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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#38 Sweeping Up Glassby Carolyn Wall
A proud poor woman living in a small town in Kentucky uncovers secrets about her own life and the town about it.
Reviews coampare this book to "To Kill A Mockingbird". I can see the similarities. Olivia is a proud girl and essentially color blind in a society which, at that time, was not. There's alot of rich detail and the secrets don't let the reader down.
(added) Now that I think about it, some of the characters' actions and parts of the plot don't add up. But it was an interesting read.)
Virginia, don't tell my son, but I was disappointed by the Maze Runner series too. It just didn't make sense.
Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 07/21/16 09:00 AM.
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The Whisper of Stars -(Hibernation #1) - Nick JonesThe year is 2091. With accelerated warming and global population out of control, the survival of humanity hangs in the balance. On the brink of extinction, science delivers one last hope. Human hibernation.
Jennifer Logan is a tough cop in the newly formed Duality Division, tasked with enforcing hibernation. When she uncovers a memory, hidden deep within her mind, her belief in the system she protects is shattered. Together with an unlikely partner, and convinced that her past holds the secret to mankind’s future, she embarks on a dangerous search for the truth, one that rapidly turns into a struggle for her life. A really enjoyable SF conspiracy thriller with great characters, edge of the seat action, and an intriguing future world. Looking forward to reading book 2. LabRat 
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#39 Half Bad by Sally Green
A world with white witches and black witches living amongst regular folk. Nathan has a whitem witch mom and an infamous black witch (that he has never meet). As a half, he is treated poorly . Interesting world .
Joan
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Todd - Adam J NicolaiWithout warning on a sunny June afternoon, all life on Earth vanishes. Reeling and alone in the aftermath, Alan and his son Todd scrounge through the ruins of civilization to survive.
Finding food and water is easy. Electric power is harder. But Alan has his own search, one he tries to hide from his son: after a lifelong struggle with depression, his scarcest resource now is a reason to keep living.
Through wildfires and tornadoes, as the deadly cold of a Minnesota winter draws closer, the two ask questions that may never be answered. Why did this happen? Why were they spared? They don't realize that behind the empty sky, the entity that did this still watches.
Or that its plans have only begun. An intriguing idea completely ruined by repetitive introspection and awful characters. Alan was a whining, self-pitying, self-indulgent idiot. And if I hadn't been told Todd was eight I'd have pegged him at four or five, which would have made much more sense, given his lack of knowledge, behaviour and vocabulary. I only kept reading for answers as to who had done this and why and what their end game was. What were the Blurs? What was the purpose of the Blue Star? Absolutely none of which was addressed at all. A real disappointment. LabRat
Last edited by LabRat; 07/28/16 06:46 AM.
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#40 Between Husbands and Friends by Nancy Thayer Lucy met Kate when they were both young wives and mothers. In the years since, the two women and their husbands and children have become inseparable, spending every August together in a house on Nantucket. Lucy and Kate, each other's most trusted confidantes, have shared their secrets, from the mundane to the shocking--but there's one explosive secret that Lucy has kept to herself.
As August once again approaches, Lucy must confront the truth she has kept hidden all these years. Now, in the midst of an unexpected family crisis, she must make a decision that could shatter all of their lives. Good, fluffy read. LabRat - that's too bad about "Todd". The summary sounded pretty interesting. Joan
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Black Virus - Bobby AdairAlienated in a world where he doesn’t fit in, Christian Black survives because he’s different. Then the virus came, and made the world turn different, too.
Now people are dying by the million. Food supplies are short. Riots are blazing through the streets, and Christian’s only goal is to keep his family alive. But safety lies far from the city, and just getting out will be tougher than anyone knows. In contrast to my last post this was an excellent YA PA adventure with a believable depiction of societal breakdown and an engaging hero. I particularly enjoyed how Christian was able to make the tough survival decisions without the usual moralising about it. My only disappointment was that it was way too short - just a few chapters long. Seems it's a prequel novella for the main event. Looking forward to reading that. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Sky Child - T. M. BrennerAfter billions died in the End War, a small group of survivors found refuge in the Crag cave. Cut off from the outside world, they have no way of knowing if they're the only people left alive. To ensure their survival, they split into four groups: the Hunters, the Harvesters, the Keepers and the Protectors. As generations pass, the population becomes more and more murderous. Killing is so common in the Crag that there are no longer laws against it. Sam, a seventeen-year-old hunter, was left outside the Crag as an infant. Believed to have been a gift from the Sky Gods, there are whispers that Sam is the Sky Child, the one prophesized to bring peace and prosperity to the Crag. Anyone special or different is a target for murder, and Sam is the biggest target of all. A very enjoyable YA PA novel. Not bursting with action but a simple tale well told. Looking forward to the sequel. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Break No Bones - by Kathy ReichsTemperance Brennan is in Charleston, NC this time, uncovering a string of homeless people who had been murdered. Nothing tied the bodies together, since they were so badly decomposed, except for one small thing that only Tempe finds. All the while, she has to deal with current boyfriend and her estranged husband butting heads. Another dark gruesome tale with all the gory details included. Strangely enough, this story takes place directly before the last book I read by her. LOL. Who knew? (This is one of those series where they never tell you which order the books come in.) Always interesting. Kathy Reichs knows how to capture the darkness in a psycho's heart. Terminal - A Virals Series - by Kathy Reichs and Brendan ReichsContinuing where the last book left off, Tory realizes that there's another group of Virals out there... and Chance is one of them. Not only do Tory, Ben, Sheldon, and Hi have to battle this rival Viral group, but they need to so while keeping away from the secret government agency that's hunting all of them down. I kept feeling as if Kathy and Brendan kept forgetting that Tory is only 15 in this novel. They treat her as much older in a way I found creepy (in the way her age never stopped the other characters from acting the way they did). Also, having the covert government agency (reminiscent of B39, BTW) cross those same boundaries without pause shows that in some respects our country hasn't changed much in the past 20 years. Superman: For Tomorrow - by Brian Azzarello, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams![[Linked Image]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9781401237806_p0_v4_s192x300.jpg) While helping save Green Lantern off planet, thousands of people simply disappeared from all over Earth, including Lois Lane. It's called "The Vanishing". Clark has to deal with his guilt for not being there to protect Lois (and everyone else) all while stopping a civil war in Africa (I think) from escalating. Again, I feel as if the whole story wasn't told within the confines of the book. I don't know if there's another book in this series, but it certainly felt incomplete. I want to know where Lois and all those people went and if Superman can save them, or if they just died and are gone forever. As much of the story is told third-person (from another character's POV), we don't see much or any of Clark, only Superman. Lois is never even named as the Superman's missing wife. A depressing story in which Superman loses his hope and almost seems worse off by the end.
Last edited by VirginiaR; 08/01/16 02:11 AM. Reason: No almost about it.
VirginiaR.
"On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling"
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"clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#41 Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Second book in Throne of Glass series
Celaena Sardothien is now the King's Assassin. But she isn't loyal to the crown. She's not sure who to trust. Then an event occurs which drastically changes everything.
I'm not usually much of a fantasy person but this is pretty well done. The world building is interesting and I'm routing for the characters. I plan to keep reading the series.
Joan
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#42 The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver
In the near future, the United States renounces the national debt and the value of the dollar plummets. We follow the extended Mandible family as they live through these changing times.
An interesting, if not disturbing concept. There was some lecturing on economic principles. Some I agreed with, some I didn't understand. The characters weren't overly likeable but it was interesting to see where the author would take this scenario.
Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 08/08/16 10:03 PM.
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Drowned -Cyn Balloq (Drowned Series #2Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.
Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.
Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters. An intriguing world, a heroine you can root for and action-packed - loved this one. I didn't realise it was book 2 until halfway through but it didn't matter. Looking forward to reading book one, which appears to be the story of Coe's parents and provides some backstory, so reading them out of order shouldn't matter. Somewhat dismayed that there's no indication of a book three. Hope there is and that it's published soon! LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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The Night Girl - Amy CrossWhen she starts a new job at Crestview retirement home, Juliet discovers that something unusual is waiting for her in an abandoned part of the building. At first, she think the mysterious Jennifer Mathis is some kind of ghost. Later, however, Juliet learns that Jennifer has certain powers that could be extremely useful.
Meanwhile, eleven years ago, a younger version of Juliet has to cope with the death of her mother. Forced to live with her father, Juliet discovers that she has some unusual talents. Soon she's embarking upon a killing spree, the consequences of which look set to remain hidden until the fateful day when she eventually enters Crestview.
The Night Girl is the story of a girl gone wrong, and of a girl who discovers she has a dark skill for murder. An excellent, dark psychological thriller and possibly the best depiction of a psychopathic mind I've yet read. The author even manages to make the reader feel sorry for Juliet. She's a sympathetic character in a way I've not seen since Dexter. Enjoyed this one so much, I'm delighted to see that this author has a large catalogue. Will definitely be checking out more of her books soon. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Peter's Sisters - LM FosterSue’s in the mental hospital and she’s only partially surprised. There had been that thing, that . . . interlude with her sister’s new boyfriend. When he’d started it – what possible choice did she have but to go ahead and finish it?
Bonnie wanted to be fair. Her sister had just snapped, and Bonnie reckoned that such a thing could happen to anybody. She’d almost gone over the edge herself once. On the other hand, what Susan had done, the things that she’d said . . . Bonnie wanted to be fair, but she wasn’t sure she could forgive Sue. Not for any of it. I'm a bit nonplussed over this one. It wasn't my usual fare but I can't say it was wasted time because I did enjoy the journey. I have mixed feelings about the abrupt ending but part of me likes it and kind of feels it suited the story. <g> A weird one. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Kathy's Reichs first novel introduces us to Temperance Brennan and the other co-starring characters in her series (including Andrew Ryan). Set in Montreal, Quebec, Tempe is the only one in the ME's office to believe a series of murders are related. She has to fight against the old boy's club of the Montreal PD to convince the detectives she's not seeking glory, only the truth. She has to break rules to find evidence that links the crimes. In her personal life, she battling an old friend who keeps dragging Tempe into the dark shadows of her life.
I enjoy Kathy Reichs plots, although I skim over much of the violence and gory aspects and ultra-scientific jargon. Nothing is ever happy in Tempe's world and having read a bunch of her novels over this summer, I doubt it ever will. Tempe often reminds me of Lois in her self-justification for her actions.
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
Back in Montreal, Quebec, Tempe, Ryan, and the MPD are racing against time to save the city from a motorcycle gang war which is plaguing the city and catching innocents in the crossfire. Once again, Tempe's personal life and professional life cross paths with bad results as her teenage nephew Kit is in town and, against her wishes and advice, embroils himself into the city's motorcycle culture.
It was interesting to see Kit (Tory's father from the Viral's series) as an angsty teenager. I'm curious when and how he turned into a nerdy marine biologist. There's no evidence of that man in this story. Having watched my share of crime dramas, the Andrew Ryan motivation for his story line was somewhat predictable.
Last edited by VirginiaR; 08/14/16 04:00 PM. Reason: More
VirginiaR.
"On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling"
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"clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#43 Half-Wild by Sally Green 2nd book in the Half-Bad Trilogy In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father. Interesting developments between White and Black witches. Nathan makes new allies and a civil war starts. Joan
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#44 What Was Mine by Helen Klein RossLucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood. It was an interesting story but I somehow felt I should've been more emotionally engaged. Some of the scenarios just didn't ring true for me. Joan
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The Purge of Babylon Series - Sam Sisavath:
#1 The Purge of Babylon
#2 The Gates of ByzantiumOne night. That was all it took. Creatures that once lived in the shadows, hidden from humankind, have risen, spreading like a plague across the globe over the course of a single night. Their numbers growing exponentially through infection, these seemingly unkillable creatures have swallowed up whole cities and collapsed unprepared governments.
Survivors call it The Purge.
Against all odds, a disparate group of survivors has emerged from that blood-soaked night that devastated the planet and reduced humanity to an endangered species. Among the survivors are two ex-Army Rangers, a businesswoman, and a third-year medical student. But surviving The Purge was one thing - staying alive is another matter entirely. An action-packed PA series, full of well-rounded characters and a chilling, somewhat more original than the usual zombies, monster horde. I went through books 1 and 2 in an evening, staying up till the wee hours to finish. I've already bought book 3 but am trying to read other books in between to make this last longer. <g> Delighted to see there at least 9 books in the series so far, though. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#45 The Fallout by Tamar Cohen
Dan and Sasha are Josh and Hannah's closest friends. Everything changes when Dan abruptly announces that he's leaving Sasha.
This didn't go where I thought it might but it was engaging to read.
Joan
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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#46 Not Alone by Craig FalconerAliens exist, the government knows, and Dan McCarthy just found the proof.
When Dan McCarthy stumbles upon a folder containing evidence of the conspiracy to end all conspiracies -- a top-level alien cover-up -- he leaks the files without a second thought.
The incredible truth revealed by Dan’s leak immediately captures the public’s imagination, but Dan’s relentless commitment to exposing the cover-up and forcing disclosure quickly earns him some enemies in high places.
For his whole life, Dan McCarthy has searched for a reason to believe. Now that he finally has one, he might soon wish he didn’t... Interesting book with a lot of twists. Combination of political thriller and sci-fi story. The characters resonated well with me and kept me interested through 740 pages of the story. The double twist at the end was an interesting way of wrapping up the story. Mike
Create all the happiness you are able to create.
Remove all the misery you are able to remove.
Jeremy Bentham
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#46 Version Control by Dexter Palmer
Philip Steiner's life work is a causality violation device (a.k.a. a time machine). It doesn't seem to be working. Yet it is...
This was an interesting concept so I stuck with it through 500 pages. It had some intriguing glimpses of future technology issues. However, it never really came together for me. I had trouble buying into the main concept.
Joan
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