Books 2009 // I.
Title: The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard [New York, 2006]
Series: ---.
Length: 409 pages.
Summary: Pickard (Storm Warnings) probes the truth behind miracles and the tragedies behind lies in this mesmerizing suspense novel set in Kansas. While rounding up newborn calves during a 1987 blizzard, Nathan Shellenberger, sheriff of Small Plains, and his teenage sons, Rex and Patrick, discover the naked frozen body of a beautiful teenage girl. Later, Nathan and Dr. Quentin "Doc" Reynolds bash the girl's face to an unrecognizable pulp, since they know who she is and fear that either Patrick or Rex's best friend, 17-year-old Mitch Newquist, is her killer. Witnessing this terrible scene is Mitch, hidden in Doc's home office supply closet where he's gone for a condom to use with Abby, Doc's 16-year-old daughter. Mitch's father, a judge, forces Mitch to leave town after the boy admits what he saw. In 2004, Abby and Rex-now the sheriff-find another blizzard victim, Mitch's mother, dead near the marker commemorating the still-unidentified "virgin." [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Entertaining for the moment. No memorable read but nice enough.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: A nice tale with a few twists and turns. Failed to really grip me and make me care for the characters despite a pretty good concept. Light, relaxing reading.
Links: official website.
Title: Goal! By Robert Rigby [London, 2005]
Series: ---.
Length: 207 pages.
Summary: This is a terrific story of a young Latino boy, who spotted by an ex-scout, playing in a park in Los Angeles, wins himself a trial at one of England's Premier League clubs - Newcastle United. Struggling to cope with the gritty Northern weather, the rivalries and jealousies from other players and dodgy scouts, he has just this one shot at fulfilling his dream. He has the skill, but does he have the pace and stamina necessary for success? [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Unrealistic but cute.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: It was a nice, quick read that didn't bother getting too much into the characters personalities which is a shame in my opinion because it could have made the book better. Then again, despite this the book was pretty fast-paced toward the end, which was nice.
Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams [England, 1979]
Series: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 01/08
Length: 193 pages.
Summary: Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Crazy. Amusing. Ridiculous. Addicting.
Personal Rating: 4/5.
Review: Re-read. I guess this is a book you need to be in the mood for. It's completely ridiculous - but in a wonderfully amusing way. Additionally there's not only humor but a pretty accurate parody of human behaviour every now and then and personally, I liked the combination.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: CSI : Sin city by Max Allan Collins [New York, 2002]
Series: CSI.
Length: 408 pages.
Summary: "If anything happens to me, get this cassette to the police," Lynn Pierce told her friends the night she disappeared without a trace. Pierce seemed to be a devout Christian, devoted wife and mother -- but she left behind a recording of her husband threatening to cut her into little pieces. Jenna Patrick was a professional stripper who said she was trying to get out of the sex trade and into junior college. She wound up strangled to death in a locked room in the back of the club where she worked. What could these two women possibly have had in common -- aside from the fact that they are both victims of homicide? Find out as Grissom, Willows, and the rest of the CSI team track down a sordid trail of secret lives and private dances, from the saintly to the seedier side of Sin City. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Interesting. Flat characterization unless you're familiar with the tv show.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: I liked it. There was an interesting case, some nice plots twists I didn't always see coming and - as mentioned above - I didn't have a problem with the superficial characterization as I'm familiar with the tv series and had a clear idea of the characters. In fact, I could imagine someone who doesn't know the show would get easily confused with the lack of character description but honestly now - who would buy that book if they didn't know the show, so it sort of makes sense, though a bit more psychology would have been nice.
Title: Written in Bone by Simon Beckett [London, 2007].
Series: David Hunter-series 02/02.
Length: 431 pages.
Summary: to feature forensic anthropologist David Hunter (after 2006's The Chemistry of Death), the former GP investigates a suspicious death on Runa, a small island in the Hebrides. With the mainland official force preoccupied with a horrific train wreck that might have been the work of terrorists, Hunter must try to determine whether the victim was murdered. On Runa, Hunter finds a badly burned corpse with the feet and one hand oddly untouched, in a cottage that shows little fire damage. Could spontaneous combustion have been the cause? The suspense mounts along with the body count and the approach of a storm that cuts off the island from the outside world. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Clever. Fast-paced. Surprising. Absolutely captivating. Classic set-up.
Personal Rating: 4.5/5.
Review: This book should come with a warning, because the moment I picked it up and started reading I was lost. In a good way as I couldn't out it down any more. Great characterization, surprising plot twists (I certainly didn't see a lot of those coming, though I did suspect a certain person!) and overall a read that lefft me sitting on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down. Apparently the classic combination of a couple of people trapped in a place with no escape, knowing that (at least) one of them is a murderer stills works brilliantly. Loved it.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: Dead Souls by Ian Rankin [London, 1999]
Series: Inspector Rebus 10/17. Length: 574 pages.
Summary: As complex and unpredictable as the brooding mists that envelop his Edinburgh beat, Rebus is ever resourceful and determined-but this time, vulnerable and challenged as never before, with complications in his personal life, and events that shake him to the depths of his being...A colleague's suicide. Pedophiles. A missing child. A serial killer. You never know your luck, muses Rebus. Driven by instinct and experience, he searches for connections, against official skepticism. But at night, unsoothed by whiskey, Rebus faces his ghosts-and the prospect of his daughter's possibly permanent paralysis. Soldiering through dank, desperate slums and the tony flats of the Scottish chic, Rebus uncovers a chain of crime, deceit, and hidden sins-knowing it's himself he's really trying to save... [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Gritty. Fascinating.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: I just love Rankin's style. Sure, I require my breaks between his books but I usually pure and simply enjoy Inspector Rebus and the fact that the man isn't perfect. The story more than held my attention and I was glad to see myself once again fascinated with Rebus after my interest in the character (or rather his cases) had been declining.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: The Lion, the Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis [London 1950]
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia 02 / ?.
Length: 143 pages.
Summary: "It's a magic wardrobe. There's a wood inside it, and it's snowing! Come and see," begged Lucy. Lucy has stumbled upon a marvellous land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals. But soon she discovers that it is ruled by the cruel White Witch, and can only be freed by Aslan, the great Lion and four children... [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Simple. Fairy-tale like. A bit silly. Good for children perhaps?
Personal Rating: 2/5.
Review: I know people love this series and that's wht got me curious in the first place. However, even though I know it's a children's book, I pure and simply didn't like it. It was just a wee bit too simplistic for my taste. I mean, I can see how Narnia can fascinate children but I fear I got my hands on the book just a few decades too late. Left me pretty much untouched.
Links: @ wikipedia.
Title: Angels In The Gloom by Anne Perry [2005]
Series: World War I Series / 03/05.
Length: 509 pages.
Summary: chaplain Joseph Reavley, wounded at the front, has returned to recuperate under his sister's Hannah's care. Still fresh is his grief for their parents, both killed by the mysterious Peacemaker, who, in the guise of seeking an end to the conflict, is sabotaging Britain's war effort. The murder of a scientist whose work might have ensured Allied success leads Joseph (and his brother, Matthew, who works for British intelligence) on a twisted trail that they hope will lead to the Peacemaker. As in previous books in this series and in her Victorian detective series, Perry creates a meticulously detailed backdrop, whether home front or frontlines, while leaving plenty of room for her characters to contemplate issues of honor, loyalty, and love: Will Joseph return to the front or minister to the bereft at home? Will Matthew's growing affection for Irish double agent Detta Hannassey interfere with his mission? [Source]. Review in 5 words or less: Complex protagonists. Thoughtful. Suspenseful.
Personal Rating: 4/5.
Review: Much as it is with Ian Rankin, I really enjoy reading Anne Perry every now and then and probably for exactly the same reason - her books have this gritty, realistic feel coupled with complex and fascinating characters who are as far away from being flawless as you can possibly get. This book captured me and I sucked me into its little microcosmos and I wasn't able to put it down until I was finished.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: The Curse Of Thot by Michael Peinkofer [Germany 2006]
Series: ---.
Length: 459 pages.
Summary: Set in the late 19th century England the young Lady Sarah Kincaid sets out to solve a mystery for the royal family that leads her from London right into Egypt.
Review in 5 words or less: A times great pace. Unrealistic but fun for the most part. Mary-Sue takes Egypt ;)
Personal Rating: 2.5/5.
Review: Oooh-kay. The set-up is brilliant. A mix between Lara Croft and The Mummy and this set-up helped me wonderfully to ignore Miss Sarah's annoying perfection (she's beautiful, smart, knows all the answers and of course everyone falls in love with her. Sigh.) However, as the book progressed, Sarah became highly annoying and it's only due to the amusing supporting characters that I finished it.
Title: Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama [New York 1995]
Series: Autobiographic.
Length: 442 pages.
Summary: In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father-a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man-has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey-first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother's family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father's life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance. [Source: The inside flap].
Series: ---.
Length: 409 pages.
Summary: Pickard (Storm Warnings) probes the truth behind miracles and the tragedies behind lies in this mesmerizing suspense novel set in Kansas. While rounding up newborn calves during a 1987 blizzard, Nathan Shellenberger, sheriff of Small Plains, and his teenage sons, Rex and Patrick, discover the naked frozen body of a beautiful teenage girl. Later, Nathan and Dr. Quentin "Doc" Reynolds bash the girl's face to an unrecognizable pulp, since they know who she is and fear that either Patrick or Rex's best friend, 17-year-old Mitch Newquist, is her killer. Witnessing this terrible scene is Mitch, hidden in Doc's home office supply closet where he's gone for a condom to use with Abby, Doc's 16-year-old daughter. Mitch's father, a judge, forces Mitch to leave town after the boy admits what he saw. In 2004, Abby and Rex-now the sheriff-find another blizzard victim, Mitch's mother, dead near the marker commemorating the still-unidentified "virgin." [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Entertaining for the moment. No memorable read but nice enough.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: A nice tale with a few twists and turns. Failed to really grip me and make me care for the characters despite a pretty good concept. Light, relaxing reading.
Links: official website.
Title: Goal! By Robert Rigby [London, 2005]
Series: ---.
Length: 207 pages.
Summary: This is a terrific story of a young Latino boy, who spotted by an ex-scout, playing in a park in Los Angeles, wins himself a trial at one of England's Premier League clubs - Newcastle United. Struggling to cope with the gritty Northern weather, the rivalries and jealousies from other players and dodgy scouts, he has just this one shot at fulfilling his dream. He has the skill, but does he have the pace and stamina necessary for success? [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Unrealistic but cute.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: It was a nice, quick read that didn't bother getting too much into the characters personalities which is a shame in my opinion because it could have made the book better. Then again, despite this the book was pretty fast-paced toward the end, which was nice.
Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams [England, 1979]
Series: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 01/08
Length: 193 pages.
Summary: Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Crazy. Amusing. Ridiculous. Addicting.
Personal Rating: 4/5.
Review: Re-read. I guess this is a book you need to be in the mood for. It's completely ridiculous - but in a wonderfully amusing way. Additionally there's not only humor but a pretty accurate parody of human behaviour every now and then and personally, I liked the combination.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: CSI : Sin city by Max Allan Collins [New York, 2002]
Series: CSI.
Length: 408 pages.
Summary: "If anything happens to me, get this cassette to the police," Lynn Pierce told her friends the night she disappeared without a trace. Pierce seemed to be a devout Christian, devoted wife and mother -- but she left behind a recording of her husband threatening to cut her into little pieces. Jenna Patrick was a professional stripper who said she was trying to get out of the sex trade and into junior college. She wound up strangled to death in a locked room in the back of the club where she worked. What could these two women possibly have had in common -- aside from the fact that they are both victims of homicide? Find out as Grissom, Willows, and the rest of the CSI team track down a sordid trail of secret lives and private dances, from the saintly to the seedier side of Sin City. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Interesting. Flat characterization unless you're familiar with the tv show.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: I liked it. There was an interesting case, some nice plots twists I didn't always see coming and - as mentioned above - I didn't have a problem with the superficial characterization as I'm familiar with the tv series and had a clear idea of the characters. In fact, I could imagine someone who doesn't know the show would get easily confused with the lack of character description but honestly now - who would buy that book if they didn't know the show, so it sort of makes sense, though a bit more psychology would have been nice.
Title: Written in Bone by Simon Beckett [London, 2007].
Series: David Hunter-series 02/02.
Length: 431 pages.
Summary: to feature forensic anthropologist David Hunter (after 2006's The Chemistry of Death), the former GP investigates a suspicious death on Runa, a small island in the Hebrides. With the mainland official force preoccupied with a horrific train wreck that might have been the work of terrorists, Hunter must try to determine whether the victim was murdered. On Runa, Hunter finds a badly burned corpse with the feet and one hand oddly untouched, in a cottage that shows little fire damage. Could spontaneous combustion have been the cause? The suspense mounts along with the body count and the approach of a storm that cuts off the island from the outside world. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Clever. Fast-paced. Surprising. Absolutely captivating. Classic set-up.
Personal Rating: 4.5/5.
Review: This book should come with a warning, because the moment I picked it up and started reading I was lost. In a good way as I couldn't out it down any more. Great characterization, surprising plot twists (I certainly didn't see a lot of those coming, though I did suspect a certain person!) and overall a read that lefft me sitting on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down. Apparently the classic combination of a couple of people trapped in a place with no escape, knowing that (at least) one of them is a murderer stills works brilliantly. Loved it.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: Dead Souls by Ian Rankin [London, 1999]
Series: Inspector Rebus 10/17. Length: 574 pages.
Summary: As complex and unpredictable as the brooding mists that envelop his Edinburgh beat, Rebus is ever resourceful and determined-but this time, vulnerable and challenged as never before, with complications in his personal life, and events that shake him to the depths of his being...A colleague's suicide. Pedophiles. A missing child. A serial killer. You never know your luck, muses Rebus. Driven by instinct and experience, he searches for connections, against official skepticism. But at night, unsoothed by whiskey, Rebus faces his ghosts-and the prospect of his daughter's possibly permanent paralysis. Soldiering through dank, desperate slums and the tony flats of the Scottish chic, Rebus uncovers a chain of crime, deceit, and hidden sins-knowing it's himself he's really trying to save... [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Gritty. Fascinating.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5.
Review: I just love Rankin's style. Sure, I require my breaks between his books but I usually pure and simply enjoy Inspector Rebus and the fact that the man isn't perfect. The story more than held my attention and I was glad to see myself once again fascinated with Rebus after my interest in the character (or rather his cases) had been declining.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: The Lion, the Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis [London 1950]
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia 02 / ?.
Length: 143 pages.
Summary: "It's a magic wardrobe. There's a wood inside it, and it's snowing! Come and see," begged Lucy. Lucy has stumbled upon a marvellous land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals. But soon she discovers that it is ruled by the cruel White Witch, and can only be freed by Aslan, the great Lion and four children... [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Simple. Fairy-tale like. A bit silly. Good for children perhaps?
Personal Rating: 2/5.
Review: I know people love this series and that's wht got me curious in the first place. However, even though I know it's a children's book, I pure and simply didn't like it. It was just a wee bit too simplistic for my taste. I mean, I can see how Narnia can fascinate children but I fear I got my hands on the book just a few decades too late. Left me pretty much untouched.
Links: @ wikipedia.
Title: Angels In The Gloom by Anne Perry [2005]
Series: World War I Series / 03/05.
Length: 509 pages.
Summary: chaplain Joseph Reavley, wounded at the front, has returned to recuperate under his sister's Hannah's care. Still fresh is his grief for their parents, both killed by the mysterious Peacemaker, who, in the guise of seeking an end to the conflict, is sabotaging Britain's war effort. The murder of a scientist whose work might have ensured Allied success leads Joseph (and his brother, Matthew, who works for British intelligence) on a twisted trail that they hope will lead to the Peacemaker. As in previous books in this series and in her Victorian detective series, Perry creates a meticulously detailed backdrop, whether home front or frontlines, while leaving plenty of room for her characters to contemplate issues of honor, loyalty, and love: Will Joseph return to the front or minister to the bereft at home? Will Matthew's growing affection for Irish double agent Detta Hannassey interfere with his mission? [Source]. Review in 5 words or less: Complex protagonists. Thoughtful. Suspenseful.
Personal Rating: 4/5.
Review: Much as it is with Ian Rankin, I really enjoy reading Anne Perry every now and then and probably for exactly the same reason - her books have this gritty, realistic feel coupled with complex and fascinating characters who are as far away from being flawless as you can possibly get. This book captured me and I sucked me into its little microcosmos and I wasn't able to put it down until I was finished.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia.
Title: The Curse Of Thot by Michael Peinkofer [Germany 2006]
Series: ---.
Length: 459 pages.
Summary: Set in the late 19th century England the young Lady Sarah Kincaid sets out to solve a mystery for the royal family that leads her from London right into Egypt.
Review in 5 words or less: A times great pace. Unrealistic but fun for the most part. Mary-Sue takes Egypt ;)
Personal Rating: 2.5/5.
Review: Oooh-kay. The set-up is brilliant. A mix between Lara Croft and The Mummy and this set-up helped me wonderfully to ignore Miss Sarah's annoying perfection (she's beautiful, smart, knows all the answers and of course everyone falls in love with her. Sigh.) However, as the book progressed, Sarah became highly annoying and it's only due to the amusing supporting characters that I finished it.
Title: Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama [New York 1995]
Series: Autobiographic.
Length: 442 pages.
Summary: In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father-a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man-has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey-first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother's family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father's life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance. [Source: The inside flap].