Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2)

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rarely do you find that book 2 in a trilogy is stronger than book 1, but that's what happens here.

We pick up a few months after Under the Never Sky ends, and finally the author gives me some answers about the Aether storms. I'm not sure if she didn't have an explanation in book 1 or what, but those are the kind of details that I want. The world building was somewhat better in this book, and I liked Perry and Aria more as well. They were better fleshed out characters this time around and there was more action rather than just walking from place to place as they did in book 1.

Perry is now Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria is recovering from the shock of her mother's death. They reunite and continue to search for the Still Blue--their only hope for safety in their deteriorating world. Perry makes mistakes, as any young leader would. Aria makes a mature decision to work with Soren for the greater good. And Perry and Aria get a taste for the obstacles they will need to overcome to make their relationship work. Also, more Roar, Reef, Marron and Cinder. All good things.

Looking forward to reading the conclusion in book 3.

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J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone #10)

J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More Kinsey goodness in book 10. This one takes an interesting turn because it is less about what happened and more about how and why. Kinsey is hired by her old firm, California Fidelity, to investigate a case involving insurance fraud. We find out early on that Wendall Jaffe faked his death and is relaxing in sunny Mexico. And in an odd twist of fate, she finds out that she has a family she didn't know about an hour away. In typical Kinsey fashion, she in angry at her "forever alone" state being disrupted. We barely touch on what she will do, so I'm sure we will revisit this issue in later mysteries.

This mystery was well-plotted, and what I thought would happen actually didn't. Grafton surprised me at the ending, yet vaguely dissatisfied that no justice was served. Or at least what I feel would be justice in this case.

Oh, and I loved the whole balcony scene in Mexico. Funny stuff.



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Sex with Kings

Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge by Eleanor Herman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh, decadent history! I love to eat you up with a spoon.

Sex with Kings is a fast-paced tour through the various mistresses of kings throughout history. Some were well known to me, like Barbara Palmer and Diane de Poitiers, and others were new to me. The life of a mistress was a terrible career choice. I can't pretend to understand why women in those days would make this decision (or oftentimes, their family would make the decision for them). However, it was a fascinating introduction to different women throughout history.

Consider it a primer on women who you might want to read about further in other books, as there isn't a lot about each one. The perspective I want to know more about is from the one of the queen herself. I guess tolerating it was part of the job, which is why I am glad to be a mere peasant with a happy, normal marriage.

Full of intrigue, bad decisions, revenge and death, it is an interesting look back at the mistresses of the royal courts. History lovers will enjoy. A solid three stars.

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Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bit of a slow start for me, but I ended up liking it before I finished.

Aria has spent her entire life in the safety of the domes. Exiled and cast into the outside world, she fights to survive. Perry is an Outsider, and has lived his entire life with his tribe outside the domes. They work together on their quests to get their lives back and discover who they really are along the way. (end of my generic book blurb)

Here's what was missing for me. Rossi creates a dystopian world and drops you into it with no real backstory, no true world building, and no explanations. I almost gave up on the book a few times because of it. I kept thinking she would explain by the end, but she didn't. I'm not expecting a perfectly drawn world ala JK Rowling, but I do want to understand what happened to create the dystopia. What triggered the changes in the world? What is Aether? How did the outsiders evolve and adapt? So much potential to create a cool backstory and it's brushed aside.

Aria is a bit of a Mary Sue, and Perry is frankly not very likable, but for some odd reason I liked the story enough to read the next book. Hopefully the explanations I am searching for are found there.

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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 Distance Between Us

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Do you remember the movie Pretty in Pink? Rich boy falls for the poor girl. She makes assumptions, his friends don't approve, single parent trying to make a better life for the daughter. Yeah, that's pretty much this book.

While I liked Xander (Alex, Alexander, whichever you prefer), I felt Caymen was trying too hard to be aloof and shitty to everyone. She was pretty unlikeable. Repeatedly telling us about her "dry humor" was way too on the nose. If the author has to justify and explain all of her comments, it isn't working for the character. I get that it was setting it up for a callback later in the book, but it didn't land for me.

And the ending? Seriously, it just ended. All the mysterious build up about her mom, her dad, and the shop, and it ends there? No. Just no. I could have given it three stars if the author had written a proper ending. I thought I was missing chapters in the ebook, it was so sudden.

Overall, underwhelming. 2 1/2 stars.

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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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If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I listened to this on audio. I HATED the narrator. This book may be tolerable if it is read rather than listened to, but I will never know.

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, and I'm going to revise my star rating down to 1 1/2. There wasn't anything good here. The characters were ridiculous. Her parents were the most unbelievable, hipster, non-parents in the entire world. My disdain for her father was only topped by my utter hatred for her mother. Really, parents? Your "too cool for school" lifestyle made me want to punch you. Lucky for all of us that you are fictional characters. Father is a former rocker who didn't learn to drive until he was forced to "grow up" and be a real adult. Mother is a poser who rattles off indy bands to prove her edginess and insists on a midwife/birthing center for her punk-rock fueled childbirth. They are so cool that they let her rock star boyfriend sleep over. Seriously? And Mia is so full of insecurities and self-doubt that I could barely listen to her inner dialogue.

This book was terrible, and I won't see the movie.


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I is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone #9)

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reread of I is for Innocent. Classic Kinsey with a return of past characters: Henry, Rosie, and a side dish of Jonah.

Kinsey is freshly fired from her independent contractor gig at California Fidelity, and finds a new home with her attorney, Lonnie Kingman. Lonnie needs Kinsey's help investigating an old homicide for a client. Kinsey dives in head first, as always, and puts her life on the line. And in the climactic ending, she owes her life oddly to her ex-boyfriend, Dietz. You're welcome, Kinsey. Get on a plane to Germany already!

We also get the fun side plot of William, Henry's hypochondriac brother, who visits and falls in love with Rosie. Proof that there's a lid for every pot, and the heart wants what it wants. Clichéd, but true.

Set in the 1980's, it's interesting to see how much technology has changed things. Caller ID, cell phones, and the internet would have eliminated so many of the issues she encounters. Makes me thankful for all I have now. Phone lines cut? Ha! Fooled you. I don't even have a landline. My cell phone will prevent you for ambushing me in the dark, killers.

Incidentally, this book is the reason why I won't look through a door's peephole. The victim died when the murderer shot her through the door's peephole as she went to look through it. I'm scarred for life now. You knock on my hotel room door, you'd better say something to let me know it's you, or I'm never letting you in. You know, on the off chance you are a murderer.



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Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed Rob Lowe: St. Elmo's Fire, The West Wing, and Parks and Rec, but I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan. Sure, he's pretty, and he's taken some great roles. Billy Hicks was one of my first crushes: the pretty, dangerous, incorrigible bad boy with a heart of gold silently screaming, "fix me; love me!" Sam Seaborn was the perfect package: smart, witty, and doing important things for important people. And who couldn't love Chris Traeger? He was literally the best person to move to Pawnee. Ever.

However, you don't have to love Rob Lowe to love this book. It's well-written, and he shares lots of interesting stories about growing up in Ohio, breaking into show business, and the wins and losses along the way. My favorite part was about getting his role in The Outsiders and the subsequent adventures in filming. You can see by his stories that Charlie Sheen has always been a little off-center, and Tom Cruise has always been intense and crazy. I also enjoyed his stories of growing up in the excesses of Malibu, how he felt like the outsider growing up, and his journey to stardom when he wasn't mature enough to handle it. He shares some of his struggles with addiction and gives small glimpses into what seems to be a strong marriage and happy family life. His journey could have gone a very different way, and I think he's grateful for what he has.

If you want a glimpse into what drives someone to persevere as an actor, this is a read for you. I've never had that drive, that pull, to push myself outside of an ordinary life, so it was fascinating to read what kept him going. It was surprising, and an interesting perspective. Clearly it's why I'm not a star--I would never tolerate the bullshit he did to maintain his fame. That, coupled with the cool stories about movies, shows, and actors made this an entertaining read.

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