Kindle Book Review: Along Came A Spider by James Patterson

Along Came A Spider

by James Patterson

3 Faerie Points

I decided to read the first book in the Alex Cross series because of having had such a great experience with the beginning of the Women's Murder Club series that he also writes. For the majority of this particular book I was underwhelmed by what was happening in it. Then suddenly in the last 50 or so pages I felt like it I was reading something worthwhile. I believe it is simply because I didn't attach as easily to the characters in this particular book like I did with the characters in Women's Murder Club. 

This book introduces Alex Cross and is about a kidnapping. The book is fast-paced and the chapters are short like the other book I read, which is something that makes his book very readable. This helps to keep a reader invested in the time it takes to read the over 400+ pages. Some people call him a hack because his writing isn't necessarily up there with literary classics, but some books we have to recognize are not meant to be like that. Some books are supposed to be read during the summer when you are tanning. That is how Patterson's books feel like they should be read, which honestly is great from time to time. We all need a little bit of guilty pleasure in our lives. 

This book is lacking though in the pleasure aspect of the reading experience of a guilty pleasure. It isn't a horrible book by any means, but certain aspects feel like they are forced. Also there are no real hints to the mystery aspect of this particular book, which I felt was a bit of a let down since in Women's Murder Club I was able to predict what was going on and it added greatly to my enjoyment of the book. Here the characters didn't resonate with me as strongly, specifically Jezzie because it never felt like you truly understood that character and her motivation for any of her actions contained within. This could simply be that they couldn't give her more because the chapters are so quick, but I wish there had been more for her than what she was given. 

Will I read the next book in the series called "Kiss The Girls"? I probably will be this will largely be because I watched the movie years ago and think it would be fun to read the book it was based on and also rewatch the movie at the same time. It won't be because I have fallen in love with the Alex Cross series. 

Bracken Library Book: Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Geography Club

by Brent Hartinger

5 faerie points

Growing up in a small community as a gay male there were often times I had wished that there was literature that would have helped me to see that I wasn't alone. Now as I get a bit older I see that they are actually publishing such novels that showcase that there are gay people in high school. This makes my heart very happy since there is a growing epidemic of LGBT suicides in our country due to bullying. These books can help these children to feel that they are not along in their journey. It can give them great power within themselves, even when they are unable to tell anyone else. 

This book is about a group of kids at a high school that form a "geography club" which is actually an undercover gay-straight alliance. They think because it is a geography club that no one will want to join up. I mean come on if you remember high school geography was sooooooo not cool. Well that is what they are banking on. The book is believable in the fact that characters run the gamut of popularity and incidences within. Hartinger appears to have been trying to give an accurate portrayal of the high school experience and in my opinion he does a rather good job. He has characters that act out of character with a bit of popularity (what kid with even a hint of unpopularity didn't act weird when someone popular suddenly talked to them or they were put in a situation where they were not treated like crap by them?) Hartinger pays proper respect to those boundaries of the high school experience where you are who you sit with. 

If you are uncomfortable reading most LGBT fiction because most of it contains graphic sex then this would be the book for you. There is a few mentions of kissing, but for the most part this is just a nice book about friends, the high school experience, and love. It shows what is possible when someone in the LGBT community thinks outside of the stereotypical book of what this community will purchase. There is a power in providing something to a wider audience because it shows that there are multiple types in this one community, but so much of the literature for LGBT has to have some guy standing in his boxer briefs on the cover. You will have a couple of scenes of boxer briefs, but it is only in the appropriate places in this book which is contained with the pages and in the locker room where it should be expected. I recommend taking the time to read this book and sharing it with others that want to understand that not everyone in the LGBT Community fits into a box or a stereotype.

On My Shelf Book Review: Fear Street Seniors- In Too Deep (Book 2)

Fear Street Seniors: In Too Deep (Book 2)

by R. L. Stine

2 Faerie Points

Another of the senior books bites the dust. In this book we see the cliche of a summer camp introduced. A senior is working at it. The first two books are basically the summer before senior year, which makes sense because you technically become a senior at that time. It appears though that the real story doesn't start until the next book called "The Thirst" when the seniors it appears actually start to die and the mystery of who is doing it gets introduced (I read the blurb for the next book that was in this one, so shoot me). 

This book is very predictable with the horror aspect of it. You won't be left going "Oh I didn't see that coming." At least not if you are familiar with any other horror story in existence. There will be a part of you that yawns through this particular book in the series as it feels like mainly filler because they wanted it to be a year long series. The only nice thing is for most of the book you are laughing at the main character because you know that the troubled kid in the book is not the kid he thinks it is. It became apparent while reading this book that I have developed as a reader and understand good writing, which this is not. To fit into stereotypes of your genre isn't a pretty thing, which makes this a less joyful read than the first book in the series that actually spent time to introduce us to all the characters in a reasonable fashion (a simple party without focusing on them). This book had little redeeming qualities about it though. 

This book would have received 1 faerie points if it hadn't been for the nostalgia of reading a Stine book.  As previously stated I devoured these books as a child, but I recognize now that sometimes our taste matures. I have definitely found stronger and a lot better fiction than this. I am going to read the rest of the series because it has been on my bucket list for far too long and it is time to knock it off, but I hope that they are not all as painful as this particular book or I may have to kill someone myself. 

On My Shelf Book Review: Let's Party by R.L. Stine (Fear Street Seniors Book 1)

Fear Street Seniors: Let's Party (Book 1)

by R.L. Stine

3 Faerie Points

As a teenager I used to devour the "Fear Street" books. I would go to the Muncie Mall bookstore and always turn the corner to the young adult section looking for one of these books that I hadn't previously acquired. I would devour them in no time at all and wish that I could read the next one. There are some good memories attached to these books thus I decided to purchase them again as an adult. 

I never had the opportunity when I was reading the series previously to read the Senior series, so I wanted to start my trip back down Fear Street with it. One of the important things that it has been important for me to recognize is that I am not the same reader that I was when I used to read these horror books. I can spot bad writing or a bit lousy writing better than I could back then. Stine is not bad writing, but he uses a formula at the end of every chapter that gets frustrating to read. He always had to finish the chapter with some horrible thing happening only to reveal that it wasn't what you thought in the beginning of the next chapter. This takes away from the writing, but it also is what makes the Fear Street books unique. They try to keep in invested and guessing what is real and isn't. 

Some of the joy of the books obviously has waned with the passing of time, which is only natural. I was shocked that I still enjoyed them as much as I did. They still hold my interest enough to get through roughly 200+ pages, but now I do so with a few eye rolls. Eye rolling is not always a bad thing in fiction writing, especially with a horror element. 

This first book in the series mainly sets the stage for the upcoming books. We are introduced to numerous members of the Shadyside High Senior class. This feels appropriate and not at all confusing since there are 11 other books featuring these characters. Stine did the intelligent thing by having the characters go to a party. This feels natural for high school students and allows us to gain a lot of names at once without being too concerned about who each of them are just yet. 

Stine made a solid first book in this particular series for young adults. Do I recommend this for the more adult reader? Probably not. There is better stuff out there to read, but for those that just want a short horror book this will keep you entertained. You won't gain any deep meaning about life, but you will be wondering if anyone will die. That is the ultimate question though in this series: Will the senior class make it to graduation? Welp, I guess I have to continue reading to find out for sure. 

Muncie Public Library e-book review: 1st to Die by James Patterson

1st to Die

by James Patterson

5 Faerie Points

This was a book that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. There was a tv series that only lasted 13 episodes based on this book series. The few episodes I saw of that show made me interested in the books, but I never got around to reading them (the story of my reading life). I saw that my local library had an ebook copy of the books, so I decided to put it on hold. Little did I know how quickly the hold for the ebook would come in. It came in on friday and I started reading it on Saturday.

I have never truly had the experience of reading a page-turner where I couldn't put a book down, but I can no longer say that. This book was one that gripped me from the first page. I loved the fact that each chapter is so short because it helps to keep your attention on the story and knowing that each chapter serves a particular point in the plot. I had to only put the book down when I finally went to bed at 2 am. Then I picked it up almost immediately on Sunday. 

James Patterson created interesting characters in Lindsay, Claire, Cindy, and Jill. These women are the members of the Women's Murder Club. Most of the time in a series the introduction book or first novel is so busy trying to introduce the concept that there is a lot left to be desired. This doesn't happen here because the story focuses mainly on the mystery instead of the introduction of the club. Patterson was intelligent enough to let Lindsay take the book fully and let the formation of the group be secondary. This helps make this book be a strong introduction to the series and one that stands apart from the other introductory novels in other series (think Janet Evanovich's One for the Money). 

The other shocking thing about this book is that Patterson being male seems to understand somewhat the basic idea of a female relationship. He doesn't try to oversell these women becoming friends. He simply guides them together and lets them do the rest. It appears almost effortlessly. 

The one issue with Patterson, in the beginning of the book, is that he keeps mentioning the location of the book being in San Francisco. Every other line felt that he was beating back into our heads that this was there. He would do this by restating where it was and also putting in little gems like San Francisco State University thus again stating the exact locale. In subsequent novels in the series I hope Patterson has learned to trust that his readers can get it the first time around. 

Overall this is a solid first book in the Women's Murder Club series and makes this reader want to continue on with the series. I am looking forward to reading "2nd Chance", which is the second book. I will however have to put it on reserve at the library as well. We will see how fast I get this next edition. As soon as I receive it I will read it and review it stat.

Bracken Library Book: Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

"Three Stations"

By Martin Cruz Smith

GROUP READ for: Authors, Authors on Shelfari

There are times when you start reading a book and you have to question that if your own train of thought is disjointed or if it the way that the author tells the story. I recognized while reading "Three Stations" that Cruz Smith's writing at times did feel disjointed, but it works for his particular brand of storytelling. He sets the story in Russia and this disjointed nature contributes to the feeling of it being authentic.

"Three Stations" is a police procedural mystery book that starts with the abduction of a baby. This is, however, not the main plot though. It is about a body found by the investigator. This takes the story on a disjointed rump where you are left wondering what one scene had to do with the last one. Often in books this doesn't work because the reader is left wondering where the heck the book is going, but for some reason it works with "Three Stations." You do not want to put it down because you recognize it is a rather short read and you want to know how the child will reunited with the character of Maya. I won't reveal if the child ever does because you need to read it for yourself.

If you are a mystery enthusiast I would recommend this book, but for those of you wanting something a little more light-hearted I don't think this is the book for you. There are scenes of violence, explosions and cursing that feels a bit overdone at times. For me, a mystery fan, it was the right cup of tea. To each their own and I recognize that. You really need to go into this particular novel knowing that it isn't a fluff "The Notebook" type of book, but one that is disconnected, violent, and a damn good read for seeing how an author can craft a story.

The mystery aspect of the book felt a little bit predictable, but I think when you start reading mystery over and over again you start to see the basic formula naturally. He does however throw in enough side characters that could have done it that you are left wondering if you could be way off base on what your assumptions are. Then you recognize that some of the side characters are actually a side story, which adds a bit to the depth of the story. It makes it feel more organic and like it is set in the real world because for most people they have multiple things going on at once instead of a normal story that focuses so heavily on the one particular plot.

The three faerie points for this novel is mainly because of the disjointed storytelling, but also because there are moments where you are suddenly thrust with characters that you have no idea why they are being showcased. It isn't until the end of the chapters that you find out why they are being mentioned and in this particular book it just doesn't work the way that Cruz Smith wanted. Outside of those things this is a worthwhile book to read. 

Kindle Book Review: "The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow" by Joyce Magnin

"The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow" by Joyce Magnin
3 Faerie Points

Joyce Magnin's Bright's Pond series, which "The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow" is the first book of this particular series, interweaves faith, death, and love all within the pages of its cover. This particular book is told from the viewpoint of Griselda Sparrow, Agnes's sister. The majority of the story deals with the fact that Agnes is seen as a miracle worker whose prayers often go answered by God. This story takes you on a journey through what it means to have actual faith.

My main gripe with this book is the sheer shock that happens during on particular part of this book. There was no real indication that this was going to happen in the book, but sometimes this is how life is. I don't feel that Magnin wrote any redeemable characters in the series for the most part, each of them are flawed. Here the flawed nature of the characters feels a bit undercooked because in many spots it feels like someone should be saying something to these characters that simply is not being said for some reason. "Why didn't someone ever truly speak up until near the end of the book?" is what the reader is left wondering. It doesn't leave a refreshing taste in the mouth.

This book had a lot of potential to be the first christian fiction book that I have actually enjoyed, but because of many of the holes contained within the story I simply didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped based on almost the first 3/4ths of the book. The tail end of the book just came out of almost no where for me and because of this this book lacks a lot of what should have been there. The lesson of faith and trusting who we are. It is also about letting go of our past and moving on from sin, but these elements are overshadowed by the sheer hatred that some of these characters spew at the ending of this book.

Even though there were parts I didn't like in this particular book I do intend to read the next book in the series called "Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise". It sounds like it will be interesting in a way that this book was unable to live up to.

Book Review: Death in Daytime by Eileen Davidson

"Death in Daytime" by Eileen Davidson
4 Faerie Points

What a fun little mystery!! This book is not one of those high-brow stories by any means, but it is a fun little read where you are wondering for the greater majority of the book who the killer is. Unfortunately it does become quickly apparent about 3/4 of the way in who it is, but I enjoyed the book regardless of this fact because you were still left wondering why up until the reveal.

I recognize that this is the first novel written by Eileen Davidson, who is primarily an actress known for roles on Days of Our Lives and Young and the Restless, so I thought this was a rather good attempt at creating a mystery story. I think she mixes just enough of her own individual knowledge of being an actress with the threads for the mystery aspect that it comes out just right in both directions. This is a book where you have to get through the initial few chapters because Davidson has to get her footing, but once you get past that you will greatly enjoy the book. Also she adds elements as it goes along that will make reading subsequent books interesting, such as a love triangle. Also the friend/family characters that are around the main character, Alexis, do not seem forced, but natural extensions of her. They feel like people that a real actress would have surrounding her, which adds a very believable element to this story.

There is not a lot of help in discovering the killer in this particular book because I think Davidson is used to more of the dialogue of a soap opera, which doesn't necessarily help her out in the writing here, which is why I give it only four instead of five. I believe as she progresses as an author she will get better, thus I believe the subsequent books will be a thrill to read.

Kindle Book Review: "The Blessing Way" by Tony Hillerman

"The Blessing Way" by Tony Hillerman
4 Faerie Points

The mystery aspect of this book was weak in many ways because it felt that he handed us the killer on a silver platter, so there wasn't a lot of guessing as to why the characters were in the dire situations that they found themselves in, but what greatly enhances the rating of this particular book is the sheer immersion into Native American culture that it contains. Hillerman does an excellent job of making these scenes feel authentic, which is important when someone is not totally related to the culture like Hillerman (Hillerman is a white male, but was raised around the Navajo culture in his youth according to additional content in the kindle edition.)

The book tends to focus to heavily on a side character in this first book of Leaphorn, but I imagine it was because he was originally just a side character that wasn't supposed to be that prominent at all in the book but Hillerman was asked to make him a bigger character by his editor. I imagine in the subsequent novels featuring him that he has more of a role and prominence. If you can get past this fact since it is the first novel in the series then you will greatly enjoy what he produces here.

As previously stated the mystery aspect is a little obvious and the moments are not that shocking when certain revelations occur. This still makes the mystery aspect of the book fine in my opinion because not every mystery needs to be a guessing game for the reader. Sometimes it needs to be handing them all the pieces so they can focus on other aspects of the novel, which as stated I think the Native American aspects were what needed to be focused in on in this first novel in the series, so we had a grasp on what the rest of the series would look like. It wasn't the best book I have read this year, but it was a quick read that I completed in one day, which makes it a great book in my opinion because you don't have to sit with it for a long period of time. You can just have a new experience with a new culture in the matter of one day!

Bracken Library Book Review: Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum

Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum
4 Faerie Points

Baum has definitely refound his footing as an author when it comes to the Oz books. He has found a formula that allows him to tell other stories, but still have them take place in the world of Oz. Some of his issues it appeared to be previously is he didn't want to continue Oz stories, but didn't recognize that he could tell stories about other countries by just including the last part of the book taking place in Oz, which is what he has done in the last few books. In this one it appears for the majority of the book oz will not be seen at all, but then finally in the final few paragraphs we see Dorothy and many of the other favorites of the series.

This story is one of his better stories as well because it is a mystical adventure where he created magic items that are simplistic in nature but also are ingenious. In this story the Prince of Pinagree (Inga) inherits three magical pearls that give him various powers. This allows him to complete many feats that others could not and as a result he works to free his family and rebuild his own kingdom. Baum created a story of friendship between countries, people, and how one can have a simple adventure story without blood and gore.

Parents would find this series to be ideal for their children because it keeps the imagination active for a child, but also teaches them various lessons about not being mean to others, not being envious, and other important lessons that children need to have. As an adult you will take some things away from it as well, but you will take less away morally and probably be like me where I just enjoyed a great adventure story that was a quick read. I highly recommend this book for anyone just wanting some good pleasure reading.

Bracken Library Book Review: The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Scarecrow of Oz
by L. Frank Baum
4 Faerie Points

Baum's "The Scarecrow of Oz" sees two of his creations from another book finding their way to the land of oz. I personally had never been introduced to these other characters as I have never read the other book. This fact does not take away from the joy of reading this book though. In many ways it can add to it because after you are finished if you desire you can find another adventure containing them.

This book, out of all the oz books I have read to date, is probably my favorite of the series because it felt that Baum was comfortable with his own writing and also what he wanted to convey with this story about the land of oz. I have stated in my other reviews of the Oz books that there have been times that you could tell that Baum was over telling stories of this other world, but you can tell in this book that he was having fun. It seemed like a switch had finally went off in his head that he could still create wonderful characters regardless of them eventually ending up in Oz. This made this book very strong in my opinion.

The creatures while fantastical in nature, which is the point of new characters in these books to be larger than life, seemed to also be rooted in a more "real world" understanding of what a character is. The Ork is something that you would think you would see at any zoo you went to but you realize it was not a real bird ever. This contrasts to some of the creatures in the previous books that you felt could never exist in any capacity. Also these creatures seemed more geared towards a bit older generation, not adults but slightly older than a child, because he actually spends time describing things in a manner that he didn't do in the previous books that give the creatures/characters a different type of life. One that seems to again contrast with some of the other characters like the Woozy that was introduced in a previous volume that felt it was geared specifically for small children.

Baum has found himself as an author in my opinion in this book and as a result produced a book that is really wonderful to read. His books are never high literature by any mean nor do they have any particular deep message most of the time, but they are fun reads full of adventure and intrigue that are worth reading.

Challenge Read (from Shelf): Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
3 stars

Golding's "Lord of the Flies" was a book that I was never required to read in school for whatever reasons my high school felt. As a result there was always a mild curiosity about the title lingering in my mind thus I felt it was time to finally put it to rest.

I entered into the book with no real expectations other than what I had heard from others of it being a literary classic and one that everyone should read, but as I started reading it myself there was a part of me that wondered what was the point of this book. For the majority of pages I lingered hovering on the pages wondering why I decided to read it. It wasn't until I got about 60 pages from the end that I started to grasp what the book was. This book reflects what could happen to society in many aspects, but it doesn't do it well. The book doesn't work for me, but some books don't work for everyone.

I probably would have given this only 2 stars if it wasn't for the fact that I started to understand and enjoy it by the ending. I grasped that there was a more human undertone that I wasn't grasping as fully as could be, so I have to give it three stars for what it is trying to accomplish and I believe for many other reasons it actually does accomplish. Would I recommend this book to others? I would because it is still considered a literary classic and also it is a book that speaks to human nature, so others may be touched in a way that I wasn't by the story. It may help them to understand why as humans we need to learn to help each other and ultimately that we need to work together for the betterment of society at large.