Open Minds (book one Mindjack trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn

Book One in the Mindjack trilogy. People of the world can read other's minds. There are a select few who can't and they are known as Zeros. Kira Moore has had to accept that she is a Zero until one day she learns she can jack a person's mind and get them to do what she wants.
As in real life when something new and strange comes along people react poorly. As I read this series I can see echoes of the past and what we do when as a society we are afraid & when the government gets its grubby hands involved.

Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier

In Order:
Daughter of the Forest
Son of the Shadows
Child of the Prophecy
Heir to Sevenwaters
Seer of Sevenwaters
Flame of Sevenwaters

Fairytales come true, the Fey, witches, Druids : oh my! The author definitely does her research, thank goodness. The characters are likable & you hate the ones you should. When the first trilogy ended, I wanted more so I was quite happy to see the series continue and follow the family. I was invested in those characters, still am. Enjoy.

Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier

A good Viking story? Yes please! Lucky for us Ms. Marillier does her homework and does a remarkable job of capturing the culture & the mythology of the Norse. I do prefer her other series (Daughter of Sevenwaters series), she doesn't let we the readers down in anyway. The characters pull you, and keep you coming back for more. Viking voyage: check, war: check, finding new land: check, mythology & magic: double check.

"The Walker Papers" series by C.E. Murphy

Book One: "Urban Shaman"
Book Two: "Thunderbird Falls"
Book Three: "Coyote Dreams"
Book Four: "Walking Dead"

     The series is about Joanne Walker, cop and mechanic extraordinaire a no nonsense kind of gal. That is until one day from her seat on an airplane Joanne spies a woman in trouble. "Urban Shaman" introduces to a lovable kooky nest of characters. Joanne's life is anything but boring once she discovers and begins to accept and learn to use her Shaman powers, with Coyote as a guide whose life could be boring?! The series would definitely fall into the "Paranormal" genre, but I hate putting books there. Why? Because darn it so many of of them are written off as pure fluff and not worth the read. Absolutely untrue of this series. I have enjoyed the ride of everyone of the books in the series, including the last one (even though she just had to go and introducing zombies damn-it). The series mixes Native American folk-lore with Celtic folk-lore (yes that does mean Fae, but not in a nice and pretty kind of way), and Ms. Murphy does so artfully. I still have three more books to go before I am all caught up with this series, and I look forward to the ride now if I only had Joanne's car!

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

     I will start off stating that yes this is another Young Adult book (series), but I seriously wouldn't let that stop you from reading this book. The setting is in the year 2140 and we have this amazing drug that extends our lives. Want to live forever? There's just one catch, to do so you must agree to sign The Declaration and give up your right to have children; have a child unlawfully and your child becomes known as a "Surplus".  "Surplus" children are all that live in Grange Hall (and others like it around the world). The children are taught to be assests and to serve the adults on the outside. Surplus Anna tries to find her place in this world and does so until a a new boy arrives: Surplus Peter. Peter lived his life in the outside world and he rebels what they are teaching the children at Grange Hill, it isn't long before Anna finds herself intrigued.
     Loved, loved, loved this book the next two in the series ARE on my "to get" book list. What intrigued me at first about the book was a review on Amazon that compared it to: "A Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood (a story I really enjoyed), and I must say I agree that in principle this book is very much so like "Handmaid's Tail". So many people become upset about the kids having to read "Handmaid's Tale" in HS (although these same parents would let their kids read The Twilight series or even the PC Cast series, which can get steamy, just trying to put some perspective on it), so if we HAD to go for an alternative I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "The Declaration". As a matter of fact I would have no problem with allowing my 11 year old son to read it, I have already recommended it to him. The story line is gripping, and the characters draw you right in. I was sucked right in and this time my racing to read the book had nothing to do with "getting it over with", I just couldn't wait to see what happened next.
   In no way do I think this book should be labelled as yet another Young Adult book (let's face it we all read them sometimes, Harry Potter anyone?!) to do so IMO limits it. The series isn't a huge hit so it won't be one that everyone is clamoring for, I sad thing if you ask me (and you did since you're reading this). It really is a great "cross-over" book (middle school and up).

The Passage by Justin Cronin

      A new take on vampires, the downfall of society and one little girl. What would happen if an expedition, funded by the US Military, came across beings that could extend our lives but found out they were violent? Why we would find a way to use them as a weapon, duh.... And who better to experiment on then convicts? Until one day a 6 year old girl, abandoned by her mother, is kidnapped for the same reason. And what happens if these experiments were to get loose? Bye-bye society as we know it. Amy, because she was so young or is it because of what she is before the experiment, is different through Amy mankind might yet be saved.
     The Passage is book one in a series by author Justin Cronin. It had some issues, boy were there spots where this book dragged, and dragged and dragged some more. I wasn't prepared for the huge jump by about 100 years in the future, the transition was lacking. There were times I was so ready for the book to be done that I had to put it down and read something else. I felt a disconnect with the characters and have no desire to go and read anymore in this series. I just can not take book two being the same as book one. The dragging..... Did I mention the dragging? The last time a book dragged like this was "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen (worst novel EVER written, Oprah I despise you for recommending this book and hailing it as the great America novel or some such drivel. After the horror that was "The Corrections" I would refuse to read an Oprah book suggestion. *shudders*), that being said it wasn't nearly as bad as "The Corrections".    I could have done without reading this book, but I don't hate myself for wasting my time reading it.

The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

      I enjoy historical fiction and anything about the Titanic is obviously fascinating, okay to me it is. House of Velvet and Glass is not another fictional story of a survivor of the sinking, but of a family who must survive the loss of their loved ones. Sybil Allston lost both her mother and sister on the Titanic, every year on the anniversary she visits a medium who holds a seance for the survivors. Sybil's own mother was a Spiritualist. Beyond that what do I have to say? Between some of the chapters are "Interludes" which have is jumping in the past to Sybil's father's time in Shanghai and to the ill-fated night on the Titanic. I found the "Interludes" annoying while semi-relevant to the story (I really think we could have done without the flashbacks to her sister and mother on the Titanic). I have read the books description on Amazon, and it sounds so much better than what it really is. Honestly 5 stars to whomever wrote the book description, it makes you want to read the book, but it seems a bit misleading to me. Mysterious? Not really....
    Fast read? Yes, but part of that was because I was growing tired of the book. Honestly don't expect much from this one, not a big "let's sit around and discuss this shall we?" kind of book. It won't make you think, but hey every now and then we need a little fluff and at it's best that is what this book is: fluff. It was a library loan so it's no skin off my nose. Would I buy this book? Um, no. Just don't bother, get it from the the library or a second hand book store. It truly isn't worth paying the full price. Will it make a nice quick read on the beach? Yeah, I guess it would.

Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn

    Hands down I have to say that this book should be required reading for school, my son read it, he's 11, and he in no way felt that it was too old for him. My reason for this book being required reading isn't because I feel that it is the most well written book to date and should be on all literary lists, it is the plot.
    It is the year 2026 and everyone has them, when you turn 17 it's time for you to get yours: the barcode tattoo. What does it hold? Everything to make life as simple as possible: your medical, financial etc is all contained within the barcode tattoo. Want to buy a cup of coffee or yes even a house? Scan your tattoo please. Going to the doctor? It's all there for them right on your tattoo. Sounds amazing doesn't it? What if you say no? Kayla has a big decision to make, one that makes her an outcast, and to many an outlaw. If she wants to survive in the world without the tattoo, she will have to do so on the run.
   The plot line itself at first glance sounds far-fetched and crazy conspiracy right? I want you to stop and think for a second, is it really that far-fetched? Are we really that that far away from having something like this happen in our lifetime? I don't think we are. I have lost count of the times that I have been standing in line (or ringing up a guest at the register) and have heard someone comment about how much easier life would be if we all just had a chip implanted in us with our banking info (credit cards etc) so we could just scan that and be done with it all. Wouldn't everything move faster, and be easier to keep track of? Sure would, especially for the government. Without fail my mouth drops open and I think to myself to these people really think about the consequences of what they are saying? Seriously let's face it, well all know that you give any government an inch in something like this and they'll take a mile (hell they'll run right over us). She's paranoid, you're muttering to yourselves. I prefer cautious. I like to think before I jump headlong into something and that is what this book makes you do: think.
   Due to the controversial nature of the plot of the book it would make for a great discussion. Yeah, yeah I know when we go to our book clubs we want to look all sophisticated; it's much better to be discussing books on the NY Times Best Seller's List. Truly you'll get a better discussion going with this book then you will from Gone Girl or any other new "it" book. Yes, it's Young Adult but don't let that stop you from reading this book. Bar Code Tattoo is the first in a series but can be read alone. I have not read the rest of the series but the two that follow are on my list of books that I want (The Bar Code Rebellion and Bar Code Prophecy).


 

The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay

You read the title and you think this book is gonna be about sex, and you're partly right. This isn't Fifty Shades sex though. Sorry, but if that is what you are looking for you won't get it with this book. I ask that you don't let that stop you from reading this book though as it is worth the read. The main character is a young girl named Moth (so named by her absentee father), she lives in the tenements in New York City with her Gypsy mother. One evening she is awaken by her mother and whisked a lady, she finds herself serving a very cruel master. Upon her escape Moth finds that her Mother has moved on and she is on her own, what's a girl to do? Moth finds herself recruited into a brothel, where she has many difficult decisions to make about her life.
The biggest flaw in the writing of this book were the little "tidbits" that the author added, it was distracting and made the story line seem disjointed. Some of the "tidbits" actually contain useful information that pertain to the story line and others are superfluous to the point they were annoying. Luckily the "tidbits" are in bold print so they are easy to over look ( I read this on my Kindle so I have no idea how this appears in an actual book).
I enjoyed reading this book, read it in less than day. I found Moth to be an interesting character, not just that she has a super cool name. Moth isn't the only fascinating character, we are introduced to a female doctor in 1871. I wish there had been a bit more character development and more background on Dr. Sadie.
The Virgin Cure is only Ms. McKay's second novel, not too shabby. Am I going to immediately run out and buy her first novel? No. I will, however, add her first book The Birth House to my book list and see if I can loan it from the library on my kindle. I am trying to figure out what category I would put this book: one I would buy or one I would only loan. I do not feel that this book falls into the category of  "OMG you HAVE to read this book!" but it also isn't in the "well that was a waste of a day that I'll never get back again". A good beach read, I will say that. I'm pleased that I read it but it doesn't fall into my re-read category so for me this is a loaner book but I don't think anyone should pass this one up.
 

Gillian Flynn, all her works thus far

Normally I would only write a review of one book but I feel compelled to lump all three of Flynn's books together, why you ask? It is due in large part to her latest book, Gone Girl which has gotten the most notoriety. Gone Girl has made it on to reading lists for books clubs everywhere (it is one of the new "it" books), there is nothing wrong with this I actually think that Flynn is a talented author. I enjoyed reading all three novels: Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl.

In Sharp Objects we meet Camille who is a Chicago reporter, she has returned to her small home town to cover the story of a possible serial killer. By returning home, Camille must now face her demons that caused her to cut in her past and now cause her to drink. Ms. Flynn does an incredible job of slowly peeling back the layers and showering us with the complexity of her characters. Page after page embroils you deeper into the depths and just when you think the dysfunction can't become any worse, surprise it does. I am floored by the fact that this is Ms. Flynn's first novel. Bravo!

Dark Places gives us Libby Day who witnessed the murder of her family when she was just 7 years old and with her testimony her brother went to prison for the crime. Twenty-five years later, money running low Libby agrees to help a group called the Kill Club for money. The Kill Club is convinced that her brother Ben is innocent and they would like Libby's help with their evidence. Libby convinced of his guilt agrees, could she have been wrong all these years? The story is told in flashback format, successfully. Yet again Ms. Flynn does an amazing job creating characters with depth and she does an astounding job of slowly pulling those layers aside for us to see. Ben and Libby are fascinating people to watch develop through the story (you may want to throttle them both but that is part and parcel of becoming involved in a good book which is a kudos to the author). All I could think was that if her first and second books were this good the third book must be the bomb.

Gone Girl starts out with so much potential. Nick comes home on their 5th Wedding Anniversary to discover his wife, Amy, is missing and it looks like someone has taken her. It isn't long before police start looking at Nick for murdering Amy. Clues start piling up against him, he was cheating, there were financial problems, and worst of all Amy was pregnant and they were overheard arguing about it. The best thing I can say about the novel is that plot line has plenty of twists that would probably keep some people guessing (depends on how much you read or how much tv you watch to be honest). I was very disappointed in the ending, it felt somewhat lackluster to me. The depth of her characters that was present in her first two books was sorely lacking in this one. There was no character development at all, it felt very one dimensional. It wasn't a terrible read but it wasn't up to her standard. I could see this making an excellent movie as it's written, just not a great book. That being said I am looking forward to any forthcoming book by Ms. Flynn, two out three ain't shabby at all....