Review: The Secret of Red Gate Farm

The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nancy, Bess, and George save the day again (well, mostly Nancy). This time, they help a virtual stranger save their farm. Do you know three more "do-gooder" girls out there? Because I don't.

This time, Bess buys some perfume and it kicks off a mystery. Nancy is approached on the train based on the perfume scent, which really confused me because I would never be able to identify a perfume on someone. Oh, is that sparkling waters you are wearing? No, not me. But some random dude can? Please, Miss Keene. You are better than this plot line.

Anyway, they meet a girl who needs a ride, and a job, and Nancy is there to save the day. She really is the original Mary Sue. A guy stalks them, they go to the farm, they meet a cult (yes, a cult) and then they infiltrate it. Why would you expect anything else? Guys flirt with Nancy, as usual, and she saves the day.

And they all lived happily ever after. 3 stars.

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Review: A Knight in Central Park

A Knight in Central Park by Theresa Ragan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time travel. Romance. This book should be better, but it's not.

I'm going to save you a couple of hours and tell you the plot is disjointed, the hero is a terribly unlikeable jerk with daddy issues, and the heroine is shallow and weak.

Read it if it's free, you REALLY enjoy time travel romances, and you have nothing better to do.

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Eyes on You

Eyes on You by Kate White

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I read this as part of the "Big Library Read". I wanted to like this book--I typically enjoy psychological thrillers and thought this would be a good one. I was left underwhelmed, to say the least.

I split my reading between the eBook and the audio. I do NOT recommend the audio. The narrator was the worst. Over-pronounciations, emphasis on strange words. The voices she attempted to do--I'm still laughing about her interpretation of Potts. But beyond the narration, the book just wasn't good. Endless descriptions of what people are wearing--like anyone cares or it adds anything to the plot. We get it, you like expensive things. The main character wasn't likable. Actually, now that I think about it, none of the characters were likable, or particularly smart. And the author made every. single. person seem like the prime suspect, and not in a clever way, yet I knew who it was very early on. Agatha Christie, she's not. Then we get to the end, and we have the briefest of climaxes, and it ends. Abruptly. Like this review.

TLDR: This book is dumb. Don't waste your time.



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Enclave (Razorland #1)

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dystopian future. Earth in peril. Tribes of people surviving in the underground subway tunnels of New York City. Welcome to Enclave.

Deuce has reached adulthood in her underground enclave on her 15th birthday--the day she receives her adult name and job. She is a huntress, and is paired up with Fade, a hunter who joined them after growing up Topside. The pair uncover danger from the Freaks during one of their hunting runs and are exiled for their discovery. Forced Topside, they have to learn to work as a team to survive.

Deuce and Fade make a great team. She is brave, but not unrealistically so, and is decently flawed. Fade, while taking the lead Topside, is smart enough to work with Deuce to help him survive as well. It's an interesting dynamic and the ending leaves you eagerly awaiting the next book.

Better than a lot of the standard YA dystopian fare out there. 3 1/2 stars.



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Yes Please

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Amy Poehler, I want to be your best friend. Is that weird?

Seriously, I think she and I would be the best of friends. She's funny, and smart, and seems like a genuinely good person and a good mom. She has stayed humble despite her fame, and is still a little self-conscious and brave enough to share it in her book. I loved the stories about her time on SNL. I laughed out loud several times throughout and fell even further in love with Parks & Rec, my favorite show. She's a funny, funny woman. I want to hang out with her and listen to more stories. Love you, Amy!

P.S. I recommend this on audiobook format. She reads it herself and has celebrity guests as well. Not sure how it is in book format.

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Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


If I am ever acting crazy, please go find Susannah Cahalan's doctor before checking me into a mental institution.

This is an interesting story of one woman's journey into a world of misdiagnosis, disease, and madness. Part medical mystery, part memoir, part cautionary tale, you get a unique perspective into her illness and recovery. I was left thinking about how many patients are misdiagnosed and assumed to be mentally ill when they really have a curable disease. Very scary to consider. Also, her boyfriend and family should be considered for sainthood. It was hard on all of them but they didn't give up. Good people, right there.

And seriously, if I am not acting like myself, make sure I don't have encephalitis. I can't stress this enough.



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Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I first read this book when I was growing up, and it was part of what sparked a life-long wanderlust in me. Imagine dashing around the world, speeding through countries on all modes of transport: trains, boats, elephants, and even a sled. Meeting people from different cultures, seeing others' traditions, and all the while taking on daring feats of heroism. That's what this book is for me. I listened to it on audiobook this time around, and Jim Dale is the very best choice for any English setting. If you didn't fall in love with his narration from the Harry Potter books, you are missing out. He adds an extra layer of special to this book.

In case you haven't read it, eccentric English millionaire Phileas Fogg takes a bet with his fellow chaps at London's Reform Club that he (or really anyone with the time and means) can travel around the world in 80 days.
Oh, you silly Reform Club members with nothing better to do than play Whist and make exorbitant bets with each other. Your life must be very different from mine. Fogg wagers 20,000 pounds that he will return by 8:45pm on Saturday, December 21, 1872. Fogg runs home, grabs his newly hired manservant Passeportout, and rushes off on his quest. Unbeknownst to them, a bank robber matching Fogg's description has robbed the Bank of England, and Detective Fix thinks he has his man in Fogg. He follows them on the trip around the world, deceiving both Passeportout and Fogg and causing delays along the way while he awaits his arrest warrant on British soil.

While racing across India, Passeportout and Fogg save a widowed princess names Mrs. Aouda from a ritual sacrifice and she joins them on the rest of their journey. Spoiler alert! They fall in love as they travel, and are married by the end. This part is the best, and part of my deep, abiding love for this book. Yes, I'm a sap. Obstacles abound, and both manmade and natural delays happen to take them off of their timetable. You will be on the edge of your seat as the party moves across the globe on a race against the clock. It's so good! I especially love the final chapter--such a satisfying ending.

Two things to keep in mind: This book was first published in 1873, and a lot has changed in nearly 150 years. Verne's portrayal of other cultures was quite normal for the time period. As with any classic literature, you need to set aside how society functions now while reading. It's an interesting glimpse into how things have changed, and a great reminder that travel is one of the best ways to expand your mind and thinking. The more you are exposed to people and new cultures, the more you realize how very similar we are at our cores, and learn to celebrate our differences. Travel, explore, learn. Expand your horizons and your perspective. Also, never, ever watch this movie. It is terrible, and a travesty to one of my favorite books.



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My Brother Sam Is Dead

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

*Part of my "Reviewing Children's Classics" series.

I don't remember reading this one growing up, which is strange because of my love of books and all things history. I now see I didn't miss much, although my perspective might have been different if I had read it when I was 11 instead.

Tim is growing up during the turbulent times prior to and during the American Revolution. He adores his obnoxious big brother, Sam, who is attending Yale and appears to be the smuggest, least likable person in the world. If I had to hear the phrase, "scored a telling point" one more time, I might have thrown the book away. Seriously, dude, you are the world's worst. Anyway, Tim has some serious hero worship going on for his big brother, who decides to drop out of Yale, steal his father's rifle (really, Sam? You are a bad person) and join the revolutionaries. Sam's parents are opposed to this, naturally, as no parent wants their 16-year-old son to join the military during war time. Sam does what he wants, and ultimately we get to the title of the book.

Between Sam running off to enlist and the ending where he dies, a lot of sad, depressing things happen. It's Revolutionary times. Besides the war, you have cholera outbreaks, hunger, and decapitations. Plus you have to endure Sam's girlfriend Betsy Read, who is tied with Sam for "most unlikeable character is a children's book". For a young woman who should have been behaving like an adult, she acted like an obnoxious child.

I'm sure there are better historical fiction books out there about the American Revolution. The only thing that saved this from one-star territory was the authors' notes at the end. I liked how they explained who and what were historically accurate and where they embellished or created things for the book. For the additional interesting information, I added one star. My recommendation? You can skip this one.

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Man, did this book make me wear heavy boots. I'm probably going to be wearing them for a few days after finishing this.

Oskar lost his father in the 9/11 attacks. Much like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, he is a young boy trying to solve a mystery that really holds deeper meaning to understanding his entire life. But, this isn’t just Oskar’s journey through grief; this is also about Oskar’s grandmother, grandfather, and his mother, too.

Is it uniquely written and a little gimmicky? Yes, but it worked for the narrative. Unique like Oskar, like his grandfather, like his grandmother, the different parts of the book fit together to tell the story of a family who have experienced and endured grief, joy, and all of the other parts of life that make it special.

I hesitate to say more, and urge you to experience this story for yourself.

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The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors #2)

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I accidentally read book 3 prior to reading book 2, and I'm glad that I did. If I had read this one prior to jumping into This World We Live In, I might not have continued on. While we see the world through Miranda's eyes in books 1 and 3, we see it through Alex's in this one. It was a bit on the nose. Yes, we get it. They are Puerto Rican. They are Catholic. No subtlety here. I didn't find any of the characters likable. Bri was dumb. Alex was an aspiring saint / asshat. Julie was the only one who was remotely bearable. Too much is happening, and not enough is resolved.

This installment shows what happens in New York after a meteor knocks the moon closer to the Earth. We follow Alex and his sisters as they try to survive there and it follows the same timeline as book 1. This book could be read as a stand-alone novel, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The Alex you meet in this book is different from the one viewed through Miranda's eyes in book 3, and that's a good thing. I guess it helps you to understand a little about his decisions in book 3, but not entirely. I recommend reading them out of order or you might not continue with the series.

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This World We Live In (Last Survivors #3)

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More post-apocolyptic goodness. Start stocking up your pantry! These books will trigger the prepper hiding inside of you.

In book 3 of the series, we return to life with Miranda and her family. The world has not recovered from the disasters triggered from the asteroid colliding with the moon, knocking it towards Earth. Miranda has matured in this book. We continue to see her life through her journal entries, and it gives a unique perspective on the happenings and allows us to guess at people's true motives as she does.

It's interesting to think how we would survive if disaster strikes. The Evans family fares better than most because they were resourceful and their mother was prepared and had the foresight to anticipate how long it could take for society to recover. Others didn't adapt, and died. It is an interesting take on survival of the fittest.

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When You Are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More adventures of David and Hugh! Hugh is my favorite--the man must be a saint. I find myself waffling between love and hate for David. He is a terrible person, but then he says something that hits so close to home that I find myself laughing out loud because it's so relatable.

Lots of funny vignettes in this one. I think my favorites were the airplane lady, his parents' art collection, and his landlady, Helen, but they all gave me a chuckle. Typical Sedaris fare--give it a read.

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Arts Week

Arts

This week we each read an arts book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Fine Arts - fiction or non-fiction book where a fine art piece or an artist plays a major role in the plot (painting, drawing, comics, photography, and sculpture)
Visual Arts - fiction or non-fiction book where a visual art piece or a visual artist plays a major role in the plot (dance, theater, film)
Music - fiction or non-fiction book where a musical piece or a musician plays a major role in the plot

Books Selected:

Zach (Art - Fine Arts)

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bernie Rhodenbarr is a thief.  He steals things for himself, but sometimes he's hired to steal for others.  Bernie is on the job, and things quickly go south after he is hired to steal a special box.  Now he's on the lam, and he needs to clear his name.  This is a fun book with lots of twists and turns.  I will read the others in the series.




Michelle (Art - Music)

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
My rating: 3 1/2 of 5 stars

I love the Sound of Music!  It's one of my favorite movies.  The music, the romance; funny and dramatic all at the same time.  I really enjoyed reading about the real "Family Von Trapp".  I loved the little pieces that matched up with the movie, and the real parts that didn't.  I now know that the movie barely scratches the surface of their unique life.  Their ups and downs, riches to rags, their life in America.  If you are a fan of the Sound of Music, definitely give this one a read.



Maddie (Art - Dance)

Chihuahua Confidential by Waverly Curtis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A mystery solved, and a reality show underway.  After solving the murder of Rebecca's husband and getting her funds to make her dream a reality, Rebecca and Geri head out to L.A. for the first official filming of "Dancing with the Dogs".  Geri has been invited to compete with her dog Pepe, and it is expected to be a fun break from sleuthing.  But of course a mystery is afoot on the set of the new show, and one of the judges is murdered!  An activist is blamed and a mysterious package is missing.  Geri must try to solve this mystery before "Dancing with the Dogs" is over or the killer gets away.  But before the end of this treacherous competition Geri shall discover if Caprice is Pepe's true owner and if she is, will Geri be willing to give up Pepe in spite of her own wants?

Dead people, missing dogs, and innocents blamed, will Geri and Pepe be able to discover the true murderer before time runs out?  Or will the killer escape the spotlight without consequence?  This mystery will leave you glued to your seat with each twist and turn.

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the Sound of Music! It's one of my favorite movies. The music, the romance; funny and dramatic all at the same time. I really enjoyed reading about the real Family Von Trapp. I loved the little pieces that matched up with the movie, and the real parts that didn't. The movie barely scratches the surface of their unique life. Their ups and downs, riches to rags, their life in America. If you are a fan of the Sound of Music, definitely give this one a read.

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Sea of Monsters

Rick Riordan; 3 stars
New York

Concrete Blonde

Michael Connelley; 3 stars
Harry Bosch #3

Plum Island

Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. John Corey #1. Three 1/2 stars.

NYPD Detective John Corey is on convalescent leave after an on-the-job shooting, relaxing at his uncle's home along the coast of Long Island. The police chief, an old family acquaintance, asked John to help him investigate the homicides of his neighbors, who were scientists at Plum Island animal disease research center. Knowing it isn't a good idea, but upset at the deaths of his new friends, he agrees to help. Were they killed because of their disease research on Plum Island, or were they killed for another reason altogether? The twists and turns keep you racing through to the end.

I first read this book when it was published in 1997. A fan of DeMille since reading The General's Daughter, I instantly liked his latest hero, New York detective John Corey. Reading it again, I wasn't disappointed. The book is a trip down memory lane, with outdated technologies (VCRs for example) and many of the situations that came up could have been prevented today with cell phones instead of the need to return home to check the answering machine. However, John Corey hasn't lost his shine over the past 15 years. His sarcastic wit and bravado are just one layer of a complex, smart cop who will see a case through to the end, even when it's not in his best interest.