The Next Book On My List

Inferno by Dan Brown Robert Langdon has woken up in a hospital room and doesn’t remember the last two days of his life. He has  stitches on his head from a gun shot wound and just escaped from the hospital with Dr. Sienna Brooks. Bertrand Zobrist is an extremely smart geneticist and transhumanist who believes that humans are on the verge of extinction due to overpopulation. He has recently committed suicide after going into hiding for a year. His goal is to come up with a solution to our problem of overpopulation in the most extreme way possible: a plague that will wipe out half of humanity. Robert has been given the clues to stop this from happening but he must dive into the mind of Zobrist and its obsession with Dante Alighieri’s poem The Inferno and between his amnesia and the people trying to kill him, he isn’t having an easy time with it. Robert takes us on a journey through many countries and as always we are able to experience different European countries as he tries

Red Rain by R.L. Stine Lea was in Cape Le Chat Noir when Hurricane Ernesto swept through the island killing many of the islanders and destroying the landscape. Daniel and Samuel’s parents died during the storm and their home washed away. Lea, who feels an unnatural pull to the boys, adopts the twins and brings them home with her to Sag Harbor. Her husband, Mark, is a child psychologist and author, who doesn't agree with the two new additions to the family and only agrees to their presence to help his wife get over the tragedy she suffered. Elena and Ira, Mark and Lea’s son and daughter, are ambivalent to the presence of two new brothers. But the atmosphere in the home begins to change. The twins have their own plans for Sag Harbor and they see their “new pa” as a threat, a threat that needs to be eliminated.                 Let’s face it, kids are creepy. When you take two abandoned 12 year old, blonde hair, blue eyed boys, who look like innocent dolls and turn them int

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Lieutenant Henry has fallen in love with Catherine Barkley. He is an American ambulance driver for the Italian Army. She is an English nurse. This is World War I. Love in itself is complicated but to be in love during the war is a fight within itself. The war pulls them apart and brings them back together after Henry is injured during an attack from the Austrian Army. During his recovery their love and passion intensifies. They discover she is with child, but he must return to the front. Things take a turn for the worst during a retreat when Henry must run for his life and somehow find the woman he longs to be his wife.                 A Farewell to Arms was an honest interpretation of new love. Catherine at times can be annoying with her proclamations of love but she was raw with her emotions. Henry was much more reserved with how he relayed his information but was still very willing to convey his feelings to her. Henry was the nar

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury We are now in a time and place where books are forbidden and burned if found by Firemen. Now the job of a Fireman isn’t to put out flames, but to set houses found with books on fire. The world has moved on from books and those found harboring them risk losing their home and being arrested. Guy Montag, who has been a Fireman for ten years, knows the joy that comes from watching the burn. His father and his grandfather were both Fireman before him and he willingly enough has followed in their footsteps. He has a wife, Millie, who takes part in everyday activities like watching TV and taking part in some of the TV shows.  And this is society. But there are those that still read, that still converse, that still question, that still wonder but they are outcast. There are those that will sacrifice there lives before letting these choices to be taken away from them. These outcast affect Guy in a way that he would never imagine. It sets off a fire in

The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K Dick I t’s been over a decade since World War II has ended and the world is a different place now that Germany and Japan has won the war.  Very little remains of what was the United States of America, with the east coast now German Territory and the west belonging to Japan. Most of the Jewish population has been terminated with those surviving living behind plastic surgery and false names. Since most of the world is now under German or Japanese control, rulers are looking to colonize other planets like Mars. But in the midst of all this change, life still continues. And with all this change someone has written a book, that has been banned in Germany and all its territories, about what the world would have been like if the United States and Britain had won the war.                 The Man in the High Castle introduced quite a few different characters, from an American antiques dealer, a Jewish man in hiding, a leading German officer go

She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor The young King, Edward VI, King Henry VIII’s only legitimate heir is dying. Before his death he goes against his fathers will, which states that Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Tudor would be the next in line for the throne, to appoint his cousin, Jane Grey’s male sons heir to the throne. The politics of this decision go back hundreds of years and are thoroughly discussed within these passages. You are first introduced to Matilda (1102-1167) who was the heir to Henry I, but never took the thrown in her own place, always being seen as a figure for her husband or son. Then, Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204) is introduced. She was Queen of France and later Queen of England. Extremely powerful she would eventually help her son defy his father in his quest for the crown. Isabella of France (1295-1328) is the third woman observed. She was the wife of the Edward II of England and after constantly being ignored by her h

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts I’m sure most people recognize the title of this book because of the movie that was released in 2000 starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. I thought the movie was great and was really excited I was able to get my hands on the book. Where the Heart Is follows the life Novalee Nation who was left in a Walmart in Seqouyah at seventeen, while pregnant, by her boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens. The couple was on their way to California where Willy Jack was going to work with his cousin, when he decided it would be easier to continue on without Novalee and left her without a second glance. Novalee then began leaving in the Walmart, unbeknownst to anyone, and became friends with Sister Husband, a caring recovering alcoholic, and Forney who lived in the town library with his sick sister. Novalee gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Americus, in the Walmart, and moved in with Sister Husband. Forney, who helped deliver Americus, became one of Novalee’s

I've got to take a second and say thank you to my girl, Mrs. Dominique Penn for the shout out and love on the blog! Thanks love. Check her out and The Next Book On My List feature out! EverythingMrsPennLoves: Book Worms Lets Go!! : From time to time I like to check to see what the new readings are every now and then. Little did I know one of my book worm best friends has a blog that gives you a authentic review of the books that she reads! If your ready to start a book club and are in need for books, or if you want to just get your read on check her out at www.thenextbookonmylist.blogspot.com!! She's amazing and credible!!! Enjoy!!

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Woman can no longer hold bank accounts. Women can no longer hold jobs. Women are not allowed to read. If you are a handmaid, you are not allowed to do much at all. Walk to the market. Wait. And bear children. That is your job as a handmaid, or mistress as some would call it. You are here to bear children for your commander and his wife. You are only useful if you can bear children. Offred is at her third home and has her last chance to bear a child before being sent away to the Colonies if not worse. Offred had a daughter once, before things changed. She had a job, her own money. She was in love with her husband, Luke. But now she doesn’t even know if her daughter or her husband are alive. Everything before this is a memory. Her life and the lives of everyone around her has changed. Religion has taken over in the Republic of Gilead, what used to be the United States. The President is dead, as well the members of Congress and the cons

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land chronicles the life of the man from Mars, Valentine Michael Smith, after being brought back to his home planet, Earth. Born to scientists who died during an expedition to Mars, Mike, a human, was raised by martians.  He understands their language, mannerisms , way of life and community. He was discovered when a second expedition was sent to the planet over two decades after his birth. The discovery of Mike sparked the curiousity of every human on earth and he was brought back to his home planet. Once there Mike had to adjust not only physically but mentally to this new planet. He had to adapt to the language, the movement, the lifestyle and the presence of other humans, not to mention the fact that he had never seen a woman until arriving to earth. Mike tries to adapt as best as he can to his new surroundings while also introducing his way of life and understanding to others.                 Inte

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand Meredith Delinn is the most hated woman on earth, after her husband, Freddy, has stolen billions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme through his business. Now she is under investigation, as well as her oldest son, in the conspiracy that she thought was her life. She has been black balled and shunned and has nowhere to turn. Desperate and alone Meredith reaches out to Connie, her best friend who she hasn't talked to in three years. Connie has been alone since the death of her husband two and half years earlier. Connie is well aware of the situation surrounding Meredith and Freddy which has been all over the news for months. Freddy’s business was partly responsible for the parting of ways between Meredith and Connie and they both hope that enough time has passed and the friendship can mend. Connie takes Meredith out of New York to Nantucket where Connie stays during the summer. Here Meredith can hide, or so she thinks. But when you are the most hated

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult Jodi Picoult is an author who can write anything and I’ll read it. I’ll see that she has new novel released and without any hesitation the book will be purchased.  With that being said I didn’t know what I was getting into when I began this novel. I didn’t expect to get thrown into the horror that is the Holocaust. I didn’t expect to start crying on the couch when the SS officer recounted shooting hundreds of people simply because they were Jewish. I didn’t expect to put the book down because I couldn’t handle the Holocaust survivor, tell of the horror she lived through. I was completely unprepared and it left me raw. So let me prepare you. This is not a story to be taken lightly. It is a credit to the amount of research she put into this story and her talent as a writer that I was able to show such emotion when reading this book. But this is a fictional account of real events. What’s in the pages I just read wont compare to what people actuall

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) So what do you when you are the world renowned author of the Harry Potter Series and everyone wants you to keep writing books like Harry Potter? You create a penname and release your newest novel under that name, which should then give you a shot at having a career outside of Harry Potter. The cover, of course, was blown and everyone knew immediately after the release of The Cuckoo’s Calling that it was written by JK Rowling, and not the debut author, Robert Galbraith. Even though the attempt at obscurity failed the book was a success. Much like her other novel, The Casual Vacancy , JK Rowling stepped out of the realm of magic and into the real world, one of celebrity obsession, drugs, race relations, and murder.                 A young model fell to her death in an apparent suicide and her troubled brother has a hired a wounded veteran, now a private detective, to solve what he believes is an actual murder. Our priva

                  That’s exactly what it has felt like the last couple of months while reading nothing but Stephen King since. I’ve said more than once that Stephen King is my favorite author and this year I wanted to experience just his thought process through only his novels in chronological order. It was an experience I can barely explain. I don’t know of any other author whose ideas, and stories blend in the ways that his did without being a part of a series. If it wasn’t for The Dark Tower series, where Stephen King voiced that all of his novels came from the same universe, I would have never thought of taking on this project. But now, I don’t know what took me so long!                                                                                                                                                                 To put it simply the man is a genius, whose writing, by design can be slightly terrifying, somewhat gross, extremely intense, incredibly in-depth and

So it’s been a rough couple of months. There were a lot of personal things going on in my life that made it hard for me to keep up my reading pace, let alone write an update on my journey through Stephen King. I am getting back into the groove and I am finally ready to update you on what’s been going in the mind of Stephen King. The following reviews are short (very short) and pretty much my view on each novel so far. You will probably recognize a fair number of these books because they are pretty famous movies. Before you even ask, to me all the books are better. Let’s begin. Thinner Another Richard Bachman thriller, this one deals with the cost of crossing the wrong person. It could literally cost you your life. Probably one of my favorite Bachman books. Translated well to film. It Definitely a coming of age story, with a terrifying twist. Kids in Derry disappear and this group of kids figure out why. I will admit that is not my favorite King. I didn’t care for the w

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer             Jon Krakauer is an experienced climber who was offered the chance of a lifetime to climb Mount Everest , expenses paid, to write an article for Outside magazine. He made it to the top of Mount Everest and back to base camp alive, but he was one of the lucky ones. Nine other climbers died that day on Mount Everest . Another three died soon after. A rogue storm blew through the mountain with little warning and the unlucky ones perished trying to achieve their dreams.           The Mount Everest Disaster is described in detail by one of the survivors, Jon Krakauer. He describes what it was like for him that day, and the preceding weeks trying to prepare to climb Mount Everest . He explains the choices one had to make to survive, and what it was like to wait, not sure of how many would return once the storm blew in. The view from Krakauer eye’s and the experience he details for many wi

Eighteen Acres by Nicholle Wallace Yes, ladies and gents, we have the first female US President Charlotte Kramer presiding over the White House and its eighteen acres. A married mother of two will soon be facing re-election and with her female Chief of Staff, Melanie Kingston, by her side the United States is theirs for the taking. Not so fast because of course there is scandal in the mix in the form of a cheating husband. The First Man is having an affair with a member of the press that works closely with the White House known as Dale Smith. Now the fun really begins. The story revolves around these three ladies and the choices women today have to make when it comes to having careers. One situation examines family and how being the leader of the free world can have its draw back. Another situation examines how you can move up the chain of command and yet be steps away (literally) from where you started at. The most controversial situation surrounds that of loving a marr

So let’s get back to Stephen! (I gave you a break now onward) I’ve read a lot of different authors over a number of years. When it’s an author that I enjoy I will definitely read more novels they’ve written. I have never seen anything like what Stephen King has done with his body of work. I can only describe it as threads in a blanket: the blanket being the complete body of work and the threads being the individual works. Almost everything ties into each other. That does not necessarily include the Bachman books but everything that King put his name on is OBVIOUSLY King. It’s the Stephen King Thread. It’s the DNA that runs through his novels. He mentioned with writing the Dark Tower Series that all of his books come from the same place. It’s true and reflective in all of his novels. I do though take issue with the fact that his books are largely categorized as horror books. He is not (I repeat is not) a horror writer. Yes, some of his novels are extremely terrifying but many of th

What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman Laura Lippman is an author that you know is going to deliver, whose story is going to be interesting and best of all she is going to have an amazing twist at the end. What The Dead Know is the second novel by Laura Lippman that I have had the pleasure of reading. It is about the appearance of one of the Bethany girls, sisters who disappeared almost 30 years previously and were never seen again. Now one of them has returned and she has a story to tell but is reluctant to tell it, afraid of losing her current identity and being exposed to the media. But not everyone understands her logic. She claims her sister is dead, so why doesn’t she want justice? She was released by her captor decades ago, so why is she choosing now to come forward? Why did she wait so long to return home, if not to tell her story? What is the truth and is she even really a Bethany girl?           A lot of questions were asked and more things were

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford             Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet examines the lives of a Chinese boy, Henry and a Japanese girl, Keiko and the friendship that ensues between the two during World War II. Henry and Keiko’s friendship is a result of both of them being outsiders in their schools and very much so in their town. The all white school that they both attends looks at both of them as the enemy, even when Henry wears a nametag stating “I am American” people laugh and throw insults his way, it does though keep him from being labeled the true enemy which in his day and age was the Japanese. Keiko doesn’t apologize for her nationality nor does she accept responsibility for the actions of those who attacked Pearl Harbor . The unlikely pair’s friendship brings out both of their strengths and helps them both keep faith that one day things will change.            This book was written in both past and present tense, through the