Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Key to the Bones


Title: The Inquisitor's Key
Series name and number: Body Farm, #7
Author: Jefferson Bass
Genre: Mystery
Sub-genre: Crime, Forensics, Suspense, Thriller, historical mysteries
Pages:  352
Published: 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN:   006180679X
Reader's Annotation: How will Dr. Brockton solve the mystery of the bones and stay alive himself?
Summary: Dr. Bill Brockton, after being nearly blown away by an sniper, is mysteriously called to France by Miranda. As he and Miranda work to solve an ancient mystery, will both he and Miranda realize their feelings and stay alive at the same time?
My Evaluation ** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed this book, but not as much as some of Bass's other works... This book felt, at least in the beginning, rushed. I found it quiet annoying that Isabelle get's a one line mention that she's dead from the Japan Tsunami, when some of the previous book was spent wondering if she was carrying Dr. B's child... It was just so random and and seemed like a cop-out to get rid of her. While this is now the third book I've read detailing the papacy at Avignon, its not the best, as much as I hate to say it. I do like the fact that Bass focused on a small part of that history rather than the Templars (which the other two books did) and their dealings with the papacy there. But something still felt missing from this book... may be it was the ending in that Miranda saved Dr. B... but didn't really end it... It was a rather annoying ending.
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Lost and Found


Title: Lost and Found
Series name and number: Rocky Pelligrino #1
Author: Jacqueline Sheehan
Genre: Romance
Sub-genre: Mystery, chic-lit
Pages:  278
Published: 2009
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN:  0061128643
Reader's Annotation: How will finding a hurt dog affect Rocky's life choice?
Summary: Rocky's life changes when her husband suddenly dies. She completely uproots herself and travels to an island of her childhood to gain some perspective on what to do with the rest of her life. She takes the job as the animal warden and discovers a injured dog. This dog will lead Rocky on a journey she may not be ready for.
My Evaluation: ** spoiler alert ** I'm not quiet sure what to make of this book... In some ways I really liked it but in others I didn't. I liked the overall story (women's husband dies, she goes off to find herself, finds a great dog to have, etc) but stuff kept getting in the way (long diatribes that didn't really add to the story, switching narrators including the dog's point of view!)...
Rating:  2.5 out of 5

Chosen


Title: The Chosen One
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Sub-genre: Teen, Contemporary, Religion, Romance
Pages:  213
Published: 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN:  0312555113
Reader's Annotation: Will Kyra be able to chose between family and what her heart's desire?
Summary: Kyra is a 13 year old growing up in an isolated community that is following a religious leader. She is chosen to marry someone when she is in love with not only books but a boy. What will happen when her parents and community find out about her?
My Evaluation: Whoever thought this was a good book for young adults/teens needs something, I don't know what. It is completely not a young adult/teen book. Maybe okay for High school students but anything less, absolutely not. The concepts and images depicted in this book are of a rough nature and hard for younger readers to deal with. It was a very disturbing book... The writing was good but disturbing.
Rating:  2 out of 5

The Bone Yard


Title: The Bone Yard
Series name and number: Body Farm, #6
Author: Jefferson Bass
Genre: Mystery
Sub-genre: Crime, Forensics, Suspense, Thriller, historical mysteries
Pages:  336
Published: 2011
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN:  0061806781
Reader's Annotation: How will Dr. Brockton solve the mystery of the yard and stay alive himself?
Summary: Dr. Bill Brockton comes back and is still adjusting from his previous mystery. As he's giving a lecture at the Body Farm, one of his students gets a call and rushes out. Through a chain of events, Dr. B comes to help both the student and help solve a decades old mystery of a boys' reform school in Florida.
My Evaluation: Holy moly, Dr. Bass and Jon Jefferson have done it again. Such a good read! Keep you intrigued right until the end. Love the work!
Rating:  5 out of 5

Stories of the Black Hand


Title: The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy
Author: Laurie Fabiano
Genre: Historical fiction
Sub-genre: Semi-autobiographical
Pages:  410
Published: 2009
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN:  1442152613
Reader's Annotation: The story of a family through the 1900s into the 1980s and the role they played in Lower East Side in NYC's history
Summary: Fabiano brings to light stories form her family in Giovanna, who's family was a target of the early ancestors of the Mafia (known as The Black Hand), and how she survived to pass down her stories to the author.
My Evaluation: What an interesting book... I was not a fan of the switching time periods but it made sense. I also didn't like how many characters I had to remember and how they were related to each other. I also absolutely hated the ending. She just ended it so abruptly! The story was fascinating but some of it needed a but more flushing out...
Rating:  3.4 out of 5

I Hunt Killers


Title: I hunt Killers
Series and number: Jasper Dent #1
Author: Barry Lygra
Genre: Suspense
Sub-genre: Crime, Thriller, mystery
Pages:  361
Published: 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN:  0316125849
Reader's Annotation: What if your dad was a notorious serial killers?
Summary: Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a teenager who lives with his grandmother after his father is arrested as a notorious serial killer. But his world is about to change when a body that is an exact copy of his father's kills shows up in his town again. What will Jasper and his friend and girlfriend do to help the cops catch the killer?
My Evaluation: woah... I wasn't quite sure about this book but the last 1/3 were AMAZING. It was a little slow to get into and was questioning why Lygra did some of things he did but at the end it totally made sense. Now I can't wait to read more!
Rating:  4.2 out of 5
NOTE: This is classified as a Young Adult novel, however I wouldn't have someone younger than 15 at the very least read this book. It has many graphic details that aren't appropriate for many readers.

Rockettes, Rockstars, and rockbottom


Title: Rockettes, Rockstars, and Rockbottom
Author: Keltie Colleen
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub-genre: Autobiography, romance, dance
Pages:  168
Published: 2010
Publisher: Deadxstop Publishing Company
ISBN:  9780977766598
Reader's Annotation: How will Keltie's life change when she meets a rocker?
Summary: Colleen is a dancer in NYC who has danced with such companies as the NYC Rockettes. This book deals with her life as a struggling dancer, meeting rockers, and how her life has changed because of it.
My Evaluation: I enjoyed this book... to some extent. Her stories about auditioning were great but I expected more stories about what life was like as a Rockette. I didn't enjoy the tons of self-loathing that is a good chunk of the book. I would have much preferred to hear about life as one of an iconic dance troupes. I was also annoyed at the fact that when she talked about the guys she dated, she never mentioned their names. Yes, I understand the need for privacy but it was really annoying.
Rating:  2 out of 5

Circus fire


Title: The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy
Author: Stewart O'Nan and Alice van Straalen
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub-genre: history
Pages:  384
Published: 2008
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN:  0385496850
Reader's Annotation: One of the worst entertainment fires in the 20th century, O'Nan tells the tale of all those invovled
Summary: Ringling Brothers and Co circus was/is one of the biggest names in circus names. The story of the Hartford Circus fire in 1944 harkens back on memories of other disasters and is heart wrenching. The account of how the fire started, the heroism, and the finality of the fire is one that is worth reading about.
My Evaluation: Wow... What a great book. I had never heard about this story before and I was really happy I picked it up. Now I want to read about other circus stories!. O'Nan does an excellent job of setting the story, telling what happened, and then mopping it up afterwards. The only reason is it didn't get five stars is that there were too many people to keep track of. I wish O'Nan had put a little more effort in to telling the reader who so and so is again instead of the reader having to remember as there are a lot of details in this book.
Rating:  4.5 out of 5