The Next Book On My List

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore Pocket, the Fool, is currently chained to a wall in a dungeon after being drugged by Antonio, Iago and Brabantio. Those three men are responsible for the death of Fool’s wife (well, kind of wife) Queen Cordelia. They are also trying to get rich off of another holy war that will benefit the banks in Venice. The only person constantly getting in the way of their plans is Pocket. But one of our nefarious trio ends up dead and Pocket escapes. He tries to not only save Venice but to avenge his wife. With the help of his simpleton, Drool, and a mermaid monster he tries to bring those responsible for the death of his wife to justice.                 If this story sounds foolish it’s because it is. Christopher Moore is an author with great comedic timing and wordplay. I’ve been a fan of his for a while and it’s because he can literally bring me to tears with laughter. The Serpent of Venice is actually a sequel to Fool, a novel about a F

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote In Holcomb, Kansas, on the morning of November 15, 1959, Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith murdered Herbert Clutter, his wife, Bonnie, his youngest daughter, Nancy and his only son, Kenyon. The two men, Dick and Perry, arrived at the Clutter residence, River Valley Farm, late on the night of November 14 on the verge of a big “score” where there would be no witnesses. They tied each member of the family’s hands and feet with Bonnie in her room on the second floor and Nancy in her own room on the second floor as well. Kenyon was found in the playroom in the home’s basement, while Herbert was found in the furnace room. Each member of the family was shot in the head with a shotgun. Herbert also had a slit throat. Their bodies were discovered hours later by members of their church congregation. The shock of their murders sent a ripple of fear and distrust through the town. Everyone wondered how such an upstanding member of the community and hi

Champion by Marie Lu If you have not read Legend and Prodigy , the two books preceding this is in the Legend Trilogy then I suggest you do so, because this will have spoilers galore and leave you confused. With that being said, Onward! It’s been eight months since we last saw Day and June saying their goodbyes in Prodigy. Day is still lending his support to the new Elector, Anden, but has not spoken to June in months. Fighting between the Colonies and the Republic has stopped for now with hopes of a peace treaty between the two nations that now inhabit what was the United States of America. June is a Princeps-Elect, training in Colorado to compete for a high government position as next in command to the Elector. Day is living with his brother, Eden, in San Francisco. Eden is slowly recovering from the experiments he had undergone under the previous Elector, Anden’s father. Day is undergoing treatment for the headaches that are continuing to get worse due to the damage d

The Awakening by Kate Chopin Edna Pontellier is vacationing in the Grand Isle with her husband, Léonce, and two children, Raoul and Etiene. It is here that her family, and many other well to do families from New Orleans, spend their summers away from the city with the beach at their door. Edna is growing tired of that life. Tired of fully dedicating herself to her husband and sons. Tired of the gossip and the foolishness she constantly interacts with. The attention that she has been receiving from Robert Lebrun has opened her eyes to a passion and intensity she has never felt before. A passion that she didn’t believe existed. And yet, here it is, so plainly in front of her. That is until Robert abruptly leaves to Mexico, without so much as a clue of his plans to Edna privately beforehand. Shortly after his departure, the Pontellier family returns to their home in New Orleans and Edna’s perspective on life has changed. She is bored with her marriage and the duties of motherhood

Prodigy by Marie Lu I am not one for spoilers so if you haven’t read the first book, Legend, from this series then I wouldn’t recommend reading further. Now onward to this review of Prodigy.                 Day and June have escaped from Los Angeles and are on the run to Las Vegas. There they are hoping to make contact with the Patriots, the secret organization fighting against the Republic. They successfully make contact with the Patriots and Razor, the Patriot leader. The Patriots have agreed to help but for a price: Day and June must help the Patriots assassinate the new Elector Primo, Anden. The old elector, Anden’s father, is dead and now is a prime time to strike if they want a revolution, if they want the Colonies to win, if they want to overthrow the Republic. June and Day agree to do their part if it ensures their safety. June is “captured” as part of the plan and Day begins working with the Patriots, shedding light on the fact that he is indeed alive even tho

Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence                Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen are sisters living in the early 20 th Century in England. Ursula teaches at a small school with the help of Gudrun who is also an artist. Both still live with their parents in the small town they were raised. Now in their twenties they both contemplate the idea of marriage and beginning a family. Ursula begins a relationship with Rupert Birkin, while Gudrun begins dating Gerald Crich. The story unfolds examining the differences not only between the siblings and their lifestyles but of their relationships and the men they are choosing to be with.                 Women in Love is an extremely endearing story of two sisters simply trying to figure out what steps to take next in their lives. Lawrence created amazing well rounded characters in, not only our heroines, but their male counterparts as well who have as much of a starring role as their ladies. Ursula believes in love and all of its ideals. Her

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson Ursula Todd was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, blue, with no life in her body. Ursula Todd was born in the presence of a doctor who was able to cut the cord around her neck, saving the life of the baby already turning blue. Ursula died when the waves collapsed over her and her sister. Ursula was rescued on the beach by an artist who observed the two young girls in the water and was able to rescue the younger from a horrible fate. Countless births, countless deaths for Ursula. Ursula has no idea why she has these feelings of dread. She has no idea why she has memories of things that never happened. Dreams of a future she has yet to experience? From her birth in the winter of 1910 through her numerous deaths, Ursula experiences life and all the different roads one may take through history.                 Life After Life was an extremely engaging, original novel about Ursula Todd, an English girl born to a middle class

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, has been running around behind her older brother, Jem, for years in Macomb County, Alabama. Every summer, their friend Dill comes to town and the three run around visiting neighbors and trying to attract the attention of Boo Radley, a man who hasn’t left his house for years and who the kids are terrified of. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, has been attracting a lot of unwanted attention as of late for representing a young black man, Tom Robinson, whose accused of raping a younger white woman. Most of the town feels as if Atticus is disgracing his own by representing a colored man. Others feel the opposite, and though not as vocal, they find ways to show their support. It proves to be a rough time for the Finch family as they try and stand by their morals and support each other in a time when so many are fighting against them. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that examines social inequality and racism in the

Legend by Marie Lu Day is a notorious criminal who has been living on the streets of Los Angeles for the past five years, after failing his trial at ten years old. Everyone takes their Trial at ten, those who pass are sent to different schools based on how well they scored. But those who fail are taken from their families and sent to labor camps. Or so everyone has been told. Day has escaped from a lab after test were conducted on him. Afraid to go back to his family he began living on the streets. June, on the other hand, is the only person to have scored a perfect 1500 on the Trial. She is a prodigy, set to graduate from Drake University and become an officer for the Republic at fifteen years old. Now she is on the hunt for Day after he is accused of killing her brother, Metias, a Captain in the Republic. Though she is successful in her search, information that she obtains from Day and clues that she uncovers while on the streets make her question the Republic. The plagues t