Review: Seven Up

I read this as an ebook on my Treo. Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum are a fun and quick escape for me.

Stephanie, bounty hunter extraordinaire, is handed Eddie DeCooch's case for apprehension. Should be easy, he is an aging, impotent octogenarian who was once a Mafia hitman. As usual nothing goes to plan and Seven Up is filled with near misses as Stephanie chases DeCooch in a giant white car around town. Then to top it all off Dougie and Mooner, Stephanie's stoner friends, go missing and it all seems to be connected to Eddie DeCooch. Stephanie pulls out no stops calling upon Ranger to help out, only this time there are strings attached, ones that have Stephanie a little hot and bothered. One thing leads to another and mud wrestling, car wrecks, dead bodies, crazy family dinners and hot, steamy moments with sexy leading men lead Stephanie on yet another topsy-turvy adventure.

What makes these novels for me are the characters and the humour, Grandma Mazur has me laughing out loud every time! I leave lots of time in between each novel I read in this series, which is why I think I like each new installment a little bit more than the last.

Review: The Thirteenth Tale

In The Thirteenth Tale, Margaret Lea is commisioned to write the autobiography of the beloved, world reknowned author Vida Winter. Vida Winter is notorious for offering many tales of her life which all in turn contradict each other, nineteen different tales in the past two years. Margaret goes out to Winter's estate in Yorkshire wary of whether the stories to be told will be fanciful tales or the truth that everyone seeks.

Margaret soon finds herself wading through Vida's childhood tales gleaning truth and facing the secrets of her very own past. Their childhood stories are intertwined by the fact that they are both twins. Margaret lost her twin at birth, a loss that she still struggles to comprehend. 

While I enjoyed the story, I did not LOVE the story. Sometimes I wonder if my enjoyment of such multi-layered tales is effected by how tired I might be at the time of reading. Or, perhaps The Thirteenth Tale was too Gothic for me, as it is a genre I don't read often. Either way, I am glad I read Diane Setterfield's Gothic tale, but I will be on the hunt for some lighter reads in the meantime.

Review: Kiss Me, Kill Me

Volume 9 of the Crime Files 

Ann Rule provides the reader with several cold cases of love turned murder. Every crime file presents the story as facts, trials and added information if the case was pursued further in later years. 

This was my first venture into True Crime and first time reading Ann Rule. I was amazed at how investigations have changed so drastically in a forty year span due to technology and DNA. 

Ebook Challenge

In 2008 I got my first Smartphone and I am lost without it. One of the greatest features I love about it is reading ebooks using Microsoft Reader. I find that I read during waits (doctors, dentist, filling up for gas, etc) and at night if I can't sleep. So, to keep the fun going I am going to join the Ebook Challenge hosted by J. Kaye.

Here is my current list:

1. The Rule of Four Ian Caldwell
2. K is for Killer Sue Grafton
3. Left Behind Tim LaHaye (this one is a crossover with the 2009 TBR Challenge)
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket
5. The Can Who Ate Danish Modern Lillian Jackson Braun
6. Hard Eight Janet Evanovich
7. Black Echo Michael Connelly
8. Cat and Mouse James Patterson
9. Naked in Death JD Robb
10. Twilight Stephanie Meyer

I am not sure of the order and many of these will clear some TBR books that have been sitting on my shelves for a very long time.

2009 TBR Challenge

I have been looking at challenges for awhile now and I think it is time that I join one. So, my very first challenge is going to be The TBR Challenge Here is my list (in no particular order)of books I intend to read from the mountain I call TBR:

1. The Celestine Prophecy James Redfield
2. Kit's Law Donna Morrisey
3. Left Behind Lahaye and Jenkins
4. Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris
5. Good Grief Lolly Winston
6. The Art of Racing in the Rain Garth Stein
7. The Reader Bernard Schlink
8. The Notebook Nicholas Sparks
9. Fall on Your KneesAnn-Marie MacDonald
10. Big Stone Gap Adriana Trigiani
11. The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank
12. Tara Road Maeve Binchy

Alternates
1. A Good House Bonnie Burnard
2. Oh My Stars Lorna Landvik
3. If You Could See Me Now Cecelia Ahern