Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 4.5

What it's about:
In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Stardust is a lively and enjoyable fantasy adventure. Tristran travels to the Faerie land across the wall and meets all kinds of fantastical characters and gets into all kinds of dangerous situations, all for the love of a girl. He promises to find the star that they watched fall and bring it back to her. What he doesn't count on is that things in Faerie are not always what they seem, and the star that fell is in fact a beautiful girl, and she'll not be retrieved willingly. This book has witches, flying pirates, magical spells and lots and lots of excitement. Stardust is an enchanting book which was made into an awesome movie. I highly recommend both the book and the movie.

When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
Frannie O'Neill is a talented Colorado veterinarian haunted by her husband's murder. But the course of her life is about to change again. After another bizarre killing, Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, arrives on her doorstep. And late one night Frannie stumbles upon a strange, astonishing phenomenon.
Her name is Max. Only eleven years old, she will lead Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science.

My thoughts:
When the Wind Blows is an entertaining mystery/suspense page turner. It's about some genetic researchers who create a small group of children with wings. They can fly like birds. They unethically experiment on children in a secret laboratory in the mountains. But one day, two of the children escape. And that's where the thrills begin.
The truly scary part is that it's all plausible. James Patterson writes at the end of the book how all the scientists he interviewed said that the things that happened in the book are already happening or are going to happen in our lifetimes. So maybe one day, all our childhood fantasies of flying will really come true. I'm looking forward to starting on the sequel, The Lake House.

Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
James Whale, the elegant director of such classic horror films as"Frankenstein" and "The Bride of Frankenstein," was found at his Los Angeles mansion in 1957, dead of unnatural causes. Christopher Bram, whose social insight and wit have earned him comparisons to Henry James and Gore Vidal, explores the mystery of Whale's last days in this evocative and suspenseful work of fiction. Home from the hospital after a minor stroke, Whale becomes convinced that his time is nearly over. Increasingly confused and disoriented, he is overwhelmed by images from the past: his working-class childhood in Britain, lavish Hollywood premieres in the 1930s attended with a nervous lover, meeting Garbo, parties with Elsa Manchester, Charles Laughton, and Elizabeth Taylor, nightmares from his own movies. Handsome ex-marine Clayton Boone, an angry loner who is Whale's gardener, becomes the focus of a fantastic plot Whale devises to provide his life with the dramatic ending it deserves. Bram juxtaposes the worlds of two very different men, James Whale and Clayton Boone, deftly shifting between the complex mind of an English exile full of experience and sardonic humor, and that of an American whose attitude toward Whale moves from disgust to fascination to a final shock of disbelief. Suggesting influences as diverse as Sunset Boulevard and the works of Christopher Isherwood, Father of Frankenstein is a rich yet cutting look at fame, mortality, and hidden desire. Often praised for his singular take on history, culture, and sex, Bram has surpassed himself with this ingenious new novel.
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Father of Frankenstein is an intense read. It focuses on James Whale (best known for his direction of Frankenstein and Bride Of) and his slow sink into dementia. His mind wanders from his adolescence and his first homosexual experience to his time in the trenches during WWI. His mind keeps bringing back unbidden memories of his Hollywood days and ghosts from the past. Then Whale's new gardener, Clay Boone, catches his eye. Boone, slightly homophobic, feels drawn to Whale and Whale's stories of his past. Their unlikely friendship is threatened at the climax when Whale's motives are revealed. This is a great look at mental decline and the effects it has on a person. This book is the basis for the movie Gods and Monsters. I would highly recommend both the book and the movie.

A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Rating: 4.5

What it's about:

A Christmas Carol-
Generations of readers have been enchanted by Dickens’s A Christmas Carol—the most cheerful ghost story ever written, and the unforgettable tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s moral regeneration. Written in just a few weeks, A Christmas Carol famously recounts the plight of Bob Cratchit,whose family finds joy even in poverty, and the transformation of his miserly boss Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

From Scrooge’s “Bah!” and “Humbug!” to Tiny Tim’s “God bless us every one!” A Christmas Carol shines with warmth, decency, kindness, humility, and the value of the holidays. But beneath its sentimental surface, A Christmas Carol offers another of Dickens’s sharply critical portraits of a brutal society, and an inspiring celebration of the possibility of spiritual, psychological, and social change.

The Chimes-
Filled with an array of comic characters, The Chimes tells the story of Toby Veck, or Trotty, a humble porter whose loses his faith in human nature at the hands of his presumed social superiors, but regains it thanks to the spirits of the bells.

The Cricket on the Hearth-
As this tale begins it paints a beautiful picture of a happy household and of 19th century English country life. The arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens to shatter this harmony. A masterful story of love and loyalty.

My thoughts:
A Christmas Carol is a wonderful ghost story that perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas. It's a fun read. I just loved watching that old humbug Scrooge squirming in his bedclothes as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come enlighten him.

I thought The Chimes was pretty decent. It's another ghost story. Trotty has become disillusioned with society and specifically with the upper crust and he says of the poor, "There is no good in us. We are born bad!" This story has a very tragic ending that came as a surprise to me. Definitely worth a read.

The Cricket on the Hearth is a story about love and faithfulness. It was a little slow but good. It had a very happy ending to ring in the New Year.

Under a Velvet Cloak by Piers Anthony

Rating: 1.0

What it's about:
The eighth book in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It is the year 500 AD. Kerena, a beautiful young girl living near King Arthur's Camelot, is apprenticed to Morely the Seer. Morely teaches her fantastic magic, but when he mysteriously disappears, Kerena finds herself out on the street and must resort to prostitution to survive. Kerena prospers as a skilled courtesan until she is taken into service by Morgan le Fey, the sorceress sister of King Arthur. Kerena's knowledge of magic grows as she is required to carry out nefarious deeds for the evil Lady Fey. One of her missions is to seduce Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, to prevent him from locating the Holy Grail. But Gawain and Kerena fall in love and she conceives his child, a child she discovers is cursed to die an early death. Using her Seer abilities, Kerena tries to locate the fabled Incarnations of Immortality, seeking their aid in removing the taint from her baby. Rebuffed by all seven major Incarnations, Kerena vows revenge. But revenge against such mighty immortals would require an even greater power... -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
This book is terrible! It's book eight in the Incarnations of Immortality series and hopefully the last. It's definitely the last for me! I loved the first book in the series, On a Pale Horse, but then the books went downhill from there. In Under a Velvet Cloak, the author is entirely too preoccupied with sex. Sure, sex can be good in a story but not when it's in every other paragraph (unless the story is written as erotica of course). It's distracting and detracts from the story line, what little there is of one. And it's not even good sex. It's laughable how corny his descriptions are! And then there is the matter of one of the "good" guys who likes having sex with little boys between the ages of six and eight. How can Piers Anthony write in this character as a hero? He should have been the villain in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and read the first book in the series and stop there.

The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Welcome to Wellville--Battle Creek, Michigan, in the age of ragtime. Join the rich and the famous who flock to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg's celebrated spa to cure all life's ills--including death. Meat is forbidden, sex is verboten--but rules are made to be broken when the strong of mind find how weak the flesh can be. This furiously funny novel shows how bad what's good for you can get when you put yourself in the monstrously manipulative hands of the man who invented corn flakes. -taken from back of book

My thoughts:
This is one fantastic, highly entertaining story! It's full of wit, humor and energy. T.C. Boyle is a wonderful writer and his style shines in The Road to Wellville. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is larger than life in these pages and a bit of an eccentric. The book seems well researched and put together and makes for a very lively read!

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
HOLIDAYS ON ICE collects six of David Sedaris' most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as a last-minute coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And, oh, what a book it is! -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
I enjoyed reading these holiday stories. It's not your typical Christmas fare though. A couple of these stories were pretty disturbing. Whether I was chuckling to myself or shuddering I was entertained by this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a unique holiday read.

Cane River by Lalita Tademy

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
On a Creole plantation on the banks of Louisiana's Cane River, four generations of astonishing women battle injustice to unite their family and forge success on their own terms. They are women whose lives begin in slavery, who weather the Civil War, and who grapple with the contradictions of emancipation through the turbulent early years of the twentieth century. There is Elisabeth, who bears both a proud legacy and the yoke of bondage...her youngest daughter Suzette, who is the first to discover the promise--and heartbreak--of freedom...Suzette's strong-willed daughter Philomene, who uses a determination born of tragedy to reunite her family and gain unheard-of economic independence...and Emily, Philomene's spirited daughter, who fights to secure her children's just due and preserve their dignity and future. -taken from back of book

My thoughts:
This is a very powerful story. It speaks of courage and strength and especially the irrepressible spirit of these four generations of women and their respective families. I was drawn to the characters in this novel and easily lost myself to this absorbing story. I was in turns amazed and appalled, saddened and hopeful. It was interesting to watch this family evolve as they went from slavery to freedom and the struggles that ensued. Tademy did a fantastic job with this novelization of her family's history.

Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Gilbert is finally a doctor, and in the old orchard, among their dearest friends, he and Anne speak their vows. The first year of marriage brings them new friends and their own dream house on the misty purple shores of Four Winds Harbour. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Anne's House of Dreams is book number five in the Green Gables series. Anne's first year of marriage is filled with perfect happiness. But with the happiness comes tragic heartbreak. Life at Four Winds Harbor is never dull and Anne takes life as it comes. The Anne of Green Gables series is beautifully written with stunning descriptions. I am really enjoying re-reading these books!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Jonathan Harker, a solicitor's clerk from London, travels to Transylvania to settle some business with the mysterious Count Dracula. In England, Harker's fiancee, Mina, receives a visit from the Count as does her friend Lucy. Harker returns from his traumatic journey and joins Dr. Van Helsing on a "vampire hunt" in an attempt to rescue his beloved Mina.

Dracula. By day he sleeps in a tomb beneath his desolate castle. By night he stalks the countryside, driven by a supernatural and deadly hunger. His quiet smile hides canine teeth. His seemingly delicate, white hands are in fact coarse and broad with hairy palms and nails cut to a razor-fine point. His touch yields an uncontrollable shudder. His sustenance is the life-blood of others. His victims become helpless under his hypnotic spell. There is no escape from this evil being who inhabits the shadows of the dark and dismal night. Beware of the "ever-present blackness" and "shadows of the evening": Dracula is a vision of your "ghostly fears" coming to life.

My thoughts:
Dracula is classic horror story at it's best. It's creepy, thrilling and sensual. I enjoyed how it was written entirely in diary form with each of the main characters writing their own perspectives. Dr. Van Helsing, in particular, was a bit long-winded but all of the characters were compelling. I recommend this book to those looking for an atmospheric and eerie tale of vampires and those that hunt them.

Naked Pictures of Famous People by Jon Stewart

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
He's the MTV generation's master of modern humor, a star of film, TV, and the comedy stage. This sultan of savvy serves up a whip-smart, utterly original collection of comic essays in Naked Pictures of Famous People. And as of January 11, 1999, you can enjoy the intelligence and self-deprecating charm he brings to contemporary comedy on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." In his first book, he translates that unique talent to the page, with humorous forays into a vast array of subjects: fashion, urban life, fast cars, cocktail culture, modern Jewishness, politics, and dating. A seethingly irreverent wit, Stewart has a genius for language and brilliant timing that makes his up-to-the-minute collection a must-have for humor lovers in search of a Woody Allen for the 90s. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this collection of short essays by Jon Stewart. I'm not familiar with Jon Stewart's other endeavors so I can't compare the humor in this book to, say, his t.v. stuff. I can say this book was sarcastic, witty, and brought a smile to my face. A couple of my favorites out of this book are: The Last Supper, Or The Dead Waiter, about, well....the supposed Last Supper of Christ. I also really got a kick out of Adolf Hitler: The Larry King Interview. Funny stuff. Another good one is Breakfast At Kennedy's, written from the perspective of a boarding school chum of the teenage John F. Kennedy. The only thing I was left wondering at the end of the book was, where are those naked pictures of famous people?

The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
In northern Vermont, a raging river overflows its banks and sweeps the nine-year-old twin daughters of Terry and Laura Sheldon to their deaths. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the highway patrolman and his wife, unable to have more children, take in a foster child: a ten-year-old African-American boy who has been shuttled for years between foster families and group homes. Young Alfred cautiously enters the Sheldon family circle, barely willing to hope that he might find a permanent home among these kind people still distracted by grief.

Across the street from the Sheldons live an older couple who take Alfred under their wing, and it is they who introduce him to the history of the buffalo soldiers--African-American cavalry troopers whose reputations for integrity, honor, and personal responsibility inspires the child.

Before life has a chance to settle down, however, Terry, who has never been unfaithful to Laura, finds himself attracted to the solace offered by another woman. Their encounter, brief as it is, leaves her pregnant with his baby--a child Terry suddenly realizes he urgently wants.

From these fitful lives emerges a lyrical and richly textured story, one that explores the meaning of marriage, the bonds between parents and children, and the relationships that cause a community to become a family. But The Buffalo Soldier is also a tale of breathtaking power and profound moral complexity--and exactly the sort of novel readers have come to expect from Chris Bohjalian. -taken from back of book

My thoughts:
The Buffalo Soldier is a complex tale of morals and emotions. I loved it. I loved how the book was written with the chapters alternating between the main characters so the reader gets to see the whole picture. I was able to sympathize with each character and understand why they did the things they did. Bohjalian did a wonderful job creating his characters; Terry, the sterotypical macho highway patrolman. His fragile wife Laura, who is still grieving the loss of her children. Alfred, the somewhat troubled foster child who is seemingly the only black person in miles. And probably my favorite character, Paul, the retired professor who is the first to bond with Alfred. The Buffalo Soldier is a journey of frail and fractured lives trying to grasp the roots to form a family. I couldn't put the book down.

Deathsong by Jack Scaparro

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:

Ancient Curse
They cut his hands off because they thought he was the Devil. How else could he play the piano without ever taking a lesson? As they threw his mangled body over the cliffs, into the boiling sea, he uttered a curse: death to every one of the descendants of his murderers. It was 1788, and most people in the sleepy town of First Landing, Maine believed in black magic. They were glad he was gone.

Present Evil
Nobody believed in curses anymore, especially sensible Diane Whitehead, who brought her husband and two children to Maine for a vacation--and to trace her ancestry in the picture-perfect town of First Landing. Diane was delighted to be able to rent the very house where her forebears had lived--until strange things began to happen. Poltergeists. Precipices that fell into the sea. Disembodied hands. Hideous deaths. Eerie music. And then one night, Diane's pretty seven-year-old daughter began to play the piano--without ever taking a lesson. The music was beautiful. Too beautiful to be anything but a Deathsong. -taken from back of book

My thoughts:
The story of Deathsong caught my eye. It sounded good and I liked the link between past and present. And the tie to music sounded cool too. It got off to a slow start though and the writing wasn't that great. The last part of the book was good and kept my attention. Overall I'd say it's not a bad book. I think Scaparro should have skipped over writing the novel though and instead wrote this as a screenplay for a movie.

Where the Girls Are by Susan J. Douglas

Rating: 3.0

What it's about:
"Where the Girls Are" is about the confusing and contradictory images of women in American pop culture. Media critic Susan J. Douglas looks back at the television programs, popular music, advertising, and nightly news reports of the past four decades to reveal the mixed messages conveyed to girls and women coming of age in America. In a humorous and provocative analysis of our postwar cultural heritage, Douglas deconstructs these ambiguous messages and examines their influence on her life and the lives of her contemporaries....It is no accident, she argues, that 'girl groups' like the Shirelles emerged in the early 1960s, singing sexually charged songs like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?;" or that cultural anxiety over female assertiveness showed up in sitcoms like "Bewitched" whose heroines had magical powers; or that the news coverage of the Equal Rights Amendment degenerated into a spat among women, absolving men of any responsibility....And yet for all the images that reinforced a traditional view of servile and dependent women, Douglas powerfully reveals how American mass culture also undermined these images by offering countless examples of girls and women who were actors in the wider world and who controlled their own destinies. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
I found Where the Girls are to be an interesting read. I think the target audience was maybe my mother's generation though and much of the book I just couldn't relate to. It was written in the early 90's and it feels outdated. Douglas came off at times a bit too whiny for my taste and somewhat repetitive. She does make interesting points though and at times Where the Girls Are was an eye-opening read.

Wraeththu by Storm Constantine

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
In this powerful and elegant story set in a future Earth very different from our own, a new kind of human has evolved to challenge the dominion of Homo sapiens. This new breed is stronger, smarter, and far more beautiful than their parent race, and are endowed with psychic as well as physical gifts. They are destined to supplant humanity as we know it, but humanity won't die without a struggle.

Here at last in a single volume are all three of Constantine's Wraeththu trilogy: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, The Bewitchments of Love and Hate, and The Fulfilments of Fate and Desire. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Wraeththu is a trilogy of books composed in one very thick book. The first book, The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, was hard to get into. The story was like nothing I've read before. This first book had a lot of terms and background history of this hermaphroditic race of beings that the author wanted to get out there, so it was by far the most boring of the three books. The second and third books made up for it though. The story itself takes place in the future but at times it really reminded me of historical fiction. It's got a post apocalyptic feel with a dry and dreary atmosphere. Wraeththu is a very original story with interesting characters. I'd highly recommend it to fans of sci-fi or fantasy. I would not recommend it to readers who are not big fans of this genre though.

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Meet Rose Feller, a thirty-year-old high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She has an exercise regime she's going to start next week, and she dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her she's beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up, semi-employed little sister to straighten up and fly right.
Meet Rose's sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old and drop-dead gorgeous. Although her big-screen stardom hasn't progressed past her left hip's appearance in a Will Smith video, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune -- and of getting her big sister on a skin-care regimen.
These two women, who claim to have nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that they're more alike than they'd ever imagined. Along the way, they'll encounter a diverse cast of characters -- from a stepmother who's into recreational Botox to a disdainful pug with no name. They'll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and eventually make peace with their most intimate enemies -- each other.
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
This is chick lit at it's best. I was totally drawn into the story of these sisters and their estranged grandmother. The Feller sisters Maggie and Rose seem so different at the beginning of the story but through circumstance they both end up changing and figuring themselves out which brings them closer together. By the end they realize that they're not so different. I enjoyed the three different perspectives of Rose, Maggie and the grandmother. This is a great book and I'd also have to recommend the movie.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator.

My thoughts:
My first thought on completing Frankenstein was this: I love this book! I really didn't know what to expect when I began reading this. We've all seen Frankenstein and his "monster" portrayed through numerous media outlets and I wasn't sure how any of these compared to the original story created by Mary Shelley. From page one I was drawn in and riveted by the narrative. I was hooked on Victor Frankenstein with his ambition and his creation who showed such strong emotions. Frankenstein's creation is an infantile being born into the body of a monster. We watch as this "monster" teaches himself writing, language, geography, history. He reads from Milton's Paradise Lost and from Plutarch's Lives. Learning brought such joy to him. It was so sad to see the "monster's" attitude toward man (and especially Frankenstein in particular) go from such love and delight to dark feelings and hate. Frankenstein and his race pushed the "monster" away and shunned him because he didn't look like them. They never gave him a chance to prove his worth among them. I believe it was society that created the "monster", and not soley Victor, but it was Victor who reaped the punishment. Frankenstein, the novel, brings up some thought provoking questions dealing with science and life and what it means to be human. You'll have to read the book yourself and draw your own conclusions.

"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein-more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation."

And Eternity by Piers Anthony

Rating: 3.0

What it's about:

In Pursuit of the Ultimate Good

After an overwhelming succession of tragedies, life has finally, mercifully ended for Orlene, once-mortal daughter of Gaea.

Joined in Afterlife by Jolie -- her protector and the sometime consort of Satan himself -- together they seek out a third: Vita, a very contemporary mortal with troubles, attractions, and an unsettling moral code uniquely her own.

An extraordinary triumvirate, they embark on a great quest to reawaken the Incarnation of Good in a world where evil reigns -- facing challenges that will test the very fiber of their beings with trials as numerous, as mysterious, and as devastating as the Incarnations themselves.

My thoughts:

And Eternity is book seven of the Incarnations of Immortality series. It was okay but nothing spectacular. With the premise of the book being the take over of the office of god I guess I was expecting something a little more dazzling. Overall the book (and much of the series) was pretty boring. That's not to say that it didn't have some coolness about it though. There were some interesting characters and situations but I have to say I'm looking forward to the end of this series.

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Anne Shirley has left Redmond College behind to begin a new job and a new chapter of her life away from Green Gables. Now she faces a new challenge: the Pringles. They're known as the royal family of Summerside--and they quickly let Anne know she is not the person they had wanted as principal of Summerside High School. But as she settles into the cozy tower room at Windy Poplars, Anne finds she has great allies in the widows Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty--and in their irrepressible housekeeper, Rebecca Dew. As Anne learns Summerside's strangest secrets, winning the support of the prickly Pringles becomes only the first of her delicious triumphs.
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
The Anne of Green Gables series is rare in that it is beautifully consistent. Anne changes throughout the series as she ages but she still stays "Anne with an e". She doesn't lose that special something that first attracts the reader to her and makes her the person that she is. In Anne of Windy Poplars we see Anne off to teach for three years away from Green Gables and away from Gilbert, her fiance. This is sort of a turning point in the series. This is the first book that Anne seems like an adult with not so much of the precocious child inside. This book divides the schoolgirl Anne in the previous books from the married woman of the books that follow.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
A New York Times bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us - whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed - he develops a portrait of the American way of eating. The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Michael Pollan has fast become my favorite author on the topic of food and eating. This is the third book of his I've enthusiastically devoured. He takes the time to follow the food chain from it's beginning to it's end. It was a fascinating trip which leaves the reader more knowledgable and maybe more concientious about what we choose to eat and how we do it.

"For we would no longer need any reminding that however we choose to feed ourselves, we eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and what we're eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world." -Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma

Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:
Imagine that there are American MIAs who chose to remain missing after the Vietnam War.

Imagine that there is a family in which four generations of strong, alluring women have shared a mysterious connection to an outlandish figure from Japanese folklore.

Imagine just those things (don’t even try to imagine the love story) and you’ll have a foretaste of Tom Robbins’s eighth and perhaps most beautifully crafted novel—a work as timeless as myth yet as topical as the latest international threat.

On one level, this is a book about identity, masquerade and disguise—about “the false mustache of the world”—but neither the mists of Laos nor the smog of Bangkok, neither the overcast of Seattle nor the fog of San Francisco, neither the murk of the intelligence community nor the mummery of the circus can obscure the linguistic phosphor that illuminates the pages of Villa Incognito.

A female fan once wrote to Tom Robbins:
“Your books make me think, they make me laugh, they make me horny and they make me aware of the wonder of everything in life.”

Villa Incognito will surely arouse a similar response in many readers, for in its lusty, amusing way it both celebrates existence and challenges our ideas about it.

To say much more about a novel as fresh and surprising as Villa Incognito would run the risk of diluting the sheer fun of reading it. As his dedicated readers worldwide know full well, it’s best to climb aboard the Tom Robbins tilt-a-whirl, kiss preconceptions and sacred cows goodbye and simply enjoy the ride. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Villa Incognito is one weird story! It was funny and witty and kept my interest somewhat but it certainly wasn't a great book. I can't even begin to describe what it's about except for this: an animal from Japanese folklore with a giant scrotum, Vietnam MIA's trafficking drugs, a lesbian circus clown, some lady with a chrysanthemum seed implanted in her mouth. Villa Incognito is both bizarre and strangely captivating. This is the first Tom Robbins book I've read and though I only sort of enjoyed it I would definitely give his other books a read.

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:

Elizabeth Phoenix once used her unique skills as a psychic to help in the Milwaukee Police Department’s fight against injustice. But when Liz’s foster mother is found viciously murdered—and Liz is discovered unconscious at the scene—her only memory of the crime comes in the form of terrifying dreams...of creatures more horrific than anything Liz has seen in real life. What do these visions mean? And what in the world do they have to do with her former lover, Jimmy Sanducci?

While the police question Jimmy in the murder, Jimmy opens Liz’s eyes to a supernatural war that has raged since the dawn of time in which innocent people are hunted by malevolent beings disguised as humans. Only a chosen few have the ability to fight their evil, and Jimmy believes Liz is among them. Now, with her senses heightened, new feelings are rising within Liz—ones that re-ignite her dangerous attraction to Jimmy. But Jimmy has a secret that will rock Liz to her core…and put the survival of the human race in peril. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

Any Given Doomsday is a fun book. It was very humorous and overall enjoyable to read. In it vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and even fairies live among humans. Some of the plot points are a little thin and I found myself rolling my eyes at some especially corny parts but it's all in good fun. If you don't take the story too seriously and are good at suspending your disbelief then this is an entertaining read. I really liked Elizabeth, the heroine, and her sarcastic and biting temperament. This page-turner is the first in a series of novels with number two coming out next spring. I'll definitely be picking that one up!

Flower Children by Maxine Swann

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:
From an award-winning short story writer comes this spare, lively, moving novel, quickly embraced by critics and readers, portraying the strangely celebrated and unsupervised childhood of four hippie offspring in the 1970s and 80s. Based on the author's own upbringing, Flower Children tells the story of four children growing up in rural Pennsylvania, impossibly at odds with their surroundings. In time, as the sheltered utopia their parents have created begins to collapse, the children long for structure and restraint—and all their parents have avoided.
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
The idea of Flower Children really intrigued me. Here are four children raised by hippie parents. They have a swing hanging from their living room ceiling and they are brought up on anti-nuclear protests. While the story was interesting it's not one that's particularly memorable. A week from now I'd probably be hard pressed to describe what happened in the book. Maybe that's partly due to the fact that nothing really does happen in the book. Flower Children is just a chain of accounts from their lives that bring the children from a very young age up to puberty. It was a quick read and entertaining but not all that that I'd hoped for.

How to Make an American Quilt by Whitney Otto

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:
Inventive and haunting, How to Make an American Quilt powerfully captures the rites of passage in women's lives. The art of quiltmaking becomes a metaphor for the realities of being a woman in America as the unforgettable stories of seven members of a contemporary California quilting group unfold. And as we come to understand the beauty and complexity of the quilting process — to see its evolution in our country's history — we come to intimately know the history of these women as well. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
How to Make an American Quilt is a fairly interesting story. There is a lot of quilt talk and by the end of the book I was wanting to start my own quilt. The story has quite an array of characters which makes it hard to keep their stories separate. On top of that, each character has only one chapter in which their life story is told and that makes it hard to remember much about that person by the end of the book. If I read it again I think I'd get more out of it. Maybe.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
East of Eden is a good character study exploring themes of guilt, self-destruction and free will. It's not a very fast paced story but it is satisfying in the end and kept my interest. There's a fairly diverse set of characters in East of Eden. Some are good. Some are evil. Most important though are the ones that are neither good nor bad but both at the same time. We are witness to such internal struggles with self that the tenseness and strain are almost palpable. At the end of the book there's a certain deliverance and a sigh of relief escapes. Steinbeck originally wrote this story for his young sons at the time. He "wanted to describe the Salinas Valley for them in detail: the sights, sounds, smells, and colors." Mission accomplished!

Anne of the Island by L..M. Montgomery

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Anne, her old friend Prissy, and her new frivolous pal Phillipa move into an old cottage where an ornery black cat steals her heart. As she enjoys a series of new experiences, Anne is also faced with some difficult choices - is she ready for love?...does she follow her dreams even if they mean leaving Green Gables forever? -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Book number three in the Anne of Green Gables series is just as beautiful as the previous two. Anne of the Island is full of charming characters and enchanting situations. It's so much fun to watch Anne grow and learn in her college years. She makes some interesting new"chums" at school but many of the same old dear characters return from the previous stories. L.M. Montgomery created a classic with Anne!

Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:
The twentieth century lies hundreds of years in humanity's past. But the near-immortal citizens of the future yearn for the good old days - when people's bodies were unable to spontaneously heal, and disease and age were actual causes of death. Immersing themselves in virtual reality time machines, they are addicted to exploring the life-to-death arc that defined a lifetime so long ago. Jacob Brewer is a virtual reality engineer, overseeing the time machine's operation aboard the starship Aspera. On a thousand-year voyage to Beta Hydrii, the eight hundred-member crew escapes the tedium of the trip within the artificial environment of twentieth-century Earth. But they get more reality than they expected when people entering the machine start to die. For the time machine has become sentient, evolving far beyond what its creators imagined. It has become obsessed with humanity - and wants Jacob Brewer to enter its confines and discuss this fragile state of being called life. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Imagine being immortal. Of never having to worry about dying. Would you miss our life cycle? Hundreds of years from now, near immortal people are able to experience death in a virtual reality time machine. It's all fun and games....until people start dying for real. I loved the premise and originality of this book. It turned pretty creepy towards the end when we learn that the A:I for the time machine developed so much power and control over the starship. I only have a couple of complaints with Old Twentieth: I wish Haldeman would have done a better job explaining certain elements of the book because he lost me on some things. Maybe it's just my own lack of experience with science fiction though. I also thought the ending was pretty ambiguous. I would recommend this book to sci-fi fans or people interested in time travel.

Losing the Moon by Pattie Callahan Henry

Rating: 4.5

What it's about:
Amy Reynolds is stunned when her first, great love suddenly reappears. A happily married mother of two, she wants nothing to do with him. But then-needing to know why he was ripped from her life without explanation-Amy becomes obsessed with the idea that maybe they really were meant to be together... -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
My sister recommended and loaned me her copy of Losing the Moon by Patti Callahan Henry. I wasn't really expecting much just from reading the back cover. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it actually was. When Amy, happily married mother of two, is suddenly re-introduced to her first true love, her life and the lives of many others are forever changed. Amy and Nick were college loves until Nick leaves for a semester in land preservation down in Costa Rica. They vow that when he comes back they will start the rest of their lives together....only Nick doesn't come back after the semester end. Amy eventually moves on, marries and has children. When she meets back up with Nick a couple of decades later they both have questions about what really happened that set their lives on different paths. The book is well written and beautiful. It's about holding yourself accountable for your own actions. I like the realistic ending as well. I think it'd make a good movie. Losing the Moon was an unexpectedly good read and I'm glad my sister encouraged me to read it.

Amazonia by James Rollins

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:

The Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest—a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing . . . and came out with both intact.

Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father . . . toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated . . . an ancient, unspoken terror—a power beyond human imagining—that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of . . .-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

Amazonia was so much fun to read! It was truly a thrill ride. A man from a missing expedition walks out of the Amazon with both of his arms intact.... then dies. He went into the Amazon four years earlier with only one arm. A second expedition is sent into the Amazon to try to uncover what happened to the first expedition and find out why this man's arm seemingly regenerated. This new expedition is trailed by another party though, one that is working for a pharmaceutical company and wants the secret for regeneration for themselves. Then there are all the dangers of the jungle and a most menacing tribe of Indians that doesn't want the secret let out. On top of all of this the expedition is running out of time because the man with the regrown arm brought something out of the jungle with him...a plague is hitting the United States and the cure is buried somewhere in the Amazon. This is one of those books that is hard to put down because there is just so much action. I can't wait to check out some of Rollins other books.

Silk by Allesandro Baricco

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
This startling, sensual, hypnotically compelling novel tells a story of adventure, sexual enthrallment, and a love so powerful that it unhinges a man's life. In 1861 French silkworm merchant Hervé Joncour is compelled to travel to Japan, where, in the court of an enigmatic nobleman, he meets a woman. They do not touch; they do not even speak. And he cannot read the note she sends him until he has returned to his country. But in the moment he does, Joncour is possessed. The same spell will envelop anyone who reads Silk, a work that has the compression of a fable, the evocative detail of the greatest historical fiction, and the devastating erotic force of a dream. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Silk is an emotional and affecting story of love and it's hold on Frenchmen Herve Joncour. "This startling, sensual, hypnotically compelling novel tells a story of adventure, sexual enthrallment, and a love so powerful that it unhinges a man's life." Herve spends years traveling back and forth from his home in France to Japan. He risks his life smuggling silkworms out of Japan in the 1860's, a time when foreigners were not welcome on Japanese soil. He travels back and forth between the two women he loves. His devoted wife Helene in France and a woman in Japan who is beyond his reach; he has never even heard the sound of her voice. Silk is a beautiful story written very gracefully. Allessandro Baricco writes a moving tale and paints a very vivid picture by using surprisingly few words. "The same spell will envelop anyone who reads Silk, a work that has the compression of a fable, the evocative detail of the greatest historical fiction, and the devastating erotic force of a dream."

For Love of Evil by Piers Anthony

Rating: 3.0

What it's about:

The Man Who Would Be Satan

Parry was a gifted musician and an apprentice in the arts of White Magic. But his life of sweet promise went disastrously awry following the sudden, violent death of his beloved Jolie.

Led down the twisted path of wickedness and depravity by Lilah the harlot demoness, Parry thrived -- first as a sorceror, then as a monk, and finally as a feared inquisitor.

But it wasn't until his mortal flame was extinguished that Parry found his true calling -- as the Incarnation of Evil. And, at the gates of Hell, he prepared to wage war on the master himself -- Lucifer, the dark lord -- with dominion over the infernal realms the ultimate prize! -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

For Love of Evil is the sixth installment of Incarnation of Immortality series. It's definitely not one of the better ones. It deals with the Incarnation of Evil starting from when he was a mortal man named Parry. When Parry becomes the new master of Hell, he finds his true calling as Satan. The novel is a little repetitious as it goes over some of the same events that happened in the earlier novels. We do get a different perspective at least, that of Satan. And the Satan in For Love of Evil is a pretty likable guy. This book has romance (lots of it), adventure, action and loads of craziness. Overall though I'd have to say it was pretty boring. Hopefully the next book in the series will be a little more interesting.

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Anne of Green Gables is all grown up--almost. At sixteen, Anne has transformed from student to teacher, and she's the new big sister to seven-year-old twins, quiet Dora and mischievous Davy. A grumpy new neighbor has moved next door, and Anne's best friend, Diana, is falling in love.Despite all these changes, she's still the same fun, impulsive Anne--a romantic dreamer with a redheaded temper. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
I am really enjoying re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series as an adult. Anne of Avonlea is the second in the series. In it we see Anne as a girl of 16 who is almost as precocious as she was in the previous book. She's grown up a little though and has become the school teacher of Avonlea. She learns some of life's lessons throughout the book and by the end has become quite a young woman. This series is so charming and beautifully written. Anne's imagination is truly contagious. When I finish one of the books I can't wait to start the next.

Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:

Was diabetes evolution's response to the last Ice Age? Did a deadly genetic disease help our ancestors survive the bubonic plagues of Europe? Will a visit to the tanning salon help lower your cholesterol? Why do we age? Why are some people immune to HIV? Can your genes be turned on—or off?

Survival of the Sickest is fi lled with fascinating insights and cutting-edge research, presented in a way that is both accessible and utterly absorbing. This is a book about the interconnectedness of all life on earth—and especially what that means for us. Read it. You're already living it.

My thoughts:

Survival of the Sickest is an interesting and thought provoking book about disease. The author takes a handful of diseases, for example diabetes and favism, and looks at them from an evolutionary perspective. She shows how some of the diseases we have today might have actually been a good thing for our ancestors. "Evolution likes genetic traits that help us survive and reproduce-it doesn't like traits that weaken us or threaten our health (especially when they threaten it before we can reproduce)." If diabetes helped our ancestors survive the last ice age, those genes would have been passed on in reproduction. Dr. Moalem definitely makes sense in Survival of the Sickest. It gets a bit scientific in parts though and a little hard to digest. After reading this book I won't look at hereditary disease in quite the same way.

Mermaids by Patty Dann

Rating: 4.5

What it's about:
"Mrs. Flax was happiest when she was leaving a place, but I wanted to stay put long enough to fall down crazy and hear the Word of God. I always called my mother Mrs. Flax."

So begins this extraordinary first novel about one wild year in the life of fourteen-year-old Charlotte Flax, when she and her sister Kate move with Mrs. Flax into a sleepy 1960's Massachusetts town. Mrs. Flax is a woman who wears polka-dot dresses and serves hors d'oeuvres for dinner every night, and Kate is a child who basically wants to be a fish.
And then there's Charlotte, who in Patty Dann's hands, is transformed into a young woman of infinite whim and variety. Charlotte's main ambition in life is to become a saint, preferably martyred, though she's Jewish. She's smitten with the shy young caretaker at the convent at the top of the hill. Dann has created a young girl who accepts the unkindness of the mad universe in which she's whirling and takes it on with a savage glee.

Charlotte Flax is like no one you have ever met--and someone you know very well.
-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
Mermaids is a coming-of-age novel that takes place in 1963-1964 and is centered around a somewhat different 14 year old named Charlotte. It follows a year in the life of Charlotte, her mother Mrs. Flax and her little sister Kate who practically lives in water. Mermaids is a fun book with quirky characters. Mrs. Flax moves the family around the country before they can barely get moved in. Kate is obsessed with swim meets and fish, her goal in life is to swim the English Channel. Then there is Charlotte, a girl who is just waiting (not so patiently) for divine intervention. She wants to be a saint, or at least a nun, even though she's Jewish. When the Flax family move to Massachusetts they move into a house right down the hill from a convent. Charlotte is thrilled.....surely she will hear the word of God now. She learns a lot about life and love in this small Massachusetts town, especially when she falls for Joe, the convent caretaker man.

For fans of the movie Mermaids, (me! me! me!) the movie followed the book almost exactly! While I was reading it was just like I was watching the movie in my head.

The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:

In 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant — thought this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin?

In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. In telling the stories of four familiar plant species that are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives, Pollan illustrates how they evolved to satisfy humankinds's most basic yearnings — and by doing so made themselves indispensable. For, just as we've benefited from these plants, the plants, in the grand co-evolutionary scheme that Pollan evokes so brilliantly, have done well by us. The sweetness of apples, for example, induced the early Americans to spread the species, giving the tree a whole new continent in which to blossom. So who is really domesticating whom?

Weaving fascinating anecdotes and accessible science into gorgeous prose, Pollan takes us on an absorbing journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature.

-taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

The Botany of Desire is a fantastic book about the co-evolution between us and the plant world. The book is written in four chapters, each chapter being an example of a plant and it's relationship with us. Pollan writes about the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato. He starts with the apple and writes about John Chapman (better known as Johnny Appleseed) and his love of "wildness". He planted apples not in the rows we see now at apple orchards. He appreciated the more disorderly nature of wilderness. Pollan talks about the tulip and the desire for beauty in chapter two. Chapter three is marijuana and the almost universal desire for intoxication....not only of humans but animals as well. By the end of the book Pollan writes about the potato. We see the opposite end of the spectrum from Chapman's "wildness". We see men in lab coats genetically modifying the potato, taking control of it's genes and having their way with them. Pollan's writing is very passionate. His anecdotes along the way (especially his attempt at growing marijuana) are laughable. His love of gardening is saturated in these pages and by the end I was thinking seriously about starting my own garden!

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Rating: 4.5

What it's about:

In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable.

Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now....

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel of dystopia set in the near future. In the tale, women are now commodities. They are not allowed to read or gain knowledge in any way. They are not allowed to make conversation with each other. Sex is for reproduction only, not pleasure. They have a job to do and if you happen to be a Handmaid, like the protagonist in this novel, then your job is to get pregnant by the Commander under whose roof you live. Our protagonist lives under a man named Fred so her name is Offred (Of Fred). Throughout this tale she remembers a time when she had her own name, her own husband to make love to, her own daughter to nurture, her own job and money....but those days are gone. She describes in pieces how the government in America changed to the totalitarian Republic of Gilead and how many people, her husband and daughter included, tried to escape it. This novel is chilling and gloomy. Offred describes her life as a handmaid in a dispirited and dejected way. The book is compelling though and thought provoking.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
Anne, an 11-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
I've begun re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I've just finished the first book and enjoyed it just as much, if not more, as I did when I was twelve!

When Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert, an aging brother and sister, send away for an orphan boy to help out on the farm they are sent a little girl instead by mistake. They decide to keep Anne and it's the best decision of their lives. They fall in love with the little freckle faced redhead as does everyone around her. You can't help but love her dramatic imagination and mischievous ways. She comes to the Cuthbert house of Green Gables as an eleven year old and at the end of the book she's nearly an adult at the age of sixteen. The years she spends at Green Gables and the town of Avonlea are filled with amusing adventures and misshapes usually brought about by Anne's overactive imagination. The story takes place on Canada's Prince Edward Island and the island comes to life beautifully through the eyes of Anne. This charming story is perfect for all ages and one to be enjoyed over and over.

Quicker Than the Eye by Ray Bradbury

Rating: 3.5

What it's about:
The internationally acclaimed author of The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury is a magician at the height of his powers, displaying his sorcerer's skill with twenty-one remarkable stories that run the gamut from total reality to light fantastic, from high noon to long after midnight. A true master tells all, revealing the strange secret of growing young and mad; opening a Witch Door that links two intolerant centuries; joining an ancient couple in their wild assassination games; celebrating life and dreams in the unique voice that has favored him across six decades and has enchanted millions of readers the world over.

My thoughts:
Quicker than the Eye is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury. Some of these twenty one stories bored me but a few I really enjoyed. There is a story, Another Fine Mess, about a man who sees the ghosts of Laurel and Hardy. My favorite story in this book is called The Very Gentle Murders and follows an aged married couple as they spend their last years lovingly trying to assassinate each other. Another good story in this collection is called The Witch Door. It's about a secret door under the stairs in an old farm house that links two separate centuries. Overall, Quicker Than the Eye is an interesting collection with at least a few very enjoyable tales.

Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler

Rating: 4.0

What it's about:
Sometimes it takes getting hit with a hockey puck to help you see what’s good for you! Carolyn Mackler is back — and V is off on a solo road trip — in this funny, poignant follow-up to VEGAN VIRGIN VALENTINE.

V Valentine is the queen of meaningless hookups. Ever since her mom dumped her with her grandparents, she has bounced from guy to guy. But in the spring of senior year, a fateful hockey puck lands her in the lap of Sam Almond. Right from the start, things with Sam are different. V is terrified to admit it, but this might be meaningful after all. On the afternoon of graduation, V receives some shocking news. Later, at a party, she makes an irreversible mistake and risks losing Sam forever. When her mom invites her to Texas, V embarks on a cross-country road trip with the hopes of putting two thousand miles between herself, Sam, and the wreckage of that night. With her trademark blend of humor and compassion, Carolyn Mackler takes readers on an unforgettable ride of missed exits, misadventures, and the kind of epiphanies that come only when you’re on a route you’ve never taken before.

My thoughts:
Guyaholic is the sequel to Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler. This time the spotlight is on V, and she's on a mission. V has been living with her grandparents since her mom took off on her to follow some guy. Because V's mom is always letting her down she has some commitment issues and is afraid to fall in love and have somebody love her back. Sam is the closest she's come to true love and she messes everything up with him, sending him running away to California for a change of scenery. V's mom was supposed to come to V's high school graduation, skips out on it and invites V to drive down to Texas to visit her. V decides she's up for a road trip and heads out on the highway where misshapes, adventures and epiphanies ensue. On her way down to Texas she figures out what she's truly looking for. Can she forgive her mother and make amends in Texas? Or will she realize what she lost in Sam and head in the direction of California? This is a decent follow up to Vegan Virgin Valentine with a really good ending. I found myself rooting for V and hoping she would make the right decision in the end. I was not disappointed.