No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Rating: 4.0

"A harrowing story of a war that society is waging on itself, and an enduring meditation on the ties of love and blood and duty that inform lives and shape destinies, No Country for Old Men is a novel of extraordinary resonance and power. " -synopsis from Barnes&Noble

No Country for Old Men is the tale of Llewelyn Moss. A "good old boy" who runs across a drug deal gone bad near the Mexican-American border. He takes the money that he finds which sets a course for him that even he couldn't predict.

No Country for Old Men is also the tale of Anton Chigurh. Chigurh is an extremely violent and sociopathic killer who is on the hunt for Moss and the stolen money. He is one of the most interesting antagonists I've read lately.

No Country for Old Men is finally the tale of Sheriff Bell who is on the hunt for Chigurh. Bell is the first to realize how badly Moss and his young wife need protection. He sees first hand the piles of bodies left in the wake of Chigurh.

The book is written in a way that alternates between a third person and the first person of Sheriff Bell reminiscing about his time in WWII. No Country for Old Men is a gritty, fast-paced novel with an antagonist not soon forgotten.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Rating: 5.0

She's Come Undone is the story of Dolores. It's a three part story with Dolores as a child, a college student and finally as an adult.

"Mine is a story of craving: an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered...."

The story of Dolores is a painful coming-of-age. She suffers through so much at the hands of people she has put her trust in that by the time she is a teen she has given up on herself. She sits in front of the t.v. eating and eating until she is the size of a whale. At times I just wanted to reach through the pages and smack some sense into her. Her life is one hot mess! Rape, obesity, a halfhearted suicide attempt and a long stay at a mental institution are just some of her trials. Her figurative struggle to not drown is actually mesmerizing in a way. I couldn't put the book down for very long. She's Come Undone follows Dolores from 1956 up through the '80's and is one heck of a roller coaster ride. This is the second time I've read this and I actually enjoyed it more this second time around. Dolores was not all that lovable in the beginning of the book but by the end she felt like a friend.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed....forever?
-taken from back of book

My thoughts:
Breaking Dawn is a great conclusion to a great series. While there was not as much action in this fourth book of the Twilight series, it was never boring. There were a lot of internal struggles going on....especially with Bella. All the characters I've come to love, plus some very interesting new ones, are here and dealing with some pretty serious situations. I was very happy with the outcome of this story. I am a little sad now that's it's over though. I'm really going to miss these characters.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour the paperback edition Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?
- taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Eclipse is the third book in the Twilight saga. It is also my favorite so far. The relationship between Bella and Edward matured nicely. I enjoyed the shaky alliance between the vampires and the werewolves. The climactic action sequence at the end was intense. I couldn't put Eclipse down!

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality. - taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
New Moon is the second book of the Twilight series. It throws in a fantastic new element: werewolves. Now Bella is caught in the middle of a long feud between the vampires and the werewolves. New Moon has all the mystery and suspense of Twilight with some great new characters. I can't wait to start the third book now! This Twilight series is definitely hard to put down!

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:

About three things I was absolutely positive:
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife -- between desire and danger.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite. -taken from B&N.com

My thoughts:

Twilight is a sweet, romantic novel about first love.....with a dark side. The first half of the book was a little slow and just not all that interesting but when I hit the halfway point I couldn't put the book down. It's very mysterious and suspenseful. I found I really cared about the characters. Especially Bella and Edward, though the supporting cast is great too. Now I have to get the other books in this series so I can find out how it all ends.

Raise the Titanic by Clive Cussler

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
The President's secret task force has developed an unprecedented defensive weapon that relies on an extremely rare radioactive element--and Dirk Pitt has followed a twisted trail to a secret cache of the substance. Now, racing against brutal storms, Soviet spies, and a ticking clock, Pitt begins his most thrilling mission--to raise from its watery grave the shipwreck of the century...
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Yet another action packed, thrilling adventure starring the ever entertaining Dirk Pitt. Raise the Titanic is full of danger, intrigue and espionage as Pitt and crew battle the Soviets and a brutal hurricane while trying to raise the Titanic from the depths of the Atlantic. Clive Cussler is great at putting his readers right in the midst of the excitment!