Gone Girl

The Book:  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Summary:

    On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
     As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

What I Thought:

I'd heard great things about this book, and then got the chance to meet the author (and get a signed copy of the book), so I had to jump on the bandwagon and give it a read.  

I found that there were parts where I couldn't put the book down and then times that it felt like it was dragging along.  Overall, though, Flynn kept me guessing and I could never predict what would happen next! I really enjoyed reading such an original book (what a plot idea!), but found the ending rather unfulfilling.  Nick and Amy are definitely unique characters, but very well developed through the dual narration. These two left me with the urge to read up on true-crime cases and psychopathy.

Rating:
7/10

The Reef

The Book:  The Reef by Nora Roberts 

Summary (taken from Nora Roberts Site): 

Tate Beaumont, a beautiful student of marine archaeology, and Matthew Lassiter, a sea-scarred young man, share the dream of finding Anguelique’s Curse, the jeweled amulet surrounded by legend and said to be long lost at the bottom of the sea. Forced into a reluctant partnership with Matthew and his uncle, Tate soon learns that her arrogant but attractive fellow diver holds as many secrets as the sea itself.


What I Thought: 

I always enjoy a Nora Roberts story line and especially enjoyed the elements of treasure hunting and sea life present within this Roberts tale.  And, though, nothing less of a cheesy (yet begrudgingly enjoyable) romance can be expected from this author, I didn't believe this love story.  I understand a basis for lust with two young and attractive people out at sea for weeks or months on end, but why do these two characters love each other?  Their story line felt shallow, rushed, and unbelievable to me.  In fact, Tate and Matthew, the two main characters were actually the only characters I didn't much care for!  All of the rest of the characters were so lively, defined, and realistic that I had a clear picture of them throughout the book.  Buck, the drunken and loyal uncle. Ray, the restless retired father.  Marla, the fiery southern belle.  LaRue, the charming, mysterious canuck. And finally, the very rich and very crazy villain, VanDyke.  Even some of the minor characters left a impact, while the two main characters remain a mystery to the reader.  In all, not her best work, but definitely a fun summer or beach read.

Rating:  6/10

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

The Book:  Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Summary (taken from book cover):
Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep s clothing. He's handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.


What I Thought: 

I've been on a huge Dexter kick lately, so when I found the book that the T.V. series was based on, I was curious to see how close the story lines were.  Turns out that they based the first season of the show very closely on Lindsay's first Dexter book up until the very end.  In an odd turn of events - at least for this book-lover - I definitely like the television version of this storyline better than in the book!  Don't get me wrong, this was still a good book that really kept my attention (even though I new what happened for the most part) and it was interesting to really have access to the serial killers thoughts, even as he thought he was going crazy, but  something was missing.  Maybe it was the odd conversations with himself, the some arrogant reactions,  or that he was more "empty" than the Dexter on the show, but I never really feel in love with print Dexter as much as screen Dexter.  This could be the further characterization for the show or maybe Michael C. Hall is just that good.  Either way, I was surprised when I finished the book and I realized I'd rather watch Dexter than read Dexter.  All in all a good read though, whether you've seen the show or not.

Rating:  7/10

P.S. Read more about Lindsay's Dexter books here!

Weekend In Paris

The Book:  Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman

Summary (taken from book cover):
Small-town girl Molly Clearwater moved to London to follow her dream of a fun and fashionable city life.  Everything seems to be coming up roses when her boss offers her a perk: a free weekend trip to Paris.  Molly's ecstatic until she discovers her boss's idea of "business," and she impulsively decides to bard a rain to Paris on her own.

Within moments of stepping onto the cobblestoned streets of Paris and making her first friend at her auberge, Molly is swept up in adventure.  From infiltrating her boss's business conference in disguise to touring the midnight city on the back of a handsome stranger's motorbike, Molly find her weekend away from her troubles turning into a voyage of passion and self-discovery that will change her life forever.

What I Thought: 
Mom and I decided to read a "light" book together during our vacation last month, but this proved to be a difficult task.  Finally we settled on Weekend in Paris.  Within about 20 pages, we both realized our mistake.  It did prove to be a very light read, but it failed to keep (or ever get, for that matter) my attention.  I had higher expectations for this book with glowing reviews printed on both covers from some of my favorite authors, but I found I disagreed with their praise comparing the main character to Elle Woods and Bridget Jones.  I found Molly to be a very shallow character, changing her opinions and self images on the whimsical reactions to the surrounding characters.  Beyond that, most of the plot was driven by coincidences so unrealistic I found myself actually rolling my eyes while reading.  Now, I'm a fan of cheesy, predictable, rom-com style, but I just found this book was trying for something that never quite worked out.  I doubt I will read anymore from this author.

Rating:  2/10

The Lincoln Lawyer

The Book:  The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Summary (taken from author's website, found here):
Mickey Haller has spent all his professional life afraid that he wouldn't recognize innocence if it stood right in front of him. But what he should have been on the watch for was evil.
    
Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers — they're all on Mickey Haller's client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence — it's about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it's even about justice.
    
A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney's dream, what they call a franchise case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career.
    
Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal — this time to save his own life.

What I Thought: 
I am a fan of Connelly and as soon as I heard this novel was being made into a movie I knew I needed to read quick, before see the movie.  I have to admit, I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but that could have a lot to do with the busy schedule leaving little time for reading.  Once I had a chance to read more than a few pages in one sitting, I found it hard to put down.  Each chapter seemed to offer a slight change in the case against Roulet and I was never quite sure what to believe.  As the reader, you are really finding everything out along with Mickey and there seems to be a twist or a surprise everytime you think you have it figured out.  This was the first of Connelly's books I read that featured Haller (I've read several books about Detective Bosch), and I'm definitely planning to find another to read soon!  I was also glad that I finished the book before seeing the movie, I think it made the movie even better somehow.  (The movie was very good, I'd recommend seeing it.)

Rating:  8/10

The Great Gatsby

The Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Summary (an excerpt from this article):

The Great Gatsby is probably F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest novel--a book that offers damning and insightful views of the American nouveau riche in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is an American classic and a wonderfully evocative work.Like much of Fitzgerald's prose, it is neat and well--crafted. Fitzgerald seems to have had a brilliant understanding of lives that are corrupted by greed and incredibly sad and unfulfilled. The novel is a product of its generation--with one of American literature's most powerful characters in the figure of Jay Gatsby, who is urbane and world-weary. Gatsby is really nothing more than a man desperate for love.

The novel's events are filtered through the consciousness of its narrator, Nick Carraway, a young Yale graduate, who is both a part of and separate from the world he describes. Upon moving to New York, he rents a house next door to the mansion of an eccentric millionaire (Jay Gatsby). Every Saturday, Gatsby throws a party at his mansion and all the great and the good of the young fashionable world come to marvel at his extravagance (as well as swap gossipy stories about their host who--it is suggested--has a murky past). Despite his high-living, Gatsby is dissatisfied; and Nick finds out why...

What I Thought: 
I decided to read the book because it's a classic - classics are generally the best literature has to offer.  I found this book starting out very slow and I had a hard time getting into it.  By the end though, I felt so close to the characters I was sad at the ending and at the fact that the there was an ending.  So much so, that almost immediately after finishing the book, I dug out the movie (Robert Redford was a fitting Jay Gatsby!) Although I can't say that this is one of my favorite books, I think it could eventually become one of my favorites.  I think - as might be hinted at in that it is a classic - this isn't a quick one-time read.  I plan to re-read this novel a few more times in the future and I predict I will like it more with each read.


Rating:  8/10

Insatiable

The Book: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Visit Meg Cabot's website:
(http://www.megcabot.com/insatiable/#) 

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.
But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them. Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does). But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for. 

The problem is, he's already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own. And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare. Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . . If she even has one.                             
(Summary from the book cover.)

What I Thought: 
I am a huge fan of Cabot.  Many of her adult books read like romantic comedies or "chick flicks" and usually feature a quick-witted, sarcastic main couple that makes the plot seem more truthful.  I also, though somewhat embarrassing, will admit to enjoying vampire books.  Insatiable seemed, then, to combine two of my favorite literary happenings into one novel.  Although I did enjoy the book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.  I found the beginning a little slow, but noticed that as I got into the book, it was difficult to put down.  Once the prince of darkness arrived in New York, things got interesting and I had to know what happened next to Meena, Lucien, and Alaric.  For all the great build up, though, I was a little disappointed by the ending (which seemed to hint at a sequel).  Overall, it was a fun read, but not one of my favorites by Cabot.


Rating:  7/10

Nerds Like It Hot

The Book:
Nerds Like It Hot by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Summary from the author's website: (http://www.vickilewisthompson.com/)

As the sole witness to a mob-related murder, mousy makeup artist Gillian McCormick needs to disappear if she wants to stay alive. With the help of her octogenarian film star friend Cora Bledsoe, Gillian transforms into a Marilyn Monroe look-alike and books passage on a Nerd cruise headed for Mexico. She also brings along backup; P.I. Lex Manchester and his partner Dante Fiorello, who agree to work undercover as nerds to protect Gillian until the cruise docks.

But once aboard ship, things are far from simple. The cruise is loaded with unusual and suspicious characters, from lusty nerds to cross-dressers, making it nearly impossible to identify a real threat. And when things begin to heat up between Gillian and Lex, will he be able to keep her safe when all he wants to do is keep her for himself?

What I thought:

This book is what you expect from a typical modern romance novel -the characters were likable, the plot line was somewhat predictable, the main couple find themselves in some interesting encounters. I felt the ending was a little sudden and awkward though.

This book it isn't for those looking for a deep read, but it is a cute, light and fun read. Great for beach/pool reading!

My Rating: 6/10