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.