave and just buy the thing before then. 7/01/2007 11:57 PM Anne Bradshaw said... Yay! Another Jane Austen fan. This book is on my must-read list--I'm from England after all :-) I also loved Shannon's fantasy trilogy, and am so glad her work is getting recognized by the masses.Thanks for the blog, Framed. I shall be back. You're going on my favorites list. 7/04/2007 11:23 AM Dance Chica said... I'm glad to hear you liked this! I've had this on my Amazon wishlist since before it came out. I'm a big Pride and Prejudice fan and have some of Hale's children's books in my TBR (Princess Academy, The Goose Girl). 7/04/2007 8:51 PM Julie Wright said... Loved loved loved the line where Jane said, "If you were a woman, all I'd have to say is Colin Firth in a wet shirt, and you'd understand." I'm still laughing at that and it's been a month since I read it! 7/16/2007 10:53 AM Lauren@Baseballs&Bows said... Just thought I would let you know that I am reading this as part of Semicolon's book challenge because of your review! Thanks! |
The Trial by Lindsey Phillip Dew
Thursday, June 28, 2007
I've read this book several times and picked it again because it's the only book on my shelves published in the 80's that I really felt like re-reading. While the book gives a small glimpse into the Mormon culture, it is truly deals more with our judicial system and making the hard decisions. John J Lindsey III is an attorney and Mormon bishop who lives in a small town in the middle of Utah. He is very happy with his life; enjoys his job, loves his wife and seven children, and finds his calling as a bishop to be challenging and fulfilling. Then two well-loved people are found brutally murdered, and Lindsey is appointed attorney for one of the suspects. In a small town, an attorney is almost as well-respected as a bishop, but Lindsey soon finds that his friends and fellow church members are struggling with his association with a killer. There is a lot of dialog in the novel about doing the right thing, and deciding what is the right thing. Lindsey is a great character, a decent man trying to live a good life who is thrown into a very difficult situation. He is intelligent, humourous, honest with himself and imperfect. All in all, this is one of the best LDS fictions I've read.
Rating: 4.25
Posted by Framed at 5:23 PM
4 comments:
Booklogged said...
And you read this twice. I'm impressed. I wish I was a better person so I could stand to read about choosing to do the right thing. Is it preachy or just though-provoking? it does sound good, in a way.
6/28/2007 6:07 PM
Framed said...
It's not preachy at all. It's just a good story about a man who has to make some really difficult decisions.
6/29/2007 12:16 AM
Matt said...
The author has got to be related to Sheri Dew, right?
7/02/2007 9:46 AM
Framed said...
You know, that never occurred to me until I was writing this review, and I've had this book for ages. The cover only says that he has a BA in English and a Juris Doctor from the University of Utah. Would Sherry Dew's brother go somewhere other than the Y? But it was published by Deseret Book so .....?
7/02/2007 10:26 PM
